Economist Podcasts

Sarah Birke, The Economist’s Caribbean bureau chief, unpacks Cuba’s deepening economic collapse, from blackouts and shortages to fears of chaos and talk of reform. Natasha Loder, health editor, and Tim Cross, senior science writer, explore the online peptide boom, influencer hype and regulatory gaps. Ann Wroe, obituaries editor, reflects on Chuck Norris’s unlikely path from shy boy to macho myth.

Tom Wainwright, The Economist’s media editor, unpacks a landmark California ruling against Meta and Google over addictive platform design. Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor, maps the maritime chokepoints that can snarl global trade and fuel conflict. Alex Selby-Boothroyd, head of data journalism, explores why animated films have become box-office juggernauts.

Anshel Pfeffer, Israeli journalist and author, joins Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent behind Scam Inc., and Jon Fasman, culture writer on books and ideas. They dig into whether America and Israel now want different outcomes on Iran, how crypto is becoming a payments rail across Asia while aiding scammers, and why mafias evolved with states, markets and pop culture.

Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief covering regional politics and security, unpacks the fast-rising Afghanistan-Pakistan clash, the TTP threat and whether the Iran war could cool tensions. Joshua Roberts, a markets correspondent, tracks how oil shocks can reignite inflation fears. Caitlin Talbot, a digital-culture reporter, explores why listening parties are reshaping album rollouts.

Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, maps Donald Trump’s grim choices in Iran as war risks widening. Alizée Jean-Baptiste, an Asia senior podcasts producer, reports on Thailand’s scandal-hit Buddhist monkhood, where money, status and hierarchy complicate reform. Plus, a look at gene-edited fruit and the strange future of seedless, stoneless produce.

Gareth Browne, a Beirut-based Middle East correspondent, tracks Israel’s calculations, Hizbullah’s weakness and Lebanon’s struggle to reclaim sovereignty. Sue-Lin Wong, an Asia correspondent covering politics and society, explores why Islam is becoming more central in public life across South-East Asia. There is also a brief tribute to philosopher Jürgen Habermas.

Rebecca Jackson, The Economist’s Southern correspondent, and Piotr Zalewski, its Turkey correspondent, dive into Trump’s risky Iran war gamble, why a weaker president could turn more volatile, and how Erdogan’s regional influence helps hide democratic decline. They also explore Ekrem Imamoglu’s trial and the strange American backlash against delivery robots.

Simon Wright, an industry editor tracking business trends, digs into how the war in Iran is scrambling Gulf aviation, from cancelled flights and costly rerouting to pressure on fares. Shera Avi-Yonah, a business writer on tech and companies, explores why AI could unsettle the mighty PDF. There is also a look at fake meat’s fading appeal and the hype crash behind it.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest industrialist, joins Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, an Africa correspondent, and Aryn Braun, a West Coast correspondent. They dig into Nigeria’s vast new refinery, its promise and monopoly risks, and what it means for African industry. Then they visit Los Angeles’s Iranian diaspora, where politics, identity and war fatigue collide. Finally, they explore research linking cancer diagnoses to crime.

Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, tracks how the Strait of Hormuz could turn the Iran conflict into a wider regional crisis. Don Weinland, China business and finance editor, explores China’s humanoid-robot boom and why the machines are still mostly showpieces. Harry Taunton, audience editor, dives into the science of power naps and the best timing for a midday snooze.