Deaths spiral: America’s spike in murders

<p>Estimates suggest that last year’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/03/27/in-2020-america-experienced-a-terrible-surge-in-murder-why?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rise</a> in murder rates was the greatest in perhaps half a century, reversing a long decline; we ask what is behind it. Amid Europe’s woefully slow vaccine rollouts, Serbia <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/04/03/serbia-is-outpacing-nearly-every-country-in-the-eu-at-vaccination?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stands out</a> as an unlikely success story. And the pandemic’s natural experiment on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/04/03/the-benefits-of-part-time-work?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ideal number</a> of working hours.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>