Blown speaker: Kevin McCarthy is out

Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for ordinary people. A giant earthquake reveals two very different Colombias. And celebrating the life of Gurkha ...  عرض المزيد

After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and opposition ended with small, positive steps. Why US consumers’ love of fast food may be slowing. And h ...  عرض المزيد

Another shutdown standoff, funding worries for Ukraine, more leadership chaos: the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/04/the-sacking-of-kevin-mccarthy-will-make-supporting-ukraine-harder?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintellig ...

The literal 11th-hour deal to avert a government shutdown is only a stopgap—and the battle may end up <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/01/by-averting-a-government-shutdown-kevin-mccarthy-risks-his-job?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_so ...

With the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/26/americas-house-of-representatives-finally-has-a-speaker?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa. ...

Republican control of America’s House of Representatives began in chaos: they failed to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/01/04/republicans-struggle-to-elect-a-speaker-of-the-house?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_co ...  عرض المزيد