Economist Podcasts

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Latest Episodes:

Taking the shine off: albedo and global temperatures Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Fewer clouds, shrinking ice caps, changing pollutants: all result in less of the sun’s energy being reflected back into space. Which is more bad news for a changing climate. Our correspondent explains why so much more of the world’s cocaine is passing through west Africa. And the data that reveal Americans’ discomfort about wives earning more than their husbands.

Guests and host:

Oliver Morton, planetary-affairs editor
Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent
Doug Dowson, data journalist
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

climate change, albedo, global temperatures
Africa, cocaine, smuggling
wage equality, gender pay gap

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

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In arms’ way: Gaza-deal sticking points Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

President Donald Trump’s claim that Hamas had agreed to disarm in Gaza was, at best, premature. We examine the sticking points of a lasting deal. New-business applications are on a tear in America. We ask why so many people are working for themselves—but not doing much hiring. And the enduring popularity of radio in Africa, aided rather than degraded by social media.

Guests and host:

Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
William Finlator, contributor to The Economist
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Board of Peace
American business, entrepreneurship
Africa, media, radio

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

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Taken littorally: Spain’s sudden crisis in Ceuta Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

The deadly rush of migrants into the Spanish exclave has deep roots in a wider North African conflict—and implications for a far wider European fight about immigration. Our India columnist presents an incomplete list of falling objects as a way to examine public-safety failures. And a data dive that reveals how AI writing is forever shifting.

Guests and host:

Michael Reid, Spain correspondent and writer at large
Leo Mirani, Ashoka columnist
Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Ceuta, migration, Spain, EU, Schengen
India, public safety
AI writing, waning human primacy

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

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Omission accomplished: why the Iran-war cycle spins on Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

From impasse in Iran to still-unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, a trend is clear: President Donald Trump’s scant, early plans for peace do not actually forge a path to it. Our correspondent says that in the driverless-car future, it will often be Chinese AI behind the wheel. And remembering Wally Funk, who never relinquished her ambition to become an astronaut.

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

Guests and host:

Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
Don Weinland, China business and finance editor
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Iran war, Strait of Hormuz, diplomacy
China, AI, driverless cars
Wally Funk, astronauts

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

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Working memory: the surprising decline of dementia Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

A dive into the data reveals that, despite dire past predictions, the prevalence of dementia is actually waning. We take a look at Pix, a beloved Brazilian digital-payments system, and why it so bothers President Donald Trump. And we attend one of the concerts that reveals how the appeal of emo music is holding strong across generations.

Guests and host:

Jonathan Rosenthal, international correspondent
Carla Subirana, news editor
Sarah Lawrynuik, deputy editor of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

dementia, global health statistics, ageing
Brazil, Pix, payment systems, Donald Trump
emo music, My Chemical Romance

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

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Brave New whirl: Turkey’s opposition overhaul Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thumb. A surrogacy scandal in Germany has prompted a government reshuffle, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz left holding the proverbial baby. And how traditional career advice is falling short for Gen Z.

Guests and host:

Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent
Vendeline von Bredow, senior Germany correspondent
Tom Wainwright, culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Turkish politics, New Party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan
German politics, Jens Spahn, Friedrich Merz
Gen Z, careers

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Burning questions: a more fire-prone world Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Wildfires in France and Spain are only growing worse by the day. We examine what can be done as a future of more fires, and worse ones, becomes more assured. A dig into data on women at work shows several indicators starting to move in the wrong direction. And the American cities rethinking how to handle their after-dark economies.

Guests and host:

Oliver Morton, planetary affairs editor
Vinjeru Mkandawire, Britain correspondent
Daniella Raz, US corespondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

fires, France, Spain, fire ecology
women in the workplace, equality
America, night-time economy

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cockroaches 1, Modi 0: India’s remarkable protests Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

The resignation of India’s education minister was a stunning capitulation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The Cockroach Janta Party, a fast-growing youth movement, has the upper hand for now. So-called macro trading is hard: even with advance knowledge of events, neither man nor machine seems to make much money. And hunting the mosaics of Invader, an anonymous French street artist.

Guests and host:

Kira Huju, Asia correspondent
Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent
Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

India, Cockroach Janta Party, protest, Narendra Modi
macro trading, retail investing
Invader, Flashinvader, street art

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

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The Elon game: Musk’s vision of the future Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

After Elon Musk’s first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, The Economist editor-in-chief reflects on what he told her: that AIs will be in charge in ten years, his dark view of Europe and the inevitably of civil war in Britain. At what age is a child responsible for their crimes? And remembering Mona Khalil, Lebanese protector of turtles.

Watch extended clips from Elon Musk on “Insider” here

Guests and host:

Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist
Maighna Nanu, editor of foreign newsletters
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Elon Musk, AI, killer robots, far right, The Insider
child criminals, criminal responsibility, gangs
Mona Khalil, Lebanon, turtles, conservation

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An interview with Elon Musk Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Elon Musk may be the most powerful man in the world. For his first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, he sits down with Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, for The Insider, our video show for premium subscribers. They discuss the timeline for AI overtaking human intelligence, the rapid progress of China, the reasons for his interest in Europe and why he thinks he “got a little too involved” in politics.

Watch the full show—and sign up to the Insider newsletter.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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