Shows / The Intelligence from The Economist
The Intelligence from The Economist
Join Jason Palmer and Rosie Blau for noise-cancelling news and analysis from The Economist's global network of correspondents. Every weekday the winner of "Best Daily Show" at the 2026 British Podcast Awards, 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.
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Episodes
The Intelligence from The EconomistAIOU: what if the AI boom busts?
Corporate investment in artificial-intelligence infrastructure reaches $1.4trn by some estimates. We ask what might threaten the expected windfalls that…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe boot is on the other foot: Ukraine’s surprise incursion
Part of Russia is under foreign control for the first time since the second world war. We ask about the strategy behind the surprise raid—which may not be the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistExpelling mistake: the costs of hardline immigration policy
The rich world is experiencing record migrant flows—and the attendant social upheaval. Finding immigration policies that are not economically ruinous is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistArrivals haul: anti-tourism’s folly
Tourists are getting decidedly less-warm welcomes in popular spots, but blunt anti-tourism policies are self-defeating. We look at how to maintain benefits for…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWalz onto the stage: Kamala Harris’s VP pick
Tim Walz, a folksy Midwesterner who came late to politics, is on the Democratic ticket. We ask how he got there and whether he was the best tactical pick. A…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMore than Sheikh could stick at: Bangladesh’s PM resigns
Sheikh Hasina, who led the country for 20 of the past 28 years with an increasingly authoritarian grip, was ultimately undone by student protests that would…
The Intelligence from The EconomistEnter staged right: misinformation feeds Britain’s riots
Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTense exchange: Russia’s prisoner swap
The biggest exchange of prisoners between Russia and the West since the Cold War included opposition leaders, journalists and prisoners of conscience. Our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistYuan direction: Chinese firms head south
As domestic demand in China slows, and the West puts up trade and political barriers, Chinese firms are shifting their focus to poorer parts of the world…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStruck out: A Hamas leader is assassinated
After the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, what are the prospects for ceasefire talks in the region? In Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDown to the wires: Africa’s digital lag
The dearth of fixed-line infrastructure that allowed the continent to leapfrog into the mobile-phone age now holds it back. We ask how to ensure the even…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWarpath: Israel vows revenge on Hizbullah
After an airstrike killed 12 children in Israel-controlled territory at the weekend, retaliation in Lebanon seems inevitable. The end result could be a war on…
The Intelligence from The EconomistField of streams: sports viewing changes
As the Olympics begin, more people than ever will be watching via streaming services. We examine the changing viewing habits transforming sport’s role in the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBibi talk: a speech light on detail
Anyone hoping to glean hints of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans for the Gaza war and its aftermath will have been disappointed: it was a political…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDestruction instruction: Western armies learn from Gaza
From tunnels to tanks to drones, Gaza’s horrors provide object lessons in urban warfare. We ask what Western forces will be learning about their own future…
The Intelligence from The EconomistKeep Kamala and carry on: Harris’s smooth route
A day is a long time in American politics: Kamala Harris has reportedly already secured the votes to become Democrats’ presidential nominee, a pile of campaign…
The Intelligence from The EconomistJoe of good faith: Biden bows out
Joe Biden has at last succumbed to the pressure to step aside and has endorsed his vice-president, Kamala Harris. We ask how things should progress from this…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDicky birds: the next pandemic?
The scars of the covid pandemic are still raw, but now a virus spreading among farm animals could leap to humans. Could bird flu become the next pandemic?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistVeep show: America meets J.D. Vance
J.D. Vance was largely unknown in American politics until Donald Trump picked him as his running-mate for vice-president. Last night he gave his first speech…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFood for thought: raising the world’s IQ
If you don’t have enough food in the first 1,000 days of your life, your brain may never reach its full potential. Our correspondent discusses what better…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLost in stagnation? Japan’s economic paradox
After decades of torpor, is Japan recovering its dynamism? Our correspondent turns to an ancient bento box merchant to test Japan’s economic future. A new…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAn assassination attempt: what next for America?
After the shocking attempt to kill former President Donald Trump, how will America respond? Though leaders have called for calm, the risk is that an already…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAn officer and a gen AI: the future of war
Artificial intelligence is already making a difference in the theatre of war, and more involvement will certainly come. That raises a host of thorny ethical…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBidin’: will Joe go or no?
Democrats’ worried murmurs have become public statements. Polls give Donald Trump a widening lead. Why won’t President Biden make way for a younger successor?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistChange of heart surgeon: Iran’s reformist president
Masoud Pezeshkian rode to victory on a promise of reforms that Iran’s people seem desperately to want. Will the former heart surgeon be permitted to carry them…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHoley alliance: NATO’s worries at 75
It was formed to unite the world’s strongest countries and preserve peace, but as NATO holds a celebration summit for its 75th anniversary, it faces tricky…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLurch in the left: France’s election shock
A tactical ploy to diminish the chances for Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally has worked—a surprise result that puts the left in front, but no party in…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBoom! Episode 1: 1968 - Born to be wild
Why are two old, unpopular men the main candidates for the world’s most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStarming victory: Labour sweeps to power
Britain has elected a Labour government for the first time in 14 years. The party inherits a spattered legacy and a country that is often seen as a laughing…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLeader of the package: Amazon turns 30
It has changed our lives and become one of the world’s most valuable companies. As Amazon turns 30, what comes next? Education is key to social mobility in…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrailer: Boom!
How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? The answer lies in the peculiar politics of the generation born in the era of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDegree programme: stopping heat deaths
As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, they exacerbate existing inequalities. The poor, sick and elderly are particularly vulnerable. How should…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRule and divide: Donald Trump is judged immune
The US Supreme Court has granted the former President immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office. We ask what that means for future…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBet noir: Macron’s electoral gamble backfires
Marine Le Pen’s far-right party made great gains in the first round of France’s parliamentary election. The left did too. We ask what this means for France and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain
On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If so, it…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDebate and switch? Biden’s stumble
America’s president had one primary task at last night’s debate: to close down speculation about his mental faculties. It went so poorly his whole campaign is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLabour-saving: Britain’s probable next leader
After 14 years in opposition, Britain’s Labour Party is on track for a comprehensive win in next week’s general election. We profile Keir Starmer, its leader…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPier pressure: a visit to Gaza’s aid platform
Our correspondents were the first media to see the American-built JLOTS pier, intended for aid deliveries into Gaza. Things have not at all gone to plan. After…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSpring a leaker: Assange goes free
As Julian Assange is released from prison our correspondent reflects on how the work of Wikileaks changed whistleblowing in the internet era, for good and for…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRocketing science: China’s newest superpower
After decades as a scientific also-ran, China is becoming a superpower particularly in the physical sciences. We examine the risks and opportunities that poses…
The Intelligence from The EconomistArgentina turning? Milei’s surprising political success
Since his election last year, President Javier Milei has enjoyed some economic and political wins in Argentina. But his toughest fight is yet to come. On…
The Intelligence from The EconomistEmpire of the sun: a solar power revolution
No energy source has ever increased as fast as solar photovoltaics. The technology will transform humanity’s energy consumption–even when the sun doesn’t…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFrench fried: will the election lead to chaos?
Both the left and right are likely to do well in France’s upcoming parliamentary poll, with President Emmanuel Macron’s party squeezed in the middle. The snap…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHeir tight: why boomers are so stingy
The post-war generation reaped the benefits of peace and prosperity. Yet rather than spend that bounty, retired boomers are hoarding their riches–and upending…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSudan impact: the war the world forgot
Much of Sudan has already collapsed into chaos. Now a crucial city may fall, the United Nations is belatedly scrambling to avert a bloodbath. Gary Lineker is a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFight for his party to the right: Nigel Farage
Britain’s pint-sipping rabble-rouser of the right has joined the campaigning ahead of a general election. Win or lose, he will make an impact. America’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA real work of peace? An Israel-Hamas deal
America’s upbeat assessment of a ceasefire deal masks deep divides that may not, in fact, be bridgeable. There are nevertheless reasons for optimism. Our data…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAmerica's next top-job model: our election forecast
We have dusted off and tuned up our forecast model for America’s presidential race. So far it gives Donald Trump a marginally higher chance of a second term…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDoing their not-own thing: “generation rent”
Across the rich world millions spend more than a third of their disposable income on rent. We ask why policymakers have such terrible ideas on easing the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFrench anti-foreign legion: an EU-election shock
Hard-right parties did well in Europe's parliamentary elections—so well in France that President Emmanuel Macron called a risky snap election. Elsewhere…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Modi Raj 1: The chaiwallah's son
Narendra Modi has been chosen to lead India for the third time in a row. But after 10 years in power, he was humbled at the national election. What kind of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOne dam thing after another? Ukraine and reconstruction
When Russia attacked the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine a year ago, lives were lost, families stranded and towns submerged. But from that devastation emerged…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLabour's pains: Britain’s growth problem
As Britain’s general-election campaign heats up, party leaders are vague on their economic plans. With growth so slow, how could the victor energise the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistModi’s mess: a shock election result spells uncertainty for India
Narendra Modi, the strongman of India, will have to compromise now his party has lost its majority. What does the surprise result mean for the country? As some…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe big gag: Hong Kong’s crackdown on freedom
There has been a slow strangling of freedom in the territory where pro-democracy activists have been convicted; an annual vigil for the victims of the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistI, Claudia: Mexico’s new leader
Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected Mexico’s first female president. Now the real fight begins: crime is rocketing, corruption is rampant and the country is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOut on a ledger: Trump convicted
The former president was found guilty on all 34 charges of falsifying business records. But his convictions leave lots of room for appeals, and for supporters…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Intelligence: Rishi Sunak’s report card
Ahead of a general election in July, we reflect on 14 years of Conservative rule. It’s not a great record, but will the prime minister be able to spin it on…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Intelligence: Strikes on Rafah
Horrific images of charred bodies being pulled from the rubble in Gaza drew outcry, and more countries are recognising the Palestinian state. Israel is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Intelligence: An interview with the director of the IAEA
The IAEA is charged with promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy. But with uncertainty in Iran and a delicate situation in Ukraine, can the organisation…