One giant, cheap for mankind: SpaceX’s Starship

2024-10-08

Donald Trump’s machine is already gearing up to fight a loss in America’s presidential election. If Kamala Harris wins he won’t give up without a fight. Just how messy could things get?

Sign up to our US politics newsletter: https://econ.st/3BC94Xb

See Harris and Trump’s latest polling numbers: https://econ.st/4dtMpK7

What will happen if America’s election result is contested?: https://econ.st/3BwJPWA

2024-10-04

Whoever wins Pennsylvania will probably win the presidency: according to it’s the most likely tipping point state. We’ve travelled to three different areas to assess how the campaign is going, and try to read the electoral tea leaves. Who’s winning in Pennsylvania? (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/09/19/pennsylvania-the-crucial-battleground-in-americas-election?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)

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts (http://economist.com/podcasts)

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and

2024-10-02

After JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off against each in last night’s vice-presidential debate (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/10/02/the-vice-presidential-debate-was-surprisingly-cordial?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), our correspondent assesses their performance – and its effect on the US election. In Britain the pro-European cause (https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/09/04/why-are-remainers-so-weak-in-post-brexit-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) is popular, but its advocates are ineffective (10:53). And

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

2024-08-05

Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the violence, and how to end it swiftly (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/08/04/how-to-respond-to-the-riots-on-britains-streets?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). Japanese politics had until recently been anachronistically tame; not so now that the social-media populists have arrived

2024-08-01

00:00 – The world’s most important prisoner
00:12 – Barghouti’s beginnings
01:10 – The Oslo Accords and diplomacy
02:04 – Political rise
03:20 – Imprisonment and Palestinian politics
04:18 – Barghouti’s influence today

Marwan Barghouti is the only Palestinian who could help end the conflict with Israel. But he’s been in prison for over 20 years.

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

More from our Middle East & Africa section: https://econ.st/3LO0aI9

The world’s most important prisoner: https://econ.st/4dnizY3

Listen: who is Marwan Barghout?: https://econ.st/4d3rYV2

Is the Palestinian state a fantasy?: https://econ.st/4fr2Ysm

A post-war Gaza: https://econ.st/3LLpNJA

The world court says Israel’s occupation is illegal: https://econ.st/46xJ7DW

2024-07-24

From tunnels to tanks to drones, Gaza’s horrors provide object lessons in urban warfare. We ask what Western forces will be learning (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/07/18/to-see-the-future-of-urban-warfare-look-at-gaza?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) about their own future conflicts. Silicon Valley types may relish (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/07/17/tech-bros-love-jd-vance-many-ceos-are-scared-stiff?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) the prospect of J. D. Vance, a former tech investor, becoming