August 19th 2026

The Economist Today Our best journalism, handpicked each day

Bo Franklin Senior digital editor

Chatbots are a lazy student’s dream: AI is a dab hand at homework assignments. But exams will still show up those who fail to put in the work. Our data journalists report on new research comparing the outcomes of AI-skivers with pupils who hit the books. (This article is free to read for non-subscribers.) Ukrainians cowering in shelters are the most acute sign of a bigger problem: the West’s shortage of interceptor missiles. America’s stocks are running low after a brief war against Iran, a medium-sized power. What if it had to fight mighty China? This air-defence reckoning has been decades in the making.

Editor’s picks A selection of must-read articles

Graphic detail Does AI stop children from learning? New data show the peril and promise of the technology

→ How to spot AI writing

Going Winchester What happens when the West runs out of interceptor missiles The growing shortage is causing panic in Ukraine and elsewhere

Social reckoning Meta’s blockbuster trial draws parallels to big tobacco But investors aren’t panicking yet

A banking timebomb Donald Trump’s deregulatory drive will cause another financial crisis This time won’t be different—except that institutions will be less well placed to limit the damage, reckons Martin Gruenberg

Vin-dinavia World-class wine is being made in a corner of Sweden. Yes, Sweden Bottles from Skane, the “Nordic Tuscany”, beat all comers in a blind tasting

More of our coverage ▸ Japan’s Gen X workers are struggling. The share of workers in their 40s and 50s in regular employment has largely caught up with that of older cohorts. But their earnings have not. That points to a looming crisis as they reach old age. ▸ The problem with Republican fundraising. Across their party apparatus and political action committees, America’s Republicans have amassed around $1bn, more than twice as much as Democrats have. But individual Democratic candidates tend to have more cash on hand—and more enthusiastic supporters, too. ▸ Polo’s lessons for Argentina. The approval ratings of Javier Milei, Argentina’s president, are suffering as he attempts to reset the economy. He might glance at what is happening in his country’s successful polo industry.

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