Category Archive: 5) Global Macro

Filter archive by: Show All Show only Articles Show only Videos

Weekly Market Pulse: No Free Lunches

2025-05-19

by

2025-05-19

Moody’s Ratings downgrades United States ratings to Aa1 from Aaa; changes outlook to stable New York, May 16, 2025 — Moody’s Ratings (Moody’s) has downgraded the Government of United States of America’s (US) long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to Aa1 from Aaa and changed the outlook to stable from negative.

Read More »

Why can’t you stop scrolling?

2025-05-16

by

Stuck in a scroll hole? Professor of neurology, Richard Cytowic, explains why we can’t get off our phones on Babbage, our science and technology podcast

Read More »

One of the world’s longest conflicts ending

2025-05-15

by

One of the world’s longest conflicts ending. For 40 years the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has been waging an armed insurgency against Turkey. But now the PKK, which Turkey and many countries consider a terrorist group, is laying down arms and disbanding

Read More »

Living on Meds, Vitamin C and Ibogaine: American Precarity

2025-05-14

by

2025-05-14

Favoring capital over wage earners is the long-established policy of both political parties. Cribbing a line from a Grateful Dead song ("ain't it a shame") seems appropriate when discussing the prospects of America's burgeoning Precariat Class who are increasingly depending on tips, side hustles, credit cards and buy now, pay later schemes to survive in a stupidly high-cost economy where all the media-hyped "GDP growth" benefits the few at the...

Read More »

Why words for mother are similar around the world

2025-05-14

by

Why do some words, like the ones for “mother” and “father”, sound so similar in completely unrelated languages? Our language correspondent, Lane Greene, has one explanation. We have corrected a mistake in this video, thanks to the eagle-eyed viewers who flagged it

Read More »

Why America is right to lift sanctions on Syria

2025-05-14

by

American sanctions were originally imposed on the Assad regime for atrocities including chemical attacks on civilians. But with Syria’s new administration in charge, they have outlived their purpose. Our editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, explains why

Read More »

Why Trump admires Saudi Arabia

2025-05-13

by

In Donald Trump’s first term his first foreign visit was to Saudi Arabia. Eight years later he headed there again, but he’ll find it’s a very different country as our business affair editor, Rachana Shanbhogue, explains 00:00 How Saudi Arabia has changed 02:52 Why does MBS have Trump’s ear? 04:22 The social transformation 05:25 The economic transformation 07:30 What’s at stake? Listen to the rest of the episode: https://econ.st/42V1Nx1 Saudi...

Read More »

The One Real Economic Indicator: "Upgrade to Premium"

2025-05-12

by

2025-05-12

If you want to escape immiseration, that option is available--upgrade to Premium. I propose we set aside the conventional economic measures (GDP, unemployment, corporate profits, etc.) in favor of a more real-world metric: how many times we're hectored to "upgrade to Premium" to regain services that were once part of what we already paid for.

Read More »

How many times in your life have you had a great boss?

2025-05-12

by

Learn how to be a better manager from top CEOs and experts who’ve studied them on the “Boss Class” podcast. The series returns with tips from some of the world’s best-known companies. To listen you’ll need to be a subscriber. Search Economist Podcasts+ for our best offer Listen to Boss Class: https://econ.st/4iZVYmO

Read More »

Weekly Market Pulse: On The Road Again

2025-05-12

by

2025-05-12

“Our freedom of choice in a competitive society rests on the fact that, if one person refuses to satisfy our wishes, we can turn to another. But if we face a monopolist we are at his absolute mercy.

Read More »

Tariffs Are Not Enough

2025-05-08

by

2025-05-08

The tariff sledgehammer has a role, but it's a limited one. There's an inherent tension in State-Corporate Capitalism. Proponents of the free market hold that any state Industrial Policy will fail because the State cannot pick the winners and losers as effectively as The Market.

Read More »

What Victory Day in Russia means for Putin

2025-05-08

by

Eighty years on since VE Day, The Economist’s Russia and eastern Europe editor, Arkady Ostrovsky, explores the impact the day had on Russia and what celebrations will look like this year on The Intelligence podcast 00:00 - What was VE day like in Russia in 1945? 01:40 - What does VE day mean for Putin today? 03:36 - Is this narrative working? 04:52 - What will celebrations look like in Russia this year? Listen to the full episode:...

Read More »

Why MAGA loves Viktor Orban

2025-05-07

by

Donald Trump’s MAGA movement sees a role model in Hungary’s Viktor Orban. As Europe’s longest-serving leader, he has undermined democratic norms and concentrated power. But while there are echoes in Trump’s second-term agenda, America may not be as easy to bend.

Read More »

Should Silicon Valley and politics mix?

2025-05-06

by

Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and ex-colleague of Elon Musk, shares his thoughts on if Silicon Valley and politics should mix

Read More »

Books you didn’t know were propaganda

2025-05-06

by

Governments influence a surprising amount of literature, such as these four books, that you may not have known were propaganda

Read More »

The Terminal Rot in Corporate America

2025-05-05

by

2025-05-05

Corporate America took advantage of the Covid shortages and fiscal largesse to profiteer on a scale criminals could only dream of.

Read More »

Could India cut off Pakistan’s water supply?

2025-05-03

by

After a brutal terrorist attack in Indian-administrated Kashmir, a decades-long water treaty between India and Pakistan has been suspended by the Indian government. Pakistan is heavily dependent on the waters from the treaty. Could India cut off Pakistan’s supply?

Read More »

How powerful is Nigel Farage?

2025-05-02

by

Nigel Farage's Reform UK has had a historic day, including winning the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby by just six votes. Matthew Holehouse, our British political correspondent, explains why Farage won't stop there

Read More »

Why Chinese tariffs will hurt US shoppers

2025-05-02

by

Consumers will have to foot most of the bill when tariffs on Chinese companies, such as Shein and Temu, take effect. But Donald Trump’s hostility to Chinese manufacturers might just force them to morph into true multinational corporations 00:00 - How will Chinese companies be impacted by the trade war? 01:59 - How are Chinese companies able to sell so much to consumers? 02:59 - Why are Trump’s tariffs so harmful to Chinese companies? 03:43 - Can...

Read More »

Does your metabolism slow down with age?

2025-04-30

by

Is it harder to lose weight as you age? No according to Herman Pontzer, an anthropologist, who explains on Babbage, our science and technology podcast

Read More »