Inside the tax on Red Sea shipping that funds the Houthis
Also on the daily podcast: China closes the gap with America on AI and the luxury-booze trend in West Africa
The procedure is simple—genial, even. Contact Houthi rebels in Yemen and pay up, and your freight can pass into the Red Sea unmolested. We examine how this extortion affects world trade. China is fast closing its gap with America on AI innovation, and doing so far more cheaply (7:22). And a trip to a Ghanaian rum distillery reveals a regional trend (15:44). Runtime: 22 min
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Transcript
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Drum Tower
Can Shein escape its Chinese roots?
Our weekly podcast on China. This week, as the TikTok saga continues, we look at the hurdles another wildly popular Chinese company faces overseas
The Intelligence
Examining what was said and what was signed on Trump’s day one
Also on the daily podcast: why young people are so into pricey “plushies”
Editor’s Picks
Why bond yield trajectories should coax growth
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
The Intelligence
What might cement—or upend—the peace in Gaza
Also on the daily podcast: Britain’s minimum-wage hike and its middle class, and why hypnosis is more than just charlatanry
Checks and Balance
How will the fires change Los Angeles?
Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, we look at the ways in which LA can prepare better for future wildfires
The Intelligence
After a giant week for private space travel, what comes next?
Also on the daily podcast: will Trump deport millions and remembering neuropsychiatrist Peter Fenwick
