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The Intelligence from The Economist
The Economist
Join Jason Palmer and Rosie Blau for noise-cancelling news and analysis from The Economist's global network of correspondents. Every weekday this award-winning podcast picks three stories shaping your world—the big shifts in politics, business and culture, plus things you never knew you needed to know. On Saturdays, download The Weekend Intelligence to dive deep into a single story, vividly told. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page at https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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“Britain is back”: an interview with Andy Burnham
Nov 6, 202626 min<p>Ahead of the G20 summit in Manchester, Britain’s prime minister sets out his <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/11/05/andy-burnham-promises-three-foreign-policy-overhauls?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">foreign-policy plans</a></u>. From reviewing EU links, to brokering the relationship between America and China, he is making big promises. To Russia’s delight, war is <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/11/05/war-battered-ukraine-risks-a-demographic-collapse?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eroding Ukraine&#39;s population</a></u>. And a tribute to a renowned <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/11/05/dolores-huerta-fought-for-farm-workers-rights-and-kept-devastating-secrets?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American labour leader</a></u>. </p><p>Watch extended clips from Insider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u></p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Hugo Gye, Britain political correspondent</li><li>Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li></li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Britain, Andy Burham, Brexit</li><li>Ukraine, Russia, demographics</li><li>Dolores Huerta, César Chávez, labour rights</li><li></li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Forever young: the business of longevity drugs
Nov 5, 202623 min<p>The success of GLP-1s has prompted biotechs to approach the challenge differently. After years of false starts and disappointing results, <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/11/02/the-quest-for-immortality-has-become-serious-business?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">longevity drugs</a></u> could be on the horizon. Do immigrants from some countries commit more <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/10/25/do-immigrants-from-some-countries-commit-more-sex-crimes?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sex crimes</a></u>? And the big business of <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/10/13/whats-behind-the-big-interest-in-miniatures?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">miniatures</a></u>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Shailesh Chitnis, global business writer</li><li>James Fransham, data correspondent</li><li>Sascha Lowdermilk, culture intern</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Longevity drugs, biotechnology, ageing</li><li>Immigration, sex crime, Britain</li><li>Miniatures, 3D printing, hobbies</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Not in Kansas any more: Republicans get a thrashing
Nov 4, 202622 min<p>In the end, the result was clear and uncontested: Democrats had an <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/2026/us-midterms/results/summary?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">astonishingly good night</a></u>. Our editors and correspondents across America report on the proceedings, and we ask <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/11/04/a-landslide-for-democrats-a-rebuke-to-donald-trump?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">what comes next</a></u>—for Democrats, for Republicans and for Trumpism more widely.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, deputy editor</li><li>Charlotte Howard, United States editor</li><li>Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent</li><li>Daniel Knowles, Midwest correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>midterm elections, Congressional control</li><li>Donald Trump, MAGA</li><li>the future of the free world</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Fertile ambitions: scientists’ plans to slow the biological clock
Nov 3, 202622 min<p>Two European startups are tackling the chromosomal abnormalities that make it difficult for older women to get pregnant. Their <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/10/26/treatments-for-age-related-infertility-are-being-developed-at-last?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">innovations</a></u> might also prevent younger women from miscarrying. <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/europe/2026/10/09/belarus-is-becoming-increasingly-russian?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Belarusian culture</a></u> looks increasingly Russian. And the world is taking a liking to <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/09/23/biltong-is-going-global-like-south-africans?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">biltong</a></u>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Catherine Brahic, environment editor</li><li>Katie Bryant, senior video producer</li><li>John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li></li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Infertility, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), </li><li>Belarus, Russia, Alexander Lukashenko</li><li>Biltong, South Africa, meat</li><li></li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Off to the races: our American-midterms preview
Nov 2, 202624 min<p>Ahead of tomorrow’s legislative elections we consider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/2026/us-midterms/prediction-model/house?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the chances</a></u> of a “blue wave”, the most <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/10/29/the-americans-changing-politics-for-the-better?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influential demographics</a></u> this time around and whether to expect election-administration trouble. Young people are deciding that bricks-and-mortar investment is not as dependable as the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/10/07/why-shares-are-the-new-bricks-and-mortar?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stocks-and-shares kind</a></u>. And 100 years on from his death Harry Houdini still has <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/10/29/what-the-worlds-most-famous-magician-has-to-teach-you?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lessons to teach</a></u> about getting and staying famous.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Charlotte Howard, United States editor</li><li>Kennett Werner, Washington correspondent</li><li>Vinjeru Mkandawire, news editor</li><li>Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered:</p><ul><li>America’s midterm elections</li><li>property, securities, investing</li><li>Harry Houdini, fame</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Silver-year strongman: 25 years of Narendra Modi
Oct 30, 202628 min<p>We examine the record of the man at the helm of India’s government. As protests pose a fresh threat, where will he take the country next? From New Hampshire to Virginia, our American-midterms series takes you to the races you might be missing. And the life of Winston Churchill’s last personal secretary. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief</li><li>Daniella Raz, US correspondent</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Narendra Modi, India, Cockroach-Janta party</li><li>America’s midterm elections, abortion, California</li><li>Cecily Gemmell, Winston Churchill</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Effective non-altruism: Elon Musk’s foundation
Oct 29, 202623 min<p>The world’s richest person does not say much nice about philanthropy, and his foundation does not say much about itself. Our correspondent <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/10/13/elon-musks-foundation-is-opaque-miserly-and-self-serving?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">digs deeper</a></u>. The next stop for our <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/10/28/our-forecast-of-the-midterms-outcome?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">midterm-elections</a></u> series is Kansas, where a Republican-seeming Democrat has an unlikely shot at the Senate. And an examination of the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/10/09/do-you-need-to-walk-10000-steps-a-day?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">received wisdom</a></u> about how many steps to walk in a day.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Avantika Chilkoti, global business writer</li><li>Daniel Knowles, Midwest correspondent</li><li>Sam Wikeley, science correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Elon Musk, Musk Foundation, philanthropy</li><li>America’s midterm elections, Kansas</li><li>wellness, walking, received wisdom</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Bye bye Bibi? Israel’s election results
Oct 28, 202621 min<p>Binyamin Netanyahu has underperformed but so has his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot. Who will form a government? We decipher what the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/28/israels-voters-deny-binyamin-netanyahu-a-majority?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">messy results</a></u> mean for Israel. Our American-midterms series heads south to <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/10/11/the-jon-ossoff-guide-to-being-a-democrat?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Georgia</a></u>. And how film <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/culture/2026/10/22/are-film-critics-as-snooty-and-out-of-touch-as-people-think?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">critics and audiences</a></u> have agreed to disagree.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent</li><li>Doug Dowson, data journalist</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered:</p><ul><li>Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, Gadi Eisenkot</li><li>America’s midterm elections, Georgia, Jon Ossoff</li><li>Film critics, cinema, the box office</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Act of Claude: Anthropic’s IPO bid
Oct 27, 202624 min<p>It would be the first public listing from a frontier-AI firm—and perhaps the largest IPO of all time. We comb through <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/10/26/dont-expect-supersize-profits-from-anthropic-any-time-soon?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the filing</a></u> to understand how the company is thinking about itself and its industry. Our American-midterms series continues in the battleground state of <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/09/20/a-contentious-battle-in-alaska-may-determine-control-of-the-senate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alaska</a></u>. And scientists consider how to <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/09/20/a-contentious-battle-in-alaska-may-determine-control-of-the-senate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">redefine the second</a></u>. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Miles Kruppa, technology correspondent</li><li>Aryn Braun, West Coast correspondent </li><li>David Adam, science writer</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Anthropic IPO, AI</li><li>America’s midterm elections, Alaska</li><li>the second, metrology, atomic clocks </li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
From this day, fourth: Lula’s surprise win
Oct 26, 202627 min<p>Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, staged a <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/10/26/lula-the-great-survivor-makes-history?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historic comeback</a></u> to win a fourth term. We ask how he did it, and what he must do next. Each day this week our correspondents in America are focusing on crucial midterm-election races; today we start in <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/10/18/republicans-identity-crisis-in-texas?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas</a></u>. And tote-bag economics: why so many businesses are getting in on <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/10/08/why-your-favourite-bakery-and-coffee-shop-now-sell-tote-bags?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">selling merchandise</a></u>.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chief</li><li>Rebecca Jackson, southern correspondent</li><li>Lizzy Peet, researcher</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Brazil election, Lula, Flávio Bolsonaro</li><li>America’s midterm elections, Texas, Ken Paxton, James Talarico</li><li>economics of “merch” </li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Songs of disenchantment: the sorrow of Nigeria
Oct 23, 202625 min<p><u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/01/nigerians-dislike-their-president-but-may-re-elect-him-anyway?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nigeria</a></u> is suffering a worsening security crisis, compounded by a lean harvest, global aid cuts and rising energy prices. So why is President Bola Tinubu likely to win January’s election? Europe is struggling to develop a rival to <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/20/europes-dependence-on-america-in-space-is-hard-to-escape?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Starlink</a></u> and reduce reliance on American satellites. And our obituaries editor recalls the improbable career of author and conman <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/10/22/jeffrey-archers-career-was-worthy-of-his-most-improbable-plots?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeffrey Archer</a></u>.</p><p>Watch extended clips from Insider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u>. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Ore Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent</li><li>Jonathan Rosenthal, international correspondent</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Nigeria, Bola Tinubu</li><li>Starlink, Ukraine, Musk, OneWeb, Eutelsat</li><li>Jeffrey Archer, Kane and Abel, perjury</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Dunes and gloom: MBS’s annus horribilis
Oct 22, 202624 min<p>This week, <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/19/everything-is-going-wrong-for-muhammad-bin-salman?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Muhammad bin Salman</a></u>, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was forced to postpone his annual investment summit. His other big bets on the kingdom’s future are also floundering. <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/10/01/effective-altruism-is-this-centurys-biggest-idea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Bankman-Fried</a></u>, a crypto-billionaire supporter of effective altruism, calls our correspondent from prison. And things look <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/10/14/can-asian-governments-prevent-a-food-shock?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hazy</a></u> in Singapore and other Asian countries. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, US business correspondent</li><li>Vishnu Padmanabhan, Asia correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>MBS, Saudi, Davos in the desert, Future Investment Initiative</li><li>Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX, effective altruism</li><li>Indonesia, Singapore, wildfires, El Niño</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Cash test: can Europe support Ukraine alone?
Oct 21, 202624 min<p>Donald Trump’s administration is turning against <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/18/as-america-turns-against-ukraine-europe-stands-alone?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ukraine</a></u>. But as European powers confront trouble at home, they are struggling to replace American support. Are US <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/10/19/americas-new-era-of-private-science?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">private science institutions</a></u> entering a golden age? And the climb in <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/14/european-museums-are-seeing-a-spike-in-high-value-art-theft?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">art crime</a></u>.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, US business correspondent</li><li>Vendeline von Bredow, senior Germany correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Ukraine, Witkoff, Zelenksy</li><li>Scientific research, National Science Foundation</li><li>Art theft, Louvre, Museum for Applied Art</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Disorder of magnitude: France’s riots
Oct 20, 202621 min<p>What started as student protests ballooned into national lawlessness. The disorder plays into the hands of France’s political extremes; <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/18/expect-violent-protests-to-erupt-in-france-again?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">expect more of it</a></u>. In Zimbabwe white farmers are <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/04/white-zimbabweans-return-to-farming?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">returning to work land</a></u> taken by Robert Mugabe a quarter-century ago. And our columnist considers the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/09/22/bartleby-newsletter-the-tandcs-of-the-ai-apocalypse?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">delicate wording</a></u> that might indemnify AI firms if the bots happen to wipe out humanity. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief</li><li>John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent</li><li>Andrew Palmer, “Bartleby” columnist</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>France riots, French politics</li><li>Zimbabwe, agriculture, white farmers</li><li>AI, extinction-level events, legalese, parody</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Independence eh? Canada’s referendum
Oct 19, 202622 min<p>The province of Alberta will vote on secession today. It is unlikely to go ahead, but the separatist vibe is just one of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/10/15/donald-trump-may-save-canada?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many headaches</a></u>. Our correspondent examines China’s efforts toward brain-computer interfaces, finding the country is <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/10/06/china-wants-to-get-inside-your-head?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">closing the gap</a></u> with America. And Britain’s “<u><a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/10/08/conservationists-are-building-highways-for-bugs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bug superhighways</a></u>” link up the shrinking number of lush insect habitats.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Robert Russo, Canada writer</li><li>Don Weinland, China business and finance editor</li><li>Bella King, news editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Canada, Alberta, separatists, referendum</li><li>China, brain-computer interfaces</li><li>Britain, insects, conservation</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Schrödinger’s chat: can AI and scientists co-exist?
Oct 16, 202628 min<p>In recent weeks, AI has solved hundreds of previously unanswered maths problems. Our correspondents ask if machines can do the same in other areas of <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/10/15/what-if-the-machines-take-over-science?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">science</a></u> and what role human researchers may play. Why crisps are getting <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/10/08/why-your-snacks-are-chunkier-and-chewier-than-before?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chunkier</a></u> and chocolate chewier. And celebrating the life and work of author <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/10/15/annie-dillard-wanted-to-know-the-mind-of-god?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Annie Dillard</a></u>. </p><p>Watch extended clips from Insider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u>.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Alex Hern, AI writer</li><li>Alok Jha, science editor</li><li>Avantika Chilkoti, global business writer</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Scientific research, mathpocalypse, AI </li><li>Crisps, snacks, texture, crunchtok</li><li>Annie Dillard, nature, obituary</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
An interview with Alice Weidel
Oct 15, 20261h 1m<p>Under Alice Weidel’s leadership the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a right-wing populist party, has been riding high. A series of successes in state elections have brought it closer than ever to power at national level. Ms Weidel is perhaps best known for her calls for “remigration” and criticism of Germany’s support for Ukraine. She spoke to <em>The Economist</em>’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, for <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/insider" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Insider</a></u>, our video show for premium subscribers. Hear their conversation in full.</p><br><p><em><u><a href="https://www.economist.com/insider/the-insider/an-interview-with-alice-weidel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch</a></u> the show—and <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/newsletters/insider" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sign up</a></u> to the Insider newsletter.</em></p><br><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://www.economist.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Who wants to be a millennial? Generation comeback
Oct 15, 202622 min<p>Their struggles to get jobs or buy homes once propelled political movements. Now many <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/10/11/dont-feel-sorry-for-millennials-they-are-living-it-up-now?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">millennials</a></u> are out-earning their parents and in positions of power. Our correspondent explains the transformation. Sophisticated tech tools are being used to sway voters in <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/09/28/artificial-intelligence-is-coming-for-israels-voters?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Israel</a></u>. And why you should hold your <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/10/02/should-you-be-using-a-tongue-scraper?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tongue</a></u> to high standards.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Callum Williams, senior economics writer</li><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Bella King, digital news editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Millennials, home ownership, unemployment </li><li>Israel, election, Netanyahu</li><li>Tongue-scrapers, dental hygiene</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Kicking Kyiv: Trump’s doubtful deals
Oct 14, 202626 min<p>Donald Trump claims to have <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/12/donald-trump-is-again-threatening-to-cut-off-arms-to-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brokered a deal</a></u> to import Russian diesel and an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. As attacks on Kyiv continue, our deputy editor says Trump is risking Ukraine’s future for a mid-term bounce. India’s government is failing to quell <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/10/13/indias-government-fails-to-crush-gen-z-protests?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gen Z protests</a></u>. And how <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/10/01/why-singing-is-note-worthy-even-if-youre-bad-at-it?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">song</a></u> binds us together and brings joy. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, deputy editor of <em>The Economist</em></li><li>Kira Huju, Asia correspondent</li><li>Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Ukraine, diesel, energy ceasefire, Starlink</li><li>Cockroach party, Modi, Abhijeet Dipke</li><li>Singing, Sacha Langton-Gilks, choir</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Unrest in peace: misery in Gaza
Oct 13, 202625 min<p>A year ago Donald Trump created the Board of Peace to rebuild <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/01/jared-kushner-has-a-245bn-recovery-plan-for-gaza?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gaza</a></u>. Yet for many Palestinians, life is even harder, as the ceasefire is repeatedly violated, crime is rising and poverty rife. Why <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/10/05/record-labels-are-in-a-spin-over-ai-music?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">record labels</a></u> are in a spin over AI music. And Japan is struggling to benefit from the global <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/10/01/japans-tea-farmers-enjoy-a-matcha-boom?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">matcha boom</a></u>.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Henry Tricks, US technology and media editor</li><li>Moeka Iida, East Asia reporter</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Gaza, Board of Peace, Hamas</li><li>AI music, slop, Warner Music Group </li><li>Matcha, Japan, Kagoshima</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Saudi under siege: Houthis attack airport
Oct 12, 202623 min<p>This weekend, Yemeni rebels <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/11/saudi-arabia-is-increasingly-under-siege?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">struck Saudi Arabia</a></u>’s international airport in the deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began in February. Our correspondent reports from Riyadh. How <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/09/27/european-industry-is-doing-better-than-you-may-think?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">European manufacturers</a></u> are adjusting to high energy prices and war. And the revival of <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/09/17/is-it-still-worthwhile-to-teach-cursive-in-school?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">writing by hand</a></u>.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Guy Scriven, global business writer</li><li>Caitlin Talbot, culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Saudi Arabia, Houthis, Yemen, Riyadh airport</li><li>European carmakers, energy prices, tariffs</li><li>Cursive, handwriting</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Saving your bacon: healthy-eating policy evolves
Oct 9, 202625 min<p>Decades of messaging have not worked, so governments are trying <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2026/10/08/nagging-people-to-eat-healthily-does-not-work?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new ways</a></u> to get citizens to eat well, from scary labelling to taxing the junkiest foods. Will it work? The death of a <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/06/the-plague-may-have-escaped-from-a-lab-in-siberia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plague researcher</a></u> in Russia is made more mysterious by the government’s resolute lack of transparency. And a tribute to <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/10/08/cyril-hilsum-invented-the-flat-screen-displays-that-hold-us-in-thrall?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cyril Hilsum</a></u>, the inventor behind ubiquitous flat-screen displays. </p><br><p><em>Watch extended clips from Insider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u>.</em></p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Slavea Chankova, health-care correspondent</li><li>Alex Turner, defence editor</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>diet, public health, health policy</li><li>Russia, plague, bioweapons</li><li>Cyril Hilsum, liquid crystals, flat-screen displays</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Valley of the shadow of debt: bond-market jitters
Oct 8, 202622 min<p>Bond yields across the rich world keep ticking up. We take a global look at where the risks are mounting most, and just how much worry is warranted. What might have once seemed fanciful is becoming real: delivering daylight to dark parts of the world using <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/23/space-going-mirrors-could-offer-daylight-on-demand?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mirrors in space</a></u>. And the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/10/07/the-social-reckoning-is-a-fatally-earnest-sequel-to-a-classic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fatal earnestness</a></u> of “The Social Reckoning”. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Alex Domash, economics correspondent</li><li>Tim Cross, senior science writer</li><li>Tom Wainwright, culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>bond yields, monetary policy, animal spirits</li><li>satellite technology, darkness and light</li><li>“The Social Reckoning”, Aaron Sorkin</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Gilets jeunes? France’s school protests
Oct 7, 202620 min<p>What started as a small protest about conditions of a school and of schooling has <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/02/schoolyard-protests-are-setting-france-ablaze?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mushroomed</a></u>, and tapped into national anxieties that may prove hard to tame. In the context of the “Cornell 7” case we examine Title IX, the statute that should protect students—but that is failing. And how peddling superstitions to financiers is <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/10/01/financial-astrology-is-a-serious-business-in-india?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">big business</a></u> in India. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief</li><li>Stevie Hertz, US policy correspondent</li><li>Abhishek Kumar, India writer</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>France protests, French politics</li><li>Cornell 7, Title IX, sexual assault</li><li>India, finance, astrology, superstition</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
House call: Spain’s snap election
Oct 6, 202623 min<p>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is gambling that anger about housing might solidify his mandate in a <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/05/pedro-sanchez-gambles-on-a-snap-election-and-populist-policies?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">snap poll</a></u>. Most probably it will instead add to the rightward shift in European politics. America’s beef prices have never been higher, so why is it that the meatpackers have it <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/09/10/beef-has-never-been-pricier-and-meatpackers-are-suffering?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so tough</a></u>? And the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/21/a-new-battery-could-make-edible-electronics-safer?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">battery technology</a></u> to improve medical diagnostics you can swallow. </p><p><em>Listen to our episode of “Babbage” on edible electronics <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2026/06/10/eat-your-electronics-boost-your-health" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u>.</em></p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Michael Reid, Spain correspondent and writer at large</li><li>Bella King, news editor</li><li>David Adam, science writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Spanish politics, housing crisis, Pedro Sánchez</li><li>America’s meat industry, meatpackers</li><li>medical diagnostics, edible electronics, battery technology</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Here comes the son? Brazil’s election tips rightward
Oct 5, 202623 min<p>Flávio Bolsonaro, populist-right son of the imprisoned coup architect Jair, received the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/10/05/all-signs-point-to-a-bolsonaro-comeback-in-brazil?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most votes</a></u> in the presidential first round. We ask why Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent, fell behind—and what is at stake when they go head-to-head. We examine Americans’ <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/09/24/why-licence-plate-readers-are-angering-americans?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing anger</a></u> at automatic number-plate-reading cameras. And the <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/09/16/nannying-for-the-ultra-rich-is-increasingly-demanding-and-lucrative?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">demanding but lucrative business</a></u> of nannying the children of the super-rich.</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chief</li><li>Hollie Berman, news editor</li><li>Alice Fulwood, US business editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Brazilian election, Lula, Bolsonaro, populist-right politics</li><li>Flock cameras, American law enforcement, privacy, surveillance</li><li>childcare, plutocrats</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Coffer stop: AI may shrink tax base
Oct 2, 202626 min<p>If Artificial Intelligence results in job losses or lower salaries, <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/09/29/how-the-ai-boom-could-worsen-the-rich-worlds-fiscal-crunch?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">government revenues</a></u> will fall. Our correspondent explains how best to tax the windfalls from AI. <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/08/how-to-cool-buildings-on-the-cheap?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paint</a></u> is a surprisingly cheap way to cool buildings. And remembering the life of <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/10/01/stanislas-hutin-knew-he-must-not-stay-silent?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stanislas Hutin</a></u>, who revealed France’s barbarity in Algeria.</p><p>Watch extended clips from Insider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u></p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Callum Williams, senior economics writer</li><li>Nikita Ostrovsky, science writer</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>AI, tax, wealth tax, consumption tax</li><li>Climate change, paint, adaptation</li><li>Stanislas Hutin, Algeria, France, war crimes</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Trial and terror: Russia escalates Kyiv campaign
Oct 1, 202622 min<p>Russia has embarked on a <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/09/29/putins-new-bombardment-of-kyiv-has-a-terrible-logic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new campaign</a></u> to quell Ukraine, focused on supermarkets, playgrounds and other civilian targets. Our correspondent reports on the toll on daily life in Kyiv. Despite the backlash against “<u><a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/09/24/how-tech-firms-hope-to-beat-the-backlash-against-pervert-glasses?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pervert glasses</a></u>”, companies continue to develop AI-enabled smart specs. And how the pen changed history.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent</li><li>Henry Tricks, US technology editor</li><li>Catherine Nixey, Britain correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Ukraine, Kyiv, civilian targets</li><li>Smart glasses, Meta, pervert glasses </li><li>Fountain pen, Simon Garfield </li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Cheques and the City: Premier League disgrace
Sep 30, 202621 min<p>An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of breaching over 100 rules. What penalty will the Premier League exact? Russia’s increasingly <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/09/21/russias-grey-zone-attacks-on-europe-are-growing-more-brazen?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brazen attempts</a></u> to provoke and undermine Europe. And why cute <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/09/10/chiikawa-star-of-a-japanese-blockbuster-appeals-in-anxious-times?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chiikawa</a></u>, star of a Japanese blockbuster, gives comfort in anxious times. </p><p>Subscribers can listen to “<u><a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2026/03/14/kidulting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kidulting</a></u>” on “The Weekend Intelligence”</p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sonny Loughran, Britain correspondent</li><li>Jonathan Rosenthal, international correspondent</li><li>Moeka Iida, East Asia reporter</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Man City, Abu Dhabi, Premier League</li><li>Russia, Europe, grey-zone, drone</li><li>Chiikawa, kawaii, manga</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Brazil rut: Lula v Bolsonaro, again
Sep 29, 202621 min<p>On October 4th, Brazil faces a polarising <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/09/24/brazil-turns-its-back-on-the-future?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">general election</a></u>: re-elect the octogenarian incumbent or pick the son of a former president jailed for attempting a coup. In some countries <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/09/03/in-many-countries-the-biggest-barrier-to-prosperity-is-in-the-home?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">honour culture</a></u> holds women back from even entering the workplace. And why artists are banning phones from <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/09/14/the-rise-of-the-phone-free-concert?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">concerts</a></u>. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Ana Lankes, Brazil correspondent</li><li>Robert Guest, deputy editor</li><li>Vicky Jessop, culture writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Brazil, Lula, Bolsonaro</li><li>Women, honour culture, equality</li><li>Phone-free, concerts, gigs</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
