
Our editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes asks the philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft what it will take to defeat the coronavirus. They talk about why a Biden presidency might not transform America’s prospects of defeating the pandemic.
And, as rich countries scramble to be front of the queue for vaccines, should it be down to charitable billionaires to fund vaccinating the world’s poorest?


It’s been about a month since the Chinese Communist Party forced a national security law on Hong Kong. This new law made it illegal for anyone anywhere in the world to promote democratic reform in the region. Recent arrests of top media and political figures have made it clear that Hong Kong’s relatively free political system is over.
NPR News Now reports: Protests erupt in Beirut in aftermath of massive explosion, Tik Tok sues U.S., and other world news.
NPR Up First reports: The death toll is rising from yesterday’s explosions in Beirut. A longtime incumbent loses in Missouri’s Democratic Primary. And, some U.S COVID-19 relief checks were sent to non-American workers overseas.
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week,
The Economist discusses latest news on Hong Kong postponing elections, the potential sale of popular video app Tik Tok to Microsoft, and other world news.