July 1st 2026

The Economist Today Our best journalism, handpicked each day

Brooke Unger Senior digital editor

As America approaches its 250th birthday it’s not in a good mood. Among the reasons is a sense that the country’s clout in the world is diminishing. Our interactive article examines data on economies, innovation and military might from the past two centuries to see whether the gloom is justified. On July 7th a court will decide whether Marine Le Pen can run for France’s presidency next year. If not, the hard-right candidate will be her protégé, Jordan Bardella. Our correspondent met the young populist. Read our profile of him.

Editor’s picks A selection of must-read articles

Quantifying power America is mighty—but becoming less dominant Ahead of its 250th birthday, an empirical look shows the world’s leading country no longer stands so far apart

→ Allies learn how to bully America

Hard-right dauphin Meeting Jordan Bardella, France’s possible president The 30-year-old populist will run if Marine Le Pen is banned. Who is he?

Affordable mass? Britain hopes drones will help it escape its defence-budget bind The government’s controversial defence investment plan finally breaks cover

Limited release Donald Trump’s AI regime is opaque, unpredictable—and unsustainable The administration now controls who gets access to the best models

Boom scrolling The Herculaneum scrolls are starting to be read The technology is dazzling. Whether the prose will be is another matter

More of our coverage ▸ The AI boom and geopolitics are rewiring Asia’s oceans. The private firms which build and operate subsea cables are not waiting for governments to better secure them. They are increasingly taking steps on their own to avoid Asia’s most contested waters. ▸ Medieval-style fortifications are back in the Sahel. Attracted to what they see as a quick fix for security threats, governments in the region are fortifying all sorts of assets. ▸ A new Plaza Accord for global currencies wouldn’t work. The agreement occupies a totemic position among foreign-exchange traders. But a new deal to strengthen the world’s seemingly undervalued currencies would be far more challenging today.

Tracking Donald Trump Our latest numbers The American president’s net approval rating Find out

Podcast Drum Tower Why China still sucks at football Listen

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