The Intelligence from The Economist

Getting their vax up: America’s vaccine mandates

<p>President Joe Biden’s requirements for employers to insist on vaccinations are a bold move amid flatlining inoculation rates. But <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/09/10/will-joe-bidens-vaccine-mandates-work?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will they work</a>? For decades the world’s cities seemed invincible, but the pandemic has hastened and hardened <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/the-new-economics-of-global-cities/21804271?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a shift</a> in urban demographics and economics. And an ancient Finnish burial site <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/an-intriguing-reinterpretation-of-an-ancient-grave/21803297?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scrambles</a> notions of gender roles in the distant past.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

From the ground up: New York after 9/11

<p>The horrors of 20 years ago spurred an <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/how-after-9/11-new-york-built-back-better/21804389?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ambitious transformation</a>, not just at the site of the attacks but across the city’s five boroughs. We visit what has risen from the ashes. A growing body of academic work—and plenty of examples on the ground—suggest countries that most mistreat women are the most <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/09/11/why-nations-that-fail-women-fail?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">violent and fractious</a>. And solving a flashy-hummingbird <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/some-female-hummingbirds-have-evolved-to-look-like-males/21804139?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mystery</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Putsch back: Africa’s latest coup in Guinea

<p>It is unclear whether better governance lies ahead after a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/09/05/alpha-conde-the-president-of-guinea-is-apparently-ousted-in-a-coup?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">military takeover</a>; what is certain is that Africa’s unwelcome trend of defenestrations has returned. We ask why. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, thought it a good time to shore up his party’s mandate; as election day nears that plan looks <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/09/04/could-canadas-conservative-party-win-back-power?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shaky</a>. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/04/the-rise-and-fall-of-sex-selective-abortion-in-georgia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rise and fall</a> of Georgia’s sex-selective abortions.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The call before the storm? Brazil’s protests

<p>Tens of thousands of people aligned with President Jair Bolsonaro held protests—at his direction. Yet the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/brazil-is-running-out-of-time-for-economic-reforms/21804273?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">numbers</a> are increasingly aligned against him as he eyes next year’s elections. Conspiracy theories are nothing new, but politicians espousing them, and exploiting them to great effect, make them <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/09/04/from-congo-to-the-capitol-conspiracy-theories-are-surging?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">much more</a> than harmless tales. And a listen to the disappearing sounds of old Beijing.</p><p><em>Additional Beijing audio courtesy of Colin Chinnery.</em></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Bitcoin of the realm: El Salvador’s experiment

<p>President Nayib Bukele thinks obliging businesses to take the cryptocurrency will help with remittances, inclusion and foreign investment. So far, <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/09/04/using-bitcoin-as-legal-tender?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">few are convinced</a>. From after-school tutoring to endless extracurricular activities, education is an increasingly cut-throat affair; we examine the costs of these academic <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/08/21/the-case-for-mutual-educational-disarmament?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">arms races</a>. And Sally Rooney’s new novel and the question of what makes <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/03/sally-rooney-and-the-question-of-greatness?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">great contemporary fiction</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Heartbeat of the matter: Texas’s draconian abortion law

<p>The Supreme Court’s surprise <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/09/04/the-supreme-court-green-lights-a-near-total-abortion-ban-in-texas?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">decision</a> to let the country’s harshest “heartbeat bill” stand bodes ill for the landmark Roe v Wade decision; we ask what happens next. Brazil’s police kill six times as many people as America’s—and the numbers bear out a clear <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/08/14/rio-de-janeiro-asks-why-its-cops-kill-so-many-black-people?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">racial divide</a> among the fallen. And how Lebanon is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/08/28/the-global-ambitions-of-lebanons-hard-pressed-olive-oil-makers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reviving</a> its olive-oil industry, with global ambitions.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Taking the fifth: Venezuela’s talks

<p>Four previous resolution meetings involving President Nicolás Maduro have changed little. <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/09/04/nicolas-maduros-regime-and-the-venezuelan-opposition-meet-in-mexico?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This time</a> international backing and aligned incentives might at last spur fair elections. Madagascar already had it hard, but the coronavirus and repeated, brutal droughts have conspired to push the country’s south to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/madagascar-is-on-the-brink-of-famine/21804098?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brink of famine</a>. And our obituaries editor reflects on war surgeon and hospital-builder <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/09/04/obituary-gino-strada-believed-health-care-was-a-human-right?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gino Strada</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Reeling and dealing: how to engage the Taliban

<p>In some ways America has more leverage now that its forces have left; we ask how diplomatic and aid efforts <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/30/the-wests-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-is-complete?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">should proceed</a> in order to protect ordinary Afghans. A global pandemic has distracted from a troubling panzootic: a virus is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/28/african-swine-fever-is-spreading-rapidly-in-china-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still ravaging</a> China’s pig farms, and officials’ fixes are not sustainable. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/08/28/the-first-full-retrospective-of-judy-chicagos-career?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first retrospective</a> for activist artist Judy Chicago.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Out for blood: the Theranos trial

<p>Elizabeth Holmes founded a big blood-testing startup; her claims were founded on very little. As her <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-gets-under-way/21804091?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trial begins</a> we ask how the company got so far before it all crumbled. Research on primates is increasingly frowned upon in the West, leaving a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/07/24/neuroscientific-research-on-monkeys-is-ethically-troubling-but-vital?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strategic opportunity</a> in places such as China. And lessons in a lost novel by French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

CDU later? Germany’s topsy-turvy election

<p>The party of Angela Merkel, the outgoing chancellor, is flailing in polls. We ask why the race has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/the-social-democrats-surge-upends-germanys-election-campaign/21803922?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so unpredictable</a> and what outcomes now seem probable. In America, obtaining a kit to make an untraceable firearm takes just a few clicks; we examine efforts to close a dangerous <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/07/taking-aim-at-ghost-guns?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">legal loophole</a>. And as sensitivities change, so do some <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/in-a-febrile-digital-age-musicians-are-changing-their-names/21803600?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bands’ names</a>. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Banks note: the Jackson Hole meeting

<p>The message for central bankers at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/at-the-jackson-hole-meeting-the-fed-ponders-an-uneven-recovery?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">annual jamboree</a>: relax a bit about inflation and be loud and clear about plans to stanch the cash being pumped into economies. The halt to an Albanian hydroelectric-dam project <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/07/31/albanian-environmentalists-are-blocking-a-torrent-of-dams?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reflects</a> a growing environmental lobby in the country, which sees better uses for its waterways. And following <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/bolivia-has-thousands-of-dinosaur-footprints-but-few-bones-1/21803906?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dinosaur tracks</a>—but finding no bones—in Bolivia.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The terror of their ways: Kabul and global jihadism

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/26/suicide-bombings-hit-kabul-as-america-scrambles-to-leave?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suicide-bombings</a> that have killed scores of people signal how the Taliban will struggle to rule Afghanistan; meanwhile the rest of the world’s jihadist outfits are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/28/after-afghanistan-where-next-for-global-jihad?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drawing lessons</a> from the chaos. The swift reversal of an explicit-content ban by OnlyFans, a subscription platform, reveals a <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/onlyfans-u-turns-on-its-porn-ban/21803924?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing tension</a> between pornography producers and payment processors. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technologythe-rise-of-3d-printed-houses/21803667?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many merits</a> of 3D-printed homes.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

To all, appearances: Israel’s PM in Washington

<p>Naftali Bennett’s first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden will look calm and co-operative. But in time, sharp differences will strain the “reset” they project today. Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency is being <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/21/indonesias-president-promised-reform-yet-it-is-he-who-has-changed?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">defanged</a>; it was simply too good at routing the rot President Joko Widodo once promised to eradicate. And estimating the breathtaking <a href="https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/how-much-will-vaccine-inequity-cost?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global cost</a> of vaccine inequality.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Delta‘s force: Australia’s covid plans crumble

<p>For a while, closed borders and strict contact-tracing held the coronavirus at bay. What lessons to take now the Delta variant has <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/07/24/australias-covid-19-strategy-is-being-tested?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">broken through</a> in the region? The European Union once had few prosecutorial powers to tackle rampant fraud by member states’ citizens; we examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/08/19/the-eu-gets-a-prosecutors-office-of-its-own?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a new office</a> that can start cleaning house. And a look at Japan’s seasonal-sweet <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/21/in-japan-novelty-sweets-mark-the-seasons?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obsession</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

How you like them: Apple’s decade under Tim Cook

<p>The tech firm has ballooned under his leadership, but Mr Cook’s next ten years <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/apple-has-had-a-successful-decade-the-next-one-looks-tougher/21803888?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will not be as rosy</a> as the first. We ask how he can maintain Apple’s shine. Activists, academics, journalists, now <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/21/hong-kongs-government-is-crushing-the-citys-pro-democracy-unions?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">labour unions</a>: Hong Kong’s authorities keep stifling democracy’s defenders wherever they turn. And why California <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/21/californias-coming-bacon-crunch?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may soon find it hard</a> to bring home the bacon.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Annexed question, please: Ukraine’s summit on Crimea

<p>President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to draw attention to Russia’s continued occupation of Crimea, and its failure to look after the region’s citizens. A new <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/19/critics-of-bangladeshs-government-are-liable-to-vanish?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report</a> attempts to put numbers to the “enforced disappearances” of Bangladesh’s opposition voices. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/08/09/why-nasas-women-astronauts-cannot-fly-as-much-as-men?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so few</a> astronauts have been women, and how that is changing. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Value-free investing: China and Afghanistan

<p>The Taliban’s takeover is a boon for China’s propaganda machine: America is tired, its policies disastrous, its values a distraction. Meanwhile China has <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/21/china-is-happy-to-see-america-humbled-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">its own interests</a> in the country. New <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/08/21/jabs-mostly-fend-off-the-delta-strain-but-breakthroughs-are-infectious?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">research</a> may explain rising covid-19 cases among the vaccinated: jabs’ effectiveness wanes with time, and “breakthrough” infections appear more contagious. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/08/21/should-you-work-a-little-on-your-holiday?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the case</a> for working, a bit, while on holiday.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Fits and starts: SARS-CoV-2’s origin

<p>In the end, the World Health Organisation’s report in March revealed little. We ask why the coronavirus origin story is so crucial, and whether China will ever let it be told. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/08/14/boris-johnsons-strained-love-affair-with-the-motorist?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">struggle</a> to square his current green promises with his past love—and his party’s—of cars. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/02/american-fried-chicken-has-its-origins-in-slavery?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">forgotten cooks</a> in fried chicken’s history.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Stymie a river: the American West dries up

<p>The first-ever water shortage declared for the Colorado River is just one sign of troubles to come; as the climate changes, century-old water habits and policies must change with it. Israel’s Pegasus spyware has raised concerns the world over, but the country is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/31/israel-is-loth-to-regulate-its-spyware-exports?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loath</a> to curb its exports of hacking tools. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/31/a-tangy-nigerian-cooking-ingredient-is-cheering-the-diaspora?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resurgence</a> of a beloved and funky Nigerian seasoning.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

It rains, it pours: Haiti’s tragedy compounds

<p>A president’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/07/15/it-is-still-unclear-who-murdered-haitis-president?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">assassination</a>, a cratered economy and now this: a tropical depression that will hamper rescue efforts after a massive earthquake. The country cannot catch a break. India and Pakistan parted ways 74 years ago this week; we discuss how the tensions that defined their division still <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/08/13/why-the-partition-of-india-and-pakistan-led-to-decades-of-hurt?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resonate</a> today. And why Indonesia is so good at <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/14/how-indonesia-became-the-home-of-badminton?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">badminton</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Nothing to break the fall: Afghanistan

<p>The fall of Kabul, the capital, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/15/the-talibans-terrifying-triumph-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sealed</a> the country’s fate: after 20 years, the Taliban are back in charge—a fearsome outcome for its <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/08/13/hiding-books-buying-burqas-kandahar-prepares-for-taliban-rule?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">people</a> and for the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/15/america-may-pay-dearly-for-defeat-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Biden administration</a>. As capital punishment fades, life sentences proliferate; that comes with its own <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/07/06/as-the-death-penalty-becomes-less-common-life-imprisonment-becomes-more-so?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">costs and iniquities</a>. And visiting an <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/08/07/in-uruguay-few-descendants-of-russian-emigres-want-to-leave?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">enclave</a> in Uruguay that is in many ways more Russian than Russia.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Thicket and boarding pass: travel’s tangle of rules

<p>Restrictions are opaque, fickle and often <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/14/most-covid-19-travel-restrictions-should-be-scrapped?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">illiberal</a>—and it is not even clear how much they help curb the coronavirus. Chinese officials want to boost the economy of the province of Xinjiang, but our correspondent says plans predicated on repressing the Uyghur minority are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/07/chinas-efforts-to-lift-xinjiangs-economy-may-smother-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely to work</a>. And bidding <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/08/14/flexibility-is-the-key-to-success?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">farewell</a> to our work-and-management columnist, who still hates useless meetings.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Bridges and divides: America’s infrastructure push

<p>The Senate has <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/joe-bidens-splurge-on-infrastructure-moves-a-step-closer-1/21803517?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">passed</a> the first part of President Joe Biden’s mammoth plan, which is now tied to a far more ambitious part two. We examine their prospects for passage. Zambia is undertaking a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/07/zambias-election-is-crucial-but-its-not-a-fair-fight?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pivotal election</a>—but it seems far from a fair fight to oust the incumbent. And our Germany-election <a href="https://economist.com/germany-model?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tracker</a> cuts through reams of data and tricky electoral politics.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Blazed and confused: Turkey’s raging fires

<p>Across the Mediterranean and beyond, flames are consuming the landscape. Our correspondent says Turkey’s government helped make the country a tinderbox and was caught <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/08/07/turkeys-deadly-fires-raise-the-heat-for-erdogan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flat-footed</a> by the blaze. State secrets, business intelligence, even conservation data: it’s all online, and freely available. We examine the pros and cons in an era of <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/08/07/open-source-intelligence-challenges-state-monopolies-on-information?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">open-source intelligence</a>. And the “murder hornet” <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/07/insect-wars-murder-hornets-v-the-american-honeybee?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">threatening</a> America’s north-west.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Shots or fired: America’s vaccine mandates

<p>Inoculation or testing requirements are <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/vaccine-mandates-are-spreading/21803404?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spreading</a> nearly as fast as the Delta variant. But it is not clear they will actually drive more people to get vaccinated. A broad semiconductor shortage has hit plenty of industries; we examine supply-chain <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/semiconductors-pose-an-unwelcome-roadblock-for-carmakers/21803287?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subtleties</a> that have made it particularly bad for carmakers. And why Mumbai is suffering from a plague of <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/07/snake-sightings-are-becoming-increasingly-common-in-mumbai?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">snakes</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Hot prospects: a sobering IPCC report

<p>The UN climate body’s latest <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/08/09/the-ipcc-delivers-its-starkest-warning-about-the-worlds-climate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">doorstopper report</a> is unequivocal: climate change is human-caused, and already here—and 1.5°C of warming is looking ever harder to avoid. In Bolivia, debate <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/08/07/is-evo-morales-staging-a-comeback-in-bolivia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still rages</a> as to whether a 2019 election was rigged, or a coup; the people want pandemic relief, not paralysed politics. And investigating the received wisdom of the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/07/16/is-the-myth-of-the-difficult-second-novel-fact-or-fiction?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">difficult second novel</a>”.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Coming in harder: Iran’s new president

<p>Ebrahim Raisi <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/08/02/what-an-attack-on-an-oil-tanker-says-about-iran?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">takes office</a> as the country is blamed for multiple attacks in the region; a more mistrustful, hardline and aggressive regime awaits. Our correspondent meets a woman first trafficked into a sprawling Bangladeshi brothel at age 12 and who is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/02/19/she-was-trafficked-into-a-giant-brothel-now-she-runs-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in charge of it</a>. And the high-tech <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/07/14/new-running-shoes-are-smashing-records?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shoes</a> that may be contributing to tumbling world records in Tokyo.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

No consent of the governed: Andrew Cuomo on the brink

<p>After a <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/findings-of-sexual-harassment-put-andrew-cuomo-in-jeopardy/21803290?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">damning report</a> into sexual-harassment allegations, support for New York’s governor has cratered. He is hanging on—for now. LinkedIn seems to do a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/07/24/linkedin-faces-awkward-choices-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brisk trade</a> in China, without revealing how it keeps on the right side of the censors. So users increasingly censor themselves. And the mutual appreciation of Chechnya’s brutal dictator and a star mixed-martial-arts fighter.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

No port, still a storm: Lebanon a year after the blast

<p>The explosion at Beirut’s port was a symptom, not a cause, of the country’s malaise. We find more questions than answers about the blast and a political class <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/a-year-after-the-beirut-blast-still-no-bottom-to-lebanons-crisis/21803288?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unshaken by it</a>. For half a century, one Beirut resident has, from the same apartment, witnessed a history pockmarked by <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/30/my-grandmothers-home-survived-last-years-blast-beirut-may-never-recover?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unexpected disaster</a>. And our Big Mac index <a href="https://www.economist.com/big-mac-index?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reveals</a> the depth of Lebanon’s economic crisis. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Block off the old chips? Nvidia’s fraught merger

<p>The semiconductor giant wants to acquire ARM—a British firm that is more complement than competitor—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/08/01/will-nvidias-huge-bet-on-artificial-intelligence-chips-pay-off?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">regulators may balk</a>. We look at what’s at stake in chips. Something is changing in Americans’ spiritual lives: a drift away from organised religion. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/07/08/nothing-in-particulars-are-americas-fastest-growing-religious-group?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">startling rise</a> in the “nothing in particular” denomination. And how women are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/07/24/female-surfers-ride-the-wave-to-chinas-hainan-island?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leading</a> China’s growing surfing scene.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>