The Intelligence from The Economist podcast

The Intelligence from The Economist

Get a daily burst of illumination from The Economist’s worldwide network of correspondents. Our reporters dig past the headlines to get to the stories beneath—and to stories that aren’t making headlines, but should be. A unique perspective on the issues and events shaping your world. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at [http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence] (www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence) . If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) at [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts)

Get a daily burst of illumination from The Economist’s worldwide network of correspondents. Our reporters dig past the headlines to get to the stories beneath—and to stories that aren’t making headlines, but should be. A unique perspective on the issues and events shaping your world. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at [http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence] (www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence) . If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) at [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts)

 

#1551

Country of the year: The Economist picks

In the past 12 months, there has been no lack of news. Editors at The Economist have picked their way through the rubble to uncover some optimism: [which country] (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/12/19/the-economists-country-of-the-year-for-2024?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) has seen the greatest improvement this year? After fierce debate, the decision is conclusive. And our correspondent joins an unusual rescue mission: the [pet railroad] (https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2024/12/19/a-network-of-volunteers-is-rescuing-dogs-and-cats-by-bringing-them-north?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) to a new life (17:00). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— [Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

Yesterday

27 MINS

27:53

Yesterday


#1550

Between Estonia and a hard place: NATO meets

At the icy border between Russia and Estonia, the anxieties of NATO member states are clear, our correspondent reports. Leaders there have been debating [defence spending] (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/12/12/europeans-are-hoping-they-can-buy-more-guns-but-keep-their-butter?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) and worrying about America shifting its support. Young people are seeking out spirituality on their phones (9:43). And why the iconic [Californian condor] (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/04/the-unsteady-comeback-of-the-california-condor?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) is under threat (16:47). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— [Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

19 Dec 2024

23 MINS

23:40

19 Dec 2024


#1549

Mass graves: revealing Syria’s horror

Ten days after the fall of Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, the full [brutality of his rule] (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/09/inside-bashar-al-assads-dungeons?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) is being uncovered. Our correspondent travels to a site near Damascus, thought to be a giant mass grave. Will France’s [new prime minister] (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/12/13/emmanuel-macron-has-yet-another-stab-at-finding-a-prime-minister?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) restore stability (14:37)? And The Economist’s guide to the [ best films of 2024] (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/11/08/the-best-films-of-2024-as-chosen-by-the-economist?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (21:28). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— [Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

18 Dec 2024

29 MINS

29:09

18 Dec 2024


#1548

Scholz fired: Germany calls snap election

After [Olaf Scholz] (https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2024/12/13/what-to-expect-after-germanys-confidence-vote?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) , Germany’s chancellor, lost a confidence vote in parliament yesterday, Germany is preparing for a snap election. Urban waste is a [growing problem] (https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/12/12/how-to-clean-up-indias-filthy-cities?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) in India; our trash-talking correspondent visits one of the few cities that have tackled it (9:49). And [Fortnum & Mason’s] (https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/12/05/fortnum-and-mason-caters-to-a-demand-for-festive-fun?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) festive fancies help it buck the trend of failing department stores (17:06). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— [Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

17 Dec 2024

21 MINS

21:57

17 Dec 2024


#1547

Off-side: Georgians reject new president

This weekend, the ruling Georgian Dream party elected a new president – but only one name was on the ballot. That sparked further street protests, as our correspondent reports. Why a new US administration will find it hard to [cut costs at NASA] (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/12/05/nasa-is-an-obvious-target-for-elon-musks-axe?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (12:19). And the enduring appeal of [the martini] (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/09/19/how-the-martini-became-the-worlds-most-iconic-cocktail?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (19:42). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— [Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

16 Dec 2024

26 MINS

26:43

16 Dec 2024


#1546

Minds blown: are we getting dumber?

Many [adults perform worse] (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/12/12/can-you-read-as-well-as-a-ten-year-old?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? [Russia’s economy] (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/11/18/vladimir-putin-is-in-a-painful-economic-bind?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, [Shalom Nagar] (https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/12/11/shalom-nagar-was-picked-by-lottery-to-kill-adolf-eichmann?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (14:00). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— [Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

13 Dec 2024

21 MINS

21:52

13 Dec 2024


#1545

Intel in slide: a chipmaker on the ropes

Layoffs, suspended dividends, a share price in free fall, a chief executive hustled out the door: Intel is in [a bad way] (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/12/02/intels-troubles-deepen-as-its-boss-makes-an-abrupt-exit?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) . But America needs a chipmaking champion, so what will save it? We examine a legally pioneering International Criminal Court case alleging cross-border crimes against humanity (10:31). And how the internet is changing the way people think about [food and cooking] (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/11/29/what-do-feta-cucumbers-and-cottage-cheese-have-in-common?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (19:40). Get a world of insights by [subscribing to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

12 Dec 2024

25 MINS

25:32

12 Dec 2024


#1544

Bye, cell: inside a notorious Syrian prison

As Syrians awoke to a new era, thousands rushed to fling open the [dark, filthy prisons] (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/09/inside-bashar-al-assads-dungeons?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) where Bashar al-Assad locked up dissenters. Our correspondent followed along. The first of our two-part series on spirituality reveals a lucrative nexus of DIY enlightenment and tourism (9:13). And the [stumbles] (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/26/is-this-the-greatest-ever-premier-league-season?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) of Manchester City, a once-invincible side in England’s Premier League (15:27). Get a world of insights by [subscribing to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

11 Dec 2024

20 MINS

20:06

11 Dec 2024


#1543

Bringing up Bibi: Netanyahu testifies

For five years the prospect of a criminal prosecution has loomed over Binyamin Netanyahu. Today he becomes the first Israeli prime minister to testify as a defendant. A shocking fraction of master’s degrees confer no financial benefit—and may even leave degree-holders [worse off] (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/11/21/too-many-masters-courses-are-expensive-and-flaky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (10:43). And our staff share their picks for the [best books of 2024] (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/11/22/the-best-books-of-2024-as-chosen-by-the-economist?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (16:58). Get a world of insights by [subscribing to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

10 Dec 2024

23 MINS

23:29

10 Dec 2024


#1542

Peace from pieces: Syria after Assad

President Bashar al-Assad has been run out, his regime in tatters. As Syrians awaken to a new era, how can they put their broken country [back together] (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/08/who-will-rule-syria-now-the-assad-regime-has-been-toppled?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) peacefully? Australia has passed a law that will ban under-16s from social media: [a bold move] (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/12/05/can-teenagers-outwit-australias-social-media-ban?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) , but a tricky one to implement (10:21). And how “Dungeons & Dragons” jumped from nerd culture [to popular culture] (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/12/06/how-did-dungeons-and-dragons-win?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (19:38). Get a world of insights by [subscribing to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

09 Dec 2024

26 MINS

26:21

09 Dec 2024


#1541

Ashes to Masses: Notre Dame’s stunning return

Many thought a five-year timeline was too ambitious. But even as France’s politics falls apart, it has managed to put the cathedral back together [with aplomb] (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/11/29/emmanuel-macron-shows-off-the-gloriously-restored-notre-dame-to-the-world?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) . As an election takes place in Ghana, its status as a leading light of African democracy is [looking shaky] (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/05/ghana-africas-model-democracy-is-losing-its-sheen?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (10:11). And remembering [John Kinsel] (https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/12/05/john-kinsel-used-his-own-language-to-fool-the-japanese?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) , among the last of the second world war’s Navajo code-talkers (17.44). Get a world of insights by [subscribing to Economist Podcasts+] (https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus) . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our [FAQs page] (https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts) or watch [our video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY) explaining how to link your account. ... Read more

06 Dec 2024

24 MINS

24:47

06 Dec 2024