podcast

The Intelligence from The Economist

by The Economist

Maria-view mirror: asking Venezuelans what they want now

15.01.2026 • 00:20:44

As Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, meets with President Donald Trump, we talk through our exclusive polling on what the country w...

Independence Jay? Inflation and attacks on the Fed

14.01.2026 • 00:23:54

More inflation numbers, more jabs by President Donald Trump at Jay Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman. We ask what the Fed is doing, should be doing...

Lowering the steaks: a Mercosur deal at last

13.01.2026 • 00:23:01

From Argentinian beef to German cars, a freshly inked deal between the EU and a bloc of South American countries should ease trade barriers—and is a s...

Strike fear: Iran’s protests and Israel

12.01.2026 • 00:26:37

Each country fears an attack from the other: Iran may wish to distract from internal conflict, Israel to exploit it. In an interview with Prime Minist...

Shah caller: Iran’s protests are different this time

09.01.2026 • 00:27:33

Demonstrations are growing once again—but this time the message is notably different, and the regime has little means available to calm tensions. Wher...

Oil pressure: America’s tanker seizures

08.01.2026 • 00:22:43

It had real dramatic elements: a (slow) chase scene, faked locations, a literal false flag, a daring helicopter descent. But what is the broader pictu...

In the line of fires: LA’s ashen suburbs one year on

07.01.2026 • 00:24:16

We return to the Los Angeles suburbs that were consumed by wildfires a year ago. The varying rebuilding efforts reveal divides in wealth, but also str...

Xi’s not there: what China’s Venezuela response reveals

06.01.2026 • 00:20:12

The countries have a decades-long relationship—debt freely given in one direction and plenty of oil sold in the other. Yet America’s intervention has ...

Nicolás caged: what next for Venezuela?

05.01.2026 • 00:24:48

America’s National Security Strategy, released a month ago, suggested the administration’s focus was on dominance of the western hemisphere. But no on...

State of the art: Chinese market flounders

02.01.2026 • 00:21:41

Property wealth in China turbo-charged investment in art. Now house prices have crashed, art sales may follow. Are Britons really leaving the country ...