The Intelligence from The Economist

Wrest wing: the bid to oust Trump

Today Democratic lawmakers will begin attempts to remove President Donald Trump. It <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/08/why-donald-trump-will-serve-out-his-remaining-term-in-office?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">could fail</a>, or be delayed—or Republicans could see a political opportunity. Even amid a global vaccination drive, the hunt for covid-19 treatments continues; we examine two existing arthritis drugs that appear to <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/07/another-life-saving-treatment-is-found-for-covid-19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">save lives</a>. And the synthesiser that <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/12/31/yamahas-dx7-synthesiser-changed-modern-music?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conquered music</a> in the 1980s and then stuck around. <em>Additional audio courtesy of Nate Mars and Daniel Reid. </em>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> <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 longer arm of the law: Hong Kong

<p>A national-security law imposed by Beijing had not, until this week, bared its teeth; <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/01/09/hong-kong-arrests-dozens-of-pro-democracy-activists?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the arrests</a> of dozens of pro-democracy figures reveals how much it can crimp opposition. At the American Economics Association’s annual shindig, a scholar <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/01/06/could-the-pandemic-cause-economists-to-rethink-welfare?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">implores</a> economists to recalibrate just how self-interested they take people to be. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/01/07/agitu-gudeta-was-killed-on-december-29th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inspiring life</a> and untimely death of a beloved, goat-herding refugee. </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>

Riot act: Biden confirmed amid chaos

After previously unthinkable scenes played out in Washington’s legislature, we ask what the violence <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/09/trumps-legacy-the-shame-and-the-opportunity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will mean</a> for the president, Republican lawmakers and American democracy. Argentina’s move to <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/12/30/argentina-legalises-abortion-joining-a-small-latin-american-group?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">liberalise</a> its abortion laws reflects slowly changing attitudes across Latin America, and may spur wider change. And examining the history of Ethio-jazz, a unique <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/01/02/ethio-jazz-is-a-product-of-migration-and-heroic-ingenuity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">musical melting pot</a>. 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> <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>

Run-off, their feat: Georgia’s Senate races

<p>Democrats look <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/06/democrats-are-set-to-win-two-run-offs-in-georgia-and-control-of-the-senate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set to win</a> both the run-off elections that will determine control of the Senate—and how President-elect Joe Biden will be able to govern. Quantum computing is still nascent, its power yet to be truly tapped. But the finance sector is already <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/12/19/wall-streets-latest-shiny-new-thing-quantum-computing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">looking to squeeze it</a> for analytical advantage. And how Confucianism <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/02/confucianism-has-become-a-political-punchbag-in-south-korea?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still influences society</a> in South Korea.</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>

Stresses of strains: emerging coronavirus variants

<p>It is no surprise that more-transmissible coronavirus variants are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/what-the-new-variants-of-covid-19-mean-for-human-health?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cropping up</a>. We ask how worrisome the strains found in Britain and South Africa are. American authorities have lodged a landmark <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/02/the-justice-department-accuses-walmart-of-fuelling-the-opioid-crisis?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">case against Walmart</a> for its role in the country’s worsening opioid crisis—a problem with clearly more than one cause. And dealing with the pile of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/01/02/how-to-deal-with-leftover-leave?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unused vacation days</a> from 2020.</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>

Arms within reach: Israel's vaccination lead

<p>Aggressive purchasing, solid logistics and a competitive health-care system have led to a world-beating rate of immunisation—but, as ever, politics is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/02/binyamin-netanyahu-faces-a-challenge-from-the-right?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">playing a role</a>, too. Big oil had a terrible 2020, but the sector’s troubles pre-date the pandemic; we look at the supermajors’ <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/12/16/big-oils-diverging-bets-on-the-future-of-energy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">varying approaches</a> to an uncertain future. And how covid-19 is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/12/12/the-pandemic-has-changed-chinas-nightclubs?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reshaping</a> China’s clubbing 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>

Isle talk to EU later: a vote on a scant Brexit deal

Britain’s parliament will vote today on its last-gasp agreement with the European Union. But that will only mark the start of more negotiations for years to come. And we examine the shortlist from <em>The Economist</em>’s annual “<a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/which-is-the-economists-country-of-the-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">country of the year</a>” debate—New Zealand, Malawi and Taiwan—and unveil the winner. 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> <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>

Cheques, imbalances: America’s fraught stimulus

<p>After months of deadlock, a covid-19 relief package <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/12/27/donald-trump-relents-and-signs-an-economic-relief-bill?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has passed</a>, but the battles continue. We ask how things got so dire and what President-elect Joe Biden will inherit. A deadly shootout in London more than a century ago <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/a-stand-off-in-londons-east-end-in-1911-still-echoes-today?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still resonates</a> today; we examine one of the world’s first breaking-news stories. And the colour black reaches <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/11/07/for-centuries-the-colour-black-has-tested-artists-ingenuity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new depths</a> in art. </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>

Going around the bloc: Europe’s vaccination push

<p>The first inoculations are happening across the continent as part of a co-ordinated push—but levels of both supply and uptake <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/12/12/europe-prepares-for-its-first-batches-of-covid-19-vaccines?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">remain uncertain</a>. Our correspondent explores South Korea’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/south-koreas-hiking-culture-reflects-its-social-pressures?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obsession with hiking</a> and why it means different things to different climbers. And looking back on a troubling year for <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/05/does-it-matter-if-the-crown-fictionalises-reality?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Britain’s royals</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>

Old acquaintance not forgot: the notable deaths of 2020

In a year marked by more than a million and a half deaths, mortality has rarely been so front of mind. Our obituary editor looks back through the notable figures she has memorialised, from <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/06/04/george-floyd-was-killed-on-may-25th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">George Floyd</a> to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/06/25/vera-lynn-died-on-june-18th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vera Lynn</a>. 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> <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>

Bubbles in the market: Mexico’s Coca-Cola obsession

<p>For decades, the country has been an almighty consumer of the fizzy drink. But amid a woeful covid-19 situation politicians are <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/10/29/politicians-step-up-the-fight-against-mexicos-coca-cola-habit?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">highlighting</a> the health concerns it brings. In getting to know a sleepy French village, our correspondent finds a <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/lockdowns-have-taught-the-world-about-isolation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nuanced view</a> of isolation in the pandemic age. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/11/04/a-lavish-set-of-books-brings-readers-closer-to-the-sistine-frescoes?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lavish books</a> providing a never-before-seen perspective on the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes.</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>

Get the lead out: Zambia’s toxic mine

<p>A site that closed more than a quarter-century ago is still <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/12/10/how-a-lead-mine-in-zambia-has-blighted-a-town?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slowly poisoning</a> the residents of Kabwe with lead; a class-action lawsuit is at last seeking redress. Our correspondent visits the ancient monastery behind the international Shaolin brand, learning the <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/tales-of-a-ceo-monk-obscure-the-business-of-faith-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subtle story</a> of its abbot and chief executive. And flicking through <em>The Economist</em>’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/12/05/our-books-of-the-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">staff picks</a> for books of the year.</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>

Rehousing project: Bangladesh’s Rohingya

<p>The country’s refugee camps are packed and squalid, so the government is moving perhaps 100,000 Rohingya Muslims to <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/12/12/bangladesh-is-moving-rohingyas-to-a-remote-island?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a tiny island</a>. Will life for them improve? Military tactics can be misleading; sometimes they are outright trickery. Our defence editor looks at the past and future of <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/democracies-need-to-re-learn-the-art-of-deception?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">military deception</a>. And why Christmas dinner involves such different fare around the world.</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>

And then, winter: ten years after the Arab Spring

A revolutionary conflagration a decade ago has almost entirely <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/why-democracy-failed-in-the-middle-east?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flickered out</a>. We ask what happened to all the optimism and why real change has been so hard to achieve. A widely watched lawsuit reveals the slow march of <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/12/16/though-muffled-chinas-metoo-movement-still-has-support?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">feminism in China</a>, one case at a time. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/11/21/beethovens-triumphant-career-was-a-struggle-against-adversity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a look back</a> at Ludwig van Beethoven’s life and work, 250 years on. 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> <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>

This market went a little piggy: a capital-raising frenzy

<p>Astonishingly, companies have raised more capital this year <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/12/09/companies-have-raised-more-capital-in-2020-than-ever-before?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">than ever before</a>. We ask how capital markets shook free amid the pandemic—and what will happen with all that cash now. Our correspondent finds just how dependent the world’s waste-management industry is on informal workers, whose hard jobs have been made far harder this year. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/12/12/super-loudhailers-are-becoming-louder-still?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the technology</a> making megaphones much more mega.</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>

Joe, College: Biden’s victory affirmed

America’s by-the-book electoral-college vote calmed concerns about another Trump-camp bid to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/12/09/the-final-countdown-to-donald-trumps-election-defeat?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">overturn the election</a>—but that is not to say the ructions are over. On an unannounced visit to a suspected forced-labour camp in China’s Xinjiang province, our correspondent <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/12/10/china-is-doubling-down-in-xinjiang?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">runs into trouble</a> when witnessing evidence of a far wider social-engineering effort. And Cuba’s beloved sweet, milky treat <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/12/10/cuba-extends-the-shelf-life-of-a-national-favourite-dulce-de-leche?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gets a freshen-up</a>. 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> <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>

So long, and we’re keeping all the fish: Brexit

<p>Britain’s divorce from the European Union still hinges on sticky matters of fishing rights and the enforcement of fair competition, and time is rapidly <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/12/a-thin-last-minute-brexit-trade-deal-is-better-than-no-deal-at-all?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">running out</a> to strike a deal. India’s fantastical “love <em>jihad</em>” <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/11/19/indias-ruling-party-invents-a-muslim-plot-against-hindu-women?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conspiracy theory</a> is just another Muslim-marginalisation move—one that the government seemingly approves of. And a hermit-crab <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/12/12/the-thai-authorities-find-shelter-for-homeless-crustaceans?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">housing shortage</a> in Thailand.</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 temperature: a climate chat with the UN chief

Ahead of a weekend meeting to assess and bolster the Paris Agreement, our correspondent speaks with Antonio Guterres about his reasons for <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2020/11/16/the-world-could-turn-a-corner-on-climate-change?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cautious optimism</a>. The founder of an upstart far-right Dutch party has been consumed by scandals; we discuss a disastrous <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/12/05/thierry-baudet-a-populist-prodigy-blows-up-the-party-he-created?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">downfall</a>. And following AirBnB’s stonking stockmarket debut, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/12/08/airbnb-guests-seek-out-cleaner-properties-in-the-pandemic?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">revealed preferences</a> of pandemic-era bookers. 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> <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>

If you already joined ‘em, beat ‘em: Facebook gets sued

American regulators have put mergers that they approved years ago at the heart of antitrust lawsuits—a tricky bid to curb the social-media giant’s market power. We examine the surge of an artist-led <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/12/05/the-movimiento-san-isidro-challenges-cubas-regime?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protest movement</a> in Cuba, where dissent on any scale is a dangerous proposition. And what a cross-border, <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/12/05/to-ski-or-not-to-ski?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ski-slope spat</a> reveals about European co-operation. 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> <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>

Laïcité, égalité, fraternité? France’s secularism bill

<p>President Emmanuel Macron’s draft bill walks a fine line balancing the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2020/11/23/what-is-french-laicite?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">foundational secularism</a> and worries about Islamist terrorism. Amid slumping economies everywhere, Taiwan’s looks surprisingly <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/12/02/covid-19-has-ravaged-economies-all-over-the-world-but-not-taiwans?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buoyant</a>; we ask how that might continue after the pandemic. And how managers can best <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/28/why-office-morale-will-be-hard-to-maintain-this-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-note" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">navigate</a> the holiday-party season in a cheerless year.</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>

Granting immunity: America weighs vaccine approval

<p>As Britons receive the first doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, authorities in America are meeting this week to authorise its emergency use. We examine the approaches on both sides of the pond. Despite pandemic prescriptions of social distancing, multigenerational living is on the rise. And how Advent calendars became so very extra.</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>

Fairly unusual: Ghana’s elections

<p>In a region racked by dodgy polls, the country looks to continue a trend of uncontested handovers of power. That is not to say, however, that there aren’t sticking points. As tortuous Brexit negotiations drag on, we look at how British farming can and should change under a new regulatory regime. And the starving deer of a Japanese tourist hotspot.</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>

Intensive scare: covid-19 ravages America

<p>Numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths are rocketing across the country. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/28/the-midwest-is-americas-covid-19-hotspot?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">situation in the Midwest</a>, as a microcosm of a wider unfolding tragedy. Venezuela’s ruling party will take over the National Assembly after <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/11/26/venezuelas-regime-will-win-the-legislative-election-by-a-lot?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sunday’s vote</a>, sidelining the self-proclaimed legitimate leader Juan Guaidó and cementing Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship. And the fruitful life and ignominious death of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/25/with-the-death-of-arecibo-an-era-ends-for-radio-astronomy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arecibo telescope</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>

Your planet, or mines? Kicking the coal habit

<p>In the West market forces are squeezing coal—even as its use rises in Asia. We examine how the world can wean itself off the dirtiest fossil fuel. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Belarus’s probable presidential-election winner, never expected to run for office. Our correspondent visits her in exile, asking about the country’s prospects for democracy. And how candy-floss machines may help make better face masks.</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>

Trans formative: a landmark children’s-rights ruling

<p>Britain’s High Court has <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/12/01/a-court-makes-it-harder-to-prescribe-puberty-blockers-to-children?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ruled</a> that puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria have been dispensed too readily, fuelling a debate that will be keenly watched abroad. A vote today on a law tightening accounting rules on <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/10/17/why-chinese-firms-still-flock-to-american-stock-exchanges?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American-listed Chinese companies</a> has a political dimension—and implications for investors. And Poland’s populist leaders seize on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/28/why-polish-politicians-fear-to-sneer-at-rural-music?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resurgence</a> of “disco polo” music.</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>

Nuclear-war head: assassination in Iran

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/27/the-father-of-irans-nuclear-programme-is-assassinated?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">killing</a> of the country’s top nuclear scientist comes at a tricky time: violent retribution may threaten hoped-for diplomacy with the incoming American administration. An artificial-intelligence <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/30/deepmind-is-answering-one-of-biologys-biggest-challenges?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">breakthrough</a> may transform protein science, with implications for everything from industrial processes to tackling disease. And why Europe’s lighter-touch, second round of lockdowns have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/11/28/why-europes-second-less-severe-lockdowns-are-working?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so effective</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>

No show of force: France’s controversial police-protection bill

<p>Protesters are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/29/a-gagging-bill-could-shield-french-police-from-charges-of-brutality?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">raging</a> against a proposed bill that would outlaw posting videos of alleged police brutality—just as two videos expose more such violence. High-stakes exams for students have been delayed, modified, even cancelled during the pandemic; we look at how all those varying results <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/11/26/exams-are-grim-but-most-alternatives-are-worse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stack up</a>. And, South Africa’s growing trend of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/21/livestock-theft-is-becoming-more-common-in-south-africa?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">livestock theft</a>—and rebranding.  </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>

One party to rule them all? India’s fraying democracy

Many of the country’s institutions are being <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/11/28/narendra-modi-threatens-to-turn-india-into-a-one-party-state?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slowly hobbled</a> by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government; we ask whether the world’s largest democracy is in peril. Sweden has a surprisingly entrenched problem with <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/28/why-sweden-struggles-to-curb-gang-violence?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gang violence</a>, revealing the social costs of its segregated populations. And how <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/11/26/black-friday-isnt-what-it-used-to-be?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Black Friday</a> is playing out in the pandemic era. 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> <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>

At his majesty, displeasure: Thailand’s anti-monarchy push

<p>A long string of pro-democracy protests are railing more and more <a href="http://espresso.economist.com/4de7729ea5daf28540ee79b3dca73d19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">against the king</a> himself—and the protesters are younger and more fearless than ever before. The arrest of Bobi Wine, Uganda’s popular singer-turned-opposition-hero, has sparked deadly violence. He won’t win January’s election, but his movement <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/07/bobi-wine-the-pop-star-who-would-be-president-of-uganda?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">isn’t going away</a>. And a Thanksgiving Day look at the globe-trotting <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/11/18/the-thanksgiving-turkey-is-actually-an-immigrant-where-does-it-come-from?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history of the turkey</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>

Tigray area: Ethiopia’s deadly standoff

<p>The northern region’s surrounded forces are ignoring Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s deadline to disarm. More regions are being <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/16/ethiopias-civil-war-is-spreading-outside-its-borders?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drawn in</a>—and a conflagration across the Horn of Africa looms. Artificial-intelligence pilots have shown serious dogfighting skills, but for reasons both technical and ethical humans are <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/19/fighter-aircraft-will-soon-get-ai-pilots?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still needed</a> in the cockpit. And the rise of mixed martial arts on <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/15/mixed-martial-arts-is-on-the-rise-in-britain-and-on-the-right?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">both sides of the Atlantic</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>