August 7th 2026

The Economist Today Our best journalism, handpicked each day

Bo Franklin Senior digital editor

“Paw Patrol”, a children’s cartoon about a pack of do-gooder dogs, seems innocuous at a glance (if you can stand the grating music). Not so, say its detractors: one newspaper called it “authoritarian neoliberal propaganda”. Our Back Story columnist writes that the debate is about more than just culture-war nonsense. Last week we put our Big Mac index of currencies on the cover. This week we’re writing about the burgers again for a different reason. Americans are falling out of love with fast food. Big chains such as McDonald’s are turning to gimmicky measures to bring customers back. Finally, what of Elon Musk’s (other than SpaceX shares) crashed this week? Test your knowledge of the headlines with our news quiz.

Editor’s picks A selection of must-read articles

Back Story Are the “Paw Patrol” enforcers for authoritarian capitalism? Why a debate over a hit cartoon is more than culture-war madness

→ The best, and worst, TV series and films of 2026 (so far)

In a pickle Americans are losing their appetite for fast food McDonald’s and other chains are turning to gimmicks to lure customers back

Model answer Republicans are the real winners of Michigan’s primary Three reasons why our midterm prediction model sees Abdul El-Sayed as a relatively weak candidate

Our cover How to end Sudan’s brutal, forgotten conflict There is a sliver of a chance of a ceasefire. It must be grabbed

Asylum-seekers in Britain The English Channel is quieter than usual. Why? Policy changes probably matter more than policing

More of our coverage ▸ What to watch this week. Our recommendations make for riveting, but not easy, watching: there is a provocative erotic film, an exploration of phoney artists and a portrayal of a Colombian massacre. ▸ A bipartisan coalition is taking aim at animal research. The campaign to end research on animals has forged one of the most eclectic coalitions in American politics. They are already making progress.  ▸ Betye Saar believed thrown-out objects should have a second life. The leading figure of the Black Arts Movement gave battered treasures a new life. Our obituary remembers the pioneer who paired liberation with assemblage.

Podcast The Intelligence Outsider chance: ending Sudan’s proxy war Listen

Video Data Do you think child care is too expensive? An American benchmark suggests that households should spend no more than 7