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Britain’s pint-sipping rabble-rouser of the right has joined the campaigning ahead of a general election. Win or lose, he will make an impact. America’s stadiums and arenas are often built using taxpayer dollars; they are also often terrible value for money (10:08). And a tribute to William Anders, an astronaut who snapped one of history’s most famed photographs (17:15).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China’s model for economic development holds serious appeal for countries looking for an alternative to the Washington consensus of economic and political liberalisation. But what exactly is the “China Model”? And should America and its allies be worried about China’s growing confidence in exporting it?Hosts: Mike Bird and Tom Lee-Devlin. Guests: Elizabeth Economy, Hargrove senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; and Yasheng Huang, Professor of Global Economic and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America’s upbeat assessment of a ceasefire deal masks deep divides that may not, in fact, be bridgeable. There are nevertheless reasons for optimism. Our data team digs into the accusation that the New York Times’s bestseller list is biased against conservatives (10:58). And why a quirk of British regulation is holding back its non-alcoholic-drinks industry (19:08). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After years of slow progress, robots have suddenly been getting a lot cleverer and more capable. The technology behind ChatGPT—large language models—has given machines in the real world a dramatic brain upgrade. How is artificial intelligence bringing about a renaissance in robotics and allowing them to finally work in the world of humans?Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Dinesh Jayaraman, Arjun Krishna and Jason Ma of the University of Pennsylvania; Tom Standage, Shailesh Chitnis and Trisha Parayil of The Economist.Want to learn more about generative artificial intelligence? Listen to our series on the science that built the AI revolution.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have dusted off and tuned up our forecast model for America’s presidential race. So far it gives Donald Trump a marginally higher chance of a second term. There is at last progress on not one but two vaccines to beat malaria (9:02). And a look at the “tradwives” of TikTok: passionate homemakers who prefer the gender roles of the past (15:10).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the past, Xi Jinping and Vladmir Putin have described their relationship as a “friendship with no limits”. Some in the West have dismissed it as more of a “marriage of convenience”. Either way, it is undeniable that China and Russia are more aligned than they have ever been since the Cold war. David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, ask: how strong has the China-Russia relationship become? And what’s in it for China?Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the rich world millions spend more than a third of their disposable income on rent. We ask why policymakers have such terrible ideas on easing the pressure. America’s bid to crimp TikTok has raised a flurry of issues far graver than social-media scrolling (9:53). And why pop stars are (again) embracing the album over the single (15:46).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hard-right parties did well in Europe's parliamentary elections—so well in France that President Emmanuel Macron called a risky snap election. Elsewhere, though, the political centre held. We examine the policies that are getting America’s many chronically truant students back in school (9:13). And the delicate business of naming a new car (16:42).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Riots in 2002 that killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, put Narendra Modi’s leadership in Gujarat in the spotlight. In the second episode of our series, he looks for a way to reinvent himself and repair the reputation of Gujarat.This episode draws on audio from the following publishers: BBC, Doordarshan, Desh Gujarat, Vibrant Gujarat, BBC Hindi and CNN-IBN.To listen to the full series, search "The Modi Raj" and subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Narendra Modi has been chosen to lead India for the third time in a row. But after 10 years in power, he was humbled at the national election. What kind of leader will he be? Stories from his youth in the Hindu nationalist movement offer clues.This episode draws on audio from the following publishers: Narendra Modi YouTube, ANI, Legend Global Studios, Lalit Vachani, Prasar Bharti Archives, Desh Gujarat, The New York Times, NDTV, Doordarshan and BBC.To listen to the full series, search "The Modi Raj" and subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In four of the past six presidential elections, Wisconsin has been won by a single percentage point. As Donald Trump's lead in the Sunbelt widens, Wisconsin's importance for Joe Biden has grown. What does the Badger State tell us about the forces that will decide this election in Wisconsin, and other swing states?Charlotte Howard hosts with Jon Fasman and Idrees Kahloon. Charles Franklin of Marquette University Law School and The Economist’s Daniella Raz also contribute.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsGet a world of insights—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Russia attacked the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine a year ago, lives were lost, families stranded and towns submerged. But from that devastation emerged discussion on post-war reconstruction. Our correspondent spent months investigating Narendra Modi, the strongman who was humbled at this week’s Indian election (10:02). And remembering Barry Kemp, the Egyptologist who dug up Akhenaten’s abandoned city (17:18).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than 100,000 tracks are added to Spotify every day. A growing share of them are now generated by AI. That sounds like bad news for artists, as well as the businesses that rely on them. So what does the music industry look like in the age of AI?Hosts: Tom Lee-Devlin, Alice Fulwood and Mike Bird. Guests: Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender and Michael Nash, chief digital officer at Universal Music GroupTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Britain’s general-election campaign heats up, party leaders are vague on their economic plans. With growth so slow, how could the victor energise the economy? We visit the D-day beaches 80 years on, as war rages in Europe once again (10:19). And Venice’s new daytripper fee is designed to curb crowds. But putting a price on protecting beauty is proving controversial (17:42).  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever had a visit from an angel, a ghost or perhaps even an alien? Plenty of people throughout history think they have. Some even report real, physical symptoms from their interactions with supernatural beings. But, although alien abductions and ghosts are not likely to be real, the stories around these paranormal events tell scientists a lot about how the human mind works. Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, interviews Chris French, a psychologist and author of a new book, “The Science of Weird Shit”.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.