Nicknamed “the kingmaker”, the South Carolina congressman and civil-rights activist set Joe Biden on his path to the White House. But the narrowness of Mr Biden's victory shook Democratic confidence. Anne McElvoy asks one of the most senior Democrats in Congress whether the president-elect can heal America. Did slogans like “defund the police” cost the party at the polls? And, are politicians getting too old?

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President Trump is on course to lose his re-election bid albeit with the second-highest number of votes ever recorded. Anne McElvoy asks Jennifer Horn, founder of the Lincoln Project, a conservative coalition that campaigned against the president, why Trumpism proved so attractive to swathes of America. Beyond the presidency, which forces are the winners and losers of this election? And, The Economist's deputy editor Edward Carr on what record turnout but contested results say about American democracy.

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The Texan research professor, podcaster and adviser to CEOs explains how to preserve mental health in the covid-19 era. Anne McElvoy asks what her study of isolation shows about the effects of pandemic restrictions. Brown explains the effects of fear during lockdowns and how our neurobiology makes us seek a sense of control. She argues the benefits of executives showing their vulnerable side and cautions against the comforting certainties offered by politicians. And, is this a podcast, pausecast or squeezecast?

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Which countries passed and failed "the great covid test"? CNN’s Fareed Zakaria and John Micklethwait, the editor-in-chief of Bloomberg, have both written books assessing countries' responses to covid-19 and how governments should adapt to the post-pandemic world. Is the global centre of gravity shifting from West to East? 

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After President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden's first televised presidential debate resulted in a shout show, Anne McElvoy asks how candidates can win or lose a debate. Philippe Reines was Hilary Clinton’s long term adviser who prepared her for the 2016 debates by studying Mr Trump’s style and played Trump in rehearsals. Did Trump's bullish technique work and how should Biden react as he walks "into the chainsaw"?

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A former British prime minister is optimistic there will be a post-Brexit trade deal. Anne McElvoy asks him if ill-tempered trade negotiations have damaged Britain's global reputation—and what he really makes of Boris Johnson. Also, what could he have done differently when intervening in Afghanistan and did he, as alleged, run a "government of chums"?

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Netflix has had a blockbuster year as lockdowns supercharged subscriptions. But competition is intensifying and the American streaming market is close to saturation. Anne McElvoy asks the company’s co-founder and co-CEO how much more Netflix can still grow. How does he respond to the charge that its data-driven entertainment is creating a monoculture? And, why he envies the BBC but fears Disney.

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