Economist Podcasts

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Latest Episodes:

Peace fire: further US-Iran strikes Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

As America hit 90 targets in a second day of attacks on Iran, the fragile truce is in jeopardy. Our correspondent explains how power shifts within Iran may affect the war. Asian governments are trying to force children to care for ageing parents. And day four of our journey down Route 66 traverses a darker side of the road.

Guests and host:

Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent
Farah Cheah, Asia reporter
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Iran, ceasefire, Strait of Hormuz, Ayatollah
Filial piety, ageing, elderly care
Route 66, Oklahoma, race relations

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Marine warfare: Le Pen runs for president Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty and explains how this decision will shape the campaign. The world’s first refuge for whales once held in captivity. And our journey down America’s Route 66 takes us into its commercial history.

Guests and host:

Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief
Sam Colbert, senior podcast producer
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Marine Le Pen, National Rally
Whales, beluga, animal rights
Route 66, America

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Continental rift: NATO’s tense summit Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a strategic shift is already evident. First there was vibe coding, now vibe lawyering is coming to courtrooms. And day two of our great American roadtrip down Route 66.

Guests and host:

Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
Anna Kerr, senior audience editor
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

NATO, Ukraine, Ankara
Vibe lawyering, vibe coding, courtroom
Route 66, California

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The mourning show: the politics of Khamenei’s funeral Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

The Iranian regime hopes the massive crowds gathered for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will demonstrate its strength. Our correspondent says they could also reveal its weakness. Why Japan wants to change its divorce laws and custody arrangements. And the first part of our week-long road trip down America’s iconic Route 66.

Guests and host:

Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent
Moeka Iida, East Asia correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Ayatollah, Khamenei, Iran, Supreme Leader
Japan, divorce, custody
Route 66, Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

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The 250-year experiment: America’s birthday Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Big birthdays are often a time for reflection. Our editors and correspondents chat through the state of American democracy as seen from inside and outside the country, the country’s perennial paroxysms of immigration policy, and its undimmed power to export its culture to the world.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

Robert Guest, deputy editor
Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent
Daniel Knowles, Midwest correspondent
Aryn Braun, West Coast correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

American history, American democracy
immigration policy
American cultural exports

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Roaring trades: oil majors’ secret success story Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Big oil firms keep one part of their business hush-hush: trading. Amid an almighty oil shock, the majors’ trading arms are raking it in. But competition is mounting. We look at the Trump administration’s messy attempts to regulate frontier AI models, and how that may cost America its AI edge. And why the biggest music tours are going to fewer places.

Guests and host:

Matthieu Favas, commodities editor
Shashank Joshi, incoming Washington bureau chief
Vicky Jessop, culture writer
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

oil majors, oil trading
AI, frontier models, American regulation
music business, concert tours

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Fault lines: Venezuela’s paltry earthquake response Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

Government help was thin on the ground just after the country’s worst quakes in a century. The America-backed regime is thus on literal and figurative shaky ground. A food-delivery robot trial in England represents the future of the service. And why Harlan Coben’s proliferating thrillers are cheesy but gripping.

Guests and host:

Kinley Salmon, Latin America correspondent
Alex Hern, AI writer
Catherine Nixey, culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Venezuela earthquakes, disaster response
delivery robots
Harlan Coben

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Gulf-co-operation counsel: what next for the region Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

With Iran emboldened and America an ever more capricious security partner, Gulf countries face several post-war challenges. They should put their divides aside to tackle them. We dig one last time into our archive to chronicle American history, bringing our series up to the present day. And the mounting evidence that plants can “hear”.

Guests and host:

Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
Matt Kaplan, science correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Iran war, Middle East geopolitics
American history, semiquincentennials
plants, biology, science

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Latin lessons: the Donroe-doctrine boost Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

For all the Trumpian chaos in Latin America, no other developing-world regional economy has done so well in the past year. We examine the Donroe dividend. The cost to make jollof rice, a staple dish in Nigeria and Ghana, is a window into the countries’ economies. And the BBC waves goodbye to its long-wave radio service.

Guests and host:

Cerian Richmond-Jones, international economics correspondent
Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent
Bo Franklin, senior editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Latin America, Donroe doctrine, mining
Nigeria, Ghana, cost of living, jollof rice
BBC, long-wave radio

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Far Crimea: war comes to Russia’s door Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Ukraine is intensifying cross-border attacks in a strategic and psychological effort to make ordinary Russians take notice of the war. We have been collecting reports from the ground on shifting attitudes as occupied Crimea comes under fire. Why the valuation of Elon Musk’s SpaceX affects us all. And celebrating the life of former Fed chair Alan Greenspan.

Guests and host:

Matt Steinglass, Europe editor
Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Ukraine, Crimea, Zelensky, Putin
SpaceX, Elon Musk, trillionaire, valuation
Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve, monetary policy

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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