Checks and Balance from The Economist

To some Americans, the country’s low fertility rate is nothing less than a threat to civilisation. This week, in a podcast that first aired on The Weekend Intelligence earlier this year, meet America’s pro-natalists. They have friends in high places—Elon Musk, JD Vance and President Trump have all championed their cause. But who are the individuals who make up this movement and how have they cornered the debate on such an existential issue?Host: The Economist’s Barclay Bram.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

President Trump redefined and extended the power of the presidency this year. Will those powers endure or will the Supreme Court or Congress push back in 2026? Charlotte Howard hosts with Steve Coll and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

President Donald Trump says he will punish any state that implements its own regulations on artificial intelligence. The bodyshot to federalism is a gift to the tech industry, and one that upsets many Trump supporters who worry about AI’s effects on jobs, national security, and humanity. How will the Republican divide play out?John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

America sent an aircraft carrier to the waters off Venezuela, and it has blown up suspected drug boats at sea. From a president with an isolationist bent, this menacing posture is baffling. Is it all a bluff to force Nicolas Maduro to resign? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

Philip K. Howard is an outspoken authority on government reform whose books include “The Death of Common Sense” and “Saving Can-Do”. He is also co-host Charlotte Howard’s father. In a special episode aiming to reflect tetchy political discussions over Thanksgiving dinner, they discuss America’s bureaucratic morass and why escaping it is so difficult. John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

A Swiss delegation donated a gold bar and a Rolex clock to President Trump’s presidential library. Days later America’s tariff rate on Switzerland dropped by more than half. Mr Trump is running the nation’s business alongside his own—at what cost? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

Immigration agents are patrolling Chicago. President Trump says they are there to clamp down on crime. He has threatened to deploy border forces to other liberal cities. Is this theatre? Or is this a new kind of presidential police force? John Prideaux hosts with Aryn Braun and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

Democrats celebrated a string of electoral victories on Tuesday. The winners include a former spy, an ex-Navy helicopter pilot, and a democratic socialist. But finding a unifying message for that big tent may prove difficult in future elections. Will the party over-interpret the results and provide an opening for the GOP?John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.

New Yorkers are expected to elect Zohran Mamdani as mayor on November 4th. The Democratic Socialist has promised free childcare, a $30 minimum wage, and a rent freeze for millions. But the New Yorker in the White House has his own plans to “straighten out” America’s biggest city. John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and James Bennet.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcastsListen 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.