The Intelligence: Growing, no pains

<p>America seems to be in a best-of-worlds scenario: growth is <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/03/has-america-really-escaped-inflation?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">outpacing expectations</a> even as <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/10/has-team-transitory-really-won-americas-inflation-debate?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inflation keeps falling</a>—how will the party end? This week’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/01/09/an-american-rocket-has-a-fine-debut-not-so-the-moon-lander-on-board?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loss</a> of the <em>Peregrine</em> <em>One </em>Moon lander was disappointing, but our correspondent sees the good news from the launch (9:19). And how Japan’s geishas are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/12/07/the-new-geishas?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">modernising their trade</a> in order to keep it alive (17:35).</p><br /><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>