Scam Inc 1: Pigs in a barrel

2024-12-31

In some places, votes resulted in political chaos; in others they showed a promising shift away from identity politics. Our deputy editor looks back on 2024’s pile of polls. Looking ahead, we examine the Chinese cities (https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2024/11/20/which-are-chinas-cities-of-the-future?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) that will come into their own in 2025 (11:36). And the changing economics

2024-12-26

Some people read books to escape. Others turn to them for instruction. As the new year looms, our correspondents – and listeners – consider which titles can help forecast what’s coming next. Picks include “Rainbows End” by Vernor Vinge, “Nuclear War” by Annie Jacobsen, “Not the End of the World” by Hannah Richie and “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey.

This is a full list of the books mentioned in the show:

“Rainbow’s End, A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire upon the Deep” by Vernor Vinge
“Ageless” by Andrew Steele
“War” by Bob Woodward
“Nuclear War: A Scenario” by Annie Jackobson
“1984” by George Orwell
“On Freedom and On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder
“A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers
“Qualityland” from Marc-Uwe Kling
“Ministry of the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson
“Severance” by

2024-12-13

Many adults perform worse (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/12/12/can-you-read-as-well-as-a-ten-year-old?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) in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? Russia’s economy (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/11/18/vladimir-putin-is-in-a-painful-economic-bind?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) could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, Shalom Nagar

2024-11-19

Trade ties between the two countries (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/11/17/brazil-courts-china-as-its-musk-feud-erupts-again?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) have been increasing for over a decade. The election of Donald Trump for a second term means the relationship could now become even closer. Going to space (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/10/30/space-may-be-worse-for-humans-than-thought?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) could harm human health (7:57). And why Britain has such miserable

2024-11-05

Are you mulling your sleep-schedule in preparation to watch the US election results tonight? We can help. Our political data scientist breaks down when key battleground states are likely to be called and explains why we might have a result quicker than you might think.

Keep these two charts handy as the votes come in: https://econ.st/3YOEX8j
See the latest polling here: https://econ.st/3NUN9gS
See our prediction model and the live results here: https://econ.st/3YOEX8j
Sign up to our US politics newsletter: https://econ.st/3UtTB2i

2024-11-01

Our series concludes with an examination of the state with the most electoral-college votes: Pennsylvania. It is practically a must-win (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=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) for either candidate—and it is on a knife-edge. As more and more people become influencers, fame is becoming more fickle and the entire economics of influencers is shifting

2024-10-29

Americans have the lowest confidence of all G7 countries in their national institutions. With a pivotal election looming, this is deeply worrying. Our social affairs editor explains why.

America’s trust in its institutions has collapsed: https://econ.st/3NFgufl
Our presidential forecast: https://econ.st/4eYYlox
Sign up to The US in brief: https://econ.st/3UtTB2i
Sign up to our daily newsletter: https://econ.st/4gyhHCm

2024-10-16

Kamala Harris has proven to be an enormous draw for campaign donors. But the size of a candidate’s war chest influences the outcome much less (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/09/26/kamala-harris-is-outspending-donald-trump-will-it-matter?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) than it once did. Our correspondent meets asylum-seekers on a Dutch ship, investigating the new hard-right government’s tactics with migrants