The Intelligence from The Economist

<p>Russia says it will withdraw from the only captured Ukrainian provincial capital. We ask how <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/11/09/russia-says-it-is-abandoning-the-southern-city-of-kherson?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">the drawdown</a> might go and what it means for the wider war. Britain is set for the largest wave of industrial action in decades; the strikes could throw the country <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/03/britain-faces-a-wave-of-industrial-action-this-winter?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">into chaos</a>. And the long life of Shyam Saran Negi, India’s first-ever voter.</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>

America’s midterm elections have finished. While the full results may not be known for some time, Democrats appear to have outperformed expectations: Republicans will probably narrowly win the House, while the Senate remains too close to call. Argentina’s slum policy is a rare bright spot in the country’s politics. And why the war in Ukraine may put paid to ground-attack aircraft. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer <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 the final episode of our midterms series, we examine how the Republican party’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/10/27/why-the-republicans-anti-democracy-turn-has-become-normalised?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">anti-democratic turn</a> is putting pressure on election administrators. When he briefly reneged on a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports, Vladimir Putin held the world’s grain supply hostage  – a <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/11/02/how-men-with-guns-aggravate-global-hunger?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">tactic </a>beloved of strongmen the world over. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/07/how-to-win-prizes-and-influence-tv-hbo-turns-50?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">HBO</a> turns 50 this year: we assess its legacy. 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>

As the UN’s annual climate jamboree begins, our correspondent calls for a strong dose of realism: limiting warming to 1.5C is just <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/03/the-world-is-missing-its-lofty-climate-targets-time-for-some-realism?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">no longer feasible</a>. On average the rule of law is losing ground globally, yet one place it appears to be strengthening is on <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/10/26/the-eu-is-strengthening-democracy-in-eastern-europe?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">Russia’s doorstep</a>. And a look at the sports teams everyone <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/10/28/the-sports-teams-everyone-loves-to-hate?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">loves to hate</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>

<p>America’s midterm elections, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress, end on Tuesday. For the past three months our correspondents have been travelling across the country, reporting on the trends and concerns shaping the race. This compilation episode highlights the best of their work. 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><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>

<p>A surprise peace agreement should permit desperately needed humanitarian relief for millions in the region of Tigray—but there are reasons to doubt the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/27/ethiopias-peace-talks-may-be-overtaken-by-battlefield-advances?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">grinding conflict</a> is at an end. Britain has a problem that other rich countries do not: its over-50s are <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/27/where-did-all-britains-50-somethings-go?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 out</a> of the labour market. And our correspondent attends an unexpectedly tame “<a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/10/27/the-surprising-maturity-of-the-crypto-rave-crowd?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">crypto rave</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>

<p>Our election model <a href="https://www.economist.com/mid-terms-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">suggests</a> that at least one legislative chamber will revert to Republican control; we ask what sort of government would result. The breach of the Nord Stream pipelines is a reminder of how much infrastructure is at risk of <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/29/how-does-underwater-sabotage-work?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">subsea sabotage</a>. And what the trendy term “ikigai” <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/10/27/what-japan-makes-of-ikigai?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">actually means</a> in Japan, its ostensible country of origin.</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>

<p>After a 16-month absence from leadership, Binyamin Netanyahu is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/27/israels-binyamin-netanyahu-bids-for-an-election-comeback?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</a> at the centre of the country’s messy politics. We ask how his divisive ways will play out this time. Apple is slowly <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/10/24/the-end-of-apples-affair-with-china?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">weaning itself off</a> China as a place both to make and to sell its gizmos. And how the “palaeo” diet bears <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/10/12/the-palaeo-diet-bears-little-resemblance-to-the-real-thing?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">little resemblance</a> to the real thing.</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>

<p>As President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine continues to falter, Russian elites are now daring to consider the once unthinkable: a life <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/10/26/russias-elite-begins-to-ponder-a-putinless-future?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">after his leadership</a>. Haiti is in grave disarray, but <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/10/20/an-american-backed-foreign-force-may-be-sent-to-haiti?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">calling in foreign help</a> to sort things out is proving tricky. And the diamond in Britain’s crown jewels that India <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/20/indians-want-the-koh-i-noor-diamond-back?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">wants back</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>

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist former president, <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/10/31/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-will-be-brazils-next-president?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 won again</a>. Even if President Jair Bolsonaro gracefully concedes, his followers and fellow party members will make Lula’s hard job harder. We ask why California’s green-tinged Democratic governor is against a <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/10/17/californians-may-tax-the-rich-more-to-subsidise-electric-cars?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">progressive ballot initiative</a> on electric vehicles. And our say on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/10/27/the-joys-of-pan-de-muerto-a-sweet-tribute-to-departed-loved-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">bread</a> of the day of the dead. 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>

After months of wrangling, Elon Musk completed his deal to buy <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/10/05/elon-musk-is-buying-twitter-really-probably?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">Twitter</a>, and immediately sacked several top executives. We ask what’s next for the platform and its users. <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/20/how-organised-crime-is-blighting-south-africas-economy?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">Organised crime</a> is damaging South Africa’s economy. And our obituaries editor looks back at one of the 20th century’s most daring <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/10/27/ian-hamilton-masterminded-one-of-the-most-daring-heists-of-the-last-century?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">heists</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>

<p>Russia has been targeting <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/10/24/ukraine-races-to-stop-russia-from-destroying-its-power-grid?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">Ukraine’s energy infrastructure</a> with missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air defences are struggling to keep up, and many households are without power as winter approaches. Bill Gates has a <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/02/15/bill-gates-has-a-plan-to-save-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">plan</a> to boost African crop yields. And as <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/13/the-bbc-marks-its-100th-birthday?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">the BBC turns 100</a>, we reflect on its legacy, and look at challenges ahead. 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><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>

When America’s Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the conventional wisdom was that it would <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/08/the-demise-of-roe-v-wade-has-fired-up-the-democrats?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">help Democrats</a> by galvanising them for the midterm elections. Two weeks away from Election Day, the picture isn’t quite so clear. We meet Russia’s ruthless new battlefield <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/10/13/who-is-sergei-surovikin-russias-new-commander-in-ukraine?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">commander</a>. And what scientists can learn from training nerve cells to <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/10/12/nerve-cells-in-a-dish-can-learn-to-play-pong?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">play Pong</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>

Rishi Sunak becomes Britain’s prime minister today, making him the third in the past seven weeks. Our correspondent explains who he is, and analyses his road ahead. In Mexico there are growing concerns over the army’s increasing wealth and power. And why “The Stepford Wives,” a novel published 50 years ago, remains relevant and influential today. <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>

Xi Jinping won a third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Our correspondent explains how the recent party congress solidified Xi’s grip on power. With record numbers of people showing up, America’s southern border is a political and actual problem for the Biden administration. And why FIFA and EA Sports have parted ways after 30 years. <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>

<p><em>The Economist</em>’s comparison of Liz Truss’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/20/who-will-be-britains-next-leader?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">staying power</a> to that of a lettuce captured global imaginations. Will the next prime minister have a longer shelf-life? We ask why it has proven so tricky to get the Middle East’s considerable <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/13/middle-eastern-countries-are-sitting-on-an-ocean-of-natural-gas?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">natural-gas resources</a> to market. And the murder of <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/10/20/yurii-kerpatenko-refused-to-bow-to-russian-orders?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">Yurii Kerpatenko</a>, a conductor from Kherson who refused to bow to Russian orders.</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>

Regional leaders recognise the abject failure of the war on drugs. We speak with Colombia’s president about some <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/10/13/booming-cocaine-production-suggests-the-war-on-drugs-has-failed?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">bold new ideas</a> to tackle the problem. Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, is a big gamble on the metaverse—but the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/10/16/how-much-trouble-is-mark-zuckerberg-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">real risk</a> is that the company still known as Facebook is waning. And a zippy ride through England’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/11/a-trial-of-e-scooters-in-britain-has-encouraging-results?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">electric-scooter trial</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 the next instalment of our American midterms series we visit Rhode Island to see how inflation—at its highest since the early Reagan era—is affecting people’s lives, and their <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/10/11/why-republicans-are-gaining-ground-in-midterm-polls?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">voting intentions</a>. Denmark’s refugee policies are surprisingly hostile, and surprisingly popular. And our correspondent assesses the latest album and the legacy of Keith Jarrett, one of the world’s greatest living pianists. 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>

<p>Unrest is only spreading and the authorities trying to quell it are looking increasingly desperate. We hear from <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/10/12/are-they-watching-our-homes-are-they-in-our-phones-a-diary-of-fear-in-tehran?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">one protester</a> among many who are racked by fear but motivated by hope. The leader of the shadowy Wagner Group of mercenaries has <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/29/who-is-yevgeny-prigozhin-the-man-behind-the-wagner-group?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">revealed himself</a>; we ask why. And a look at how few workers <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/10/13/it-is-becoming-harder-to-take-off-a-sick-day?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">call in sick</a> these days. </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>

<p>State media have taken to calling President Xi Jinping “the helmsman”; at the five-yearly meeting he <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/10/16/at-chinas-communist-party-congress-xi-jinping-sails-on-undaunted?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">defended</a> his means of steering the country. We ask how to read between his tightly prepared lines. Many of America’s firms will soon deliver disappointing profits—and there is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/10/09/have-profits-peaked-at-american-businesses?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">more to blame</a> than simple business cycles. And research suggests that parenthood causes fathers’ brains <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/09/28/becoming-a-father-shrinks-your-cerebrum?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">to shrink</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>

The former president may well ignore the January 6th committee’s summons; the whole affair may be unceremoniously shut down next year. But that is not to say the process has been in vain. Russia’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/10/09/the-war-in-ukraine-has-battered-the-reputation-of-russian-spies?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">intelligence failures</a> during the war in Ukraine have taken the shine off the security services’ fearsome reputations. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/10/13/loretta-lynn-gave-all-struggling-women-a-voice?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">Loretta Lynn</a>, country music’s most-successful-ever female star. <em>Additional audio courtesy of </em><a href="https://www.honoryourhometown.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Honor Your Hometown</em></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>

<p>Paroxysms in the market for gilts—British-government bonds that were once safe-haven assets—<a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/10/11/liz-truss-has-made-britain-a-riskier-bet-for-bond-investors?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">reveal</a> just how wounded the new government’s plans have left it. Cuba is experiencing the worst <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/10/06/cubans-rage-against-the-dying-of-the-light?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">economic crisis</a> in decades, and those who are not protesting are heading for the door. And making the case to let your lawn <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/08/16/the-going-gets-turf-do-lawns-have-a-future-in-the-age-of-drought?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">go wild</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>

The latest instalment of our series asks how much difference Donald Trump’s imprimatur has made to <a href="https://www.economist.com/mid-terms-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">candidates</a>—and whether that influence will carry over to a general election. A look at <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/09/22/rugby-brings-south-africa-together-if-only-for-80-minutes?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">South African rugby</a> reveals positive change in the top ranks but dispiriting decline in the local game. And what the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/09/22/sixty-years-ago-james-bond-and-the-beatles-made-debuts?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">cultural intertwining</a> of James Bond and the Beatles says about Britishness. 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>

<p>Our correspondent meets with <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/10/peter-obi-a-man-who-carries-his-own-suitcases-could-be-nigerias-next-president?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">Peter Obi</a>, who has a handsome poll lead and an appeal that spans the country’s religions and ethnicities. But his presidential bid still faces obstacles. Myanmar’s ruling junta is doing more than suppressing the country’s people: it is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/15/an-economically-illiterate-junta-is-running-myanmar-into-the-ground?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">battering the economy</a> equally efficiently. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/10/06/brother-andrew-secretly-carried-bibles-behind-the-iron-curtain?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">Brother Andrew</a>, who made daring deliveries behind the Iron Curtain.</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>

<p>An <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/10/08/ukraine-braces-for-retaliation-after-an-attack-on-the-bridge-from-crimea-to-russia?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">attack</a> on the Kerch bridge—a pet project of President Vladimir Putin that links Russia with annexed Crimea—has prompted a swift and brutal response. We ask what is likely to happen next. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/10/06/how-pop-culture-went-multipolar?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">multipolar</a> nature of popular culture: fears of a globalised monoculture of cool have proved misplaced. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/22/indias-capital-has-run-out-of-booze?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">buying booze in Delhi</a> has again become so unpleasant. </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>

<p>Ukraine’s army has <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/10/06/ukraine-has-made-stunning-gains-on-the-battlefield?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">pushed</a> Russian forces back in the south and east. We ask how they’ve managed to make such impressive gains so quickly, whether more could follow and what Russia’s reaction might be. Why Britain has such troubles <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/01/why-britain-cannot-build-enough-of-anything?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">building</a> homes, power stations and really much of anything. And how Maine’s lobstermen are responding to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/22/maines-lobster-industry-is-feeling-the-pinch?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">the latest threat</a> to their industry.</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>

Our correspondent reports from <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/30/the-world-should-not-ignore-the-horrors-of-eastern-congo?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">eastern Congo</a>, where a three-decade-long conflict has killed thousands, and forced more than five million people from their homes--with no end in sight. Researchers are searching for better <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/09/21/better-medicines-are-needed-to-relieve-pain?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">analgesics</a>: ones that reduce pain without the risk of addiction or corollary physiological damage. And a contest in southern Alaska to select the internet’s favourite<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/10/04/alaskas-fat-bear-week-proves-conservation-can-be-joyful?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"> fat bear</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>

<p>In the next instalment of our midterms series, we head to the suburbs of Atlanta in search of that rarest of political creatures: the swing voter. There aren’t many of them, but they may well determine which party controls the Senate. Luxury brands are changing their outlooks and offerings as they seek new markets and younger consumers. And our culture correspondent visits a retrospective of William Kentridge’s works.</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>

<p>Prime Minister Liz Truss has had a bruising first few weeks in office. Amid <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/03/kwasi-kwarteng-reverses-course-on-the-top-rate-of-tax?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">policy U-turns</a> and plummeting poll numbers, her Tory party’s annual shindig is a venue for much soul-searching. Russia’s “<a href="https://www.economist.com/news/2022/09/24/how-russia-is-conscripting-men-to-fight-in-ukraine?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">partial mobilisation</a>” is unlikely to help much on the battlefield—and is proving exceedingly unpopular at home. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/09/21/on-the-troubles-of-naming-species?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">the dangers</a> of naming species after people who become notorious.</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>

<p>Jair Bolsonaro, the incumbent president, did unexpectedly well—giving his campaign <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/10/03/brazils-presidential-election-will-go-to-a-run-off?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">a boost</a> and foreshadowing a tough run-up to the second round. Malawi’s incipient democracy stands as a shining regional example, but remaking its economy has proved <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/22/malawi-has-saved-its-democracy-but-not-its-economy?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">even harder</a> than ousting its undemocratic leader. And why one tank is a particularly <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/26/why-the-capture-of-a-russian-t-90m-tank-matters?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">handsome prize</a> amid Ukraine’s growing pile of captured Russian kit.</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>

<p>After a series of <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/29/ignore-putins-fake-referendums-and-keep-helping-ukraine?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">sham referendums</a>, President Vladimir Putin is expected to annex four partly occupied regions of Ukraine. We ask what risks that move would pose. What has driven China’s president to amass such <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/29/how-to-make-sense-of-xi-jinping-chinas-enigmatic-ruler?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">tremendous personal power</a>? We introduce our new, long-form podcast “<a href="https://www.economist.com/theprincepod?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">The Prince</a>”, which dives deep into his life. And video-game music is rapidly <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/23/video-game-soundscapes-are-growing-in-prestige?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">growing in prestige</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>

<p>Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist former president, looks well-placed to win a third term. But <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/09/19/how-left-wing-on-economics-is-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva?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">which Lula</a> would Brazil get—the fiscal conservative or the populist spendthrift? Germany has an earned reputation as an industrial powerhouse, but its dependence on Russian gas and Chinese demand are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/09/11/germany-faces-a-looming-threat-of-deindustrialisation?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">hobbling it</a>. And why the propaganda-spewing loudspeakers in Vietnam’s capital are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/08/loudspeakers-in-vietnams-capital-will-blare-propaganda-once-more?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">firing up</a> again.</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>

Women are burning their hijabs on bonfires and hacking off their hair—but the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/26/irans-rebellion-spreads-despite-lethal-repression?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">unrest</a> has come to be about far more than the heavy hands of the morality police. The murder of Abe Shinzo, a former Japanese prime minister, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/26/the-fallout-from-abe-shinzos-murder-could-unseat-his-successor?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">exposed</a> troubling government links to a cult-like sect; the fallout could unseat his successor. And using flying robots as <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/09/21/teams-of-drones-can-print-in-3d?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">3D printers</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>

<p>The markets are so far entirely unconvinced that the new administration’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/22/liz-trusss-selective-reaganomics-wont-work?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">Reagan-esque economic plans</a> will work to spur growth—just look at <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/26/the-pound-is-plumbing-near-historical-depths-why?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">sterling's tumble</a>. In Tibet, China’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/09/13/chinas-government-is-mass-collecting-dna-from-tibetans?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">mass collection</a> of DNA samples has one unabashed motive: social control. And the curious wave of “unretirees” <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/15/against-expectations-covid-19-retirees-are-returning-to-work?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">returning to work</a> after the pandemic.</p><p><em>Additional audio courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.</em></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Italians have voted decisively for a coalition of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/25/italy-votes-decisively-for-a-coalition-of-nationalist-right-parties?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">right-wing parties</a>, with Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy, the likely next prime minister. What this means for Italy, Europe and the war in Ukraine remains unclear. Latin American prisons are awful and getting worse. And a surprising <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/09/15/a-film-about-rural-outcasts-made-waves-in-china?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">hit film</a> makes Chinese authorities nervous.</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>

Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, announced a sweeping <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/21/donald-trump-faces-a-sweeping-new-lawsuit?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">lawsuit</a> against Donald Trump, his businesses and three of his children. He’s also being investigated over allegations of election interference in Georgia and storing classified documents at his Florida resort. The battle to be the top provider of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/29/the-cloud-computing-giants-are-vying-to-protect-fat-profits?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">cloud-computing services</a> is heating up. And reflecting on the legacy of “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/09/20/the-joy-of-sex-is-a-book-for-the-ages?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">The Joy of Sex</a>,” published 50 years ago. 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>

America’s Federal Reserve made its third straight 0.75% <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/21/as-america-raises-rates-the-rest-of-the-world-bears-the-pain?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">interest-rate hike</a>, with Jerome Powell, the Fed’s chair, warning that more hikes would follow. But with inflation still high, and labour markets still tight, is the Fed doing all it can? A new report suggests that <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/09/20/the-number-of-people-in-modern-slavery-is-increasing?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">forced labour and marriage</a> are on the rise around the world. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/09/21/frank-drake-believed-that-the-universe-had-to-contain-other-intelligent-beings?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">reflecting</a> on one man’s long search for extraterrestrial life. 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>

<p>This morning Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/20/vladimir-putins-situation-looks-ever-more-desperate?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">announced</a> that Russia would call up more troops to fight in Ukraine, said his goal of “liberating” eastern Ukraine remained unchanged and accused the west of “nuclear blackmail.” Our correspondent parses his speech. Our midterm series heads to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/18/democrats-are-wrong-to-give-up-on-rural-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">Maine</a>, to see how Democrats are fighting for rural voters. And a new <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/09/07/humans-were-performing-amputations-earlier-than-thought?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">discovery</a> in Borneo rewrites the history of surgery.</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>

Elizabeth II was devoted to <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/09/09/the-commonwealth-will-miss-queen-elizabeth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Commonwealth</a>, a club of countries that are home to one-third of the world’s population. What is its future under Charles III? <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/08/the-ancient-city-of-jeddah-is-being-bulldozed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeddah</a> is Saudi Arabia’s most charming and cosmopolitan city, which Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, is swiftly bulldozing. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/06/will-chinas-economy-ever-overtake-americas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">China’s economy</a> may struggle to overtake America’s. <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>

<p>Two years in the making, the country’s new foundational document was summarily <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/09/05/common-sense-prevails-as-chileans-reject-a-new-constitution?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">swatted down</a> in a referendum. We ask how it went so wrong, and what comes next. Data show a long-held view on fertility and prosperity is <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/15/richer-societies-mean-fewer-babies-right?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">not as straightforward</a> as thought; we examine the policy implications. And learning about <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/11/what-are-harm-the-air-to-surface-missiles-destroying-russian-air-defence-radar?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">HARM</a>—the missiles causing so much harm to Russian forces.</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>

<p>Five years after a brutal campaign that drove nearly 750,000 out of Myanmar and into Bangladesh, conditions for the Muslim minority remain appalling on <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/18/the-rohingyas-are-being-wiped-out-in-slow-motion?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">both sides of the border</a>. Central Asian countries are laying <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/06/two-new-railway-lines-could-transform-central-asia?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">plans for railways</a> that would fill their coffers, distance Russia and empower China. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/15/why-britons-love-to-queue?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">economics lessons</a> in London’s queue to see Queen Elizabeth II.</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>

<p>As the presidents of China and Russia <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/09/08/xi-jinping-will-at-last-venture-abroad-again?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">meet in Uzbekistan</a>, we examine their friendship. They have much in common—but Russia’s prosecution of the war in Ukraine may strain relations. Islamic State and al-Qaeda may be less in the news but their foothold in Africa only keeps <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/11/how-al-qaeda-and-islamic-state-are-digging-into-africa?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">growing</a>. And why so many young Korean city-slickers are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/01/young-koreans-are-moving-to-the-countryside-to-farm?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">becoming farmers</a> in the countryside.</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>

<p>A conflict smouldering since a war in 2020 has again <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/13/why-azerbaijan-and-armenia-are-fighting-again?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">caught alight</a>; Azerbaijan may feel emboldened by a distracted Russia and its own energy prospects. Gulf countries are swimming in <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/07/an-oil-windfall-offers-gulf-states-one-last-chance-to-splurge?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">piles</a> of unexpected, oil-derived cash: we ask whether they will sock it away or splurge on citizens and pet projects. And why many Lebanese couples are choosing to <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/08/lebanese-seeking-civil-marriages-are-getting-wed-online?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">wed online</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>

<p>Vladimir Putin hopes the threat of cutting off fuel supplies this winter will weaken Europe’s support for Ukraine. European leaders are trying to cobble together<a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/08/how-to-deal-with-europes-energy-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"> a collective response </a>to prevent such fracturing. Before Russia invaded, Ukraine’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/08/the-war-has-thrown-ukraines-surrogacy-industry-into-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">surrogacy industry</a> was booming. It has since been disrupted, but not ended. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/08/25/a-few-bird-species-are-faring-amazingly-well-in-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">Britain’s bird populations</a> are changing: we ask why.</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>

<p>Russia has lost in a week what cost it months to gain in eastern Ukraine. We ask what the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/11/is-russia-on-the-run?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">lightning counter-offensive</a> means for the war. What is more surprising than Mississippi’s capital <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/06/a-water-crisis-in-mississippis-capital-is-a-harbinger-of-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">lacking access</a> to clean drinking water is that millions of other Americans face the same struggle. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/01/why-investors-are-reaching-for-the-astrology-of-finance?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">quasi-astrological methods</a> some investors use to predict market movements.</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>

<p>The death of Queen Elizabeth II marks the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/08/the-death-of-elizabeth-ii-marks-the-end-of-an-era?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">end of an era</a>. We explore her long, <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">dutiful reign</a> and how it shaped the modern monarchy. The country has <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/09/08/elizabeth-ii-was-the-longest-reigning-monarch-in-british-history?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 substantially</a> during her time, but one parallel remains: her successor, King Charles III, will also take over at a time of uncertainty for the country and <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/09/08/britains-longest-serving-ruler-strengthened-the-monarchy?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">for the monarchy</a> itself.</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>

<p>In Brazil, fears are growing that if <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/08/win-or-lose-jair-bolsonaro-poses-a-threat-to-brazilian-democracy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jair Bolsonaro </a>loses in October, as polls suggest is likely, he may try to stage a coup or foment violence. He’s been sowing distrust in the country’s electoral system, and many of his supporters are well-armed. Should <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/09/01/should-every-schoolchild-eat-free?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">school lunches</a> be free? And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/01/why-is-indias-sex-ratio-normalising?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">the gap</a> between the number of boys and girls born in India is narrowing.</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>

<p>Our model, built to predict the outcome of this year’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/mid-terms-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">midterm elections</a>, tips Republicans to take the House and Democrats to retain control of the Senate. The model’s architect discusses how and why he built it, and our polling guru explains why polls matter. Why there’s no nuclear-arms race in <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/11/the-nuclear-arsenals-of-china-india-and-pakistan-are-growing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asia</a>—yet. And Egypt wants the <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/01/egyptians-want-britain-to-return-the-rosetta-stone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rosetta Stone</a> back, but it’s not that simple.</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>

<p>As Liz Truss becomes prime minister, we ask whether her meat-and-potatoes <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/05/what-kind-of-prime-minister-will-liz-truss-be?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">tax-slashing agenda</a> will work for a crisis-stricken Britain. Japan’s prison population is ageing just as its wider society is—and that is at last prompting <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/01/japans-prisons-are-adapting-to-cope-with-ageing-inmates?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">reforms</a> to its punitive penal system. And why Ukraine’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/23/why-ukraines-supply-of-anti-tank-weapons-may-tail-off?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">short supply</a> of anti-tank missiles is not as worrying as it would once have been. </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>

<p>The worst predictions for costs have <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/22/against-expectations-global-food-prices-have-tumbled?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">not come to pass</a>, partly because Russia is selling plenty of wheat. But plenty of food-price woe may still await. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/19/why-has-polio-returned-to-london-and-new-york?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">curious re-appearance</a> of the polio virus in the West. And the trials of “<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/25/pink-sauce-and-the-fashion-for-homemade-food-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">Pink Sauce</a>” reveal the perils of being a cottage-food producer—or consumer—in the social-media age.</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>