Economist Podcasts

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Latest Episodes:

Wake-up haul: an Ozempic moment for the brain Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating shuteye. We ask why Japan’s post-war innovation boom petered out, and what must be done to breed more unicorns. And why procrastination seems to be on the rise, and how to beat it.

Guests and host:

Shailesh Chitnis, global business correspondent
Ethan Wu, Asia business and finance editor
Benjamin Sutherland, science writer
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

orexins, peptides, sleep disorders, pharmaceuticals
Japan, innovation, startups
procrastination

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Settler bet: a West Bank flashpoint Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Israeli settlers have been clashing more and more with Palestinians in the West Bank, often with government backing. We examine the forces at play in what could soon be yet another battlefront. India’s proliferating civil codes are creating insuperable legal contradictions for a multi-faith people. And answering some letters addressed to our “agony uncle” columnist.

Guests and host:

Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
Kira Huju, Asia correspondent
Andrew Palmer, executive editor
Jason Palmer (no relation), co-host of “The Intelligence”
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

West Bank, Palestinians, Israeli settlers, Israel election
India, civil codes, Hindu nationalism
management, advice

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It’s not easy being Green: Zack Polanski Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

To critics, the Green Party leader is dangerous, even a con man. To fans, he is a national saviour-in-waiting. Our correspondent meets him to see what is behind the hype. So-called SpudCells have just seven bespoke DNA loops, but represent a revolutionary step toward life made from scratch. And the many ways travel agents still beat the bots.

Guests and host:

Andrew Miller, special correspondent
Oliver Morton, planetary affairs editor
Caitlin Talbot, culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Zack Polanski, Green Party
SpudCells, synthetic biology
travel agents, luxury travel

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Afghanistan, five years on: our correspondent visits Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for ordinary people. A giant earthquake reveals two very different Colombias. And celebrating the life of Gurkha climber, Nirmal Purja, who died in an avalanche.

Watch extended clips from Insider here, plus the full Elon Musk interview.

Guests and host:

Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief
Claire McQue, Latin America writer
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Afghanistan, Taliban, sanctions
Colombia, earthquake, Espriella
Nirmal Purja, mountaineer, Everest, avalanche

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Caracas under pressure: democracy in Venezuela Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and opposition ended with small, positive steps. Why US consumers’ love of fast food may be slowing. And how many hours of Wagner opera would you sit through?

Guests and host:

Kinley Salmon, Latin America correspondent
Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
Brook Unger, senior digital editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Venezuela, Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, Machado
Fast food, McDonalds, burgers
Wagner, “Ring” cycle, classical music

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Pump and circumstance: is China the new OPEC? Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

The Iran war triggered the largest supply shock in the history of petroleum, yet prices never rose as high as feared. Our correspondent explains how action taken by China steadied global oil flows. Why Brazil has such strict laws on racist language. And the legendary lager of Laos.

Guests and host:

Matthieu Favas, commodities editor
Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chief
Vishnu Padmanabhan, Asia correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

China, Iran, oil supplies, OPEC, crude
Brazil, hate speech, racism
Laos, Beerlao, beer, lager

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Spring, then fall: a weakened Muslim Brotherhood Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

The Muslim Brotherhood won power and influence in the Arab Spring of 2011. Now autocrats are resurgent and its leaders are in jail or exile. Elon Musk says Europe is more dangerous than America. Is he right? And the puzzling popularity of padel.

Guests and host:

Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent
James Fransham, data journalist
Hamish Clayton, Britain writer
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Muslim Brotherhood, Islamism, Arab Spring
Elon Musk, Insider, Europe, crime,
Padel, tennis, racket sports

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Under strAIn: breaking the British state Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

Britons are turning to artificial intelligence to file objections to state institutions, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints and demands may overwhelm bureaucracies. Should Catholic priests have to report child abuse disclosed in confession? And the perfect height gap in a relationship.

Guests and host:

Matthew Holehouse, Britain public policy editor
Rebecca Jackson, US Southern correspondent
Doug Dowson, data journalist
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

AI, agentic flooding, bureaucracy
Catholic church, confessions, child abuse
Short kings, short men, height differential

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Outsider chance: ending Sudan’s proxy war Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

We look at the peace that has settled over Khartoum, the ruined capital. War rages on elsewhere, and a slim chance at a settlement rests largely with the belligerents’ foreign patrons. We ask why President Donald Trump has picked a fight over a new bridge between Canada and America. And remembering Betye Saar, who provided profound second lives for discarded objects.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

Tom Gardner, Africa correspondent
Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Sudan war, proxy war, geopolitics
Canada-America relations, Gordie Howe Bridge
Betye Saar, art

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

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Socialist mobility: a telling Michigan vote Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

We examine one of America’s primary races, in which a sharply lefty candidate beat the establishment figure. What does that reveal about changes in the Democratic Party? For decades China’s Yangtze River was a polluted, overfished mess. We look at the wins from cleaning it up—and who loses. And a fond look back at postcards as they fade from use.

Guests and host:

John Prideaux, executive editor and host, “Checks and Balance”
Gabriel Crossley, China correspondent
Catherine Nixey, Britain correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

America’s primary season, Democratic Socialists of America, Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed
China, Yangtze River, remediation
postcards, second world war, British history

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

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