Why the cost of rice in Japan has gone crazy
2025-07-14
The price of rice in Japan has more than doubled in the past year. While some are blaming the shortage on the influx of foreign tourists, Ethan Wu, our Asia business and finance editor, explains why it is really Japan’s broken production system that is to blame
What Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” means for America
2025-07-04
President Donald Trump called it a “Big Beautiful Bill”. It’s big, but definitely not beautiful. The three co-hosts of The Economist’s Checks and Balance podcast—Charlotte Howard, our New York bureau chief, Idrees Kahloon, our Washington bureau chief, and John Prideaux, our US editor—discuss the effects Trump’s budget bill will have on America’s lawmaking and on his voter base.
00.00 – Has the “Big Beautiful Bill" killed traditional legislating?
03.37 – How do Trump voters feel about the economic impact of the big beautiful bill?
05.37 – How will the bill change the deployment of renewable energy?
06:58 – How has Trump remade the Republican party?
09:30 – Trump’s economic populism is hollow
Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4lwhxh3
Trumponomics 2.0 will erode the
Our five favourite non-fiction books of 2025—so far
2025-06-28
Looking for a new book this summer? Rachel Lloyd, our deputy culture editor, shares five of our favourite non-fiction books of 2025 so far.
How effective is Israel’s air-defence system?
2025-06-21
Israel’s air-defence system is the world’s most extensive missile shield. It’s intercepting Iranian missiles which are striking deep inside Israel. How does the system work—and for how much longer can it hold?
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