Security banquet: queries over Trump protection

The “special relationship” between Britain and America is at its weakest since the Suez crisis of 1956. Will a state visit by King Charles III to America salvage the tie? Why Japanese automakers may be running out of road. And fish from New York’s Hudson river are now safe to eat. Guests and host: Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”Daniel Franklin, senior editor, BritainEthan Wu, Asia business and finance editorStevie Hertz, US policy correspondent Topics covered:  King Charles III, state visit, special relationshipJapanese carmakers, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, EVsHudson river, fishing 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 go deep inside the Chernobyl nuclear-power plant and the surrounding exclusion zone, recounting the history of the accident on April 26 1986, and speaking with plant workers who were on shift that day. A pre-eminent Chernobyl historian discusses the lessons learned and yet to be learned from the disaster. And we consider the science still being done at Chernobyl. In 2024 “The Weekend Intelligence” went to Ukraine to consider the aftermath of the Russian invasion and occupation of Chernobyl, and then of the Zaporizhia nuclear-power plant. What we found was an industry that had no expectation that could even happen, and nothing of a plan when it did. Listen here. Guests and host: Serhii Plokhy, historian, Harvard UniversityOlena Pareniuk, radiobiologist, Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power PlantsJim Smith, environmental scientist, University of PortsmouthJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  Chernobyl nuclear-power plant, historynuclear safety, nuclear-energy policyradiation exposure, radiobiology, radioecology  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.

We examine what our forecast model predicts so far—and consider what might change its confident prediction for one house of Congress and toss-up call for the other. Our correspondent sits down with Steve Reich, a pioneering classical composer who is nearing his 90th birthday. And the surprising reason why firstborns tend to have more-successful lives. Additional music courtesy of Steve Reich (Nonesuch Records), Erik Hall (Western Vinyl) Guests and host: Dan Rosenheck, data editorJon Fasman, senior culture correspondentAinslie Johnstone, data journalistJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  American elections, Congress, polling, gerrymanderingSteve Reich, contemporary classical musicbirth order, statistics 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.

The decision of Anthropic, an AI giant, to keep its Mythos model sequestered surely makes for good press. But there seems to be more to it than that—and it might change the whole industry’s approach. Indian politicians are chasing female voters more than ever; we question the means and the outcomes. And next in our World Cup contender-country profiles: Senegal.  Guests and host: Alex Hern, AI writerKira Huju, Asia correspondentJon Fasman, senior culture correspondentJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  AI, Anthropic, MythosIndia, women, politicsWorld Cup, Senegal 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.

Tim Cook is stepping down after overseeing 15 years of spectacular growth. We take a look at his successor. Japan’s rural women are disproportionately heading to cities, and their home towns are working hard to lure them back. And a historical examination of boredom, and why Britons have perhaps less of it than they should. Guests and host: Tom Lee-Devlin, business editorMoeka Iida, Japan reporterCatherine Nixey, culture correspondentRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  Apple, technology, CEO, John TernusJapan, demographicsBritain, boredom 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.