What Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” means for America

From The Economist. President Donald Trump called it a “Big Beautiful Bill”. It’s big, but definitely not beautiful. The three co-hosts of The Economist’s Checks and Balance podcast—Charlotte Howard, our New York bureau chief, Idrees Kahloon, our Washington bureau chief, and John Prideaux, our US editor—discuss the effects Trump’s budget bill will have on America’s…

Klarna’s CEO on how AI will affect jobs

From The Economist. The boss of buy-now, pay-later provider Klarna recently admitted he went too far using AI to cut customer service roles and was rehiring people. In an interview with our business affairs editor, Rachana Shanbhogue, he explains why he still expects AI to have a significant impact on jobs in the years ahead

Has China become cool?

From The Economist. Is China becoming a cultural phenomenon? From Labubu dolls to high-tech exports China is making waves abroad. Our producer Jiehao Chen and China correspondent Gabriel Crossley speak on the Drum Tower podcast to discuss China’s pursuit of soft power. 00:00 – China’s softening image 01:07 – What does China’s Communist Party stand…

Inside the world’s most sophisticated telescope

From The Economist. What is the universe made of? How is the Milky Way structured? And what is dark matter? A new observatory at the top of a mountain in Chile will try to answer these questions—and revolutionise astronomy in the process. The Economist’s science editor, Alok Jha, was granted access to understand how the…

Has America destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme?

From The Economist. Have Trump’s vast strikes destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability? America attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, using 13-tonne GBU-57s—known as “bunker-busting bombs”—in combat for the first time. Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, analyses how much damage might have been caused #iran #america #trump #nuclear #israeliranconflict