The Big Picture Brief, home

Geopolitics & money, explained calmly

The Big Picture Brief, home

Story map

Where our stories are

The places behind our explainers from the last six months. Select a pin, or use the list, for a short summary and a link to the article.

Stories on the map

6 stories from 27 April 2026 to 27 October 2026

  1. Money · Washington, DC

    When Washington borrows more, who gets squeezed?

    A popular warning says heavy US government borrowing will squeeze everyone else. Part of that holds up.

  2. Money · New York (Nasdaq listing)

    Did Anthropic ‘hide’ $108 billion? What its IPO filing actually says

    AI company Anthropic has filed to go public. A viral claim that it “hid” $108 billion doesn’t survive the filing.

  3. Money · China

    China makes more electricity than America and Europe combined. What does that tell us?

    An investor says electricity beats GDP as a gauge of economic strength, and that GDP flatters war spending. His central fact holds; other numbers need care.

  4. Geopolitics · France, Brussels, Belgium, Italy, Tirana, Albania, Serbia

    Europe’s autumn of protest: one wave, or five separate stories?

    France, Belgium, Italy and Albania have seen clashes in the past fortnight, and Serbia’s government has just lost an election. It looks like one wave, but the timelines and grievances point to separate stories happening at the same time.

  5. Money · Paris, France

    France now pays more to borrow than America. What’s going on?

    A budget fight, street protests and a jittery bond market have pushed France’s borrowing costs past 5%, and the head of the European Central Bank says the fix lies in Paris.

  6. Energy · Strait of Hormuz, Qatar

    Oil is flowing again. So why is it still so expensive?

    More oil is getting out of the Gulf than in the summer, but attacks on ships, scarce diesel and LNG, and thin stockpiles are keeping prices high.