Georgia's pro-Russian ruling party claims to have won last weekend's election — a fraudulent election, according to a mounting pile of evidence. A country that was once on the path to EU membership is now veering much closer to the Kremlin. Is there any hope left? We ring Anna Gvarishvili, Tbilisi-based journalist and head of the Investigative Media Lab, to unpack what just happened and what might happen next. We're also discussing two suitably scary topics in this Halloween episode: France's money problems, and the noxious substances spewing out of your gas cooker. 

 
This episode was recorded before Wednesday's devastating floods in Spain. You can donate to the Cruz Roja (Spanish Red Cross) relief efforts here.
 
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This week's Inspiration Station picks: fave dei morti (recipe here) and the Swiss video game Mundaun. 
 
Other resources for this episode
 
Search Engine: 'Why is it so hard to tax billionaires? (Part 1)', October 18, 2024 https://www.searchengine.show/listen/search-engine-1/why-is-it-so-hard-to-tax-billionaires-part-1 
 
'They will protest ketchup': Hugh Vuillier's Europe Letter newsletter, October 3, 2024 https://hughvuillier.substack.com/p/french-budget-not-good 
 
Universitat Jaume I's study on the health impact of gas stoves, October 28, 2024 https://repositori.uji.es/items/156fbd65-070d-4ca4-9856-9415513d505f 

 
00:23 It's Halloween, but we won't be talking about He Who Must Not Be Named

02:15 Good Week: French efforts to tax the super-rich

16:42 Bad Week: Gas stove fans

24:55 Please rate us on Pocket Casts!

26:06 Interview: Anna Gvarishvili on Georgia's elections

43:26 The Inspiration Station: Fave dei morti and 'Mundaun'

46:08 Happy Ending (?): Norway's teen social media ban
 

Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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