The Economist Podcasts

Once again, Donald Trump won a primary debate by skipping it. Where is Mr Trump taking the Republican party next?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet. They’re joined by historian Rick Perlstein, The Economist’s Andrew Miller and The Economist’s Adam O’Neal.

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 During past economic downturns, officials have been both swift and bold. This time not so much—because their hands are tied by knotty internal politics. We ask why Latin America makes for such a useful playground for Russian spies (10:07). And remembering Fernando Botero, a Colombian artist who never deviated from his not-quite-comically plump figures (18:16).

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Insurers make their money betting against disasters. They wager that the premiums paid by policyholders will outstrip the losses caused by fires, floods and other catastrophes. But in parts of the US that winning formula is no longer working–and climate change is only worsening the odds for insurers. 

Hosts: Mike Bird and Tom Lee-Devlin. Contributors: Aryn Braun, The Economist’s US West Coast Correspondent; Karen Clark, founder of risk modelling firm KCC; and Jean-Paul Conoscente, CEO of Property and Casualty at Scor.

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Many of the pieces are in place to bring the disease entirely under control—but our correspondent finds it will take more than advances in medication. Japan’s government has at last begun to regulate the country’s notorious pornography; we examine a sector emerging from the shadows (11:07). And how China uses UNESCO world-heritage status to rewrite the history of its periphery (18:38).

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How ageing happens and whether it can be slowed has recently become the subject of intense research and investment. Scientists are exploring differing approaches to reducing age-related deterioration, tech billionaires are experimenting with as-yet-unproven interventions. It is entirely possible that by 2100, people will typically live to be 100, thanks to a better understanding of the process of ageing. But is there a limit to how far human lives can be extended? 

Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Geoff Carr, The Economist’s senior editor (science and technology); Bryan Johnson, a tech entrepreneur and self-declared “rejuvenation athlete”; Paul Knoepfler, a professor in longevity at the University of California, Davis; Irina Conboy, a biotechnology professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Mike Conboy, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Where the defensive lines really are, the state of Russia’s reserves, battlefield tactics: Kyrylo Budanov is a candid interviewee—but he claims to know nothing about all those drones. Gambling has been illegal in Brazil for decades, but pinched government coffers point to a lifting of the prohibition (10:42). And the passion and the profitability of “BookTok”, the literary end of TikTok (16:51).

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China is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The global infrastructure project is a keystone of Xi Jinping’s foreign policy and he has lauded the huge economic benefits the scheme has brought to the world. But enthusiasm for the BRI is fading at home.

David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, host the second episode of a two-part look at China’s BRI and how it’s changing. They speak to Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University. 

Runtime: 31 min

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President Emmanuel Macron’s about-face on maintaining a presence in the coup-stricken country portends a broader change in France’s relations on the continent. Shifting geopolitics is changing the list of the world’s big arms dealers (9:08). And the internet influencers taking a swing at professional boxing (16:02).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how to win a long war in Ukraine, what Asia’s economic revolution means for the world (11:05) and why a disgraced comedian is the symbol of a cruel, misogynistic and politically vacant era in Britain (18:52). 

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Populist, right-wing parties are already in power in Hungary, Poland and Italy—and getting closer to it across the continent. We ask why. At long last Rupert Murdoch, the patriarch of a global media empire, has stepped aside—sort of. We examine how he will still pull the strings (09:46). And the merits of letting American pupils start school a bit later (17:39).

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“We have no greater friend, no greater partner, no greater ally than Australia,” declared Antony Blinken, America’s secretary of state, during a recent visit down under.Is that really true, and how is the threat from China reshaping America’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific? 

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Anton La Guardia. They’re joined by Eleanor Whitehead, The Economist’s Australia correspondent. 

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Reporting from the ground, our Eastern Europe editor explores how the country is bracing for a new phase of war. In some ways, people have adapted, but equally the invasion has clearly taken a mental toll. Reflecting on the life of the Zulu chief turned politician Mangosuthu Buthelezi (11:51). And how to get out of jail (18:39).

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One of the many aims of President Joe Biden’s signature legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, is to cut the cost of drugs prescribed by Medicare, a government health insurance programme for Americans 65 and over. But the policy could have some side-effects for patients far beyond the US.

Hosts: Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird. Contributors: Shailesh Chitnis, The Economist’s global business correspondent; Tricia Neuman, from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-care think-tank; and David Fredrickson of AstraZeneca.

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It would not be the first time that a member of the government has gone missing, not even the first time this year. But what does this say about the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army? No one cares about Apple’s new iPhone, but the tech giant has more to worry about (09:24). And why an old-school motorbike is still driving new hype in India (16:00).

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Discussions about artificial intelligence tend to focus on its risks, but there is also excitement on the horizon. AI tools, like the models beneath ChatGPT, are being increasingly used by scientists for everything from finding new drugs and materials to predicting the shapes of proteins. Self-driving lab robots could take things even further towards making new discoveries. As it gets ever more useful, could AI change the scientific process altogether?

Jane Dyson, structural biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, explains why Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold tool is useful, but scientists should be aware of its limitations. This week, Google DeepMind released a new tool to unpick the link between genes and disease, as Pushmeet Kohli, head of the company’s “AI for Science” team, explains. Also, Kunal Patel, one of our producers, meets Erik Bjurström, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology and Ross King, a professor of Machine Intelligence at Chalmers University of Technology and at the University of Cambridge. They explain why self-driving lab robots could make research more efficient. Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor hosts, with Abby Bertics, our science correspondent and Tom Standage, deputy editor. 

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The murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Najjar has deepened a long-running spat between the two countries. Will Canada’s allies be willing to get involved? It’s been 100 years since Japan’s Great Kanto earthquake. Here’s how the country is preparing in case there is another (XX:XX). And young people’s newfound love for country music is fuelling a boom in the genre (XX:XX).

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Ten years ago Xi Jinping announced the “project of the century”, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the last decade, more than 150 countries have signed up to Mr Xi’s global infrastructure project. 

In this first episode of a two-part look at the BRI, Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, travels to Laos to assess the impact of the project. She rides a train from Luang Prabang to the Chinese border, on a railway built by China. She and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask who gains more from the Belt and Road Initiative: a host country like Laos; or Beijing? Runtime: 43 min

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This is not the first time the Islamic Republic has taken foreigners hostage. It’s proven an effective bargaining chip for decades and this time around, it has earned the state billions of dollars in unfrozen assets. Also, should you go for a forever-fixed mortgage if you can (09:36)? And what an American chain restaurant says about the importance of cross-class mixing (15:15).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how artificial intelligence can revolutionise science, the real threat from Europe’s hard right (10:40), and could popular weight-loss drugs tackle alcoholism in America? (19:35)

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The libertarian right-winger is leading in the polls, a surprise for a country that has typically leaned left. He has drastic plans to shrink the state. Could he turn the country around? Why Germany’s highway system and techno lovers have come to a crossroads (11:22). And, a Noah’s-Ark-inspired economic theory of conservation made pertinent by the threat of climate change (19:59).

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Joe Biden likes to boast that he is the most pro-union president in American history. His fondness for unions, though, has been tested by a wave of strikes. In office, President Biden has regularly voiced support for workers, and handed unions more power. But white working-class Americans, once his party’s reliable base, now mostly vote Republican. Can Democrats win back working-class voters?

The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch assesses Joe Biden’s union credentials. The Economist’s James Bennet ponders one of the great “what-ifs” of American political history. And political scientist Ruy Teixeira considers how Democrats could solve their working class problem.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

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As progress on the front line slows, Western countries are divided over how the army should proceed. There are disagreements about where should be targeted and how, and with autumn around the corner, time is of the essence. Why Americans’ feelings about their economy have become a less useful indicator for forecasters (12:34). And, are New Zealand’s rugby team off their game (18:24)?

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Babbage is our weekly podcast on science and technology, named after Charles Babbage—a 19th-century polymath and grandfather of computing. Host Alok Jha talks to our correspondents about the innovations, discoveries and gadgetry shaping the world. Published every Wednesday.

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Take a seat at the table and learn about the biggest stories in financial markets, the economy and business. Each week our editors and correspondents explore how economics influences the world we live in and share their insights across a range of topics. From inflation and recession risk to all things crypto and even the commercial success of K-pop, we have you covered. Published every Thursday.

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Thousands of building projects across China have been halted or dramatically slowed as a rolling crisis engulfs the country’s property sector. The government’s “three red lines” policy sought to limit the leverage of property developers, but has now forced scores of them into default and restructuring. Confidence in the market has evaporated. And in a country where people buy their homes in advance, long before they are built, that wave of worry has sent sales tumbling.

On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwood, and Tom Lee-Devlin ask whether there is an end in sight to China’s growing property woes. The Economist’s Don Weinland takes a trip to Zhangzhou to examine what went wrong. Long-time China-watcher Anne Stevenson-Yang explains why real estate looms so large over China’s economy and Beijing-based property analyst Rosealea Yao explains what it would take to bring the crisis to an end.

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For 17 years, The Economist has brought you a host of brilliant shows. Now we are taking that even further. But to bring you even more of the content that you love, we need your support. Why Nagorno-Karabakh is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster (09:44). And, a tribute to the man who sought to give AI some common sense (18:07).   

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Artificial intelligence and biotechnology are at the vanguard of a new era of humanity, according to Mustafa Suleyman. The entrepreneur has been at the forefront of AI development for over a decade and predicts that in the near future, everyone will have their own personal AI assistants that will plan and arrange tasks on their behalf. He also sees an acceleration in the pace of scientific discovery, with AI helping researchers tackle some of the world's grandest challenges—from climate change to famine. But these technologies also come with grave risks. In the hands of bad actors, disinformation could influence elections, or synthetic substances could be weaponised. This week, we explore how to develop the coming technologies responsibly, the hurdles that need to be overcome and how society should prepare for this new age of AI. Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, hosts.

Mustafa Suleyman is the founder of Inflection AI. He was also the co-founder of Google DeepMind. His latest book, “The Coming Wave”, explores how to navigate the opportunities and risks of fast-proliferating new technologies

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On September 11th 1973, president Salvador Allende shot himself in the head after being overthrown in a coup, giving rise to the violent rule of General Augusto Pinochet. But citizens are divided on how the leaders ought to be remembered. How a landmark case in Montana could pioneer new climate protection laws (13:09). And, what makes a bestselling book (22:03)?

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Chinese social media is awash with disinformation about nuclear wastewater. Ever since August 24, when Japan began to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima plant, China’s state media has pumped out a flood of one-sided reports about the dangers. China’s nationalist netizens have spread them. 

Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, and Ted Plafker, our China correspondent, take a look inside a Chinese Communist Party disinformation campaign and ask what China’s government stands to gain from the public outrage over the Fukushima wastewater release.

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In a rare trip outside of the hermit state, it seems the dictator is planning to meet with Vladimir Putin. With the prospect of an arms deal on the table, how worried should the international community be? Car theft is a growing problem in America and automakers are partly to blame (08:49). And France’s booming boulangeries (15:02).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the future of the Middle East, Wall Street’s race to wealth management (10:00), and how London’s bus drivers revolutionised health (17:40). 

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As the counter-offensive continues, Ukrainian forces are running out of time to make substantial gains. Diplomatic attempts to isolate Russia have failed and progress on the front lines is slowing. From the capital Kyiv, the president tells The Economist’s editor-in-chief how the country is bracing for a long war.

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Countries with a collective population of four billion will vote for leaders next year. There are fears that recent advances in generative artificial intelligence will make voters more vulnerable to deception than ever. But disinformation has long been a problem, well before the age of deepfakes and large-language models. How worried do we really need to be about AI’s potential to undermine democracy?

Chihhao Yu of the Taiwan Information Environment Research Centre explains the threat posed by Chinese misinformation campaigns. We go back to when sensationalist journalism drove America towards war. And Senator Josh Hawley explains why he wants AI to be regulated.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

Runtime: 44 min

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The highest interest rates in years should lead to a fall in house prices. But peculiarities of America’s mortgage market are driving them up. Egg-freezing was supposed to give women more control over childbearing; we look at scant data showing how successful it really is (10:57). And remembering Isabel Crook, an anthropologist who embraced China’s communist transformation, warts and all (15:44).  

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Wealth managers occupy a unique place in their clients’ lives. Not only do they advise on picking assets and tax-efficient investment strategies—they often find out about illicit affairs and which heirs might be a problem child. These services were once the preserve of those worth $10m or more but new technology means they are accessible to people with as little as $100,000 in the bank. And now banks are fighting to be the ones to advise the moderately wealthy. 

On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird ask why wealth managers want to do business with the not-so-wealthy. Helen Watson, who’s head of UK wealth management at Rothschild & Co, shares the secrets of managing other people’s fortunes. And Markus Habbel, a consultant at Bain, explains why 250m people might soon be in need of a wealth manager.

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Axing generous fuel subsidies was just one necessary reform promised by Bola Tinubu. A hundred days into the president’s term, we examine his ideas for change—finding they do not seem to be backed by real plans. Our correspondent says India’s decrepit cities would fare better if permitted to govern themselves more (09:58). And the kinder, gentler trend in video games (17:13)

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Some sports use different rules and equipment in the women’s game; some do not. We consider the distinction through the lenses of professional football and rugby. Scientific questions of relative performance lead to those of player safety, and ultimately to philosophy: what do varying opinions about changing women’s game reveal about the purpose of sport in society?

Arve Vorland Pedersen, a sports scientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, calculates how football’s pitches and equipment might scale to account for physiological differences. Ross Tucker, a consultant for World Rugby, describes how a trial of a smaller ball might change the game’s mechanics. Lauren Heria, a professional footballer, explains why such meddling is seen as disrespectful by many players. And Emelia Funnell, a researcher at Ida Sports, reveals why ignorance about ACL injuries among women traces back to male cadavers. Host Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, is joined by Abby Bertics, our science correspondent (and a former professional volleyball player).

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The retail behemoth is splashing tremendous amounts of cash on streaming content; critics are unimpressed with the outcomes. But Amazon may have the best business model going. Statisticians in Britain appear to have found about 2% of GDP hiding in their data—we ask how it got lost (8:24). And how the pocket calculator ushered in the digital age (15:52).

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Panzhihua used to be a state secret. The steel-making city, buried deep in the mountains of Sichuan, formed part of Mao Zedong’s Third Front, a covert plan to move core industries inland in case America or the Soviet Union attacked. 

David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, travels to Panzhihua to reflect on China’s ambitious, costly experiment in self-reliance. He and Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, ask what lessons the city provides today and what happens when China’s leaders choose national security over economic interests. 

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The calculus of the cold war is back, but there are new variables in the equation—namely China’s growing arsenal. We look at how three-way deterrence could work. Two years after America’s schools reopened their doors, a terrifying proportion of students are still skipping class (10:13). And what a slew of rickshaw apps says about India’s technological backbone (15:38).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how much will artificial intelligence affect the elections of 2024? Also, the ways cynical leaders are using scaremongering tactics both to win and to abuse power (9:35) and why everyone wants to own an airline these days (17:00).

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The absolute numbers remain troubling but a close look at statistics reveals that, across American cities, fewer people are being killed. That democracy is good for a country’s economy is taken as orthodoxy—but given the time and costs to make the transition, the reality is a bit more complicated (09:38). And why Britain’s government is in hock to the country’s hobbyists (15:38).

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The perfect weather and booming economy of the City of Angels has drawn in generations of California dreamers. But now America’s second-largest city is getting smaller—losing both population and businesses. As the Hollywood strike has revealed, the high costs of housing, living and running a business are pushing Angelenos away. Can the city reverse the big shrink? But is a smaller Los Angeles even a problem?

The city’s mayor Karen Bass and a picketing actor lay out the affordability problems facing the city, while Shannon Sedgwick of the Los Angeles County Economics Development Corporation explains what is behind the business exodus. We revisit the city’s past boom days, and Hans Johnson, of the Public Policy Institute of California, explores how to bring them back.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

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The president is using racist hate-mongering as both a rallying tool and a distraction mechanism. It is the oldest trick in the autocrat playbook and it proving effective. Why are some Americans flocking to start new lives in Europe (10.36)? And, a tribute to a Ukrainian pilot who made the case for his country to get F-16 fighter jets (18.03).

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The mantra from the mid-2000s that “data is the new oil” is taking on a new sheen: tapping and refining it into personalised advertisements has become harder, thanks to increasing regulation and the self-serving policies of the tech behemoths. Meanwhile artificial intelligence is a data-guzzler, eschewing the pointedly personal in favour of the revealing aggregate. Both trends raise thorny questions about ownership of the precious underlying resource.

On this week’s show, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Mike Bird and Alice Fulwood examine how data are gathered and traded, and Kenn Cukier, a deputy executive editor at The Economist, describe the changes in online tracking that altered those paths. Sir Martin Sorrell, chairman of S4 Capital, a digital-advertising firm, describes how his industry is shifting. And Dennis Cinelli, chief financial officer of Scale AI, a data startup, surveys the land-grab of data among artificial-intelligence firms.

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Putsches in Africa are becoming more common and there appears to be a trend. Are there more to come and is there any hope of restoring democracy? Lebanon’s tourism sector is bringing foreign money back into the economy, but it’s not trickling down (10:27). And, the American right is propelling a new song to chart-topping popularity (16:44).

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Extreme weather is constantly in the news, but a new factor is just getting warmed up: El Niño. This Pacific Ocean phenomenon can have devastating effects in some parts of the world while benefiting others; it is linked to droughts as well as floods; and this year’s looks like it may be severe.

Maarten van Aalst, a professor of climate and disaster resilience at the University of Twente, explains how the current El Niño will affect the climate in unpredictable ways. Chris Funk, the director of the Climate Hazards Center at the University of California Santa Barbara, looks at global effects that are already under way. Plus, the harrowing tale of Jack Egan, who lost his home to bushfires in Australia during the last El Niño event. Catherine Brahic, The Economist’s environment editor, and our correspondent Rachel Dobbs consider how prepared countries are for this event. Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, hosts.

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Three months into the counteroffensive, the military is reaping the fruits of several months of drone development. But as the war continues, will it be able to scale up its capacity and outpace Russia? New international laws cracking down on Caribbean tax havens seem to be working (10:03). And politicians reignite an old debate on official language use in Spain (17:21).

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The end of China’s zero-covid restrictions was meant to revitalise its economy. But the rebound has fizzled, resulting in weak growth and deflation. Chinese consumers are not spending—and that is a problem for policymakers.

David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, and Don Weinland, our China business and finance editor, examine what lies behind the dip in consumer confidence. David speaks to furniture sellers in Foshan, in Guangdong province, about the end of zero-covid and about China’s troubled housing market. He and Don ponder whether the Chinese government can get people to spend again, and what China’s economic troubles mean for the rest of the world.

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Owing to a host of deep-rooted economic and political challenges, it could be the only G7 economy to contract this year. How might it turn the tide? More people want flashy, bigger electric vehicles, but are the added environmental costs counterproductive (10:00)? And examining the decline in Mandarin learning (18:18).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, why China’s economy won’t be fixed, America’s corporate giants are fighting back against disrupters (10:15) and the challenge of making wine in Palestine (21:50).

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From Japan to South Korea, from China to Taiwan, family structures are becoming less traditional. More premarital cohabitation, single parenthood and two-income households are influencing demographics—with worrying consequences. And we pay tribute to 50 years of hip-hop. The New York-born genre is taking the world by storm, and picking up new influences along the way (9:22).

Additional music “HIP-HOP” courtesy of RayZa.

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We take a break from the news this week to convene the first ever Checks and Balance Book Club. All summer we’ve been reading three works, picked by the team, from the canon of American literature. In this episode, we’ll present our analysis, hear what listeners thought, and work out what it means to be a Great American Novel. Plus, a very special quiz. 

If you want to read along, the books we discuss are “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton, “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner and “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison. For more reading recommendations, The Economist has published a longer list of Great American Novels, collated from suggestions from our correspondents.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman.

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The alliance was always based more on common fortunes than common interests. We ask what to make of the six new members, and whether the bloc’s motley nature undermines its purpose. Regulation has struggled in an era when children can become “influencers”, but it is starting to catch up (9:36). And remembering Bindeshwar Pathak, who realised India’s future depended on toilets (16:28).

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Is a college degree worth it? That question hangs over millions of would-be students, as they prepare to apply to university. It is one that many graduates might be mulling over as they have to start paying off their college debts once more. America’s pandemic-era moratorium on student debt payments comes to an end in September. 

On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird examine whether college is still worth the time and the money. Constantine Yannelis from the Chicago Booth School of Business explains how the US economy will be impacted when up to 45 million Americans are confronted with their student debt payments once more. And Michael Itzkowitz, who was appointed to the US Department of Education by former President Obama, reveals how often students fail to earn a return on their investment in education.   

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History would suggest that the crash of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane was an assassination. Our correspondent considers what the supposed death of the Wagner Group’s leader means for Ukraine—and what it says about Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Indonesia has fostered a more moderate version of Islam that it would now like to export (9:58). And meeting an indigenous pioneer of Peruvian pop (16:21).

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While some people enjoy learning maths, the subject haunts many children throughout school and beyond. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Eugenia Cheng, a mathematician and author of “Is Maths Real?”, explains why, to her, maths is a joyful enterprise. In this interview with Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, Eugenia explores how asking seemingly simple questions can uncover deep mysteries beneath the sums. She also argues that education systems should rethink the way that the subject is taught, to encourage curiosity and creativity.

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Arranging friendly media coverage, giving handouts to voters, stifling opposition rallies: once again the country’s ruling party has put its thumb on the scales. It has to, after decades of failed governance. Our correspondent visits fire-ravaged Lahaina in Hawaii, finding equal parts shock and anger among residents (10:32). And the curious rise of Britain’s self-pitying lawmakers (18:38).

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A harsh custom courses through rural China. If a woman marries a man from outside her village, she becomes a waijianü, or “married-out daughter". Tradition deems married-out women can be stripped of their rights to land that legally belongs to them.

The Communist Party came to power promising to emancipate women from feudalism. Today, the collective financial losses suffered by married-out women are growing. 

The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and senior China correspondent, Alice Su, meet the married-out women in rural Fujian fighting to get their land back. 

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Once again, fears are ripping through the industry—this time starting from a firm once thought too big to fail. In an economy so dependent on housebuilding, that will have wide-ranging consequences. We take a ride in one of the autonomous taxis that have flooded onto San Francisco’s streets (10:22). And crunching the numbers on Antarctica’s worrisome dearth of sea ice (19:40). 

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, is Germany once again the sick man of Europe? Also, China’s disillusioned youth  (10:50) and why AI could make it less necessary to learn foreign languages (17:35).

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Ecuador and Guatemala faced similar preoccupations with violence and corruption—one of Ecuador’s candidates was assassinated on the campaign trail—but their electoral outcomes were very different. What does that reveal about the region? Once rare in America, leprosy is on the rise again, particularly in Florida (8:04). And how Singapore leads the charge for “alternative proteins” (14:08). 

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Washington has been busy debating what to do about China. Arguments abound about whether to try to engage with the Communist Party, or to focus on deterrence. Congress continues to debate industrial policy, arming Taiwan and whether to ban TikTok. And as the House’s select committee releases policy suggestions, the Biden administration is forming its own through executive orders. How bipartisan will the next stage of US-China policy be? And what will it look like?

Representative Mike Gallagher, chair of the House’s China Select Committee, along with Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Democratic ranking member, discuss the committee’s aims and possible achievements. And we go back to another time Congress set America’s China policy.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

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For weeks, the regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to undo the putsch by force. But appetite for a military response—the ultimate deterrent in a coup-prone region—seems small and waning. Russia’s rouble has become one of the world’s worst-performing currencies, and there are not many good options to rescue it (09:40). And a tribute to an American pioneer of consumer-product safety (16:22).

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When is economic decoupling not economic decoupling? When it drives your allies to tighter commercial links with your adversary. That’s the situation the US finds itself in today, when it comes to its policies directed against China. Since the Trump administration put tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018, the US has been trying to extricate itself from commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy. President Biden has expanded the policy to keep China locked out of US supply chains in a few key high-tech industries. On the outside it looks like decoupling or de-risking is actually working. Business operationsarerelocating to other southeast Asian countries, India, and Mexico. But in crucial ways, the process is only skin deep. Take a closer look and the exodus from China is actually driving closer integration between the Chinese economy, and those of America’s friends. 

On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Tom Lee-Devlin and Alice Fulwood, examine whether US policy towards China is really working. Caroline Freund, Dean of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, explains how the countries that are expanding their exports to the US are at the same time becoming more integrated in supply chains with China. And Chris Miller, Associate Professor of international history at Tufts University and author of “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology” describes how reshoring, and lengthening supply chains is going to come at considerable cost.

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The region is home to most of the world’s known lithium. Given the mineral’s usefulness in batteries and electric vehicles, could it be on the cusp of a commodities boom? Germany’s auto industry is at risk. Volkswagen, one of its biggest carmakers, should be worried (10:27). And, England’s World Cup successes could change the face of women’s football (18:06).

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Runtime: 24 min

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In the coming days, both Russia and India hope to land robotic probes near the South Pole of the Moon. Conquering the South Pole remains one of the grandest challenges in lunar science, but it’s a potentially rewarding endeavour. If evidence of water is found it will make human settlements much more likely. 

But the significance of the missions racing for the Moon, Luna-25 and Chandrayaan-3, go beyond science. Russia’s space agency has become isolated after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, while India’s space agency seeks to raise its profile. In an increasingly polarised world, is there any hope for an international agreement on humanity’s use of the Moon?

Sam Dayala, a former director at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology and India’s space agency, explains the aims of Chandrayaan-3. Simeon Barber, a planetary scientist at the Open University who works with the European Space Agency, discusses Russia’s Luna missions and why his drilling package has been removed from the Luna-27 probe. Natan Eismont of the Russian Academy of Sciences explains his desire for renewed global collaboration, despite the political backdrop. Plus, Asif Siddiqi of Fordham University and Raji Rajagopalan of the Observer Research Foundation, reflect on the stakes if a consensus on the use of the Moon isn’t agreed internationally. Gilead Amit, The Economist’s science correspondent, hosts, with Oliver Morton, a senior editor at The Economist.

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As the death toll surpasses 100, we report from Maui where fires have ravaged the island in the deadliest American wildfire in over a century. Why was this one so catastrophic? The plummet of coca prices in Colombia is messing with the market (09:58). And northern Europe fights to preserve its local languages in schools (17:09). 

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A growing number of Chinese women are pushing for control over family-planning decisions. That can cause discomfort in a society where traditional households are still the norm and where there are many legal barriers to becoming a single parent. But, faced with a shrinking population, there are signs the Chinese Communist Party could be loosening up.

The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and senior China correspondent, Alice Su, meet the women redefining what a family looks like, and they ask whether the government will give more control over how and when they have children. 

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The former president has been hit with a new set of charges, under a catch-all racketeering act that has been used to prosecute everyone from rappers to teachers. It’s Mr Trump’s fourth indictment, but perhaps the most unusual. Ukraine’s new, surprisingly effective innovation: the “candy bomb” (10:10). And, the most expensive American cities to live alone (17:30).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, why Biden’s China strategy isn’t working, Saudi Arabia’s plan to dominate global sport (10:20) and how green is your electric vehicle, really? (17:55) 

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Despite cosying up with Russia and accusing America of trying to topple him, the newly re-elected president now appears to be flirting with old allies. But there is reason to be sceptical. A global survey shows that liberal values may not be catching on as some expected (09:54). And, have scientists found the biggest animal that ever lived (18:36)? 

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Joe Biden has been on the road this week, touting his administration’s investment in American manufacturing. His government has embraced a “place-based” industrial policy, explicitly directing tens of billions of dollars to boost struggling regions. The bet is that the money will leave thriving economies and grateful Democratic voters in its wake. Will “place-based” policies help the bits of American that have been left-behind?

We join Congressman Ro Khanna on a tour of former manufacturing towns, and he tells us why he thinks “place-based” policies work.  And Mark Muro of Brookings charts the history of “place-based” interventions.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Jon Fasman.

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Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman says a presence in top-level global sport is one route to modernising; critics call the effort a distraction from the country’s appalling human-rights record. Brazil’s government is pushing reforms that are clearly calming investors, who had fretted about a return to ruinously spendthrift policies (9:20). And how speedy “first-person-view” drones are changing the fight in Ukraine (16:25).

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Grocery shopping is a giant prize–accounting for around $800bn of spending a year in America. But it is also a notoriously tough business, with price-sensitive customers keeping a tight lid on margins. Add in online delivery and it often becomes unprofitable. Convincing customers to buy more of their groceries online is the holy grail for a digital-native company like Amazon, which is a newcomer to the business. But Amazon’s “technology first” approach hasn’t been enough to win over the market, or the customers who still see the value of shopping in-store. This leaves grocery stalwarts like Walmart with an opportunity–to expand online, while utilising their foothold in brick-and-mortar stores. With margins so tight, yet the lure of convenience strong, what is the future for online grocery shopping?

On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Alice Fulwood, and Mike Bird examine how the grocery business is adapting to the digital age. Bill Aull, leader in the North America Retail and Consumer Practice at Mckinsey, explains how online grocery shopping has struggled to make a mark in the US. And Jason Del Rey, author of "Winner Sells All", lays out what the battle between Amazon and Walmart tells us about the future direction of the industry.

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An appalling record compared with much of the rich world is not just down to drugs and guns. We ask what changes, both in policy and philosophy, might reduce the death toll. A heat-transporting ocean current in the Atlantic could soon be on the wane—or switch off altogether (10:08). That would have disastrous consequences. And musing on airborne etiquette for business travelers (18:09).

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Runtime: 23 min

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Attending a science festival or an exhibition can be an exciting day out, while also being hugely informative. Natasha Loder, The Economist’s health editor visits the Royal Society’s summer exhibition to play with both the simple and cutting-edge technologies that have potential for healthcare. 

Natasha asks Clem Burke, drummer of the rock band Blondie, and Marcus Smith of the University of Chichester how drumming can help children with autism. Natasha also meets Lorenzo Picinali, of Imperial College London, who explains why creating audio that feels three-dimensional could be useful for people with sensory impairment. Plus, Sumeet Mahajan of the University of Southampton demonstrates how technology used in NASA’s Mars rover can be applied to the early detection of diseases. Gilead Amit, The Economist’s science correspondent, hosts. 

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Big-money legislation to bring microprocessor manufacturing to the country is off to a reasonable start—but dominance of the industry is and will probably remain distant. Britain was once a leading light when it came to international aid; we ask why that reputation is now in tatters (tk:tk). And exploring all the funny noises coming from electric vehicles (tk:tk).

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Xi Jinping has called food security a “guozhidazhe”, a national priority. He’s introduced new policies emphasising China’s need to grow more of its own crops on its limited arable land. Butthese new plans clash with other signature directives, including pulling farmers out of poverty—and that is causing resentment and confusion.

The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and senior China correspondent, Alice Su, discuss whether China is food insecure and why the Communist Party’s legitimacy rests on its ability to feed the population. David travels to Sichuan to see how the overlapping rural reforms are affecting farmers. He and Alice ask whether Mr Xi’s fixation on food security could be a warning of a future conflict.  

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The Economic Community of West African States may yet try to restore President Mohamed Bazoum militarily. Either way, Niger’s status as a bulwark against jihadism is threatened. America’s Republican hopefuls are courting Moms for Liberty, a pressure group with some outlandish ideas; we meet a few of them (10:51). And the design principles of a good flag (19:33).

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A special edition of Editor’s Picks from The Economist’s summer double issue. This week, we take a deep dive into how Ukraine’s virtually non-existent navy sank the Moskva, Russia’s flagship in the Black Sea.

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As diplomatic efforts played out in Saudi Arabia our correspondent recounts travels along the nearly unbroken front line of the war—finding frustrated but determined soldiers and exhausted, fearful civilians. We examine the row around Japan’s plan to release wastewater from the Fukushima disaster (09:21). And how rosé wine became summertime’s go-to tipple (15:39).

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Donald Trump has been charged with the most serious political crime it is possible to commit in a democracy. A special counsel alleges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results, knowing that his claims of fraud were false. What do the latest charges mean for Donald Trump, and American democracy?

Legal expert Sarah Isgur tells us she thinks this will be a difficult case to prove. The Economist’s Steve Mazie profiles the man tasked with prosecuting Trump. And The Economist’s James Bennet considers what this will mean for the 2024 election.

Charlotte Howard hosts with Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman.

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As the tech giant approaches its 25-year anniversary, there are questions of just how much more it can possibly grow. Investors are used to stratospheric returns. Is it time to manage expectations? Nested behind the appearance of social discontent in France is an economy that is actually thriving (10:51). And, a tribute to a true man of the woods (19:02). 

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American economists are scratching their heads in confusion. The Fed’s aggressive rate hikes hasn’t produced the outcome many expected. Instead of recession and massive layoffs, the US economy now looks tantalisingly close to a fabled “soft landing” with the jobs market remaining resilient, and inflation tumbling. The unique set of circumstances of the post-pandemic US economy have perplexed almost everyone. The Fed's latest rate rise could now be the last for a while. What can this rate hike cycle teach us about interest rates and the US economy?

On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwood, and Tom Lee-Devlin examine how interest rates and policy transmission have functioned in the post-covid US. The Economist’s US Economics Editor Simon Rabinovitch explains why economists across the board have had their expectations confounded. Founder of Macropolicy Perspectives Julia Coronado lays out the key lessons from this unusual rate hike cycle. And former Fed governor Frederic Mishkin tells us why he thinks recession is still a likelihood for the US economy.

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The industrial arms race is on. For many political reasons, countries with the means are throwing billions of dollars into local industries. But when will leaders realise that it might harm their economies? Japan’s refugee policy was already stringent, but now the country is cracking down on asylum seekers even more (10:26). And, how Oppenheimer has reignited Los Alamos's tourist appeal (18:22).

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Natural history auctions are on the rise and are generating millions of dollars for private fossil hunters, but the commercialisation of ancient bones is worrying some palaeontologists. They argue that specimens sold privately are lost to science. Yet others say that by disincentivising the black market and encouraging more enthusiasts to search for rare finds, fossil auctions could improve the scientific understanding of ancient reptiles. 

The Economist’s Dylan Barry explores the Natural History Museum’s fossil collection in London, with Paul Barrett, a palaeontologist. Dylan also chats to the “dinosaur cowboy”, Clayton Phipps, a commercial fossil prospector, about his discovery of the “duelling dinosaurs” and how ranchers benefit from finding dinosaur bones. Plus, Cassandra Hatton, the vice president and head of natural history of Sotheby’s, an auction house, argues that auctioneers and palaeontologists should see each other as being on the same side. Kenneth Cukier hosts.

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The former American president is facing a new set of unprecedented legal challenges linked to his claims that he won the 2020 election. These charges are perhaps the most serious ones yet, but how will they affect his campaign? A closer look at China’s economic figures suggest that their post-pandemic recovery has been more modest than expected (09:49). And, sneaking pianos into Iran (17:59).

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The South China Sea is full of treasure. Last year, Chinese researchers found two ships from the Ming Dynasty some 1,500 metres down: one loaded with porcelain, the other with timber. But, their discovery is not only of interest to scholars.

The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and China correspondent, Gabriel Crossley, examine how the Communist Party is using archaeology to enhance its territorial claims, and why Xi Jinping is putting ancient history at the centre of politics. 

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The country is not new to seclusion, but under the aegis of the pandemic, Kim Jong Un tightened borders even more. His regime has enjoyed the extra control, but are things finally opening up? The world’s biggest rice exporter is banning rice exports and the developing world is going to feel the heat (10:13). And, a new approach to dairy – without cows (14:39).

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, what to do about overstretched CEOs, how to better predict the weather (9:00) and we meet Myanmar’s Gen Z guerrillas (15:00). 

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Following years of military takeovers in the region, Niger is the West’s last solid ally in the Sahel. But with this coup, and growing alignment with Russia, these relations are in jeopardy. Why is a policy to decongest London proving such a politically divisive issue (10:49)? And, a deep dive into a Canadian lake shows that humanity may be entering a new epoch (17:01).

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It’s hot. Over the past month millions of Americans have been sweltering in fierce temperatures. Around a third of the population lives in places where the government has recently issued warnings about extreme heat. How can American cities prepare for an even hotter future?

The Economist’s Oliver Morton tells us what causes heat waves. Jeff Goodell, author of “The Heat Will Kill You First”, charts how the invention of air conditioning changed the locus of political power in America. And David Hondula, Phoenix’s Chief Heat Officer, describes how his city is preparing for a future of scorching summers.

John Prideaux hosts with Idrees Kahloon and Aryn Braun.

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.

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A country that was not long ago gripped by gang violence and crime is slowly emerging from fear, thanks to a brutal roundup of young men by a wildly popular, social-media-savvy president. The streets may be safer, but now it is El Salvador’s democracy that is in danger—and neighbouring countries’ leaders may take lessons from its budding autocrat.

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The only action taking place in Hollywood is on the picket lines. Thousands of writers and actors have taken to the streets to protest the way that technology has affected their wages. At the top of their list of demands is a change to the way they are compensated when shows air on streaming services, like Netflix. But filmmakers' use of artificial intelligence is also in the spotlight as concerns mount about how companies might use actors’ likenesses. 

On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood and Mike Bird examine how tech is transforming Tinsel Town. The Economist’s Aryn Braun hears from actors on the picket line. Analyst Michael Pachter explains why Netflix may benefit from giving actors a big pay rise. And Tom Graham, the boss of effects firm Metaphysic, says AI could deliver Hollywood-quality fan fiction movies.

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Russia’s axeing of the Black Sea grain deal reveals a war machine running out of options. We explore how to get the deal back on track. A month-long mystery surrounding China’s absent foreign minister has grown deeper: now his memory is being scrubbed from official websites (10:15). And literary criticism has lost its claws—gaining a newfound civility that is bad for readers (16:37).

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In recent weeks, extreme heat, floods and storms have smashed records and caused devastation around the world. Freak weather events such as these will become more frequent due to climate change—but they are exceptionally hard to predict. How are meteorologists gearing up to face the enormous challenge of predicting the weather in a warming world? 

Andrew Charlton-Perez, at the University of Reading in Britain, explains how weather forecasts are made—and why meteorology is such a complicated science. The Economist’s Rachel Dobbs investigates the next frontiers in forecasting. She asks Sam Levang, the chief scientist at Salient Predictions, how artificial intelligence can play a role in improving predictions of the weather. Rachel also visits the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’s data centre in Bologna, Italy, to understand how a combination of technological approaches will be required to make weather forecasting fit for the 21st century. Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, hosts.

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Military types need not wait until mass movements of troops to know a conflict is coming. We examine a raft of subtle and not-so-subtle market moves that would precede a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. France’s quiet volte face on the extent of NATO and the European Union will reshape European security (12:04). And how scrapyards are becoming efficient, lucrative disassembly lines (19:41).

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China is awash with nationalist education: every student from primary school to university must learn the leader’s political philosophy. Now, Xi Jinping wants to make patriotic education a law. 

The legislation, which was given its first hearing in June, spells out that parents “shall include love of the motherland in family education”. It also lists punishments for offences such as insulting the flag to questioning approved histories about Communist Party heroes. 

The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and South-East Asia correspondent, Sue-Lin Wong, discuss what the legislation will change in the classroom and beyond, and what it reveals about how President Xi wants to govern. 

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