Tocqueville Road Trip: 1. Game of chance

Far Crimea: war comes to Russia’s door

Ukraine is intensifying cross-border attacks [https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/06/23/russias-crimean-conquest-is-turning-into-a-deadly-mess?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 a strategic and psychological effort to make ordinary Russians take notice of the war. We have been collecting reports from the ground on shifting attitudes as occupied Crimea comes under fire. Why the valuation of Elon Musk’s SpaceX [https://www.economist.com/business/2026/06/12/the-value-of-spacex-rockets-on-its-stock-market-debut?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] affects us all. And celebrating the life of former Fed chair Alan Greenspan [https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/06/22/alan-greenspan-was-a-maestro-of-monetary-policy?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]. Guests and host: * Matt Steinglass, Europe editor * Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent * Ann Wroe, obituaries editor * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Ukraine, Crimea, Zelensky, Putin * SpaceX, Elon Musk, trillionaire, valuation * Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve, monetary policy 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. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Fear-jerker: America’s AI backlash

Americans are becoming more anxious about how artificial intelligence will affect jobs, society and even human existence. Republican and Democrat voters are unusually united in their concerns. Divorce rates [https://www.economist.com/china/2026/04/16/soaring-numbers-of-chinese-women-demand-divorce?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] are rising in China and the Communist party cannot stop them. And the politics of air-conditioning [https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/06/18/europeans-should-learn-to-love-the-air-conditioner?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 a scorching Europe. Guests and host: * Robert Guest, Economist deputy editor * Sarah Wu, China correspondent * Lane Greene, senior digital editor * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence” * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence” Topics covered:  * Artificial intelligence, midterms, Alex Bores * Divorce, China, fertility * Heatwaves, Europe, air-conditioning  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. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Trailer: Tocqueville Road Trip

When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in America” was a big influence on later generations of writers and thinkers, including The Economist’s US Editor John Prideaux. Now, 250 years after its birth, the vitality of that democracy is under question. In this series, John retraces the route Tocqueville took to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville about America remains—and how worried we should be about what’s changed. Out now Find the show on The Economist app [https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/tocqueville-road-trip ] | On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/033sAPzye5yNrP6vNTPrvB] | On other apps [https://econ.st/4esGGXw] On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/tocqueville-road-trip-from-the-economist/id1896918330 [ https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/tocqueville-road-trip-from-the-economist/id1896918330 ] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Missing peace: will Israel imperil Iran deal?

Our correspondent joins an embed in Lebanon [https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/06/21/will-israel-undermine-americas-peace-with-iran?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 Israel claims that Hizbullah’s continued strength justifies its campaign. If Israel’s goals diverge from America’s, how does this affect peace talks over the Iran conflict? The impact of the oncoming “Godzilla" El Niño [https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/16/the-coming-el-nino-could-be-the-strongest-ever-recorded?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 why Japan’s popular princess will never take the throne. Guests and host: * Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent * Catherine Brahic, environment editor * Moeka Iida, East Asia correspondent * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Lebanon, Hizbullah, IDF, Majdal Zoun * El Niño, climate change, famine * Japan, Naruhito, Aiko, Princess Toshi 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. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Trailer: Tocqueville Road Trip

When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in America” was a big influence on later generations of writers and thinkers, including The Economist’s US Editor John Prideaux. Now, 250 years after its birth, the vitality of that democracy is under question. In this series, John retraces the route Tocqueville took to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville about America remains—and how worried we should be about what’s changed. Out now Find the show on The Economist app [https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/tocqueville-road-trip] | On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/033sAPzye5yNrP6vNTPrvB] | On other apps [https://econ.st/4esGGXw] On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/tocqueville-road-trip-from-the-economist/id1896918330 [https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/tocqueville-road-trip-from-the-economist/id1896918330] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.