The Intelligence

The detainment of King Charles’s brother is almost without precedent in Britain’s long royal history. He denies wrongdoing, but damage to “The Firm” is already assured. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have fallen into a very public spat that may have grave implications far beyond the region. And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of Jesse Jackson.Guests and host:Sonny Loughran, Britain writerGregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondentAnn Wroe, Obituaries editorJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Britain’s royal family, Jeffrey EpsteinSaudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, diplomacyJesse JacksonGet a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s ex-president, has been handed a life sentence for insurrection. That is by no means the end of the story of division in the country. Nervous AI-watchers fret about which workers might be replaced; our analysis suggests white-collar workers can breathe easy. And the memoir of Gisèle Pelicot, a rape survivor turned global symbol of strength.Guests and hosts:Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chiefAlex Domash, economics correspondentAlexandra Suich Bass, Culture editorRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: South Korea, Yoon Suk YeolAI, white-collar jobsGisèle Pelicot, memoirGet a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Income inequality abounds and today’s rich are staggeringly rich, implying that tax regimes are giving the wealthy more and more of a pass. Our dig into the numbers suggests the opposite. We ask why so many of the world’s international mercenaries hail from Colombia. And despite the signs, Spanish may be reaching its peak in America.Guests and hosts:Callum Williams, senior economics writerCarla Subirana, news editorLane Greene, senior digital editorRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Taxation, welfare state, inequalityColombia, international mercenariesSpanishGet a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many scientists are considering the notion of actively cooling the region that is warming fastest. We examine the merits and the risks—both environmental and geopolitical—of messing with the polar climate. We ask why the kind of gig economy that has struggled in many markets is booming in India. And an unsettling peek into the first social network for AI agents.Guests and hosts:Oliver Morton, senior editorCatherine Brahic, environment editorKira Huju, Asia correspondentAlex Hern, AI writerRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: The Arctic, climate change, geoengineeringIndia, gig economyAgentic AI, social networking, MoltbookGet a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 editorTom Wainwright, media editorTom Standage, deputy editor of The EconomistTopics covered: The Epstein filesSocial-media bans“Blouge” wineGet a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 correspondentPiotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondentJon Fasman, senior culture correspondentTopics covered: Hedging against an AI bubbleTurkey after ErdoganObituary of literary agent Georges BorchardtListen 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 correspondentClaire McQue, Latin America writerSonny Loughran, Britain writerTopics covered: Ukraine peace prospectsColombia’s war on drugsCrime in LondonListen 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 writerOliver Morton, senior editorShera Avi-Yonah, business writerTopics covered: Bangladesh’s electionAstrobiologyHow AI changes job recruitmentListen 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 editorStevie Hertz, US policy correspondentAryn Braun, West Coast corrrespondentTopics covered: Keir Starmer’s political futureAssisted dying in AmericaThe sport of skijoring  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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 chiefRebecca Jackson, Southern correspondentAndrew Miller, author of The Economist’s Back Story column on cultureTopics covered: Japan’s electionUniversity censorship in AmericaFifty years of “Taxi Driver”For more on Japan’s economy, listen to last week’s episode of Money TalksListen 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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”.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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.  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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Narendra Modi’s setback in the 2024 Indian elections, many thought his star was falling. Our correspondent explains the surprising resurgence of popular support. Why pushing your child to specialise may not be the best way to nurture their genius. And what the departure of pandas from Japan says about the country’s relationship with China.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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can AI do my job? How should employees and bosses be using the technology right now? And how should all of us prepare for the future?Andrew Palmer returns for a third season of Boss Class. This time it’s all about AI. In the first episode, he starts introducing AI into his daily work routines, and receives a nasty shock.To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plusIf you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.In this episode, Andrew asks Claude, a generative AI programme, to write his management column for him. You can find Andrew’s column here and Claude’s version here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the streets of Minneapolis, in polls and in the halls of Congress, disapproval of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda is mounting. Democrats won a near-term battle on funding—for now—but a wider war awaits. Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, appears to be positioning his daughter ever more visibly as his successor. And remembering Mark Tully, a veteran BBC correspondent in India. Get a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the smoke of a murderous crackdown clears, Iranians have hardened into two camps. Moderates and reformists are out; a sense of looming civil war is in. As America nears its 250th birthday, we launch our series examining the highlights and low points of its history. And why the wild playground popularity of the song “Sigma Boy” is so worrisome.Get a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of the continent’s populist-right leaders once saw President Donald Trump as an example-setting fellow traveller. But his actions and policies on Venezuela, Greenland and Canada have them pulling back. Dating apps from the West failed to make inroads in India; now the country has its own crop of them. And scientific spying in the jungle reveals where predators hunt.Get a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two men under investigation are in the army’s highest echelon, and are some of President Xi Jinping’s closest counsel. We examine the probable motives for a surprising purge. In Ukraine’s freezing capital thousands upon thousands of people suffer unpredictable cuts to electricity, heat, even water; we ask them how they cope. And why Strava is leading the fitness-app footrace.Get a world of insights by subscribing 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.