The Intelligence from The Economist

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Pulp fiction v the classics: summer reading May 25, 2026

Show notes

What do we mean by a “good book”? Some people choose a holiday read that demands time and attention. Others pick rip-roaring novels that require little thought. Our bookworms discuss whether art has to be improving to be praiseworthy, and give genre fiction some much-needed air time.

This is a full list of the books mentioned in the show:

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown

Jack Reacher series by Lee Child

“The Hunt for Red October” by Tom Clancy

“Riders” and the other Rutshire chronicles by Jilly Cooper

Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman

“Middlemarch” by George Eliot

“Ulysses” by James Joyce

“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel

“The Diamond Age” by Neal Stephenson

The Murderbot series by Martha Wells

“The Martian” by Andy Weir

“American Wife” by Curtis Sittenfeld

Guests and host:

Catherine Nixey, culture and Britain correspondent
Tom Standage, Economist deputy editor
Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor
Alex Hern, AI writer
Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Fiction, romance, sci-fi, crime, thrillers, fantasy, romantasy
Jane Austen, Jilly Cooper, Curtis Sittenfeld, Lee Child
Matt Dinniman, Pierce Brown, Neal Stephenson

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Big boosts to fill: SpaceX’s giant IPO May 22, 2026

Show notes

Elon Musk has launched the largest stockmarket listing in history. The accompanying space mission remains grounded. Our correspondent weighs SpaceX’s extraordinary ambitions. The Republican party trades on its masculine image, but some young men are turning away. And, after a blind tasting 50 years ago unleashed a new wave of wine drinking, the market is drying out.

Watch extended clips from Insider here

Guests and host:

Tim Cross, senior science writer
Robert Guest, Economist deputy editor
Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-hosts of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:

SpaceX, Starlink, XAI, Elon Musk
Donald Trump, Republicans, masculinity
Wine, Judgement of Paris

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The Peking order: Xi meets Putin after Trump May 21, 2026

Show notes

Within the space of a week Chinese president Xi Jinping has welcomed both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to Beijing. Our correspondent explains the significance of these consecutive meetings. How the Premier League got its kick – and became one of Britain’s most successful businesses. And, some relax on holiday, others relish adrenaline-fuelled activities.

Guests and host:

Jeremy Page, chief China correspondent
Sonny Loughran, Britain writer
Caitlin Talbot, culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered:

Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump
Premier League, football, soccer
Adrenaline holidays, darecations

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Bibi, one more time? Israel’s election launches May 20, 2026

Show notes

Is Binyamin Netanyahu’s time up as Israel’s prime minister? As a vote in parliament triggers the election campaign, our correspondent – and Netanyahu’s biographer – analyses what comes next. We join a US-backed counter-terrorism training exercise in Africa and question whether such missions will outlast Trump. And how Cape Verde came to take part in its first World Cup.

Guests and host:

Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
Tom Gardner, Africa correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel, Knesset, Gaza, Hizbullah, Iran
Ivory Coast, jihadism, anti-terrorism, overseas aid
World Cup, FIFA, Cape Verde

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Spread too thin: Africa’s next Ebola outbreak May 19, 2026

Show notes

The latest Ebola emergency is different from previous ones: there is no vaccine, and the kind of community-level work that stops the spread has been thinned by aid cuts. Britain is likely to get a new prime minister soon; we profile Andy Burnham, the Labour party’s polling favourite. And celebrity book clubs abound—but useful criticism in them does not.

Guests and host:

John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent
Joel Budd, social affairs editor
Catherine Nixey, culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Ebola outbreak, West Africa
Andy Burnham, British politics
celebrities, book clubs, book industry

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Equal before the law? Transitional justice in Syria May 18, 2026

Show notes

Atef Najib, a former security chief, is the highest-profile member of the Assad regime to go on trial. We ask why the speed, uneven spread and murky legal basis of justice troubles many Syrians. Our series leading up to America’s 250th birthday continues to plumb our archive. Today: the cold war and Vietnam. And why whiskymaking is booming in China.

Guests and host:

Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent
Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
Don Weinland, China business and finance editor
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Syria, judicial system, transitional justice
America, 250th anniversary, history
China, business, whisky

Runtime: 24 min

TWITTER HANDLES OF CONTRIBS

@BrowneGareth – Syria

@annie_crabill – US250

@donweinland – whisky

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Top dog-whistler: Tommy Robinson and Britain’s far right May 15, 2026

Show notes

Tommy Robinson is an influencer who has shaped views on Britain, particularly among his American supporters and funders. A rally this weekend will show how his worldview is reaching the mainstream. A merger in the oligopoly of liftmakers will reshape an industry known for its ups and downs. And remembering Raghu Rai, whose photographs captured the intensity of India’s people.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

Georgia Banjo, Britain correspondent
Simon Wright, industry editor
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Tommy Robinson, Britain’s far right, America’s far right
Lifts, mergers, business
Raghui Rai, India, photojournalism

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Fired alarm: AI hype versus labour-market history May 14, 2026

Show notes

Perhaps the AI “boomers” are right about a sweeping labour-market revolution. But a careful look at history shows just how unprecedented their bullish scenarios would be. Africa’s bounty of minerals has drawn tremendous recent interest; will the continent see the benefits this time around? And our World Cup profile series continues with a look at Japan’s squad.

Guests and host:

Callum Williams, senior economics writer
John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

AI, labour market, economics, history
Africa, critical minerals, investment, development
World Cup, Japan

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Duo’s lingo: what to watch for in Trump-Xi summit May 13, 2026

Show notes

The meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will set the tone for three more this year. We examine what and what not to expect. Pepsi has been losing ground to Coca Cola recently; to catch up, it may have to become more like its rival. And this year’s Venice Biennale is uncomfortably besieged by geopolitics.

Guests and host:

Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief
Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Trump/Xi summit, geopolitics
Coca Cola, Pepsi, business
Venice Biennale, culture

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Apocalypse soon? AI could hasten bioweapons May 12, 2026

Show notes

Artificial intelligence could help terrorists develop new dangerous pathogens. Our correspondent asks how humanity can protect itself from machine-assisted biological weapons. Stock markets are soaring, despite the oil shock. What does this tell us about investor confidence in traditionally safe assets? And the doughs and don’ts of German bread.

Guests and host:

Arthur Holland Michel, emerging tech writer
Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent
Lily Meckel, audience fellow
Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

Bioweapons, AI, virus
Stockmarkets, oil shock, dollar, government bonds
German bread, Bernd das Brot

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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