A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, President Joe Biden’s plan to remake America’s economy, Ukraine’s troops in the east are quietly confident (11:20) and the race of the AI labs heats up (18:10).
But America’s plan to spend $2trn could help save the planet
Now ninety, Lady Glenconner—a trusted friend of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret—has become a cheeky chronicler of the British élite.
Everyone seems to feel like they’re faking it. But, as the concept has spread, so has the criticism.
After a near-fatal stabbing—and decades of threats—the novelist speaks about writing as a death-defying act.
February 6, 2023: The political fallout of the sighting of a Chinese spy balloon above Montana. Plus: protests in India over the Adani scandal, the latest trade and economy news, and the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Literary Review – February 2023 Issue:
Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China’s Cultural Revolution
Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning By Nigel Biggar
Spying on the Reich: The Cold War Against Hitler By R T Howard\
There is nothing new about superpowers spying on one another, even from balloons. But for pure gall, there was something different this time.
The effort off the coast of South Carolina is expected to take days, and Navy and Coast Guard ships have been sent to the scene. U.S. officials are watching for retaliation from China.
The move by the alliance of conservative donors could provide an enormous boost to a Republican alternative to the former president.
Ms. Harris is struggling to carve out a lane for herself in what may be one of the most consequential periods in the vice presidency.
February 5, 2023: Live from London – Emma Nelson, David Bodanis, Tessa Szyszkowitz and Monocle’s Bangkok correspondent, Gwen Robinson, unpack the weekend’s hottest topics. Plus: a check-in with our editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, in Tokyo.
The balloon, spotted earlier this week over the western United States, was brought down when an F-22 fighter jet fired an air-to-air missile at it off the coast of South Carolina.
Residents say the street crime unit was an intimidating and sometimes violent presence in the city. Five Scorpion officers are charged with murdering Tyre Nichols during an arrest.
After a surge in violence, there are fears of a wider escalation in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlers see an opportunity, and Palestinians fear what’s next.
The proposal radically reshapes the way the party picks its presidential nominees, putting more racially diverse states at the front of the line.
The New York Times Book Review – February 5, 2023:
His new novel is about a kingdom that is founded on pluralism but fails to live up to its ideals.
In his new book, “The Struggle for a Decent Politics,” the political philosopher Michael Walzer grapples with a definition.
“Essex Dogs,” the first novel in a projected trilogy by the historian Dan Jones, imagines a hard-bitten band of mercenaries hired to invade France on behalf of their English king.
Barron’s Magazine – February 6, 2023 issue:
With its packed pipeline, growing R&D spending, and potential deals and share buybacks, there’s more to the drugmaker than the market realizes.
Real estate investment trusts that own apartments and single-family houses could see gains as the rental market stays strong. How to invest.
Linde has been making major investments in hydrogen deals, and is increasingly moving into low- or no-carbon production methods. Earnings could take a few years to develop, but now may be a buying opportunity.
Boomers Daily 