After previously unthinkable scenes played out in Washington’s legislature, we ask what the violence will mean for the president, Republican lawmakers and American democracy. Argentina’s move to liberalise its abortion laws reflects slowly changing attitudes across Latin America, and may spur wider change. And examining the history of Ethio-jazz, a unique musical melting pot. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer
On Wednesday, as Democrats celebrated wins in Georgia that gave them control of the Senate and as U.S. lawmakers convened to certify Joe Biden’s election win, President Trump addressed supporters gathered outside the White House. He told them to walk to the Capitol and tell Republicans to “take back our country.”
Two Slate correspondents were there -- one walking with the violent mob as it stormed the Capitol, and another in the building as it went on lockdown.
Guests: Aymann Ismail, staff writer for Slate, and Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.
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We just saw 5 big updates from across the world that reveal 1 thing: Electric cars are having a global milestone moment. Wyndham Destinations dominates timeshares, so we’re curious why it’s dropping $100M on a magazine. And we’re jumping into how the Georgia Senate runoff election affected all 4 big stock indexes differently.
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Scientists think the world's oldest ice is hiding somewhere in Antarctica. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce tells us how researchers plan to find it — and why.
Jeremy Pressman is Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of Middle East Studies at the University of Connecticut. Jeremy is the author of The Sword is Not Enough: Arabs, Israelis, and the Limits of Military Force (Manchester UP, 2020), an exploration of the dominance of military force as the go-to option for political and social leaders on both sides of the Arab Israeli conflict. In our discussion, Jeremy and I discuss why violence is the default preference among some actors not just in the Arab Israeli conflict but in the realm of international relations. We talk about what can and cannot be achieved by violence, and also discuss why violence will never provide a resolution to the conflict. We also discuss the ideologically air-tight explanations upon which each side can draw that can convince people that the other side can never be trusted, and some of the steps that leaders can take to counteract this dangerous fear. The Sword is Not Enough is published by Manchester University Press in 2020.
Aaron M. Hagler is an associate professor of history at Troy University.
Violent mobs broke into the nation’s Capitol yesterday in a failed coup attempt, which was incited and encouraged by President Trump and many other Republican politicians who continue to reject the results of the election. By evening, lawmakers resumed their effort to certify the election.
The two Georgia Senate runoff races were called for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock. Organizers like Stacey Abrams worked tirelessly in Georgia to stop gerrymandering, disenfranchisement, and oppression in the state… their efforts continue to pay off.
And in headlines: two detectives responsible for Breonna Taylor’s death fired in Louisville, police in Hong Kong raid the homes of pro-democracy figures, and Trump slams gig workers on his way out.
Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff appear to have defeated incumbent Republicans Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Sen. David Perdue, giving the Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Georgia’s two runoff elections were required under state law after no candidate received a majority of the votes on Nov. 3.
Janae Stracke, the grassroots director of Heritage Action for America, the lobbying arm of The Heritage Foundation, has been on the ground in Georgia for weeks to mobilize voters.
Stracke joins "The Problematic Women Podcast" to explain what it takes to run a grassroots campaign effort, and what she heard from voters on the ground in Georgia, who are concerned over the direction in which their state appears to be headed.
We cover these stories:
The U.S. Capitol was breached by a violent mob Wednesday afternoon.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns his colleagues of the danger of further challenging the 2020 presidential election results.
Vice President Mike Pence tells Congress that he would not block the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Paris Marx is joined by Anna Wiener to discuss her journey into the tech industry, how Silicon Valley’s desire for a “frictionless” world is affecting culture, and why it’s important to analyze Substack’s claims about the future of journalism.
Anna Wiener is the author of “Uncanny Valley” (available in paperback on Bookshop) and a contributing writer at the New Yorker. Follow Anna on Twitter as @annawiener.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
On April 13, 1992, Chicago was struck by a man-made natural disaster. The Great Chicago Flood of 1992 occurred completely underground and, fortunately, nobody was hurt — but several factors make it one of the most Chicago stories ever. In this episode from the archives, hear how clout, corruption, and construction without permits led to half the Loop being evacuated.
