The Intelligence from The Economist

What did the president stow and when did he stow it? Biden‘s mess

<p>A drip-feed of <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/01/13/joe-bidens-documents-mess?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discoveries</a> of classified material in Joe Biden’s home and offices—and the president’s botched messaging around them—are a gift to Republicans and to Donald Trump, who is under investigation for similar infractions. Our correspondent learns that many Ukrainian soldiers are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/01/08/before-going-to-fight-many-ukrainians-are-freezing-their-sperm?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">freezing their sperm</a> before heading to battle. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/01/05/france-reviews-its-hunting-rules?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fight about hunting</a> in France is no small-boar matter.</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><br><p><br></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>

Zero-sum: the imperilled global economic order

<p>Countries across the world are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/01/12/the-destructive-new-logic-that-threatens-globalisation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">turning inward</a>, embracing protectionism, subsidies and export controls. This threatens the global order that has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, and risks economic conflict. Ethiopia’s newfound peace looks <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/01/12/ethiopias-war-in-tigray-has-ended-but-deep-faultlines-remain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fragile and uncertain</a>. And Mexico’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/01/11/to-their-critics-mexican-drug-ballads-glorify-violence?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ballads</a> that critics claim glorify criminality, but fans argue celebrate loyalty, ingenuity and hard work.</p><br><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>

Unveiled threats: Iran's patient protesters

<p>Iran’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/04/irans-rattled-government-may-be-backing-down?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protests</a> may have gone quiet for the moment, but that does not mean they’ve been defeated. Beneath a calmer surface, Iranians are seething and biding their time. India’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/01/05/a-scandal-rocks-indias-pharmaceutical-industry?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pharma</a> sector is huge, but has long been dogged by concerns about quality control. And we reveal last year’s most <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/12/20/war-replaces-disease-as-the-worlds-most-newsworthy-subject?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">newsworthy subject</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>

Doctors’ disorders: Britain’s overwhelmed health service

<p>Britain’s National Health Service is in <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/01/09/general-practitioners-are-a-big-part-of-britains-health-care-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">crisis</a>. Wait times are rising, nurses and paramedics are striking, and doctors are overworked—leading to hundreds of excess deaths each week. We visit the front line: a stretched GP’s surgery in Wales. We ask why <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/01/05/why-poland-loves-to-hate-germany?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Germany and Poland</a> love to hate each other. And what America’s army is doing to slim down its overweight recruits.</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><p><br></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>

Unquiet on the eastern front: fighting in the Donbas

Russian troops have turned <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/01/04/a-russian-warlords-savagery-is-sending-a-loud-message-to-moscow?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bakhmut</a>, in eastern Ukraine, into a charnel house—and a proving ground for its mercenary army. The booming <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/01/01/can-the-north-sea-become-europes-new-economic-powerhouse?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">North Sea region</a> could reshape Europe’s economy. And how women across the Middle East are taking their <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/01/05/women-in-the-middle-east-are-leading-a-revolt-against-prudish-men?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sexuality</a> into their own hands. 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>

Cloud coup-coup land: riots in Brazil

In a scene reminiscent of the US Capitol riot two years ago, supporters of Brazil’s defeated president <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/01/09/supporters-of-jair-bolsonaro-mount-an-insurrection-in-brazil?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rampaged</a> through government buildings yesterday. Our Brazil correspondent surveys the damage. We explain why Tesla’s share price has <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/01/04/investors-conclude-that-tesla-is-a-carmaker-not-a-tech-firm?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plummeted</a>, and why an Italian film has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/01/03/perfect-strangers-has-been-remade-more-than-20-times-since-2016?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">remade</a> in more than 20 countries in the past six years. 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>

Bibi’s got backup: Israel’s right-wing government

<p>Israel’s new government is its most right-wing ever—but, in a break from the past, that <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/01/03/israels-new-government-will-test-the-ties-with-arab-states?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may not derail</a> deepening relations with neighbouring Arab countries. Thousands of Africans are killed each year after being accused of witchcraft—in many cases for more nefarious reasons than mere superstition. And the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/10/20/the-growth-of-the-cicerone-shows-how-craft-beer-is-thriving?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cicerones</a>” helping Americans navigate a vast and growing craft-beer 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>

Silva’s mettle: Brazil’s newish president

Our Brazil correspondent <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/12/31/brazils-new-president-faces-a-fiscal-crunch-and-a-fickle-congress?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">surveys</a> the state of the country, as Lula assumes the presidency precisely 20 years after his first inauguration. We ask why America’s armed forces are facing <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/11/29/why-has-americas-army-recruitment-plummeted?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recruitment struggles</a> not seen since the Vietnam War. And as <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/12/31/pope-benedict-xvi-was-an-iron-fist-in-a-white-glove?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Benedict XVI</a>’s funeral begins, our obituaries editor reflects on his papacy. 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>

We need to balk about Kevin: Congress opens in chaos

Republican control of America’s House of Representatives began in chaos: they failed to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/01/04/republicans-struggle-to-elect-a-speaker-of-the-house?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">elect a speaker</a>, the first time in a century that’s happened. China’s fishing fleet is the world’s largest—and a look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/12/08/chinas-deep-water-fishing-fleet-is-the-worlds-most-rapacious?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thinning bounty</a> from West Africa’s waters reveals its effects. And why the theft of catalytic converters is <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/15/why-catalytic-converter-theft-has-soared-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">soaring</a> in America. 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>

Ill news, spreads apace: covid in China

<p>The sudden rescinding of zero-covid strictures has, as expected, led to a spike in cases. Our correspondent visits overstretched hospitals and crematoria, and considers what will happen <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/01/02/what-the-great-reopening-means-for-china-and-the-world?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">next</a>. Aerial drones have in part shaped the war in Ukraine; now the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/12/07/ukrainian-ingenuity-is-ushering-in-a-new-form-of-warfare-at-sea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">naval kind</a> are starting to play a role. And French-language purity goes <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/12/08/why-the-french-are-mangling-their-own-language?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">out the window</a> when it comes to startups. </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 dragon chasing: China and a new nuclear order

China’s arsenal of nuclear weapons has swiftly expanded; it is now roughly the size of Russia’s and America’s. That will make for a different—and far trickier—landscape of three-way deterrence. We ask what to expect as a mountain of Hollywood’s intellectual property heads for the <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/a-treasure-trove-of-hollywood-intellectual-property-is-heading-for-the-public-domain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">public domain</a>. And our correspondent checks in on America’s friendliest and most bearded <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/15/axe-throwing-may-be-the-friendliest-new-sport-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sport</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>

In passing: the notable lives lost in 2022

<p>From Pelé, the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/12/29/pele-king-of-the-beautiful-game?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">king of football</a>”, to Britain’s longest-reigning <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/09/08/elizabeth-ii-never-laid-down-the-heavy-weight-of-the-crown?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">queen</a>, our editors and correspondents reflected on the accomplishments of many notable figures who died this year. But our obituaries editor shone a light also on the lives and legacies of lesser-known figures.</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>

Best-of three: our country, books and games of the year

It is that best-of time of year. We outline the case for our country of the year, after an uncharacteristically easy nomination process. Our correspondents explain their picks for the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/12/06/these-are-the-economists-best-books-of-2022?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">best books</a> of 2022. And the shortlist of the year’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/23/the-best-video-games-of-2022?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">best games</a>: there are cats, Norse gods and trombones. 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>

Debasement all around: lessons from 16th-century inflation

In 2022 global inflation spiked at a rate not seen in decades. A look at the world’s very <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/the-great-inflation-of-the-1500s-is-echoing-eerily-today?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first such bout</a> reveals eerie echoes of today’s woes—and lessons for tackling them. Our correspondent meets Indonesia’s Baduy people, for whom <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/in-a-corner-of-java-live-the-amish-of-indonesia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">modernity is encroaching</a> on strict religious and ascetic ways. And our data team finds that <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/what-makes-certain-dogs-popular-in-certain-countries?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">favourite dog breeds</a> vary by country. Additional music courtesy of Wim van Zanten. 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>

Cattle lines are drawn: cows in India

<p>Cows are venerated in India, but precisely how intensely often <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/indias-movement-to-protect-cows-is-rooted-in-politics-not-religion?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">depends on politics</a>. And being venerated does not necessarily yield a pleasant life for the creatures. Economists rarely consider how policies will affect birth rates and the yet-to-be-born; we examine the thorny topic of “<a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/should-we-care-about-people-who-need-never-exist?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">population ethics</a>”. And foreign-language phrasebooks may be in decline but they maintain <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/27/phrasebooks-are-dying-out?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">huge historical value</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>

Land, sea and air: let us move you

<p>In a special episode, our Paris bureau chief witnesses the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/12/11/france-needs-better-slow-trains-not-just-fast-ones?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">political divides</a> that become apparent as she switches from France’s famed high-speed railways to forgotten lines. Our culture editor considers the improbably <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/23/twenty-five-years-on-titanic-feels-like-a-prophecy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">prophetic nature</a> of the film “Titanic”. And, as the last 747 rolls off the line, our correspondent reflects on how the jet <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/12/10/what-caused-the-demise-of-boeings-747-airliner?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reshaped the airline industry</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>

An oily sheen: Nicolás Maduro in from the cold

Waves of protest after a stolen election in 2019 came to nothing. Now, thanks to the luck of geopolitics and petro-economics, President Nicolás Maduro is increasingly <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/11/27/president-joe-biden-starts-to-lift-sanctions-on-venezuela?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">back in favour</a>. “Peanuts” blazed a trail for comic strips, but beneath the family-friendly messages were a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/17/peanuts-charles-schulzs-cartoon-probed-the-human-condition?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">probing examination</a> of the human condition. And a listen to the soundtracks of the franchise’s small-screen adaptations. 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>

A figure of speeches: Volodymyr Zelensky in his own words

<p>At the beginning of the war, editors from <em>The Economist</em> went to Kyiv, the first Western journalists to <a href="https://www.economist.com/films/2022/03/28/an-exclusive-interview-with-volodymyr-zelensky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">interview Ukraine’s president</a>. Our Russia editor has now returned, finding a brighter capital—and a wearier leader still capable of <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/12/15/a-looming-russian-offensive?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flashes of humour</a>. We consider the power the president has wielded through hundreds of speeches, and share his Christmas message to our listeners.</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>

Needs Musk? Tumult at Twitter

<p>Elon Musk may be stepping down as chief executive, but he has already <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/14/what-to-make-of-the-twitter-files?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changed the firm’s fortunes</a>—and shown that social media’s free-speech struggle is far from over. A bit of fried dough in Kenya reveals how cost-of-living concerns in Africa manifest as <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/17/food-inflation-in-africa-is-shrinking-portions?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shrinkflation</a>. And why members of South Korea’s pop behemoth BTS are headed into the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/13/bts-takes-on-kim-jong-un?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">armed forces</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>

Trump card marked: the January 6th investigation

<p>The Congressional committee probing the riot at America’s Capitol recommended that the Justice Department bring four charges against <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/10/05/how-much-legal-jeopardy-is-donald-trump-in?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>. But the road to indictment and prosecution of the former president is long and winding. The UN’s biodiversity summit ended with a historic but still unsatisfying <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/12/09/why-is-there-another-cop-happening?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">agreement</a>. And our language columnist presents his choice for <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/12/14/and-the-word-of-2022-is?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">word of the year</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>

Under the missile flow: North Korea

<p>The country has been slinging missiles skyward at an alarming pace, and with ever-greater technological advancement. We ask why things are heating up, and how the West might at last <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/10/18/north-korea-is-preparing-for-another-nuclear-test-or-many?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cool them down</a>. Reforms to Indonesia’s criminal code that sparked mass protests in 2019 are back; restrictions including an extramarital-sex ban look <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/08/indonesias-ban-on-extramarital-sex-represents-a-turn-for-the-worse?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set to pass</a>. And Wales’s booming <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/24/waless-trade-in-leeches-and-maggots?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leech-and-maggot business</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>

More generals, less pacific: Japan’s new defence policy

<p>A strategy approved today peels back some of the country’s constitutional pacifism; in large part that is because of its <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/12/east-asias-big-beasts-are-getting-on-badly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tense relationship</a> with a hawkish China. Despite some promising reforms, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/29/what-two-crimes-reveal-about-violence-against-indian-women?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">violence against women</a> remains rampant in India. And our obituaries editor looks back on the life of Britain’s last surviving <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/12/15/squadron-leader-johnny-johnson-longed-to-give-hitler-a-bloody-nose?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dambuster</a>.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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 rest for the weary: meeting Ukraine’s high command

Our correspondent sits down with President Volodymyr Zelensky and two top military commanders—concluding that the next few months will determine the future of Ukraine. Morocco’s inspired run in the World Cup sparked <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/13/moroccos-world-cup-success-sparks-a-debate-about-arab-identity?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">much debate</a> about its identity as an Arab country. And our co-host investigates the vanishing pleasures of <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/24/the-vanishing-delights-of-americas-jewish-delis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Jewish delis</a>—over lunch, of course. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Precious joules: a fusion-energy result

<p>Scientists have reported a long-awaited <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/12/13/controlled-fusion-power-is-little-nearer-now-than-it-was-a-week-ago?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nuclear-fusion</a> breakthrough, using lasers to ignite hydrogen-isotope fuel in a self-sustaining burn. But that marks just one step on a long, uncertain road to clean fusion energy. Same-sex marriage in America is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/12/10/gay-marriage-becomes-the-law-of-the-land-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protected</a> by legislation, in a compromise that could provide a template for future culture-war clashes. And the uncertain future of <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/12/06/why-darjeeling-tea-may-face-extinction?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Darjeeling teas</a>.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Continental drift: Europe’s challenges

<p>A pair of crises <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/24/europe-faces-an-enduring-crisis-of-energy-and-geopolitics?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will bedevil</a> Europe, starting with crippling energy prices in the short term. And American protectionism threatens a longer-term dent in the continent’s green-industry ambitions. A visit to Ivory Coast’s cocoa operations reveals why balancing farmers’ welfare and market forces is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/21/why-the-african-cocoa-cartel-is-a-bad-idea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so tricky</a>. And what Britain’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/24/what-do-street-names-tell-you-about-britain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">street names</a> reveal about its history and its ideals.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Zero to sickly? China’s covid climbdown

With astonishing speed, the machinery of testing, tracing and lockdowns is being dismantled. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/12/07/china-is-loosening-its-covid-restrictions-at-great-risk?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks that will pose</a> to a country that is not prepared for big outbreaks. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/01/a-winemakers-lawsuit-against-napa-county-is-about-more-than-sour-grapes?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">winemaker’s lawsuit</a> in Napa Valley reveals why many Californians believe regulators are unfriendly to business. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/11/23/an-electrical-device-on-a-fishing-line-repels-sharks-and-rays?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clever solution</a> to spare sharks from becoming unwanted “bycatch”. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Second time as farce: Peru’s president falls

Perhaps Pedro Castillo thought he could repeat the coup staged by his predecessor, Alberto Fujimori, in 1992. He did not, and is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/12/07/after-a-bungled-coup-attempt-perus-president-falls?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">behind bars</a>. We ask how his fitful presidency fell apart so suddenly. Our correspondent explains why getting policy right around e-cigarettes is so tricky. And what the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/01/kenyas-boda-boda-taxis-are-unruly-in-life-and-death?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">funerals</a> of Kenya’s motorbike-taxi drivers reveal about the country. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Like biding a Reich: Germany’s alleged coup plot

<p>Raids across the country netted 25 far-right extremists suspected of trying to overthrow the government. We look into what is known about a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/12/07/german-police-arrest-two-dozen-alleged-conspirators-in-a-hare-brained-plot-to-restore-a-king?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hare-brained plan</a> to dissolve the republic and restore a king. Spates of spontaneous violence in Chicago reveal the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/11/22/americas-federal-government-has-ruthlessly-crushed-organised-crime?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unintended consequences</a> of America’s organised-crime crackdown. And why Indonesia’s clerics are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/03/indonesias-imams-are-doing-their-bit-for-the-environment?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">taking up</a> environmentalist causes.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Pastor present: Georgia’s Senate runoff

Democrats will have a bit more breathing room in the Senate, with an outright majority provided by <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/06/raphael-warnock-wins-in-georgia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reverend Raphael Warnock’s win</a>. We ask what the state-level victory reveals about national politics. Algeria’s leadership has benefited from an oil-and-gas boom; lamentably, its long-suffering citizenry <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/17/why-algerias-rotten-regime-has-been-lucky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has not</a>. And why an artificial intelligence success at the game <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/11/23/another-game-falls-to-an-ai-player?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Diplomacy</a> is significant. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>

Suspension of this belief? Iran’s morality police

The enforcers of the hardliners’ mores may have been disbanded; it is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/04/irans-rattled-government-may-be-backing-down?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hard to know</a> if the regime is bending to protesters or sowing confusion. Either way the disquiet looks set to continue. We take a look at China’s widely watched nightly news and the narrative it hopes to promulgate. And why women are suddenly <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/01/women-are-revitalising-funeral-services-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flooding</a> into America’s funeral-services industry. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</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>