This week’s court battle involving Microsoft and Activision, giants of tech and gaming, reflects a sea change under way in America’s trustbusting machinery; it may not go as far as the top competition cop might like. A boom in China’s post-pandemic economy now seems to be sputtering (11:29). And a paean to the Tayto crisp—cheese-and-onion flavour, naturally (18:29).
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid, but how to pick a date for your festivities?
The Islamic calendar says look to the moon, but haven’t we always chosen to order life on earth by using the planets, moons and stars?
We hear about the Mayans who tracked Venus and the astronomer who proved that comets weren’t bad omens.
Having looked at the outsourcing of decisions to the sky, we wonder why we can’t just trust our brains and wonder what neuroscience has to say about it.
And now that AI is able to make decisions for us, we hear about the computer-predicted proteins doing work that would otherwise take millions of years of evolution.
Our ‘Under the Radar’ story this week comes from Brazil, where we meet the Lionfish – hear how these kings of the coral reef are upsetting the ecosystem by eating most of it.
In our ongoing quest to find The Coolest Science in the World, we hear from a scientist doing amazing things with immersive audio.
And Marnie learns about the engineer trying to build roads through fresh volcanic lava, and reflects on how we predict eruptions.
All this plus your emails and WhatsApps, and a lot of mango chat.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton
Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield and Sophie Ormiston
Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
One of the first instances of rap lyrics being used during a criminal trial goes back to the early 90s, and the trial of legendary rapper Mac Dre. Dre is best known as one of the pioneers of 'hyphy' music, which helped put Bay Area hip-hop on the map. There’s a lot of lore around what happened during Mac Dre’s trial, so as part of That’s My Word, KQED’s yearlong project on Bay Area hip-hop history, reporter Jessica Kariisa set out to discover what really happened.
This story was reported by Jessica Kariisa. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.
In which California's largest lake, created by accident in 1905, teeters on the brink of collapse, and Ken complains about a hotel sink. Certificate #44008.
Everyone knows that Neil Armstrong was the first person to step foot on the moon. But who was the last person on the moon?
And why haven’t we ever sent anyone back to the moon?
Learn more about the last person to set foot on the moon and the past, present, and future of lunar exploration, or the lack thereof, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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We're telling you about ongoing air quality issues in some parts of the U.S. as smoke spreads from the wildfires in Canada.
Also, new estimates show the U.S. population is older than it's ever been while people in South Korea just became a year or two younger. We'll explain.
Plus, there's another company taking the Bed Bath & Beyond name, an update about Madonna's condition after she was rushed to the hospital, and an unexpected consequence of the rising popularity of pickleball.
Süleyman, who ruled the Ottoman Empire between 1520 and 1566, was a globally recognized figure during his lifetime. In Peerless Among Princes: The Life and Times of Sultan Süleyman(Oxford University Press, 2023), Kaya Şahin presents the life of this sultan, whose domain extended from Hungary to Iran, and from the Crimea to North Africa and the Indian Ocean. The wealth of his treasury, the strength of his armies, and his personality were much discussed by historians, poets, courtiers, diplomats and publics across Eurasia.
Süleyman was engaged in bitter rivalries with the Catholic Habsburgs in Europe and the Shiite Safavids in the Middle East. He presided over a multilingual and multireligious empire that promised peace and prosperity to its subjects. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire became a truly global power. Imperial governance expanded considerably, and the law was emphasized as the main bond between the ruler and the ruled. Süleyman's prolific poetic output, his frequent appearances during public ceremonies, his charity, and his patronage of arts and architecture enhanced his reputation as a universal ruler with a well-rounded character.
Behind the public façade of might and glory, Süleyman led a complicated life. He grew up with an overbearing father whose legacy was both an advantage and a burden. Defying established practice, he married a concubine named Hürrem whose love and affection became a true refuge. Towards the end of his life, he had to overcome both debilitating sickness and the agitations of his sons to remain on the throne.
Nearly half a millennium after his death, the life of Süleyman has been obscured by romanticized and exoticized narratives. Based on original sources in multiple languages, the book narrates Süleyman's achievements as well as his failures. What emerges is a compelling account of a ruler, his family, his close associates, and the Ottoman imperial project itself during the transformational sixteenth century.
President Joe Biden delivered an economic speech in Chicago on Wednesday outlining his vision for what he calls “Bidenomics.” The goal is to create more jobs, lower inflation, increase broadband internet access, and more. We’re joined by Jared Bernstein, President Biden’s top economic advisor, to discuss the details of Bidenomics.
And in headlines: Yusef Salaam is on track to win a Democratic primary for a City Council seat in Harlem, millions of Americans are under air quality alerts due to smoke from Canada’s wildfires, and seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles is back.
Plus, we’re joined by Alisha Humphrey, a Starbucks barista and union organizer, to talk about the ongoing workers strike over the banning of Pride decorations at the coffee chain.
Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee
New England fishermen are facing growing regulations—from the amount of fish they are allowed to catch to large sections of ocean they can no longer work because of “offshore wind development.”
“The New England fishermen are the most regulated fishermen in the world,” Jerry Leeman says. Leeman has been fishing in Maine his entire life. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all fishermen.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collects data and determines how much of a certain kind of fish the fishermen are allowed to process, Leeman says, but the limits have been so greatly reduced in some categories of fish that it is “making it so unviable for us to even make a profit."
It's forcing boats either out of the industry or forcing them to lease their quota just to make ends meet.
Federal regulations have now reduced the amount of haddock landings for commercial fishermen by more than 80%, Leeman said.
The reduction in fish that fishermen are allowed to catch and “offshore wind development,” which is taking over “just under 10 million acres” of ocean, prompted Leeman, along with fisherman Dustin Delano, to create the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association to advocate for the region's fishermen.
The association launched in May to “keep the resource viable for our heritage, for the next generation to be able to process a resource for the U.S. consumer,” Leeman says. If something doesn't change, Leeman says, America will be further "dependent on other nations to feed us with protein resources.”
Leeman and Delano join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain how New England fishermen are being regulated out of their industry, and what they are doing to preserve commercial fishing for the next generation of New Englanders.
