The Weekend Intelligence: Crunch time for Ukraine

2024-09-27

Over the past decade a form of wokeness (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/09/19/after-peak-woke-what-next?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=checksandbalance&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) arose on the illiberal left, characterised by extreme pessimism about America and its capacity to make progress. of how influential these ideas are today finds that wokeness peaked in 2021-22 and has since receded. Why is America becoming less “woke”?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Ainslie Johnstone and Sacha Nauta, and Professor Musa al-Gharbi of Stony Brook University.

Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts

2024-09-25

Sudan’s war is the world’s worst—but widely ignored. We explain the story behind the fighting. Watch part 2 here:

Sign up to our Africa newsletter: https://econ.st/3Xzy2Oj

“Hell on earth”: satellite images document the siege of a Sudanese city: https://econ.st/3XI7PNU

Why Sudan’s catastrophic war is the world’s problem: https://econ.st/4ewYeQF

Anarchy in Sudan has spawned the world’s worst famine in 40 years: https://econ.st/4ewVNO6

The ripple effects of Sudan’s war are being felt across three continents: https://econ.st/3XDAeEN

2024-09-19

2024 is the biggest election year in history, but The Economist estimated more than a third wouldn’t be free and fair. What is the worryingly effective playbook used by authoritarian leaders to rig elections?

Video supported by @mishcondereya

Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletters: https://subscribenow.economist.com/

Read our global guide to election rigging: https://econ.st/4g6OBK9

How to combat electoral manipulation: https://econ.st/4dW3Q7i

India’s elections: a triumph for democracy: https://econ.st/3Mwn4UC

Read why America is a “flawed democracy” https://econ.st/47f6O3Y

Listen: how tech can strengthen democracy: https://econ.st/3z6vQpr

Read our democracy index report: https://econ.st/3X8mG3I

US election coverage: https://econ.st/3Z6WXLI

2024-09-05

Though we use more renewable energy than ever before, electricity grids need ways to cope with intermittent wind or solar power. Innovations that make batteries to store that energy bigger, cheaper (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/09/01/clean-energys-next-trillion-dollar-business?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) and more efficient can help. Why tourists are flocking to Asia (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/08/15/the-global-tourism-boom-is-shifting-to-asia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (9:41). And a listener asks

2024-08-01

As domestic demand in China slows, and the West puts up trade and political barriers, Chinese firms are shifting (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/08/01/chinese-companies-are-winning-the-global-south?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) their focus to poorer parts of the world. After Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure intensify, our correspondent visits a wrecked power plant (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/07/15/half-ukraines-power-is-knocked-out-winter-is-coming?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (9:10). And

2024-07-23

The Russian army is suffering its highest casualties since it invaded Ukraine. Is Putin running out of soldiers to keep his war going?

#warinukraine #zelensky #putin

Sign up to The Economist’s defence newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI

How many Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine? https://econ.st/3zRgeGm

Russia’s vast stocks of Soviet-era weaponry are running out https://econ.st/4cROYWG

Vadym Sukharevsky, the man in charge of Ukraine’s drones https://econ.st/4d7t3v7

When will Ukraine join NATO? https://econ.st/3YaEVYv

The Kremlin is rewriting Wikipedia https://econ.st/3y9rDRg

2024-07-19

The scars of the covid pandemic are still raw, but now a virus spreading (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/07/17/h5n1-avian-flu-could-cause-a-human-pandemic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) among farm animals could leap to humans. Could bird flu become the next pandemic? White women are sometimes absolved of blame in the crime of slavery in America (9:50). Research suggests

2024-07-05

He will become Britain’s prime minister—but voters remain unsure what he stands for. So who is the real Sir Keir Starmer?

00:00 – Who is Keir Starmer?
00:39 – His life before politics
01:38 – His political rise
02:38 – His politics

#breakingnews #breaking

Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI
See our UK general election coverage: https://econ.st/3RW6Hnt
What’s happening in Britain?: https://econ.st/4cLnm5l
Keir Starmer should be Britain’s next prime minister: https://econ.st/3RVeJgi
Sir Keir Starmer, bureaucrat first, politician second: https://econ.st/3zCH5Wm
Who are generation K: https://econ.st/3zCH050
Keir Starmer, the post-populist: https://econ.st/3zD1RFm