The Intelligence from The Economist

At a time when Russia is making gains in Ukraine and Donald Trump has been re-elected as president, Europe needs strong leadership. Instead, Germany’s ruling coalition has collapsed. A study that hinted at racism among white doctors in America may have been flawed (9:18). And the wondrous revival of King’s Cross in London (17:23).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.

Last time Donald Trump was president he pulled America out of the Paris climate agreement. What is on the agenda at COP29, as world leaders meet after a second Trump victory? The future of cloud computing (9:40). And how the culture wars came for remembrance poppies (17:35).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.

The Russian occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear-power plant in 2022, was the first time such a site was drawn formally into war. The second soon followed: Zaporizhia, Europe’s largest nuclear plant.Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”, travelled to Ukraine to meet with plant workers, scientists and nuclear-agency officials, discovering that even now there is no safety-preserving playbook for such invasions. And it seems inevitable that this story will play out again elsewhere—plan or no plan.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.

Donald Trump will inherit a tangle of conflicts in the Middle East; will he deliver on his promise to “stop the wars”? That will depend on who has his ear. Our correspondent says the way to better rehabilitate people in British prisons is to take some of them out (10:33). And our obituaries editor on the staggeringly productive career of Quincy Jones (19:15). Additional audio in this episode includes Quincy Jones, “Soul  Bossa Nova” and “In Cold Blood”; Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”, “Bad” and “Thriller”; Lesley Gore, “It's My Party”; USA For Africa, “We Are The World”; DJ Jazzy Jeff, “The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air”; Frank Sinatra, “Fly Me To The Moon”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.

The American presidential election delivered a mercifully quick and decisive outcome. Our data editor explains why such a tight-seeming race was likely to result in a clear-cut victory. As ADHD prevalence keeps climbing, the science suggests it should be treated not as a disorder but as a spectrum (11:33). And the Indian startups cashing in on a rise in religiosity (19:47).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.

In the end America got a swift and decisive call as to the next president: Donald Trump. We invite the hosts of “Checks and Balance”, our subscriber-only podcast on American politics, onto the show to discuss what we know so far—about the presidency, Congressional races and ballot initiatives.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.

America and the world hold their proverbial breath for what has become a dead heat. Our special episode explains how the vote works and how the count will proceed. We ask what to watch for, how countries outside America view the potential outcomes, how the country’s largest swing county has prepared and whether it is worthwhile staying up all night.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.

Both campaigns have racked up air miles covering the swing states that will decide America’s knife-edge election. We take a measure of things one day before the vote. The Turkic states of central Asia once depended heavily on Russia; now they are banding together to counterbalance it (10.38). And the costs arising as canal-boat living booms in Britain (17.46).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.

As criminal operations become more sophisticated scamming has grown into a huge and lucrative business. Americans are estimated to have lost a staggering $12.5 billion to cyber fraud last year, according to the FBI. Throw into the mix a tricky international policing environment, and the problem can often seem unsolvable. Enter, the scam-baiters. In recent years, vigilante justice has undergone something of a rebrand. The pitchforks and baying mobs have been traded in for youtube videos and viral content. In this episode of The Weekend Intelligence, Barclay Bram enters the world of the anti-scammers, and investigates the murky ethics of taking the law into your own hands.