The Intelligence from The Economist

<p>Elon Musk may be stepping down as chief executive, but he has already <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/14/what-to-make-of-the-twitter-files?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changed the firm’s fortunes</a>—and shown that social media’s free-speech struggle is far from over. A bit of fried dough in Kenya reveals how cost-of-living concerns in Africa manifest as <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/17/food-inflation-in-africa-is-shrinking-portions?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shrinkflation</a>. And why members of South Korea’s pop behemoth BTS are headed into the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/13/bts-takes-on-kim-jong-un?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">armed forces</a>. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Congressional committee probing the riot at America’s Capitol recommended that the Justice Department bring four charges against <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/10/05/how-much-legal-jeopardy-is-donald-trump-in?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>. But the road to indictment and prosecution of the former president is long and winding. The UN’s biodiversity summit ended with a historic but still unsatisfying <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/12/09/why-is-there-another-cop-happening?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">agreement</a>. And our language columnist presents his choice for <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/12/14/and-the-word-of-2022-is?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">word of the year</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The country has been slinging missiles skyward at an alarming pace, and with ever-greater technological advancement. We ask why things are heating up, and how the West might at last <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/10/18/north-korea-is-preparing-for-another-nuclear-test-or-many?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cool them down</a>. Reforms to Indonesia’s criminal code that sparked mass protests in 2019 are back; restrictions including an extramarital-sex ban look <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/08/indonesias-ban-on-extramarital-sex-represents-a-turn-for-the-worse?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set to pass</a>. And Wales’s booming <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/24/waless-trade-in-leeches-and-maggots?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leech-and-maggot business</a>. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>A strategy approved today peels back some of the country’s constitutional pacifism; in large part that is because of its <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/12/east-asias-big-beasts-are-getting-on-badly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tense relationship</a> with a hawkish China. Despite some promising reforms, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/29/what-two-crimes-reveal-about-violence-against-indian-women?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">violence against women</a> remains rampant in India. And our obituaries editor looks back on the life of Britain’s last surviving <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/12/15/squadron-leader-johnny-johnson-longed-to-give-hitler-a-bloody-nose?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dambuster</a>.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Our correspondent sits down with President Volodymyr Zelensky and two top military commanders—concluding that the next few months will determine the future of Ukraine. Morocco’s inspired run in the World Cup sparked <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/13/moroccos-world-cup-success-sparks-a-debate-about-arab-identity?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">much debate</a> about its identity as an Arab country. And our co-host investigates the vanishing pleasures of <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/24/the-vanishing-delights-of-americas-jewish-delis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Jewish delis</a>—over lunch, of course. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a> For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Scientists have reported a long-awaited <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/12/13/controlled-fusion-power-is-little-nearer-now-than-it-was-a-week-ago?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nuclear-fusion</a> breakthrough, using lasers to ignite hydrogen-isotope fuel in a self-sustaining burn. But that marks just one step on a long, uncertain road to clean fusion energy. Same-sex marriage in America is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/12/10/gay-marriage-becomes-the-law-of-the-land-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protected</a> by legislation, in a compromise that could provide a template for future culture-war clashes. And the uncertain future of <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/12/06/why-darjeeling-tea-may-face-extinction?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Darjeeling teas</a>.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>A pair of crises <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/24/europe-faces-an-enduring-crisis-of-energy-and-geopolitics?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will bedevil</a> Europe, starting with crippling energy prices in the short term. And American protectionism threatens a longer-term dent in the continent’s green-industry ambitions. A visit to Ivory Coast’s cocoa operations reveals why balancing farmers’ welfare and market forces is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/21/why-the-african-cocoa-cartel-is-a-bad-idea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so tricky</a>. And what Britain’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/24/what-do-street-names-tell-you-about-britain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">street names</a> reveal about its history and its ideals.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

With astonishing speed, the machinery of testing, tracing and lockdowns is being dismantled. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/12/07/china-is-loosening-its-covid-restrictions-at-great-risk?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks that will pose</a> to a country that is not prepared for big outbreaks. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/01/a-winemakers-lawsuit-against-napa-county-is-about-more-than-sour-grapes?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">winemaker’s lawsuit</a> in Napa Valley reveals why many Californians believe regulators are unfriendly to business. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/11/23/an-electrical-device-on-a-fishing-line-repels-sharks-and-rays?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clever solution</a> to spare sharks from becoming unwanted “bycatch”. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a> For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Perhaps Pedro Castillo thought he could repeat the coup staged by his predecessor, Alberto Fujimori, in 1992. He did not, and is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/12/07/after-a-bungled-coup-attempt-perus-president-falls?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">behind bars</a>. We ask how his fitful presidency fell apart so suddenly. Our correspondent explains why getting policy right around e-cigarettes is so tricky. And what the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/01/kenyas-boda-boda-taxis-are-unruly-in-life-and-death?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">funerals</a> of Kenya’s motorbike-taxi drivers reveal about the country. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a> For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Raids across the country netted 25 far-right extremists suspected of trying to overthrow the government. We look into what is known about a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/12/07/german-police-arrest-two-dozen-alleged-conspirators-in-a-hare-brained-plot-to-restore-a-king?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hare-brained plan</a> to dissolve the republic and restore a king. Spates of spontaneous violence in Chicago reveal the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/11/22/americas-federal-government-has-ruthlessly-crushed-organised-crime?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unintended consequences</a> of America’s organised-crime crackdown. And why Indonesia’s clerics are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/03/indonesias-imams-are-doing-their-bit-for-the-environment?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">taking up</a> environmentalist causes.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Democrats will have a bit more breathing room in the Senate, with an outright majority provided by <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/06/raphael-warnock-wins-in-georgia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reverend Raphael Warnock’s win</a>. We ask what the state-level victory reveals about national politics. Algeria’s leadership has benefited from an oil-and-gas boom; lamentably, its long-suffering citizenry <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/17/why-algerias-rotten-regime-has-been-lucky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has not</a>. And why an artificial intelligence success at the game <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/11/23/another-game-falls-to-an-ai-player?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Diplomacy</a> is significant. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a> For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The enforcers of the hardliners’ mores may have been disbanded; it is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/04/irans-rattled-government-may-be-backing-down?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hard to know</a> if the regime is bending to protesters or sowing confusion. Either way the disquiet looks set to continue. We take a look at China’s widely watched nightly news and the narrative it hopes to promulgate. And why women are suddenly <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/12/01/women-are-revitalising-funeral-services-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flooding</a> into America’s funeral-services industry. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a> For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Shippers and insurers of Russian crude are now subject to a $60-per-barrel <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/30/the-wests-proposed-price-cap-on-russian-oil-is-no-magic-weapon?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">price cap</a>. That may spark Russian production cuts—or an oil-market realignment that undercuts the cap. Senegal might be out of the World Cup, but a visit to its <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/24/how-do-budding-african-footballers-make-it-to-the-top?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">football-academy machinery</a> reveals why it will continue to create star players. And why it’s harder <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/11/24/why-its-hard-to-buy-deodorant-in-manhattan?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.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 get deodorant</a> in Manhattan.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>South Africa’s leader says a pile of cash stashed in a sofa represents no wrongdoing. The outcome of an investigation <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/01/a-sofa-stuffed-with-cash-imperils-south-africas-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">could be the undoing</a> of his presidency and his party. We examine Britain’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/07/25/britains-hydrogen-strategy-is-ambitious-if-imperfect?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hydrogen-economy plans</a> as representing the tradeoffs that many countries will face. And remembering Jay Pasachoff, the world’s foremost expert on and exponent of eclipses.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Chinese leader who took over a squabbling party following the Tiananmen Square massacre <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/11/30/jiang-zemin-oversaw-a-wave-of-economic-change-but-not-much-political-reform?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">surprised the world</a> by stifling dissent, overseeing a staggering economic awakening—and occasionally breaking into song. We examine the lessons to be drawn from his legacy. After scores of failures, a new Alzheimer’s treatment <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/11/30/a-drug-for-alzheimers-disease-that-seems-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">shows real promise</a>. And our <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/11/30/the-worlds-most-and-least-expensive-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">annual ranking</a> of the world’s most expensive cities.</p><p>Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at <a href="http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a>. 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 Horn of Africa’s resurgent jihadists of al-Shabab pose the biggest problem to <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/06/02/somalias-new-president-vows-to-beat-back-jihadists-then-talk-to-them?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hassan Sheikh Mohamud</a>. He tells us his plans—political, economic and principally ideological—to calm tensions. <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/11/03/former-military-pilots-from-the-west-are-being-lured-to-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">Western pilots</a> have been training their Chinese counterparts, to widespread consternation. And looking back on the best footballers <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/18/some-of-footballs-greatest-players-never-appeared-in-a-world-cup?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">never to have appeared</a> in a World Cup.</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>Behind the pageantry, Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will have <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/11/24/on-a-visit-to-america-frances-president-will-confront-new-problems?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">much to chew over</a>, from a unified response in Ukraine to tricky trade negotiations. <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/graphic-detail/2022/11/26/high-fuel-prices-could-kill-more-europeans-than-fighting-in-ukraine-has?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.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 modelling</a> suggests that Russia’s weaponisation of energy might ultimately kill more people than its efforts on the battlefield will. And a Ghanaian brewer’s struggles reveal the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/10/a-ghanaian-brewery-shows-how-hard-life-is-for-small-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">difficulty</a> of business-building in sub-Saharan Africa.</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>Protests have become as bold as they are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/11/27/unrest-breaks-out-across-china-as-frustration-at-lockdowns-grows?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">widespread</a>—mostly against the country’s unsustainable zero-covid policies, but increasingly against the ruling regime itself. California’s wildfires have been growing more intense, and a <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/10/19/one-year-of-wildfires-undid-decades-of-californias-emissions-policy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new analysis</a> shows just how much those blazes undo the good work of the state’s green policies. And a look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/17/who-speaks-for-the-great-british-lad?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">evolution</a> of the Great British Lad.</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>Players’ refusal to sing their national anthem at the World Cup has brought their country’s protests onto the global stage. We ask whether the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/11/24/while-irans-turmoil-persists-jitters-spread-through-the-region?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discontent back home</a> threatens the regime. A sober look at global economic data reveals a probable global recession—one that <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/11/15/even-a-global-recession-may-not-bring-down-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">may not</a> even tame raging inflation. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/11/24/hebe-de-bonafini-lived-through-the-lives-of-her-sons?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hebe de Bonafini</a>, Argentina’s icon of resistance.</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>Grief about the deaths of more than 150 people in a crush has turned to anger, and the investigation into what actions were taken—or not taken—<a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/03/when-a-disaster-shakes-a-country-political-leaders-face-peril?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.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 turned political</a>. Our correspondent looks into the vast effort to <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/11/14/the-race-to-reinvent-the-car-industry?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">remake the car industry</a> as automobiles turn into software platforms on wheels. And how Britain’s twee National Trust has <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/10/why-is-everyone-so-cross-about-the-national-trust?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">waded into</a> the culture wars. </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 power station in Zaporizhia has served as an impromptu military base for Russian forces—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/11/20/an-alarming-tug-o-war-over-a-ukrainian-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">danger is mounting</a> and there are signs that troops may soon give it up. The sportswear-industry boom that has much of the world wearing high-performance kit may soon <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/11/10/the-sportswear-giants-are-running-into-hurdles?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">come to an end</a>. And why teenage angst is such a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/18/bones-and-all-probes-the-gruesomeness-of-growing-up?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">good fit</a> for horror films. </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>Executives have squeezed out Bob Chapek and re-anointed Bob Iger as boss. But the firm’s woes are less about leadership and more about the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/21/disney-brings-back-a-star-of-the-past-but-its-real-problem-is-the-script?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new economics of Hollywood</a>. We ask why Zimbabwe’s teen mothers find it so hard to <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/20/why-teenage-mothers-in-zimbabwe-struggle-to-get-educated?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stay in school</a>, and what can be done about it. And pigs prove their intelligence, again, by <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/11/09/pigs-reconcile-after-fighting-that-confirms-their-intelligence?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">making up</a> after confrontations.</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>Runtime: 22 min</p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>An issue ignored for three decades <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/11/20/a-new-un-fund-for-loss-and-damage-emerges-from-cop27?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">came to dominate</a> the summit’s agenda: reparations to poor countries for climate-driven “loss and damage”. Alas, halting those coming losses did not feature much. Our correspondent speaks with a Ukrainian fighter pilot about <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/11/06/western-air-defence-systems-help-ukraine-shoot-down-more-missiles?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">defending the country’s airspace</a> using mostly Soviet-era kit. And why some words <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/11/17/why-do-some-words-sound-similar-in-completely-unrelated-languages?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sound the same</a> across many languages.</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 “Autumn statement” was <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/17/jeremy-hunts-autumn-statement-revives-the-rhetoric-of-austerity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">filled with belt-tightening</a>, from stealthy tax rises to public-service cuts. But perhaps the bitterest part of the pill <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/17/britains-chancellor-leaves-the-hard-choices-to-the-next-government?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.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 been left</a> for the next government to swallow. As the World Cup begins in Qatar, <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/11/10/the-sportswear-giants-are-running-into-hurdles?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">controversies</a> over preparedness and human rights threaten to overshadow what happens on the pitch. And New York City declares war <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/11/10/eric-adams-new-yorks-pied-piper-declares-war-on-rats?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on rats</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>Elon Musk gave Twitter’s remaining staff an ultimatum: commit to “working long hours at high intensity” for “hardcore” Twitter, or leave. We evaluate <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/10/11/will-elon-musk-owned-twitter-end-up-as-a-deal-from-hell?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.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 reign</a> so far. Under President Daniel Ortega, <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/11/10/under-daniel-ortega-nicaragua-has-become-a-one-party-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">Nicaragua</a> has become a one-party state. And remembering the long life of Anne Frank’s best friend. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

How did apparently Russian-made munitions kill two people on NATO soil? An accident in the fog of war seems likely, but listen closely: the immediate international response has been telling. Donald Trump <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/11/16/of-course-donald-trump-is-running-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">has announced</a> he will run for the American presidency again; we ask about his chances and his motivations. And we take you inside India’s tangled <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/03/indias-hair-industry-is-in-a-tangle?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hair industry</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>

The <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/11/13/the-dynamics-of-distrust-around-the-g20-summit?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">G20 Summit</a> gets under way in Bali today at a time of tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan, and worries about high food and energy prices. We look at what progress, if any, is likely to result from the high-level meeting. An unusually warm autumn has kept <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/11/03/mild-autumn-weather-has-sent-european-gas-prices-plummeting?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gas prices</a> low in Europe. And what a Nobel-prize winner’s work suggests about <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/10/19/dna-grants-a-glimpse-of-neanderthal-family-life?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neanderthal</a> family 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>

America’s upper legislative chamber remains in Democrats’ hands; they may even expand their majority. We explain what that means for the Biden administration, and why Democrats outperformed expectations. President Biden’s biggest foreign-policy headaches involve China; we ask what to expect from his first in-person meeting with President Xi Jinping. And we introduce our new China-focused podcast, “Drum Tower.” 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>

At the start of this week, FTX was the world’s third-largest crypto exchange. After rumours of illiquidity swirled, customers pulled $6bn in assets. It now reportedly faces an $8bn shortfall, and the contagion is spreading. The Sama-Bajau have fished the same waters for centuries, but are citizens of nowhere, which makes their hard lives harder. And what Rishi Sunak can learn from his fictional predecessors. 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>

<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>