The Economist Asks

What can a travel writer learn from staying at home? Anne McElvoy asks the prolific travel author Paul Theroux about the virtues of being homebound during the pandemic. The author of "Under the Wave at Waimea" reveals that his friend and one-time foe V.S. Naipaul inspired a character in his new book about big-wave surfing in Hawaii. Also, verbal fencing with his sons Louis and Marcel and his ultimate travel destination. 

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How important is truth in historical TV drama? Anne McElvoy asks the Oscar-winning screenwriter about the difference between journalistic accuracy and artistic truth, how he uses that tension in his latest film "The Trial of the Chicago 7" and why he loves courtroom dramas. The creator of "The West Wing" also explains why that series still captivates audiences and whether he would write a drama set on a Zoom call.

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Is it time for diversity quotas? Ursula Burns, the first black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, tells The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes why she thinks businesses will not diversify without quotas. The former CEO of Xerox also argues that business leaders have the edge over presidents when it comes to closing the skills gap and explains why she became an engineer rather than a nun. 

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Record numbers of women are considering leaving the workforce due to the pressures of the pandemic. How can successful women help their successors through the glass ceiling? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Joanna Coles, CEO of Northern Star Investments and former chief content officer of Hearst magazines, and Melora Hardin, star of “The Bold Type” and “The Office”, about why audiences enjoy portrayals of monstrous women bosses and the best—and worst—career advice they have received. Plus, has the pandemic slain the stiletto? 

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During the pandemic, how can we better parent our children? Psychotherapist and writer Philippa Perry talks to Anne McElvoy about the mental-health consequences for the 1.6 billion students kept out of school during the pandemic. Plus, why the idea of quality time is a “cop-out” and feeling sad is part of being human. 

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What can artificial intelligence reveal about what it means to be human? Host Anne McElvoy asks the Nobel prize-winning author of "The Remains of the Day” about his new book, "Klara and the Sun", in which he argues that people's relationship to machines will eventually change the way they think of themselves as individuals. But does he think only humans are capable of love? And what do he and his author daughter argue about?

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How should President Joe Biden deal with President Vladimir Putin? At a point of “acute confrontation” between America and Russia, Fiona Hill, former official at the US National Security Council and expert on Russia, tells Anne McElvoy how post-Trump relations might look. Also, why Russian opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny is like Harry Potter— challenging a ruthless leader. Also, was Hill herself poisoned on a research trip in Russia in 2002?

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When will the electric car rule the road? Herbert Diess, the chief executive of Germany's Volkswagen Group, talks to Anne McElvoy and Simon Wright, The Economist’s Industry editor, about its plans to switch from the internal-combustion engine to electrification. More than a dozen countries have set a date for when they will prohibit sales of fossil-fuelled cars -- but are these plans realistic? He also tells us why his daughter doesn’t own a car and who he thinks will win the electrification race.

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What next for the euro area? Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank and the former head of the IMF tells The Economist's editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, why the continent needs more fiscal support in coming years, why she isn't worried about inflation, and why climate change matters for monetary policy. China is already testing a digital currency -- but a virtual euro may not be too far off. And why women make better leaders. 

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What does American history tell us about politics now? Anne McElvoy asks the professor at Boston College and author of the popular newsletter "Letters from an American". Using the sweep of history since the civil war, she brings a long view to febrile US politics and explains why she thinks the GOP is like a car driven into a deep ditch. Also her personal connection to the sea shanty—the nautical songs taking over social media.

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