Economist Podcasts
Episodes
Paradise lost: Hurricane Milton bashes Florida
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Global warming is increasing the intensity of storms like the one that just hit Florida. Our correspondent explains the science. In a week of reflecti...
Google’s lurch: how to fix its monopoly
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This summer, an American judge ruled that Google’s search dominance was illegal. Now the Department of Justice has revealed possible solutions. How ...
Climbers (part one): A way out of China
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Necoclí is a tiny town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Beach bars blast party music and sell brightly-coloured cocktails. But Necoclí is not just a...
General rule: how to reinvent America’s army
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Twenty years ago America was fighting insurgents in Afghanistan and Iran. As state-on-state clashes become more likely, Randy George is the person in ...
Year of destruction: how October 7th shattered the Middle East
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After Hamas militants attacked Israel a year ago, few people predicted how deep and devastating the ensuing conflict in the Middle East would be. The ...
The Weekend Intelligence: Gaza, after the dust settles (republished)
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
*This episode was first published 20/07/24After a year of war in Gaza, people are beginning to discuss the aftermath. Schools, hospitals, the sanitati...
The Weekend Intelligence: Black boxes (part one): Michael Kovrig on how he became a political hostage in China
05 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One evening, Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, grabbed a late dinner in Beijing with his partner. When they arrived back at his apartment, m...
A key Keystone: the race for Pennsylvania
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whoever wins Pennsylvania will probably win the presidency: according to The Economist’s forecast model it’s the most likely tipping point state. ...
The arc of war: a bloody week in Lebanon
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a matter of weeks the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah has transformed life in Lebanon. Our correspondent reports from the streets of Beirut. ...
Yuan for the money: China stimulates its economy
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After years of slowing growth, the Chinese government is finally attempting to bolster consumer demand, business confidence and the stock market. Our ...
Veep state: the running mates debate
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off against each in last night’s vice-presidential debate, our correspondent assesses their performance – ...
Ground assault: Israeli forces invade Lebanon
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Israeli troops move into Lebanon and missiles strike Damascus in Syria, can Israel’s next offensive really stay “limited, localised and targete...
Beirut force: Israel kills Hizbullah leader
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Yemen this weekend will have implications far beyond the militant groups that were the apparent targets. Our corresp...
The Weekend Intelligence: Crunch time for Ukraine
28 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ukraine’s President has been in New York this week. With a victory plan in his pocket, he’s been shoring up support at the UN and among Amer...
Woke croaks: “peak woke” has passed
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past decade a form of wokeness arose on the illiberal left, characterised by extreme pessimism about America and its capacity to make progres...
Missile-stop tour: Zelensky in America
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ukraine’s president is again on American shores, trying to secure support of all kinds. He needs it—diplomatically, militarily and politically. Am...
War or less? Lebanon on the brink
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For now, Israel’s moves seem to be posturing, a means to intimidate Hizbullah into backing down. But there remains a prospect of a ground invasion—...
No right left: Afghanistan’s oppressed women
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even before last month’s revised religious rules, Afghanistan’s women were being crushed under the Taliban’s thumb. Now they cannot even so much...
Shun while it lasted: never-Trumpers’ fading sway
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A handful of Republican leaders have been denouncing Donald Trump since his first presidential campaign. Will the voices of those who remain be heeded...
Bulls’ AI: funding artificial intelligence
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Intelligence has gained ground so fast that OpenAI, the firm powering ChatGPT, is changing Silicon Valley’s investment model and how it i...
Election rejection: fears of a contested result
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans are already preparing to contest the result if Kamala Harris wins the presidency. American elections demand patience and trust, but with D...
Rocketing: Israel escalates Lebanon conflict
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After Israeli fires rockets into Lebanon and Hizbullah warns of “red lines” crossed, the Middle East is braced for further attacks. As the planet ...
Fed-letter day: at last, a rate cut
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first reduction in interest rates for four years shows America’s Federal Reserve thinks inflation is now in check. But does the central bank’s...
Pager turn: the Israel-Hizbullah conflict escalates
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The explosion of thousands of pagers across Lebanon and Syria was an attack on Hizbullah, a Shia militant group which had been trying to evade Israeli...
Playing the fuel: reforming Nigeria’s subsidies
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Large fuel subsidies in Nigeria are popular but ruinous to other public services. Our correspondents report from Lagos on how home-grown oil refining ...
Foiled again: a second attempt on Trump
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With less than eight weeks to go to the presidential election, tension is running high after a second probable assassination attempt on Donald Trump. ...
Open to debate: Harris and Trump clash
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday night in Philadelphia Donald Trump and Kamala Harris took part in what might be the only debate between them in this campaign. The race is ...
Come on out, the vacuum’s fine: SpaceX
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Capsule that can withstand vacuum? Check. Low-pressure spacesuit? Check. Space-friendly Doritos? Check. The first spacewalk by private citizens showca...
Chip wreck: Intel is on the rocks
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of America’s stalwart tech giants is on the ropes, having first missed the move to mobile and then the one to AI. We ask what fate awaits it. Ou...
Don wan: Harris keeps Trump tame
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The vice-president turned in a confident if imperfect performance, leaving Donald Trump flustered. But will it change anything? A global shortfall of ...
Mario druthers: Draghi’s plan for Europe
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The EU’s unofficial chief technocrat issued a doorstop of a report outlining how the bloc can boost growth and keep up in a changing world. Is it al...
Plainly reigns but on a plane to Spain: Venezuela’s leader
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nicolás Maduro has stolen an election, again—but this time the rightful winner felt so threatened that he has fled to Spain. We ask what happens ne...
Grand Barnier: France’s new prime minister
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two months ago, French politics was thrown into crisis after a snap election left no party with a clear majority. Michel Barnier, the new prime minist...
Current affairs: how batteries will green the grid
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Though we use more renewable energy than ever before, electricity grids need ways to cope with intermittent wind or solar power. Innovations that make...
Beyond the bullets: we go to Ukraine
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We take a look at the grim conditions in and prospects for the frontlines in the country’s east and north. But not all of the fighting is military i...
The sound of fury: pressure builds within Israel
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The recovery of six hostages from Gaza has provoked mass demonstrations on the streets of Israel and a general strike. But Israel’s government refus...
Extremes come true: Germany’s far-right triumph
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hard right has taken Germany into uncharted territory, winning one state election and racking up a large share in another. The far left is on the ...
For whom the well tolls: Why we must price water
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Water scarcity is growing even in parts of the world that used to be drought-free. Since most countries waste vast quantities of water, charging...
Nvincible? What could curb Nvidia’s supremacy
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The American chip designer has become one of the world’s most valuable companies on the back of the AI revolution. But there are some contradictions...
Cryptic message: why arrest Telegram’s founder?
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Pavel Durov sits in a French cell waiting to find out if he will be charged, our correspondent probes the links between Telegram and Russia. What c...
Block busters: how Russia flouts sanctions
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the West has deployed massive economic restrictions on Russian trade. So why is Russia’s economy growing? A survivor’...
The chips are down: will diet drugs devour junk food?
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Snack-food companies have long shown their adaptability to changing diets. How could the rise of appetite-suppressing drugs and fears about ultra-proc...
The Weekend Intelligence: The war the world ignores
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Weekend Intelligence, Africa correspondent Tom Gardner tells the story of 21st century Sudan. A story bookended by war. Darfur,...
KamaChameleon: What does Harris stand for?
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After an electric week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Kamala Harris now faces the real test in her bid to be president. Can she con...
Electric eye: AI is helping fight terrorists
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Predicting political violence is a painstaking job. Now AI is helping analysts look for clues and throwing up fascinating insights into the shifts tha...
The human strain: can mpox be contained?
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mpox is spreading fast across Africa, yet public information campaigns are scant and vaccines in short supply. Is a new pandemic in the offing? Strate...
Byte by byte: Iran and Israel’s escalating cyberwar
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While many people fear the risk of a wider war breaking out in the Middle East, a parallel battle is already ongoing – in the digital sphere. Can Ch...
Hail Harris: the Democratic convention begins
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Democrats convene in Chicago, polls suggest Kamala Harris is ahead by a whisker in the US presidential race. Can the party sustain the momentum? In...
Landing padded: the global-recession risk
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation, interest rates and jobless numbers are on healthy trends; markets are gaining back ground. As the spectre of global recession fades we ask ...
One peace at a time: Gaza, Israel and Iran
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peace talks in Doha have a chance at progress even in Hamas’s absence. The outcome could determine the scope of Iran’s promised retaliations again...
Bait the hook! Fishing in the global talent pool
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Skilled immigrants bring more than just their expertise to job markets. But governments miss opportunities to attract them—or make them feel entirel...
AIOU: what if the AI boom busts?
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Corporate investment in artificial-intelligence infrastructure reaches $1.4trn by some estimates. We ask what might threaten the expected windfalls th...
The boot is on the other foot: Ukraine’s surprise incursion
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Part of Russia is under foreign control for the first time since the second world war. We ask about the strategy behind the surprise raid—which may ...
Expelling mistake: the costs of hardline immigration policy
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The rich world is experiencing record migrant flows—and the attendant social upheaval. Finding immigration policies that are not economically ruinou...
Arrivals haul: anti-tourism’s folly
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tourists are getting decidedly less-warm welcomes in popular spots, but blunt anti-tourism policies are self-defeating. We look at how to maintain ben...
Walz onto the stage: Kamala Harris’s VP pick
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Walz, a folksy Midwesterner who came late to politics, is on the Democratic ticket. We ask how he got there and whether he was the best tactical p...
More than Sheikh could stick at: Bangladesh’s PM resigns
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sheikh Hasina, who led the country for 20 of the past 28 years with an increasingly authoritarian grip, was ultimately undone by student protests that...
Enter staged right: misinformation feeds Britain’s riots
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the...
Tense exchange: Russia’s prisoner swap
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest exchange of prisoners between Russia and the West since the Cold War included opposition leaders, journalists and prisoners of conscience....
Yuan direction: Chinese firms head south
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As domestic demand in China slows, and the West puts up trade and political barriers, Chinese firms are shifting their focus to poorer parts of the wo...
Struck out: A Hamas leader is assassinated
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, what are the prospects for ceasefire talks in the region? In Venezuela Nicolas Maduro ...
Down to the wires: Africa’s digital lag
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The dearth of fixed-line infrastructure that allowed the continent to leapfrog into the mobile-phone age now holds it back. We ask how to ensure the e...
Warpath: Israel vows revenge on Hizbullah
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After an airstrike killed 12 children in Israel-controlled territory at the weekend, retaliation in Lebanon seems inevitable. The end result could be ...
Field of streams: sports viewing changes
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the Olympics begin, more people than ever will be watching via streaming services. We examine the changing viewing habits transforming sport’s ro...
Bibi talk: a speech light on detail
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone hoping to glean hints of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans for the Gaza war and its aftermath will have been disappointed: it was a p...
Destruction instruction: Western armies learn from Gaza
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From tunnels to tanks to drones, Gaza’s horrors provide object lessons in urban warfare. We ask what Western forces will be learning about their own...
Keep Kamala and carry on: Harris’s smooth route
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A day is a long time in American politics: Kamala Harris has reportedly already secured the votes to become Democrats’ presidential nominee, a pile ...
Joe of good faith: Biden bows out
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden has at last succumbed to the pressure to step aside and has endorsed his vice-president, Kamala Harris. We ask how things should progress fr...
Dicky birds: the next pandemic?
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The scars of the covid pandemic are still raw, but now a virus spreading among farm animals could leap to humans. Could bird flu become the next pande...
Veep show: America meets J.D. Vance
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
J.D. Vance was largely unknown in American politics until Donald Trump picked him as his running-mate for vice-president. Last night he gave his first...
Food for thought: raising the world’s IQ
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you don’t have enough food in the first 1,000 days of your life, your brain may never reach its full potential. Our correspondent discusses what ...
Lost in stagnation? Japan’s economic paradox
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After decades of torpor, is Japan recovering its dynamism? Our correspondent turns to an ancient bento box merchant to test Japan’s economic future....
An assassination attempt: what next for America?
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After the shocking attempt to kill former President Donald Trump, how will America respond? Though leaders have called for calm, the risk is that an a...
An officer and a gen AI: the future of war
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence is already making a difference in the theatre of war, and more involvement will certainly come. That raises a host of thorny e...
Bidin’: will Joe go or no?
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats’ worried murmurs have become public statements. Polls give Donald Trump a widening lead. Why won’t President Biden make way for a younge...
Change of heart surgeon: Iran’s reformist president
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Masoud Pezeshkian rode to victory on a promise of reforms that Iran’s people seem desperately to want. Will the former heart surgeon be permitted to...
Holey alliance: NATO’s worries at 75
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was formed to unite the world’s strongest countries and preserve peace, but as NATO holds a celebration summit for its 75th anniversary, it faces...
Lurch in the left: France’s election shock
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A tactical ploy to diminish the chances for Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally has worked—a surprise result that puts the left in front, bu...
Boom! Episode 1: 1968 - Born to be wild
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are two old, unpopular men the main candidates for the world’s most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US...
Starming victory: Labour sweeps to power
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Britain has elected a Labour government for the first time in 14 years. The party inherits a spattered legacy and a country that is often seen as a la...
1. 1968 - Born to be wild
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The generation born in the 1940s grew up in a land of endless growth and possibility, ruled by a confident, moderate elite. But just as they were emba...
Leader of the package: Amazon turns 30
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It has changed our lives and become one of the world’s most valuable companies. As Amazon turns 30, what comes next? Education is key to social mobi...
Trailer: Boom!
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? The answer lies in the peculiar politics of the generation born in t...
Degree programme: stopping heat deaths
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, they exacerbate existing inequalities. The poor, sick and elderly are particularly vulnerable. How shou...
Trailer: Boom!
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets...
Rule and divide: Donald Trump is judged immune
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The US Supreme Court has granted the former President immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office. We ask what that means fo...
Trailer: Boom!
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets...
Bet noir: Macron’s electoral gamble backfires
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marine Le Pen’s far-right party made great gains in the first round of France’s parliamentary election. The left did too. We ask what this means f...
The Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain
29 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If s...
Debate and switch? Biden’s stumble
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
America’s president had one primary task at last night’s debate: to close down speculation about his mental faculties. It went so poorly his whole...
Labour-saving: Britain’s probable next leader
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After 14 years in opposition, Britain’s Labour Party is on track for a comprehensive win in next week’s general election. We profile Keir Starmer,...
Pier pressure: a visit to Gaza’s aid platform
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our correspondents were the first media to see the American-built JLOTS pier, intended for aid deliveries into Gaza. Things have not at all gone to pl...
Spring a leaker: Assange goes free
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Julian Assange is released from prison our correspondent reflects on how the work of Wikileaks changed whistleblowing in the internet era, for good...
Rocketing science: China’s newest superpower
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After decades as a scientific also-ran, China is becoming a superpower particularly in the physical sciences. We examine the risks and opportunities t...
Argentina turning? Milei’s surprising political success
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since his election last year, President Javier Milei has enjoyed some economic and political wins in Argentina. But his toughest fight is yet to come....
Empire of the sun: a solar power revolution
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No energy source has ever increased as fast as solar photovoltaics. The technology will transform humanity’s energy consumption–even when the sun ...
French fried: will the election lead to chaos?
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Both the left and right are likely to do well in France’s upcoming parliamentary poll, with President Emmanuel Macron’s party squeezed in the midd...
Heir tight: why boomers are so stingy
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The post-war generation reaped the benefits of peace and prosperity. Yet rather than spend that bounty, retired boomers are hoarding their riches–an...
Sudan impact: the war the world forgot
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Much of Sudan has already collapsed into chaos. Now a crucial city may fall, the United Nations is belatedly scrambling to avert a bloodbath. Gary Lin...
Fight for his party to the right: Nigel Farage
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Britain’s pint-sipping rabble-rouser of the right has joined the campaigning ahead of a general election. Win or lose, he will make an impact. Ameri...