The Intelligence from The Economist

<p>After a five-month hiatus, violence has returned to the northern region of Tigray—but that is just one of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/25/two-ethnic-revolts-rack-ethiopia-at-the-same-time?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">conflicts</a> threatening to pull the country to pieces. China’s Belt and Road Initiative has made it a prominent developing-world lender. <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/08/24/faced-with-an-overseas-debt-crisis-will-china-change-its-ways?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">How will it deal</a> with so many of its loans souring? And our obituaries editor reflects on Issey Miyake’s fashion-for-the-masses philosophy.</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 long-trailed counter-offensive to retake the Russian-occupied regional <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/30/why-does-kherson-matter?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">powerhouse</a> and symbolically powerful provincial capital <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/08/29/ukraine-starts-a-push-to-recapture-kherson-a-crucial-russian-occupied-city?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 begun</a>. But Ukraine’s forces are in no hurry. Visa and Mastercard are two of the world’s most profitable companies; we look at efforts to break their <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/17/can-the-visa-mastercard-duopoly-be-broken?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">iron grip</a> on the payments market. And the blue-blooded horseshoe crabs that are needlessly bled in their millions.</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>

<p>The leader who oversaw the Soviet Union’s collapse had only intended to reform it. But the propaganda and repression <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/08/30/mikhail-gorbachev-has-died?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">he abhorred</a> were what held it together. A speed bump lies ahead for electric vehicles: manufacturing and mining capacity <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/14/could-the-ev-boom-run-out-of-juice-before-it-really-gets-going?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 keep up</a> with battery demand. And visiting a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/20/a-vast-sculpture-in-the-nevada-desert-is-finished-at-last?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">vast landscape sculpture</a> in Nevada’s desert ahead of this week’s public opening.</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 interest rates rise, lots of pandemic-era property trends are fading—but not every market is equally vulnerable as the boom <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/01/the-global-housing-boom-is-running-out-of-steam?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">peters out</a>. Generals have long avoided fighting in cities: it is messy and dangerous. Increasingly, though, they have <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/08/17/armies-are-re-learning-how-to-fight-in-cities?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 choice</a>. And our language columnist on the subtle question of whether “data” is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/11/should-data-be-singular-or-plural?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">plural or singular</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><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>Our correspondent reports from <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/25/somalia-is-on-the-brink-of-starvation?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">Somalia</a>, which stands on the brink of famine thanks to a drought, soaring food costs and infrastructure destroyed by decades of fighting. Old Hollywood studios are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/21/game-of-thrones-v-lord-of-the-rings-a-tale-of-old-v-new-hollywood?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">waging</a> an epic battle against their upstart streaming rivals. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/08/18/londons-cemeteries-are-selling-second-hand-graves-they-need-to?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">London’s cemeteries</a> are selling used graves.</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>

America’s federal government will spend hundreds of billions of dollars <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/25/biden-spends-hundreds-of-billions-on-reducing-student-loan-debt?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">cancelling</a> student-loan debt—fulfilling a long-standing progressive wish. But while it may be good politics, the policy rationale makes less sense. Too many Nigerian children are sent to beg on the streets by their religious teachers. And celebrating the music and <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/25/lithuania-embraces-the-music-of-the-karaims?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">culture</a> of one of Europe’s oldest ethnic minorities. 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>

Najib Razak, prime minister during the massive 1MDB scandal in which billions went missing, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/23/malaysias-disgraced-former-prime-minister-is-going-to-prison?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">lost</a> his final appeal against corruption convictions. We ask what that means for Malaysia’s politics. Many American voters want the law changed on livestock welfare—but the law is <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/18/a-push-for-more-space-for-americas-farm-animals-is-thwarted?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">pushing back</a>. And past and present <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/18/prey-offers-lessons-for-other-historical-sci-fi-films?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">collide</a> in the latest from the “Predator” film franchise. 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>

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin expected to seize Ukraine easily. Instead he met fierce resistance. Ukraine has fought bravely, Russia poorly. We reflect on lessons learned in the past <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/08/23/the-war-where-almost-nothing-is-what-it-seems?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">six months</a>. <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/18/a-dictators-ghost-haunts-angolas-upcoming-elections?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">Angola’s presidential election</a> today is the most competitive since the country gained independence in 1975. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/08/the-edinburgh-festival-fringe-celebrates-75-years-of-revelry?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">Edinburgh Festival Fringe</a> turns 75 this year. 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>

Speculation is rampant as to who killed Darya Dugina, the pundit daughter of a Russian ultra-nationalist. We ask how the murder will be spun in the absence of answers. When it comes to gay rights, Singapore’s government takes more than it gives. And why some minority languages thrive while others wither. 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>

Tensions are rising at Zaporizhia, which Russian forces are using as a military base. We ask what <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/19/what-is-at-stake-at-ukraines-zaporizhia-nuclear-plant?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 risks</a> are, and whether they can be headed off. Britain’s summer heatwave was deadly—but figuring out <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/08/09/julys-heatwave-may-have-killed-thousands-of-britons?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">how deadly</a> was no easy task. And discovering the <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/08/01/a-new-study-shows-how-much-social-capital-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">real value</a> of the “social capital” outside family and work relationships. 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 pay a visit to the presidential offices just weeks after protesters stormed them. Things seem calm and the new leader has <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/16/how-sri-lankas-new-president-plans-to-revive-the-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">clear plans</a>; can the country put its years of economic crisis behind it? We investigate the <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/07/21/how-has-turkeys-economy-kept-growing-despite-raging-inflation?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 case</a> of Turkey’s growth amid screaming inflation. And the “shadow regency” in Britain as the Queen <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/08/06/queen-elizabeth-is-doing-less-and-less?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">slows down</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>

As a <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/next-prime-minister-uk?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">clear lead hardens</a> and the appointment of a new prime minister looms, both contenders are making noises about cutting taxes. But would either have a firm grip on the country’s long-term woes? The <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/06/16/ethiopias-capital-is-a-showcase-for-its-leaders-ambition?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">vast makeover</a> of Ethiopia’s capital city—despite a grinding civil war—is an idealised vision of the country’s future. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/08/11/how-thinking-hard-makes-the-brain-tired?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">figuring out</a> why thinking hard is so exhausting. 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>

Wyoming’s sole representative in the House, once a Republican leading light and now a pariah for her views on Donald Trump, has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/17/liz-cheney-is-vanquished-by-donald-trump?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">ousted</a> from Congress. We attend her election-night defeat. The science behind behavioural nudges seems to be on increasingly <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/27/evidence-for-behavioural-interventions-looks-increasingly-shaky?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">shaky ground</a>. And investigating the UAE’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/11/the-emirates-hope-to-jolt-clouds-into-sharing-their-bounty?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">questionable plans</a> to make more rain. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The names are familiar but the establishment-choice and rabble-rouser roles are reversed. That the vote was along class lines rather than ethnicity marks an important shift. Will <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/15/william-ruto-is-declared-kenyas-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">the result</a> stand? For years Mexico was seen merely as a conduit for illegal drugs; now it has a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/07/21/mexicans-are-increasingly-consuming-illegal-drugs?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 user base</a> as well. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/11/more-americans-are-trying-to-take-their-weapons-on-planes?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">rising number</a> of Americans bringing guns onto flights. 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>Rights for women and girls have regressed by decades; the economy is cratering. Yet, for many rural Afghans, things are actually <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/11/afghanistan-is-poorer-and-hungrier-than-a-year-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">better</a> than they were before America scarpered. Silicon Valley types once righteously spurned the military-industrial establishment—now they’re <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/08/can-tech-reshape-the-pentagon?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">queuing up</a> to fund defence startups. And the surprising truth about the most famous scene in “Bambi”, which is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/11/bambi-offers-a-horrifying-portrait-of-eco-catastrophe?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 80</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><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>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/08/11/wrecked-planes-smoulder-at-russias-saky-airbase-in-crimea?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">airbase in Crimea</a> lies in ruins. Ukraine hasn’t claimed credit, many suspect they carried out the daring attack more than 100 miles behind enemy lines. Our defence editor explains why the war has entered a new phase. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/25/state-run-oil-giants-will-make-or-break-the-energy-transition?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">state-owned firms</a>, not oil supermajors, are the biggest impediment to a green-energy transition. And pondering the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/08/09/of-meat-and-men-why-the-american-barbecue-is-about-friendship-not-food?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">pleasures of barbecue</a>.</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><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/10/the-raid-on-mar-a-lago-could-shake-americas-foundations?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> endured an FBI raid, questioning in a civil lawsuit and an adverse court ruling, all in 48 hours. But at least in the short-term, he’s making political hay from his legal woes. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/31/apple-already-sold-everyone-an-iphone-now-what?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">Apple’s future</a> increasingly rests on services rather than just hardware. And how France is coping with a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/09/why-there-is-a-shortage-of-dijon-mustard-in-france?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">mustard shortage</a>.</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>

 <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/07/07/democrats-have-a-hispanic-problem?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">Our series</a> on America’s mid-term elections begins with a visit to a citizenship class in Doral, Florida, given by Republicans. We examine how the GOP is cutting into Democrats’ advantage with Latino voters. Britain’s trial of a <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/07/21/a-superhighway-for-drones-to-fly-between-british-cities?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">superhighway for drones</a> is a bid to unleash their commercial potential. And meeting   a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/07/28/a-thai-pop-star-uses-her-music-to-critique-her-homeland?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">Thai dissident</a> issuing dystopian pop music from self-imposed exile. 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 ceasefire is holding after a weekend of deadly strikes. We ask why Hamas, the Palestinian movement that controls Gaza, <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/07/the-attack-on-gaza-may-bolster-israels-prime-minister?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">did not get involved</a>. As Generation Z tentatively enters the workforce, they are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/21/what-gen-z-graduates-want-from-their-employers?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">clamouring</a> for more flexibility and money than their forebears enjoyed. And reflecting on the flawed but brilliant poet Philip Larkin on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/07/28/philip-larkins-verse-is-tender-his-prejudices-are-controversial?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">centenary of his birth</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>

On Sunday America’s Senate passed the most-ambitious climate legislation in the country’s history, giving Democrats and <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/04/joe-biden-has-disappointed-everyone?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">President Joe Biden </a>a huge win heading into the midterms. Why Africa is experiencing <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/21/african-startups-are-raising-unprecedented-amounts-what-next?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 boom in startups</a>. And the nascent, necessary efforts to understand how <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/20/how-menstruation-affects-athletic-prowess-is-poorly-understood?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 menstrual cycle</a> affects athletic performance. 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 a bumper episode, we highlight a summer’s-worth of deeply reported stories from 1843, our sister magazine: we profile <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/07/28/mbs-despot-in-the-desert" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Muhammad bin Salman</a>, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, who is both a liberalising reformer and a fearsome consolidator of power. We ask why <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/07/28/how-magicians-won-facebook" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">magicians</a> are behind so many viral videos. And we explore humanity’s long-running ambivalence toward <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/07/28/the-sun-is-both-our-creator-and-destroyer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the sun</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>

As Russia’s campaign in the eastern Donbas region loses steam, our correspondent finds Ukraine’s efforts to <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/28/ukraine-is-gathering-strength-for-an-assault-on-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">recapture Kherson</a> are gaining momentum. But at what cost? India is notorious for its staggering road-death statistics; we ask what is being done to improve them. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/07/22/do-men-and-women-think-about-climate-change-differently?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">two surprising factors</a> that predict how worried people are about climate change. 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 visit of America’s speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has Chinese tempers flaring. We ask what the trip suggests about <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/08/02/nancy-pelosis-trip-to-taiwan-highlights-americas-incoherent-strategy?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 policy</a> and what it means for Taiwan. Crowdfunding is making a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/07/27/how-crowdfunding-is-shaping-the-war-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">real difference</a> in the war in Ukraine—but its effects vary between the two sides. And a close listen to a young pianist’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/07/21/the-wonder-of-lim-yun-chans-performance-of-rach-3?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">prizewinning</a> Rachmaninoff-concerto performance.</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>For decades Ayman al-Zawahiri was the chief ideologue of the terrorist group. We ask what <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/02/the-death-of-al-qaedas-leader-may-not-halt-a-jihadist-resurgence?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">his death</a> in Afghanistan means for the broader jihadist movement. A vote on abortion in Kansas today is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/07/25/lawsuits-leave-abortion-rights-up-in-the-air-in-many-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">sharp test</a> of the electorate following the gutting of <em>Roe v Wade</em>. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/07/26/diana-kennedy-devoted-her-life-to-chronicling-mexican-cuisine?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">Diana Kennedy</a>, an indefatigable food writer and champion of Mexican cuisine.</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 first fatal cases outside Africa are reported, we investigate the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/23/monkeypox-is-declared-a-global-health-emergency?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">response</a> to the disease, and the parallels with the early days of HIV. Nuclear waste has been stockpiled in supposedly temporary pools for decades; our correspondent visits the first place it is being <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/06/22/the-first-underground-warren-for-disposing-of-spent-nuclear-fuel?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">permanently entombed</a>. And where education is <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/07/25/schools-in-poor-countries-are-failing-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">failing</a> even amid encouraging enrolment numbers.</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>Joe Biden’s climate legislation stalled, in large part because Joe Manchin, West Virginia’s senior senator and a Democrat, had reservations. But Mr Manchin <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/07/28/democratic-hopes-for-a-big-spending-bill-are-revived?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">reversed course</a> on Wednesday. Mr Biden looks likely to notch a major legislative win heading into the midterms. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/07/21/the-womens-euros-are-selling-out-stadiums?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">women’s sports</a> are booming. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/07/27/ko-jimmy-was-determined-to-make-myanmar-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">remembering</a> a fighter for democracy in Myanmar.</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>

America’s central bank has <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/07/27/the-fed-is-no-longer-taking-baby-steps-to-rein-in-inflation?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">raised</a> interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point—its fourth rise this year. It is walking a fine line between cooling the economy and tipping the country into recession. Scientific results fundamental to more than a decade’s-worth of Alzheimer’s research may have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/23/critical-research-on-the-causes-of-alzheimers-may-have-been-falsified?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">fabricated</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>

Russia cut the gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by half in what many see as retaliation for Europe’s support of Ukraine. EU energy ministers <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/07/26/the-flaws-in-europes-deal-to-ration-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">fear</a> further cuts as winter approaches. A new research review <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/20/a-popular-medical-explanation-for-depression-is-rebuffed?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> the decades-long reliance on SSRIs to treat depression was based on a false premise. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/21/why-nurseries-in-senegal-leave-pricey-plants-unguarded?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">Dakar’s plant vendors</a> show such high levels of trust. 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 campaigning is a bit nasty, by British standards, as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak vie to become Conservative Party leader and <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/07/21/the-choice-between-rishi-sunak-and-liz-truss?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">thus prime minister</a>. What will the mud-slinging do for the party’s image? We examine a potentially simple <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/07/14/the-catholic-church-should-scrap-the-requirement-for-priestly-celibacy?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">solution</a> to address the Catholic Church’s problem with child abuse. And why prices are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/21/are-vacationing-plutocrats-the-true-victims-of-inflation?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">skyrocketing</a> at posh hotels. </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>

Missile strikes on the port of Odessa have <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/22/after-agreeing-to-let-ukraine-export-grain-russia-rockets-its-port?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">dimmed hopes</a> for a UN-brokered deal to get Ukraine’s grain on the move. We ask what chances it may still have. Tunisia's <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/21/tunisias-president-is-pushing-an-ominous-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">constitutional referendum</a> looks destined to formalise a march back to the autocratic rule it shook off during the Arab Spring. And how Formula 1 is looking to <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/07/14/from-monaco-to-miami-formula-1-bids-to-crack-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">crack America</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>

Last night, the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/07/21/the-january-6th-committee-has-hobbled-donald-trump" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">committee</a> investigating the events of January 6th 2021 said that Donald Trump’s failure to stop his supporters’ attack was a “dereliction of duty”. The evidence was strong; whether it will change anything remains unclear. We examine the thinking behind the European Central Bank’s surprise <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/07/21/the-ecbs-latest-attempt-to-hold-the-euro-zone-together?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">half-point rise</a> in interest rates. And the money motivations of Bangladesh’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/07/21/bangladesh-loosens-its-booze-laws?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">loosening booze laws</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>For the second time in a week, Prime Minister Mario Draghi has tendered his <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/14/mario-draghi-italys-prime-minister-tries-and-fails-to-resign?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">resignation</a> as his motley coalition government splintered further. The upheaval could not come at a worse time for the country. The pandemic’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/07/07/governments-are-ignoring-the-pandemics-disastrous-effect-on-education?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">devastating costs</a> not only to children’s learning but also to their development are becoming clearer. And researchers are getting bacteria to <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/13/modified-bacterial-fungicides-may-propel-the-planes-of-the-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">make jet fuel</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>Property developers are going belly-up, home-buyers are not paying mortgages, protests after a banking scandal have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/07/14/a-violent-response-to-protests-in-chinas-henan-province?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">quashed</a>. We ask about the instability still to come. Ukraine’s new HIMARS rocket launchers are proving <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/13/ukraines-new-rockets-are-wreaking-havoc-on-russias-army?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">exceedingly effective</a> against Russian forces. And a look at Britain’s world-leading collection of <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/06/23/inside-britains-national-culture-collections?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">diseases-in-a-dish</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>

Vast stretches of the temperate world are baking or burning, and as climate change marches on widespread heatwaves will <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/07/03/the-danger-posed-by-heatwaves-deserves-to-be-taken-more-seriously?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">only grow more intense</a> and more common. After a half-century of insurgency, some rebels of Colombia’s disbanded FARC group needed a new calling: they have become <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/07/07/some-ex-farc-guerrillas-have-become-tourist-guides-in-colombia?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">tour guides</a>. And a look at where Ukraine can <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/06/27/where-will-ukraine-store-its-grain?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">store</a> its considerable grain harvest. 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>President Jair Bolsonaro, an unabashed fan of Donald Trump, is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/07/14/might-jair-bolsonaro-try-to-steal-brazils-election?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">telegraphing</a> that he may not accept a loss in the October election—there is too much at stake for him and his family. The West has a delicate chance to stem the tide of Russian weapons that have long been <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/06/13/the-west-has-a-chance-to-wean-india-off-russian-weaponry?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">pouring into India</a>. And why America is <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/07/07/to-hook-american-diners-an-invasive-species-of-carp-gets-a-new-name?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">rebranding</a> a much-maligned fish.</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>Joe Biden <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/12/what-does-the-middle-east-offer-america" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lands in Saudi Arabia</a> this morning, having spent two unremarkable days in Israel and the West Bank. As president, he has been unusually disengaged from the Middle East, and will probably return home with little to show for his peregrinations. We survey the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/06/23/latin-america-lacks-decent-sex-education-in-its-schools" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">state of sex education</a> in Latin American schools, and explain why dinosaurs <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/01/how-the-dinosaurs-took-over" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">outcompeted other species</a>.</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>

Elon Musk wants out of his deal to buy <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/11/with-or-without-elon-musk-twitter-is-overdue-a-shake-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for $44bn. Twitter wants the Delaware chancery court to hold him to the deal. But the company faces an uncertain future, whoever owns it. Why the pandemic has been great for sellers of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/06/30/the-pandemic-is-boosting-sellers-of-traditional-medicine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">traditional herbal medicine</a>. And looking back on a video game that let users create art, music and animation, with the help of a little barking puppy. 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>Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition figure, has been transferred to a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/04/alexei-navalnys-jailers-are-tightening-the-screws" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brutal prison</a>. Other Kremlin opponents have been imprisoned or exiled, as Russia has grown more repressive since invading Ukraine. The world’s population will <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/07/11/which-countries-are-driving-the-worlds-population-growth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hit 8bn</a> this year; we discuss which regions are growing and which are not. And why clear wine bottles are a bad idea.</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>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/07/07/how-does-britains-conservative-party-choose-a-new-leader" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">race</a> to succeed Boris Johnson begins today. Numerous Conservative MPs have thrown their proverbial hats into the ring; they are fighting on ground largely staked out by Mr Johnson. American anti-abortion activists believe that <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/07/07/a-push-to-recognise-the-rights-of-the-unborn-is-growing-in-america" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fetuses</a> should have all the rights that people do. And why Egypt’s government has turned against its historic <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/07/historic-houseboats-fall-victim-to-egypts-addiction-to-cement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">houseboats</a>.</p><br><p>To sign up for today’s webinar about Britain’s future after Boris Johnson’s resignation, sign up at <a href="http://economist.com/boris-resigns" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/borisresigns</a></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>

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s president, announced <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/07/09/sri-lankas-president-resigns-in-the-face-of-massive-protests?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">he will step down</a> on Wednesday after protestors occupied Colombo, the country’s capital, over the weekend. Whoever succeeds him will inherit a host of thorny economic problems. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/04/how-sturdy-are-europes-tech-unicorns?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">Europe’s big tech firms</a> are well placed to weather a downturn. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/07/07/peter-brook-saw-acting-as-an-uncompromising-search-for-truth?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 Brook</a>, an extraordinary theatre director who died at the age of 93. To sign up for tomorrow’s webinar about Britain’s future after Boris Johnson’s resignation, sign up at <a href="http://economist.com/boris-resigns" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/boris-resigns</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>Japan’s prime minister from 2006-07 and 2012-20 <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/07/08/the-shooting-of-abe-shinzo-a-former-prime-minister-stuns-japan?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">died</a> after being shot at a campaign event. Our Tokyo bureau chief analyses the implications for the country and its politics. The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/06/30/a-resurgence-of-regional-rivalries-imperils-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">resurgence</a> of a particularly well-armed militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatens to reignite deadly regional tensions. And we introduce you to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/06/30/which-vegetable-is-the-easiest-for-a-robot-to-pick?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">robots</a> that may soon pick your vegetables.</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>Boris Johnson is <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/07/07/clownfall" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">standing down</a> as Britain’s prime minister. We consider his legacy and impact on British politics. Public attitudes on LGBT rights in South-East Asia are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/06/16/south-east-asia-is-beginning-to-accept-same-sex-relationships" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changing fast</a>—and its laws are at last changing, too. And at this week’s Montreal’s Jazz Festival, the pioneering pianist and local hero Oscar Peterson remains the patron saint. <em>Additional music courtesy of Urban Science Brass Band</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>Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, Britain’s finance and health ministers respectively, <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/07/06/two-ministers-resign-weakening-boris-johnsons-hold-on-office?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">resigned</a> yesterday; other officials soon followed suit. Once again, questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s political survival are swirling. A ride on London’s sparkling but quiet new railway line hints at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/05/19/travel-patterns-have-changed-for-good-transport-systems-should-too?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">complexities</a> of post-pandemic public transport. And how off-the-shelf drones are making a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/06/29/how-consumer-drones-are-changing-warfare?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">difference</a> in Ukraine’s war. 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>

<p>Hints are turning to hard data: economic slowdowns are coming. We ask about the threat of recessions in different regions and about <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/06/02/a-recession-in-america-by-2024-looks-likely?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 effects</a> they may have. The <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/06/09/the-hotheads-who-could-start-a-cold-war?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">reckless behaviour</a> of China’s fighter pilots is just one reflection of the country’s distrust of the West. And a haircut gone wrong leads to a lesson that <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/06/16/the-price-of-a-haircut-in-dakar-challenges-a-tenet-of-economics?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">challenges</a> textbook economics. 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>

The city remains Ukraine’s only provincial capital to be taken by Russian forces—can Ukraine overcome its shortages of manpower and firepower to <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/03/ukraine-prepares-a-counter-offensive-to-retake-kherson-province?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">retake the province</a>? Mexico’s official missing-persons list has topped 100,000; our correspondent describes the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/06/30/at-least-100000-people-are-missing-in-mexico?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">skyrocketing total</a> and piecemeal efforts to slow its rise. And research suggests that people choose their friends at least in part <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/06/24/friends-smell-like-one-another?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">by smell</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 Supreme Court has essentially <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/30/the-supreme-court-throttles-joe-bidens-climate-agenda?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">shorn</a> the Environmental Protection Agency of its agency in making national policy. We ask what that means for the climate-change fight. Hong Kong is marking 25 years since its handover from Britain to China; the promised “one country, two systems” approach is <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/essay/2022/07/01/how-hong-kong-became-a-police-state?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">all but gone</a> already. And why moustaches are <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/06/30/why-iraqi-moustaches-are-making-a-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> in Iraq.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

It is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/06/29/by-electing-another-marcos-filipinos-show-they-have-forgotten-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">remarkable turnaround</a> for a notorious family: the late dictator’s son just took the reins. But how will he govern? Scotland’s separatist party is again pushing for an independence referendum. That will <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/06/29/nicola-sturgeon-sets-a-date-for-another-referendum-on-scottish-independence?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">probably fail</a>—and empower the very prime minister that many Scots love to hate. And, why pilots in Ukraine are using an outdated, inaccurate <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/06/20/why-are-pilots-in-ukraine-firing-rockets-so-clumsily?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">missile-delivery technique</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>In a global period of belt-tightening, popular anger <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/06/23/costly-food-and-energy-are-fostering-global-unrest?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 spill over</a>. Our correspondent visits places where powderkegs seem closest to being lit; our predictive model suggests where might be next. China’s spies have a deserved reputation for hacking and harassing—but fall <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/06/01/chinas-spies-are-not-always-as-good-as-advertised?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">surprisingly short</a> on other spooky skills. And why America is suffering a shortfall of lifeguards. </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>War in Ukraine has stiffened the alliance’s spine; leaders meeting <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/06/26/nato-holds-its-most-important-summit-in-generations?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">this week</a> will refashion troop-deployment plans reflecting a vastly changed security situation. The property sector makes a staggering contribution to carbon emissions, but our correspondent says it is <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/06/16/the-property-industry-has-a-huge-carbon-footprint-heres-how-to-reduce-it?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 cleaning up</a> nearly as fast as other industries are. And reflecting on the life of <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/06/22/roman-ratushny-believed-in-a-better-purer-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">Roman Ratushny</a>, a steely Ukrainian activist.</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 Supreme Court ruling has <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/24/the-supreme-court-erases-the-constitutional-right-to-abortion?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">convulsed the country</a>; passing the question of abortion rights to the states will divide America yet further. We ask what it means for the court to go so plainly <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/05/07/americas-supreme-court-faces-a-crisis-of-legitimacy?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">against public opinion</a>, examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/06/24/the-supreme-courts-rejection-of-roe-will-hurt-the-poorest-most?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">woeful effects</a> the changing scenario will have on women and speak to one woman whose life was saved by a now-threatened procedure. 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>