The Economist Radio (All audio)

It’s not just President Donald Trump piling pressure on the alliance. As defence ministers meet in Brussels, we examine one of the longest-lasting defence treaties in history. Despite mounting public unease, Japan’s government is pressing ahead with plans to bring in a wave of casinos. And the man who’s bringing agave spirit to India—just don’t call it tequila. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Solar Orbiter is on a two year journey towards the sun, the most studied astronomical subject in the sky. What will this new view of the sun reveal? Also, Kenneth Cukier talks to Amy Zegart, who advises American policymakers on cyber-spycraft, about how countries can improve their defence against digital security threats. And, why living in a city impairs navigational skills. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg led the pack in New Hampshire. Two candidates have exited the race, and a potential spoiler is yet to compete. Argentina’s administration is at risk of defaulting on its gargantuan debt to the International Monetary Fund; both will be hoping to end the standoff today. And the environmentally conscious quest for artificial shrimp. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread, what effect will factory closures in China have on global supply chains? Also, how technology is finally poised to disrupt the market for real estate. And what it takes to be a CEO in 2020. Rachana Shanbhogue hosts  Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hand-picked successor is out of the running. The ruling CDU party must now pick a new leader and a path in dealing with the rising far right. Legislation in the works in America shows how gender dysphoria among children has become a battlefront in the culture wars. And, a musical analysis of the winter blues. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Communist Party is exuding an aura of complete control over the outbreak, but our correspondent finds an undercurrent of distrust. International health experts are racing to understand just how deadly the virus is, and whether it can ultimately be contained. And the rise of ratings—it seems employees in many industries will eventually be angling for a five-star review. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Might America choose a socialist president? Ahead in the polls for the New Hampshire primary, Bernie Sanders’ grip on the left of the Democratic Party is strengthening. The Senator from Vermont is the American left’s best chance in decades to defy political gravity. John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, looks at the history of socialism in America and James Astill, Lexington columnist, assesses Senator Sanders’ chances. Checks and Balance regulars Charlotte Howard and Jon Fasman also consider how Sanders might fare against President Trump and the similarities between the two.Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/pod2020  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the adulation, the discontent. Voters are abandoning the party of the young, progressive leader Leo Varadkar, with many supporting Sinn Fein, a party with a violent history. Our obituaries editor looks back on the life of Homero Gómez, a renowned logger-turned-butterfly-activist. And the coyotes invading America’s cities. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the state of the Democrats. (10:20) What does it take to be a CEO in the 2020s? (18:40) And, QE or not QE? The Economist‘s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After being acquitted in the Senate, Donald Trump will be the first president to run for reelection having been impeached. Anne McElvoy asks Benjamin Wittes and Susan Hennessey, the authors of “Unmaking the presidency”, about whether the verdict strengthens Mr Trump’s electoral hand. Will the way Mr Trump is reshaping the presidency outlast him and could he be changing the office for the better?Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A predictable outcome in President Donald Trump’s Senate trial will have unpredictable effects on executive power and congressional oversight—but probably not on November’s elections. A staggering map of neural connections opens a new frontier in brain science. And the entirely preventable plague of locusts munching through east Africa. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can a vaccine for the new coronavirus be developed in time to stop a pandemic? How a satellite called Claire has found a new way of spotting methane leaks to help combat global warming. And, unfolding the mystery of butterfly wings. Kenneth Cukier hosts Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President Donald Trump seemed to be going out of his way to rankle Democrats while he pitched his tenure as a change from American decline to American rejuvenation. In the developing world mobile phones have given millions access to financial services—as well as exposing them to exploitation. And what fashion houses do with their piles of unsold, high-end stock. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After Britain’s official departure from the European Union on January 31st, the government faces a divergence dilemma: departing from the EU's rules may mean less access to its markets. The Economist’s Britain business editor Tamzin Booth explains the costs and opportunities of a directive-free future. And Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, and city financier Dame Helena Morrissey discuss what government and business must do to adapt. Patrick Lane hosts____________________Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer____________________  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Technical glitches and “inconsistencies” threw America’s first Democratic caucuses into disarray. That will have political consequences, irrespective of the eventual winner. So-called bio-bots—tiny machines made from the stem cells of a frog—blur the line between the biological and the mechanical. And the children competing in Thailand’s elbows-and-all Muay Thai boxing. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hong Kong’s GDP report released today reflects the squeeze that enormous protests at home and economic headwinds on the mainland have put on the territory—and that was before the coronavirus outbreak. Inequality in Brazil is bad and getting worse; we ask why the government is chipping away at a much-praised social safety-net. And a look at the self-help craze gripping Ethiopia. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s 1,000 miles from the White House. But for decades, Iowa has played an outsized role in America’s presidential race. Voters give their verdict on the 2020 candidates for the first time in the Iowa caucuses next week — an important test for the Democrats hoping to be elected President in November. How much does Iowa really matter? The Economist’s US editor, John Prideaux, heads to the Midwest to find out. Correspondents Adam Roberts and Jon Fasman have also been in Iowa this week. Charlotte Howard joins the discussion from New York. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/pod2020  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The costs of leaving the European Union are likely to outweigh the benefits. But as Britain re-aligns itself in the world, those benefits should be seized. The outcome of America’s impeachment proceedings is all but assured, and that is an insight into the Senate, the presidency and impeachment itself. And why pregnancy was absent for so long in British art.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, will the Wuhan virus become a pandemic? (09:40) The United Kingdom leaves the European Union. (17:55) And, drugs offered to transgender children need to be used more cautiously.Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our correspondent travels to the border of the locked-down Hubei province, finding among the people a mixture of resignation, fear and distrust. Was the draconian response appropriate? Big oil firms have just the kind of expertise needed to make a vast transition to renewables; in order to survive, they should put it to use. And why Mongolia’s winters are growing deadlier. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.