The Intelligence from The Economist

Latest Episodes:

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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: