Sarah Birke

Ainslie Johnstone, a data journalist who studies large datasets, talks marathon training patterns. Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor and correspondent, recounts how four years of war reshaped daily life and the economy. Sarah Birke, Mexico City bureau chief and reporter, explains the capture of El Mencho and the likely surge in cartel violence. Short, topical conversations on running, Russia and Mexico.

John Hooper, Italy and Vatican correspondent for The Economist, and Sarah Birke, Mexico City Bureau Chief, engage in a revealing conversation about the impending papal conclave. They dive into the pressing challenges the next pope will face, including clerical abuse scandals and global influences on the church. The discussion also touches on the alarming rise of disappearances in Mexico due to gang violence and ineffective government responses. Additionally, they explore the unexpected chaos around the Minecraft movie's success in theaters.

In this discussion, Sarah Birke, The Economist's bureau chief for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and Carrie Richmond Jones, the international economics correspondent, delve into Nayib Bukele's controversial reign in El Salvador. They explore his strategies in tackling gang violence and the erosion of democratic norms as he seeks to remain in power indefinitely. The conversation also touches on the surprising decline in U.S. fertility rates, particularly in high-birth states, and the transformation of France's Provence region into a glamorous lifestyle brand.

Sarah Birke, The Economist’s Caribbean bureau chief, unpacks Cuba’s deepening economic collapse, from blackouts and shortages to fears of chaos and talk of reform. Natasha Loder, health editor, and Tim Cross, senior science writer, explore the online peptide boom, influencer hype and regulatory gaps. Ann Wroe, obituaries editor, reflects on Chuck Norris’s unlikely path from shy boy to macho myth.

Sarah Birke, Mexico City bureau chief who covers politics and security, explains El Mencho's capture and the likely surge of cartel violence. Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor who reports on war’s domestic effects, describes how daily life and the economy have shifted under four years of conflict. Short, sharp takes on cartel fragmentation, wartime resource shifts, and life in modern Russia.