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Check in the mail: our analysis of Epstein’s correspondence Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

Our data journalists trawled through the vast email archive of Jeffrey Epstein, a dead sex offender. It is a revealing look at how and with whom he communicated. As interest grows in banning young people’s use of social media, we argue there are better ways to mitigate harms. And a blindfolded introduction to “blouge”, a new, more climate-resilient wine variety.

Guests and host:

Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Dan Rosenheck, data editor
Tom Wainwright, media editor
Tom Standage, deputy editor of The Economist

Topics covered:

The Epstein files
Social-media bans
“Blouge” wine

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Stock options: how to hedge an AI bubble Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Tech firms are spending so much on artificial intelligence that investors are getting nervous. Our correspondent explains whether it is possible to protect your portfolio from a crash. Turkey’s ruler has become increasingly autocratic–and increasingly old. Who might succeed him? And celebrating the life of literary agent Georges Borchardt.

Guests and host:

Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent
Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent

Topics covered:

Hedging against an AI bubble
Turkey after Erdogan
Obituary of literary agent Georges Borchardt

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Check in Kyiv: prospects for peace? Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

As Russia’s war in Ukraine nears four years, there has been no let up in the fighting on the battlefield. Yet there is some optimism that negotiations could yield a ceasefire. Our correspondent joins a Colombian drug raid to destroy a cocaine laboratory in the Amazon. And is crime in London really soaring?

Guests and host:

Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
Claire McQue, Latin America writer
Sonny Loughran, Britain writer

Topics covered:

Ukraine peace prospects
Colombia’s war on drugs
Crime in London

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Dhaka matters: an election for Bangladesh Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

The toppling of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hassina in Bangladesh in 2024 was celebrated as a triumph for democracy. Tomorrow the country finally heads to the polls. Our correspondent weighs the choice. Can Mars and other bleak planets be made fit for human habitation? And why AI bots are applying for human jobs.

To find out how to have sex in space, listen to this episode of “The Weekend Intelligence”.

Guests and host:

Rosie Blau and Jason Palmer, co-hosts of “The Intelligence”
Mark Johnson, senior writer
Oliver Morton, senior editor
Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer

Topics covered:

Bangladesh’s election
Astrobiology
How AI changes job recruitment

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A Keir-death experience: Britain's PM clings on Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls for his resignation from a senior party member. He has survived – but Britain’s prime minister is now fighting for his political survival. Assisted dying legislation is catching up with public opinion in America. And what happens when skiing meets rodeo?

Guests and host:

Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Sacha Nauta, Britain editor
Stevie Hertz, US policy correspondent
Aryn Braun, West Coast corrrespondent

Topics covered:

Keir Starmer’s political future
Assisted dying in America
The sport of skijoring

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Snap judgement: Japan PM’s electoral landslide Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Takaichi Sanae’s gamble to call a general election has paid off. How will the prime minister’s thumping victory change Japan? New legislation in Republican states could imperil academic freedom. And why “Taxi Driver” resonates 50 years after the film’s release.

Guests and host:

Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief
Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent
Andrew Miller, author of The Economist’s Back Story column on culture

Topics covered:

Japan’s election
University censorship in America
Fifty years of “Taxi Driver”

For more on Japan’s economy, listen to last week’s episode of Money Talks

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Elon shot: will Musk’s mega-merger work? Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

This week Elon Musk announced the merger of two of his companies: SpaceX and xAI, which makes chatbots. Is the new firm viable? As migrant workers return home for lunar new year, the Chinese Communist Party tells migrant workers not to stay for too long. And our culture editor’s hot take on “Heated Rivalry”.

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Nukes of hazard: US-Russia arms treaty expires Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

The New START nuclear deal was signed in 2010 to restrict the number of strategic warheads and missiles America and Russia could amass. Will there be a new deal – and what will happen if not? How social media has helped fuel recruitment to cults. And our baldness correspondent bristles at some hairy questions.

Listen back to "The Bomb", our Babbage series on America's quest to modernise its nuclear arsenal.

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Peter and the wolves: Mandelson falls but Epstein scandal spreads Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

Peter Mandelson was a totem of Britain’s Labour party for decades. The newest Epstein files mark the end of his political career. What are the consequences for the country’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer? Ryanair is controversial and widely hated—yet strangely successful. And why so many animals engage in same-sex relationships.

To get 15% off Economist Education’s new business writing and storytelling course, register with the code ECONWRITING-15.

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Tug of Warsh: will the new chair politicise the Fed? Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

After months of speculation, Donald Trump has picked Kevin Warsh to run the Federal Reserve. Our correspondent explains what this means for America–and the world economy. What matters more in Thailand’s election: the will of the people or the power of the monarchy? And why Hong Kong’s humble tram network could help keep tourism on track.

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