Checks and Balance from The Economist

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

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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. 

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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.

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The 118th Congress is, so far, a shambles.  A contingent of hardline Republicans have banded together to deny Kevin McCarthy the 218 votes he needs to obtain the speakership. The House can’t start the small matter of governing the country until the debacle is resolved. Can this Congress get over its chaotic start? 

Molly Reynolds from Brookings explains how House procedure has led to the mess.  We go back 100 years to the last time it took multiple ballots to elect a speaker.  And The Economist’s James Bennet considers the prospects for the year in Washington. 

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. 

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Alaska has an obvious imperative to develop its oil. But climate change is already underway, and the Arctic is warming at nearly four times the global rate. What does our thirst for oil mean for Alaska’s ice?

In the second episode of a special two-part series, Charlotte Howard reports from Alaska. John Walsh from the University of Alaska, who tracks melting sea ice, shares his findings.  Climate researcher Sue Natali tells us why thawing permafrost is a particular problem.  Alaska’s Governor Mike Dunleavy explains why he sees some silver linings to climate change. And Peter Winsor from the Alaska Wilderness League makes the case against drilling in the Arctic.

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. 

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Alaska sits at the heart of two big, tangled global questions: how to slow climate change, and where, or whether, to develop oil. 

Alaska uses the income from oil to fund basic services. But oil production in the state is in long-term decline. Oil companies and their many allies are pushing for a crude revival. Can Alaska reconcile the desire to drill, with the need to limit climate change?

In the first episode of a special two-part series, Charlotte Howard reports from Alaska.  Iñupiat elder Bobby Schaeffer explains how warming temperatures are affecting his community.  Alaska’s Governor Mike Dunleavy pushes for a resurgence in American drilling.  And Kara Moriarty from the Alaska Oil and Gas Association explains why she thinks the state needs to rejuvenate its oil industry.  

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.

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Less than a fifth of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. Poverty rates are rising and life expectancy is falling.  A majority think the economy is getting worse and that the world sees America unfavourably.  But amid the bleak metrics, there have been some bright spots this year: employment remains strong, support for Ukraine has been a notable foreign-policy success and the midterm results laid the groundwork for a stronger democracy.  What in America is working?  And will those things continue into next year?

The American Enterprise Institute’s Kori Schake explains why the Ukraine policy has gone so well.  Political scientist Lee Drutman looks beyond the doom and gloom of the two-party system. And The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch assesses the implications of a strong jobs market. John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon, who round off the year with a festive quiz.

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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.

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The Supreme Court considered a case this week that could upend the way America conducts elections. Moore v Harper brings to the national stage a once-fringe legal theory that state lawmakers enjoy near-absolute authority over federal elections. What impact could the case have? And, with the final race in the midterms now complete, how healthy does democracy in America look?

The Economist’s Supreme Court correspondent Steve Mazie recaps the arguments before the court. The Economist’s Ann Wroe remembers the time the Supreme Court decided an election. And Harvard’s Nicholas Stephanopoulos assesses the state of America’s democracy.  

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. 

We are always trying to improve our podcasts for our listeners. To help, please complete this short survey: economist.com/uspodsurvey 

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.

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Politicians have returned to Washington following the Thanksgiving break, for what Democrats hope will be a legislative flurry. Once Republicans take over the House in January, passing bills will get a lot harder. What can, and should, the lame-duck session of the 117th Congress accomplish?  

Senator Angus King tells us why reforming a law from 1887 is at the top of his to-do list. We go back to a particularly productive lame-duck session. And The Economist’s James Bennet makes the case that Congress should act to protect those who grew up undocumented in America.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. 

We are always trying to improve our podcasts for our listeners. To help, please complete this short survey: economist.com/uspodsurvey 

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.

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At Thanksgiving Americans express gratitude for family, the harvest… and a big, juicy turkey.  Americans consume the most meat per person, but that's not good for the planet. In an episode first released in November 2021, we ask: could they cut back?

The Economist’s Jon Fasman and his sons prepare the Thanksgiving turkey. We go back to a nationwide contest to find the perfect chicken. And Caroline Bushnell from The Good Food Institute discusses how to wean Americans off meat.  

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard.

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.

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