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 EconomistCheques, imbalances: America’s fraught stimulus
After months of deadlock, a covid-19 relief package has passed, but the battles continue. We ask how things got so dire and what President-elect Joe Biden will…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGoing around the bloc: Europe’s vaccination push
The first inoculations are happening across the continent as part of a co-ordinated push—but levels of both supply and uptake remain uncertain. Our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOld acquaintance not forgot: the notable deaths of 2020
In a year marked by more than a million and a half deaths, mortality has rarely been so front of mind. Our obituary editor looks back through the notable…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBubbles in the market: Mexico’s Coca-Cola obsession
For decades, the country has been an almighty consumer of the fizzy drink. But amid a woeful covid-19 situation politicians are highlighting the health…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGet the lead out: Zambia’s toxic mine
A site that closed more than a quarter-century ago is still slowly poisoning the residents of Kabwe with lead; a class-action lawsuit is at last seeking…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRehousing project: Bangladesh’s Rohingya
The country’s refugee camps are packed and squalid, so the government is moving perhaps 100,000 Rohingya Muslims to a tiny island. Will life for them improve?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAnd then, winter: ten years after the Arab Spring
A revolutionary conflagration a decade ago has almost entirely flickered out. We ask what happened to all the optimism and why real change has been so hard to…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThis market went a little piggy: a capital-raising frenzy
Astonishingly, companies have raised more capital this year than ever before. We ask how capital markets shook free amid the pandemic—and what will happen with…
The Intelligence from The EconomistJoe, College: Biden’s victory affirmed
America’s by-the-book electoral-college vote calmed concerns about another Trump-camp bid to overturn the election—but that is not to say the ructions are…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSo long, and we’re keeping all the fish: Brexit
Britain’s divorce from the European Union still hinges on sticky matters of fishing rights and the enforcement of fair competition, and time is rapidly running…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTaking the temperature: a climate chat with the UN chief
Ahead of a weekend meeting to assess and bolster the Paris Agreement, our correspondent speaks with Antonio Guterres about his reasons for cautious optimism…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIf you already joined ‘em, beat ‘em: Facebook gets sued
American regulators have put mergers that they approved years ago at the heart of antitrust lawsuits—a tricky bid to curb the social-media giant’s market…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLaïcité, égalité, fraternité? France’s secularism bill
President Emmanuel Macron’s draft bill walks a fine line balancing the country’s foundational secularism and worries about Islamist terrorism. Amid slumping…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGranting immunity: America weighs vaccine approval
As Britons receive the first doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, authorities in America are meeting this week to authorise its emergency use. We examine the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFairly unusual: Ghana’s elections
In a region racked by dodgy polls, the country looks to continue a trend of uncontested handovers of power. That is not to say, however, that there aren’t…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIntensive scare: covid-19 ravages America
Numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths are rocketing across the country. We examine the situation in the Midwest, as a microcosm of a wider unfolding…
The Intelligence from The EconomistYour planet, or mines? Kicking the coal habit
In the West market forces are squeezing coal—even as its use rises in Asia. We examine how the world can wean itself off the dirtiest fossil fuel. Svetlana…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrans formative: a landmark children’s-rights ruling
Britain’s High Court has ruled that puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria have been dispensed too readily, fuelling a debate that will be keenly…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNuclear-war head: assassination in Iran
The killing of the country’s top nuclear scientist comes at a tricky time: violent retribution may threaten hoped-for diplomacy with the incoming American…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNo show of force: France’s controversial police-protection bill
Protesters are raging against a proposed bill that would outlaw posting videos of alleged police brutality—just as two videos expose more such violence…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOne party to rule them all? India’s fraying democracy
Many of the country’s institutions are being slowly hobbled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government; we ask whether the world’s largest democracy is in…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAt his majesty, displeasure: Thailand’s anti-monarchy push
A long string of pro-democracy protests are railing more and more against the king himself—and the protesters are younger and more fearless than ever before…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTigray area: Ethiopia’s deadly standoff
The northern region’s surrounded forces are ignoring Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s deadline to disarm. More regions are being drawn in—and a conflagration across…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWhat funds we’ll have: green venture capital
The boom-and-bust of environmental-technology investing has settled out, and money is flooding in—both individual and institutional. We examine the green…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPlaying his Trump cards: Biden’s China policy
The tone of America’s president-elect on China changed markedly through the campaign; his policies, at least at the outset, may differ little from those of his…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUndercut a deal: the threat to Afghan peace
Peace talks continue in Doha but on the ground the Taliban are consolidating control. America’s rush to withdraw its forces could undo the good work of getting…
The Intelligence from The EconomistQuit it cold, Turkey: policy tightens at last
Now that the economic reins have been taken back from the president’s son-in-law, the country is making the right policy noises—and just in time. China’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistConcession stand: Trump’s intransigence
America’s outgoing president is sticking with an insidious fiction, lashing out at those who deny it. That frustrates a stable handover of power—and will cost…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOut on a LegCo: Hong Kong under pressure
Following a purge based on a harsh new security law, the territory’s Legislative Council lacks a single opposition voice. That will make the work of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDisrupter, disrupted: Britain’s government
The chief aide to the prime minister had been a driving force in policy but a dividing force in government. What will happen now that he has stood down? We…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGoing to cede: Armenia and Azerbaijan
The longest-running conflict in the Caucasus could well be over. We examine a peace deal that benefits outside powers and chips away at regional identities…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSahel of a mess: France’s impossible peacekeeping mission
Jihadism is growing in a continent-wide strip of Africa, and the riskiest operations to contain it fall to French troops. Our correspondent witnesses a fraught…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWe’ll again have Paris: Biden’s ambitious climate plans
President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign had the environment front and centre. We analyse his pledges—and his prospects for implementing them. As the video-gaming…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNine out of ten, doctors say: a promising coronavirus vaccine
A vaccine claimed to be 90% effective represents an enormous achievement. We discuss what questions remain and the regulatory and distribution challenges…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBrought to heal: Biden’s chance to unite America
President Donald Trump will go, but Trumpism will remain. Our editor-in-chief considers how President-elect Biden can repair the divided country he will…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAbiy damned: Ethiopia’s looming civil war
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has taken drastic steps to quieten a state stacked with trained militias. The conflict could draw in more states—or the whole of the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe lawyers of diminishing returns: America’s election
As President Donald Trump’s re-election path slims, his pledges to fight the results in court are multiplying. We look at the cases that may eventually decide…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTally forth: America’s elections
The outcome remains unclear as vote-counting continues. We look at some of the surprise results, ask what happens next and examine how The Economist’s election…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPoles’ position: an abortion-law backlash
Poland already had some of the strictest laws on terminations, but the ruling party’s bid to tighten them further has sparked national outrage. We lay out what…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLock step: England to shut down, again
Prime Minister Boris Johnson all but ruled out a second lockdown, but his hand has been forced by England’s caseload. What are the political costs of his…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNet losses: plunder of the oceans
The staggering extent of illegal fishing, and its human and environmental costs, are only just becoming clear. We ask how to put a shadowy industry on a more…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWhat Xi said: China’s five-year plan
The party’s Fifth Plenum sets out a five-year vision; we mine the plan for clues about how China views itself in the world—and how long Xi Jinping intends to…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStumbling bloc: Europe’s second wave
Across the continent, covid-19 cases are rising steeply and containment measures are still divergent. We look at the challenges of finding policies that are…
The Intelligence from The EconomistChagrin, and Barrett: America’s Supreme Court
Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation marks the first time since the 1930s the court has leaned so conservative, and has stoked another partisan battle that may…
The Intelligence from The EconomistComing write-up: Chile votes to overhaul its constitution
The country has roundly rejected its dictatorship-era charter and mapped out how to fashion a new one. What do Chileans stand to gain—and to lose? Rising…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCivil proceedings: America's presidential debate
America’s final presidential debate had less noise and more substance. But polls seem immovable and nearly 50m Americans have already voted; will the race…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPandemic power-grabs: autocrats’ covid opportunism
As it has with so many other trends, the pandemic has hastened the decline of democracy and human rights; covid-19 provides autocrats with perfect cover. The…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSecular-stand nation: terror in France
The brutal murder of a schoolteacher comes amid warnings of mounting Islamism in the country. The attack will only harden resolve for a secular society. Alexei…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe persecution of a people: China’s repression of the Uyghurs
Reporting by The Economist reveals deepening efforts by Chinese authorities not just to imprison the Muslim-minority people but also to reduce their number, to…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLoved Labour’s won: landslide in New Zealand
After a term spent steering the country through crises, Jacinda Ardern has led her Labour party to a thumping victory; what will they do with their historic…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMás MAS? Bolivia’s election
After last year’s vote was marred by fraud allegations, the electorate is split ahead of Sunday’s poll: will the country return the socialist MAS party of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA close-it call: Nigeria’s uprising
Angry protests following an alleged police killing continue, even after a hated police unit was shuttered. That exposes far-deeper discontent. Banks’ earnings…
The Intelligence from The EconomistScared strait: Taiwan
Rhetoric and sabre-rattling from mainland China are rapidly ramping up; we examine the risk of an invasion that would have global consequences. A decision by…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFood chain broken: famine in Yemen
The country yet again faces widespread starvation as a civil war grinds on, and both sides are to blame for the misery visited upon civilians. With the stroke…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn their own Swede time: pandemic pragmatism
By the numbers to date, Sweden's light-touch covid-19 measures may not seem successful. But its pragmatism takes an instructively long view of the pandemic…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBuy the way? Kyrgyzstan’s post-election chaos
Citizens are furious after a poll seemingly tainted by vote-buying; its annulment leaves a power vacuum that may yet draw in China and Russia. An author’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMore-civil discourse: Pence and Harris debate
That a housefly could steal the show at America’s only vice-presidential debate is telling, but a discussion with more substance than bombast was a welcome…
The Intelligence from The EconomistClerical era: Iraq in a hard place
A pilgrimage that is sure to become a covid-19 hotspot is a sign of how much the country’s government is losing legitimacy to its clergymen and tribal leaders…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSailing into the wind: Boris Johnson
Britain’s prime minister will outline big wind-energy plans at his party’s annual conference, even as the pandemic and Brexit blow his government off course…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIll-disposed: Trump’s hospital stay
Amid a flurry of conflicting information over the weekend, details of Donald Trump’s progress and prognosis remain worryingly unclear. How will this brush with…