Hello and welcome to the intelligence from the economist. In New York, I'm John Fassman.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

During the pandemic, few cities were locked down longer and harder than Shanghai. But with

China having suddenly abandoned its zero-covid strategy, the city is roaring back to life,

and it's kind of weird. And you might think a stove is a reasonably

uncontroversial appliance used to cook food, but you'd be wrong. We'll explain how gas

stoves became the latest battleground in America's endless culture wars.

But first.

Tel Aviv has been rocked by protests.

A big one last Saturday drew over 100,000 people, and it was followed by a series of

smaller ones throughout the week. The protesters object to plans by Israel's new right-wing

coalition government to curb the powers of the country's robustly independent Supreme Court.

The former Prime Minister and now opposition leader, Yaya Yerlapid, was among the crowds.

People who love the country have come here to defend its democracy and to defend its courts,

he said.

Yaya Yerlapid also vowed we will not give up until we win. That may take some doing.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who toppled Mr. Lapid's coalition in parliamentary elections late last year,

is leading the charge to hobble Israel's Supreme Court and appears to have consolidated the

right hold on the country.

Anshal Feffer writes about Israel for the economist.

Both in the way the Supreme Court can hold the government to account,

and in the appointments which will now be very much under the government's majority.

...