More than 650,000 Americans have died of overdoses since the start of the opioid epidemic. Fentanyl, easily available and dangerously powerful, killed seventy thousand people in 2021 alone. Now, as the federal government estimates more than five million people struggle with an opioid addiction, states are increasingly looking for sweeping solutions to the crisis. What solutions are there? And what’s stopping them being enacted?

Keith Humphreys, drug policy advisor to George W Bush and Barack Obama, talks us through the state of epidemic. And The Economist’s Stevie Hertz heads to Oregon to see how its first-in-the-nation policies are working in practice. 

This is the first part of a short series looking at the opioid epidemic in America. This episode considers the demand for the drugs, and in a few weeks we'll delve into the supply chain. 

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lake Mead is shrinking. The receding shoreline of the country’s largest reservoir has laid bare the American West’s vulnerability to climate change. But last May, it revealed something else: a body shoved into a barrel. With all the signs of a mob-hit, the murder is a symbol of what Sin City used to be, but also hints at how the city could evolve again. 

In this special episode, The Economist’s Aryn Braun examines what this mystery can tell us about Las Vegas’s past and future. The investigation takes her to a casino, a speakeasy and a lab full of skulls. She talks to Congressman Ruben Gallego, former Mayor–and mafia lawyer–Oscar Goodman and the Mob Museum’s Geoff Schumacher.

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s been no official announcement, but the mood music suggests Joe Biden will seek a second term. If he does run in 2024, and if he wins, he would be 86 by the time he leaves office. Part of Biden’s appeal in 2020 was his electability, but that seems less assured now. Are Democrats making a mistake by not looking elsewhere? 

The Economist’s Elliott Morris considers what the polls tell us about Biden’s popularity.  We go back to the last time a president chose not to seek reelection.  And Democratic strategist Lis Smith assesses the strength of the Democratic bench.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

Do you have a question for the Checks and Balance team?  Email us at [email protected] with “Checks Q&A” in the subject line and we’ll answer it in a special upcoming episode. 

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year on from Russia’s invasion, Joe Biden has made it clear: America’s backing for Ukraine “will not waver”.  But Ukraine needs more than strong words.  Does America have the will and the means to back Ukraine for as long as it takes?  And what does its commitment in Europe mean for America’s readiness to help defend allies elsewhere?  

The Economist’s Anton La Guardia tells us how the battle in Ukraine compares to other recent conflicts. The Economist’s Jon Fasman visits a munitions plant in Pennsylvania.  And Commandant of the United States Marine Corps General David Berger considers the prospect of war in the Pacific. 

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. 

Do you have a question for the Checks and Balance team?  Email us at [email protected] with “Checks Q&A” in the subject line and we’ll answer it in a special upcoming episode. 

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Capitol in Washington might face gridlock, but politicians in statehouses across the country are getting to work. In most state legislatures, a single party has control–their debates provide a window into each party's broader agenda. For states led by Republicans, dockets are dominated by bills related to abortion, gender identity and kids. Is this culture war all consuming? And as the national party dithers over its agenda, what does action on the state level say about the future of the Republican Party?

Mark Jones of Rice University takes us through legislative priorities in Texas. We go back to a time when state gun laws spread across the country. And the American Enterprise Institute’s Rick Hess discusses why many of the Republican bills focus on kids. 

Charlotte Howard hosts with Alexandra Suich Bass and Idrees Kahloon 

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country.” In his state-of-the-union speech earlier this week, Joe Biden promised to deal with any threat from China. The House has voted unanimously to condemn the CCP for flying a spy balloon over America. What’s next for Sino-American relations?  

Congressman Darin LaHood shares the plans of a new select committee on China. We go back to the time a plane rather than a balloon caused a crisis. And The Economist’s David Rennie brings us the view from Beijing.  

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.  

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More and more universities across America now require would-be professors to submit so-called diversity statements. These ask applicants to set out their commitment to, and experience of, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. At the same time some Republican-led states, most notably Florida, are putting their own restrictions on academia.  How healthy is academic freedom in America? 

Dean of Berkeley Law Erwin Chemerinsky makes the case for diversity statements, while NYU’s Jonathan Haidt argues against them. We go back to when professors took a stand against anti-communism. And former head of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth recounts his own fight for academic freedom.  

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

House Republicans hope that by delving into Hunter Biden’s business dealings they’ll find a trail of wrongdoing leading back to the president. Is this just the usual partisan mudslinging? Or will the Hunter Biden saga spell trouble for Joe Biden?

Andrew Rice from New York magazine tells us what is on Hunter Biden’s laptop. The Economist’s James Bennet remembers the time a president’s brother caused trouble. And Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna explains why she wants to investigate the Biden family.  

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. 

You can read the New York magazine piece we mention, by Andrew Rice and Olivia Nuzzi, here

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reports of the slow death of American incomes have been exaggerated.  Since the turn of the millennium, hourly earnings have grown steadily in real terms.  While those at the top have taken most of the gains, in the past few years, the poorest have done well too.  Where does that leave those in the middle?  What’s behind the two decades of growing incomes?  And why hasn’t a richer population brought a more contented politics?

The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch explains the latest data on incomes–and why it can be tricky to calculate.  We go back to another time where economic perceptions and reality were far apart.  And Betsey Stevenson, of the University of Michigan, discusses what all this means for income inequality.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023 ought to be a big year in America’s transition towards electric vehicles.  The federal government has set aside billions to encourage consumers and manufacturers to hitch a ride, and to ramp up the nation’s charging infrastructure. What do electric vehicles tell us about the future of American industry?

On a road trip across the Midwest we look at whether America's industrial and environmental goals are compatible.  We visit a factory making a battery-powered version of a popular truck.  Ethan Karp from MAGNET talks about the prospects for a manufacturing renaissance in what some rudely call the rustbelt.  And Chuck Browning from UAW considers what the transition means for union workers. 

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Jon Fasman.  

You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.