Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hand-picked successor is out of the running. The ruling CDU party must now pick a new leader and a path in dealing with the rising far right. Legislation in the works in America shows how gender dysphoria among children has become a battlefront in the culture wars. And, a musical analysis of the winter blues. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy