There have been lots of attempts at improving American police since George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis cop three years ago. Reform-minded activists argue that any changes are cosmetic. Many cops think that reforms have been too sweeping. What has really happened to American policing since 2020?    The Economist’s Jon Fasman visits Minneapolis, to speak to people there about police reform. He hears the frustrations of activists from Communities United Against Police Brutality and...

Chris Christie and Mike Pence have become the latest to enter the Republican primary.  Despite his legal woes Donald Trump commands a huge lead in the early polling and the man thought most likely to challenge him, Ron DeSantis, has been stumbling. Can anyone beat Trump to the nomination?  Congressman Bob Good explains why he’s backing DeSantis over Trump. Jon Ward, author of “Camelot’s End”, remembers an early frontrunner who lost a big lead. And The Economist’s James Bennet surveys the...

The deal to raise America’s debt ceiling is finally done. The government will now be able to resume borrowing money to pay its bills, and avoid a default. The last-minute agreement will suspend the debt ceiling and flatten some categories of spending for two years, until after the next election. Why does America has this pointless, exhausting ritual? And how can Congress get rid of it? The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch assesses the impact of the agreement. We go back to a previous wrangling...

Normally we take one big theme shaping American politics and explore it in depth. This week is a little different: we’re going to answer your questions. We tackle whether America will ever have a female president, the politics of health-care reform and how the show gets made. Plus, a bumper quiz.  John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman.   We would also love to ask you some questions. Please fill out our listener survey at economist.com/uspodsurvey. You can...

With the lifting of Title 42, America is once again forced to consider its border policy, just as Democrat-run cities struggle to find shelter for busloads of migrants sent north from the US-Mexico border. What responsibilities do states and cities far from the border have? And with Congress frozen, what can President Biden actually do? Doris Meissner of the Migration Policy Institute talks through the dilemmas facing the Biden administration and Rosemarie Ward reports from the town of...

There have long been worries about manhood in the United States. Today, nearly half of men believe traditional masculinity is under threat. While the left talk about toxic masculinity, some politicians on the right fear men’s very “deconstruction”. Researchers point to data showing a relative decline in men’s education rates and rise in deaths from drugs and suicide. Does the debate over masculinity obscure actual problems for boys and men? And what does the fight over America’s men mean for...

While Washington debates the debt ceiling, the entitlements time bomb is ticking. The trust fund that pays for much of Medicare, the health-insurance scheme for the elderly, will run out of money by 2031. The fund that pays old-age benefits for Social Security, the state pension scheme, will be exhausted by 2033. Politicians need to agree to a fix, but it’s not clear that they will. What would happen if these funds reach insolvency? And how could that be avoided?  John Prideaux hosts with...

Israel is marking its 75th anniversary. America has always been its closest foreign ally, but that relationship has seldom been easy.  That’s true now: progressive Democrats are questioning the party’s innate pro-Israel stance, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reforms have met with open disapproval from the White House.  What might relations look like in another 75 years?  The Economist’s Josie Delap assesses the impact of Netanyahu’s judicial plans.  We go back to a eulogy...

Fox News has settled a mammoth defamation lawsuit over its coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Dominion Voting Systems had accused the network of knowingly spreading the lie that its machines somehow rigged the election by awarding votes to Joe Biden. Defamation cases are notoriously hard to win in America, and it was remarkable that this one got so far. Will it change Fox News? The Economist’s Kennett Werner sets out the background to the lawsuit. We return to the founding of Fox...

American authorities confiscated a record amount of illegal fentanyl along the southwest border in 2022. But even so, last year will still likely see the highest number of fatal overdoses in America’s 20-year opioid epidemic. In this episode–our second on the opioid epidemic–we trace the supply chain from China to the southern border, via Mexico. Can that supply route be interrupted? And how do America’s relationships with China and Mexico affect the flow of drugs? San Diego’s mayor, Todd...

Donald Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.  He denies all the charges, and in a New York courtroom earlier this week pleaded not guilty. For most American politicians this would be the end of their presidential ambitions—why not for Mr Trump? Former prosecutor Matthew Galluzzo assesses the case.  We hear about a world leader who had several brushes with the law. And The Economist’s James Bennet considers whether it’s a mistake to prosecute Donald...

Voters in Chicago are choosing between two candidates for mayor, and two very different wings of the Democratic Party.  One contender is conservative, for a Chicago Democrat, and backed by the police union. The other is a progressive, who once called to defund the police. Why does the Chicago mayoral election matter outside of the city limits?   The Economist’s Daniel Knowles profiles the candidates. We learn about a notoriously powerful Chicago mayor. And former education secretary Arne...

Texas is on a roll.  People and companies are flocking to the Lone Star State.  It’s an energy pioneer, its size means it has a significant say in national politics and its coffers are full, in part due to an influx of federal money.   What’s behind the Texan boom? Texas’s governor Greg Abbott makes the case for his state.  We go back to the abrupt end of a previous Texan boom.  And developer Ross Perot junior explains why it’s easy to do business in Texas. John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte...

More than 650,000 Americans have died of overdoses since the start of the opioid epidemic. Fentanyl, easily available and dangerously powerful, killed seventy thousand people in 2021 alone. Now, as the federal government estimates more than five million people struggle with an opioid addiction, states are increasingly looking for sweeping solutions to the crisis. What solutions are there? And what’s stopping them being enacted? Keith Humphreys, drug policy advisor to George W Bush and Barack...

Lake Mead is shrinking. The receding shoreline of the country’s largest reservoir has laid bare the American West’s vulnerability to climate change. But last May, it revealed something else: a body shoved into a barrel. With all the signs of a mob-hit, the murder is a symbol of what Sin City used to be, but also hints at how the city could evolve again.  In this special episode, The Economist’s Aryn Braun examines what this mystery can tell us about Las Vegas’s past and future. The...

There’s been no official announcement, but the mood music suggests Joe Biden will seek a second term. If he does run in 2024, and if he wins, he would be 86 by the time he leaves office. Part of Biden’s appeal in 2020 was his electability, but that seems less assured now. Are Democrats making a mistake by not looking elsewhere?  The Economist’s Elliott Morris considers what the polls tell us about Biden’s popularity.  We go back to the last time a president chose not to seek reelection.  And...

A year on from Russia’s invasion, Joe Biden has made it clear: America’s backing for Ukraine “will not waver”.  But Ukraine needs more than strong words.  Does America have the will and the means to back Ukraine for as long as it takes?  And what does its commitment in Europe mean for America’s readiness to help defend allies elsewhere?   The Economist’s Anton La Guardia tells us how the battle in Ukraine compares to other recent conflicts. The Economist’s Jon Fasman visits a munitions plant...

The Capitol in Washington might face gridlock, but politicians in statehouses across the country are getting to work. In most state legislatures, a single party has control–their debates provide a window into each party's broader agenda. For states led by Republicans, dockets are dominated by bills related to abortion, gender identity and kids. Is this culture war all consuming? And as the national party dithers over its agenda, what does action on the state level say about the future of the...

“If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country.” In his state-of-the-union speech earlier this week, Joe Biden promised to deal with any threat from China. The House has voted unanimously to condemn the CCP for flying a spy balloon over America. What’s next for Sino-American relations?   Congressman Darin LaHood shares the plans of a new select committee on China. We go back to the time a plane rather than a balloon caused a crisis. And The Economist’s David Rennie...

More and more universities across America now require would-be professors to submit so-called diversity statements. These ask applicants to set out their commitment to, and experience of, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. At the same time some Republican-led states, most notably Florida, are putting their own restrictions on academia.  How healthy is academic freedom in America?  Dean of Berkeley Law Erwin Chemerinsky makes the case for diversity statements, while NYU’s Jonathan...

House Republicans hope that by delving into Hunter Biden’s business dealings they’ll find a trail of wrongdoing leading back to the president. Is this just the usual partisan mudslinging? Or will the Hunter Biden saga spell trouble for Joe Biden? Andrew Rice from New York magazine tells us what is on Hunter Biden’s laptop. The Economist’s James Bennet remembers the time a president’s brother caused trouble. And Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna explains why she wants to investigate...

Reports of the slow death of American incomes have been exaggerated.  Since the turn of the millennium, hourly earnings have grown steadily in real terms.  While those at the top have taken most of the gains, in the past few years, the poorest have done well too.  Where does that leave those in the middle?  What’s behind the two decades of growing incomes?  And why hasn’t a richer population brought a more contented politics? The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch explains the latest data on...

2023 ought to be a big year in America’s transition towards electric vehicles.  The federal government has set aside billions to encourage consumers and manufacturers to hitch a ride, and to ramp up the nation’s charging infrastructure. What do electric vehicles tell us about the future of American industry? On a road trip across the Midwest we look at whether America's industrial and environmental goals are compatible.  We visit a factory making a battery-powered version of a popular truck. ...

The 118th Congress is, so far, a shambles.  A contingent of hardline Republicans have banded together to deny Kevin McCarthy the 218 votes he needs to obtain the speakership. The House can’t start the small matter of governing the country until the debacle is resolved. Can this Congress get over its chaotic start?  Molly Reynolds from Brookings explains how House procedure has led to the mess.  We go back 100 years to the last time it took multiple ballots to elect a speaker.  And The...

Alaska has an obvious imperative to develop its oil. But climate change is already underway, and the Arctic is warming at nearly four times the global rate. What does our thirst for oil mean for Alaska’s ice? In the second episode of a special two-part series, Charlotte Howard reports from Alaska. John Walsh from the University of Alaska, who tracks melting sea ice, shares his findings.  Climate researcher Sue Natali tells us why thawing permafrost is a particular problem.  Alaska’s Governor...