logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
26m 31s

We need to balk about Kevin: Congress op...

The Economist
About this episode
Republican control of America’s House of Representatives began in chaos: they failed to elect a speaker, the first time in a century that’s happened. China’s fishing fleet is the world’s largest—and a look at the thinning bounty from West Africa’s waters reveals its effects. And why the theft of catalytic converters is soaring in America. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
The Weekend Intelligence: The hunt for Austin Tice
On December 8th, 2024, rebels swept into Damascus and ousted Syria's dictator, Bashar al-Assad. One of the first things they did was open up the prisons. Syrians who disappeared years earlier began to emerge from their grim detention cells. Would missing American journalist Austi ... Show More
38m 42s
Jul 11
At your services: Britain’s economic bright spot
Growth is abysmal; wages are low. But seen from the outside, Britain is a great place to contract services and buy bargain-basement bonds. We explore the opportunities amid the challenges. After months of reporting, our correspondent shares what he learned about Austin Tice, a mi ... Show More
23m 14s
Jul 10
Migration roots: the broken asylum system
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling. And what a gimmi ... Show More
21m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Arraigning on his parade: the charges against Donald Trump
Perhaps the only surprising thing about the former president’s arraignment was that it was not followed by big demonstrations—but he did take to the airwaves to seethe. A global rice crisis is brewing; the world’s most important crop is fuelling both climate change and diabetes. ... Show More
26m 43s
Dec 2022
Like biding a Reich: Germany’s alleged coup plot
Raids across the country netted 25 far-right extremists suspected of trying to overthrow the government. We look into what is known about a hare-brained plan to dissolve the republic and restore a king. Spates of spontaneous violence in Chicago reveal the unintended consequences ... Show More
25m 21s
Mar 2023
Home affairs: America’s revealing property market
Economists and politicians around the world are consumed with one question: is the world headed for a recession, or a relatively soft landing? We’ll tell you what clues the American property market offers. Why China’s football team can’t seem to find its feet. And why rap lyrics ... Show More
22m 24s
Sep 2021
Hunger gains: Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis
Economic collapse and halting international aid following the Taliban’s takeover have compounded shortages that were already deepening; we examine the unfolding disaster. The verdict in a blockbuster case against Apple might look like a win for the tech giant; a closer read revea ... Show More
20m 28s
Sep 2022
In for a penny, in for a pounding: Britain’s economic gyrations
The markets are so far entirely unconvinced that the new administration’s Reagan-esque economic plans will work to spur growth—just look at sterling's tumble. In Tibet, China’s mass collection of DNA samples has one unabashed motive: social control. And the curious wave of “unret ... Show More
23m 25s
Jan 2023
Checks and Balance: Speaker out of turn
The 118th Congress is, so far, a shambles.  A contingent of hardline Republicans have banded together to deny Kevin McCarthy the 218 votes he needs to obtain the speakership. The House can’t start the small matter of governing the country until the debacle is resolved. Can this C ... Show More
43m 46s
Oct 2023
The Intelligence: America gets a House speaker
With the accession of Mike Johnson as the lower chamber’s majority leader, Congress can at last get back to lawmaking—unless the leadership circus starts again. China’s banks may be loaded up with hidden bad loans; the industry’s covid-era hangover could be about to intensify (09 ... Show More
23m 51s
Apr 2024
The Intelligence: Britain’s latest bad idea
As Parliament has now agreed to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, many members of the ruling Conservative party want to quit the court that tried to block it. It would be yet another costly mistake. Earth’s largest refrigerator, Antarctica, is defrosting. What does this mean for the ... Show More
26m 5s
Jan 2024
The Intelligence: China’s ever grander property crisis
One of the country’s biggest property companies, Evergrande, has been crippled by its debt. What does a new court order mean for prospective homebuyers, and the firm’s creditors? Is there a way for Joe Biden to be replaced by the Democrats’ presidential candidate (09:45)? And the ... Show More
22m 55s
Oct 2022
US midterms countdown: Republicans bank on inflation
UK lawmakers plan to introduce legislation making rail strikes harder, private sector attendance at China’s Communist party congress has fallen by almost 50 per cent since Xi Jinping assumed power, and Republicans are banking on the inflation issue to win them control of the US C ... Show More
11m 29s