Economist Podcasts

The Weekend Intelligence: Mise en masse
Nov 29, 2025 · 46:11

Chef Gary Thomas has a lot on his plate. That’s because he’s in the business of feeding thousands of people a day on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Not just any ship – the Star of the Seas, the largest cruise ship i…

Fire, then fury: Hong Kong’s deadly blaze
Nov 28, 2025 · 28:39

The dead are still being found; the displaced huddle in public spaces. Who or what will be blamed, and what policies will change after the tragedy? We visit Georgia, where protests have now lasted a year, probing the di…

Growth negligence: Britain’s budget
Nov 27, 2025 · 22:46

The tax-and-spend plan was fine-tuned to avoid immediate political jeopardy. But it will do little to help Britain’s chronic growth problem, and is likely to erode further the political centre. We meet with Yogi Adityan…

Party likes it 1959: Cuba in crisis
Nov 26, 2025 · 23:15

The country’s Communist Party leadership continues to cling to old ideals amid on-again, off-again diplomacy with America—and the people’s suffering only deepens. Britain is making the most of its advantages in the burg…

Trailer: Drum Tower
Nov 26, 2025 · 2:00

Gain a deeper understanding of China with Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu. The Economist’s China correspondents report from across the country and the places it influences beyond its borders. Jiehao Chen joins the discussion f…

Wage against the machine: the distortions of minimum pay
Nov 25, 2025 · 22:16

For decades governments have found minimum-wage rises a politically expedient means of redistribution. But the onward economic distortions have at last become clear. Of course AI can write a faster cover letter — perhap…

Emission creep: a contentious COP closes
Nov 24, 2025 · 25:51

It is telling and troubling that the annual climate talking-shop’s outcome did not even mention fossil fuels. We ask whether the COP process is still fit for purpose. Cryptocurrencies could be heading for an almighty fa…

Flee country: Britain seeks to slash migration
Nov 21, 2025 · 23:22

Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed a big shift in immigration policy this week. Our correspondent explains Labour’s reforms – and the reasoning behind them. Why military spy balloons are making a com…

War graft: scandal engulfs Ukraine
Nov 20, 2025 · 25:24

Pentagon officials are meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss a Russia-US peace proposal Ukraine had no part in writing. That merely adds pressure as a giant corruption crisis is already embroiling top …

Crown prince arming: Trump sells jets to MBS
Nov 19, 2025 · 21:55

Muhammad bin Salman’s first visit to the White House in seven years earned the Saudi crown prince new weapons, giant tech deals and a burnished reputation. Our correspondent explains Trump’s warm welcome. Why gay rights…

After Sheikh: what next for Bangladesh?
Nov 18, 2025 · 19:22

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, has been sentenced to death for  crimes against humanity. The country is at a pivotal moment as it heads towards parliamentary elections next year. Donald Trump ho…

Gang-buster: Can Sheinbaum beat Mexico crime?
Nov 17, 2025 · 25:00

This weekend, thousands of people protested in Mexico City about violent crime. But our correspondent notes that the government has had some success in confronting drug gangs and cutting homicides. Three years ago Japan…

Toil and rubble: who will rebuild Gaza?
Nov 14, 2025 · 23:57

After two years of war, over 80% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed. Our correspondent assesses various plans for reconstruction. Do large lay-offs in American firms mean AI is coming for white-collar jobs? An…

Opening punch: Shutdown ends, now more Epstein emails
Nov 13, 2025 · 23:14

Last night Donald Trump finally managed to end the longest federal government shutdown in history. But, amid a new release of emails relating to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the political storm continues. Why A…

The little green look: China’s energy revolution
Nov 12, 2025 · 22:27

America has boycotted this week’s COP climate talks, but China has sent a giant delegation. The world’s biggest polluter is increasingly pivotal to tackling global warming. Why young protesters around the world brandish…

Home alone: the relationship recession
Nov 11, 2025 · 24:34

People are spurning marriage and any other kind of romantic relationship in record numbers. Our correspondents explore the non-dating market. The rise of AI companions could also have profound implications for society. …

British Broadcasting Capitulation: BBC bosses fall
Nov 10, 2025 · 24:33

The BBC’s director-general and head of news have resigned amid accusations of institutional bias. Can the broadcaster recover its reputation? Ukrainian prisoners-of-war speak of torture and beatings in Russian detention…

Heir Jordan: the rising star of France’s populist right
Nov 7, 2025 · 25:59

Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally party, has a stonking lead in voting-intention polls. His plans, our correspondent says, would put France on a collision course with the rest of Europe. We examine a new…

Recall of duty? Trump’s tariffs in court
Nov 6, 2025 · 25:15

Just as soon as President Donald Trump started applying sweeping tariffs on trading partners, legal challenges to them started piling up. We listen in on the Supreme Court proceedings that might end them. America’s gend…

Into the blue: Democrats win big
Nov 5, 2025 · 24:31

In the first electoral test of Donald Trump’s second term, Democrat supporters voted in a socialist mayor of New York and governors to New York and Virginia. What does this mean for next year’s midterms? Democracy in Tu…

Episodes

More like this

Comments