the weekend intelligence

A special series of our American politics podcast on the battle over what is taught in public schools. In part one, how a niche academic theory became a rallying call for the right (Jul 15th, 2022)

Part two of our podcast series on the fight over what is taught in American schools. We head into the classroom to find out what is really going on (Jul 18th, 2022)

The final episode of our three-part podcast series on the furore over what is taught in American schools. We get to the bottom of why this fight has become so frenzied (Jul 22nd, 2022)

A surprising number of students have not returned to the classroom (Sep 5, 2023)

Leprosy is endemic in Florida (Aug 21, 2023)

Banning affirmative action may spark more progressive policies (Jul 5, 2023)

It is startlingly easy to siphon money out of America’s social-welfare programmes, but devilishly difficult to thwart those efforts without threatening needy families (Apr 6, 2023)

A Seventh Day Adventist community shows us how to live until 100 (Feb 21, 2023)

E-cigarette taxes may reduce teenage drink-driving deaths (Dec 9, 2022)

What is more surprising than Mississippi’s capital lacking access to clean drinking water is that millions of other Americans face the same struggle (Sep 12, 2022)

Police reform remains controversial in America even two years after George Floyd’s murder. We visit two alternative-policing efforts to see how things might change. (May 12, 2022)

How did America handle the covid-19 pandemic? (March 18, 2022)

Does America still need affirmative action? (February 11, 2022)

THE PANDEMIC has exposed and exacerbated how the colour of a person’s skin can fix the odds on their physical health. (November 2, 2021)

California has new animal-welfare regulations, but pork producers are dragging their hooves on complying  (August 24, 2021)

Inoculation or testing requirements are spreading nearly as fast as the Delta variant. But it is not clear they will actually drive more people to get vaccinated (August 10, 2021)

Since Joe Biden declared a “return to normal” on July 4th, the covid-19 Delta variant has knocked America’s pandemic recovery off course. Why are so many Americans still unvaccinated and can they be persuaded?

 (July 30, 2021)

Twenty six Republican-led states have legislated to stop critical race theory being taught in schools. Local school board meetings have seen angry protests. What should Americans learn about their history? (July 9, 2021)

On his first overseas trip as president, Joe Biden has promised to send 500m covid-19 jabs to countries that need them. America’s vaccine success is making up for its failure to control the virus last year. Is the pandemic over in America? (June 11, 2021)

The belief that people should advance according to their abilities rather than family pedigree is one of history’s most revolutionary ideas. But the meritocratic ideal that has inspired Americans since Thomas Jefferson has lost its lustre. Can America’s meritocracy be mended? (June 4, 2021)

Why are white evangelicals so vaccine hesitant? (April 12, 2021)

Why do some medical devices work less well for non-white people? (April 7, 2021)

Weighing up Oregon’s daring drug-decriminalization experiment (February 17, 2021)

NEARLY HALF America’s children are yet to return to the classroom a year after the pandemic began. President Biden says it’s a national emergency, but he has already diluted a pledge to reopen the majority of schools in his first 100 days. Why is getting back to school so hard? (February 12, 2021)

Racial equity is a priority for the new president. What are the barriers to faster and fairer vaccine roll-out? (January 29, 2021)