The Intelligence from The Economist

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

We return to the Los Angeles suburbs that were consumed by wildfires a year ago. The varying rebuilding efforts [https://www.economist.com/interactive/united-states/2025/12/30/los-angeles-after-the-flames?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] reveal divides in wealth, but also strains in California’s insurance industry. Never mind the AI job apocalypse, if it comes: the technology will create plenty of new roles [https://www.economist.com/business/2025/12/14/job-apocalypse-humbug-ai-is-creating-brand-new-occupations?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], too. And why “peak wine [https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2025/11/12/the-world-has-hit-peak-wine?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]” may be a good thing for sippers of the fine kind. 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. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

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

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 served as a reality check [https://www.economist.com/china/2026/01/05/americas-raid-on-venezuela-reveals-the-limits-of-chinas-reach?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] on China’s power in Venezuela and elsewhere. Our World Ahead series examines the risks to the American dollar [https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2025/11/12/the-dollars-dominance-is-being-challenged-more-and-more?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 global reserve currency. And pricey handbags ain’t built [https://www.economist.com/business/2025/12/18/luxury-handbags-may-be-shoddier-than-you-think?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] like they used to be. 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. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Nicolás caged: what next for Venezuela?

America’s National Security Strategy, released a month ago, suggested the administration’s focus was on dominance of the western hemisphere. But no one expected its first move would be a special-forces raid [https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/01/03/how-the-pentagon-snatched-nicolas-maduro?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 depose President Nicolás Maduro. What is next comes with grave risks [https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/01/04/the-many-risks-to-donald-trumps-plans-to-run-venezuela?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 the video-games business wants to escape its rut by finding whole new markets [https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2025/11/12/as-spending-stalls-the-video-gaming-industry-is-searching-for-growth?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]—geographically and demographically. 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. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

State of the art: Chinese market flounders

Property wealth in China turbo-charged investment in art [https://www.economist.com/china/2025/12/30/how-chinas-property-crisis-helped-crash-its-art-market?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]. Now house prices have crashed, art sales may follow. Are Britons really leaving the country [https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/12/04/are-brits-really-leaving-the-country-in-droves?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 droves? And our obituaries editor on the death of the American cent [https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2025/11/12/farewell-to-the-american-penny?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] coin. 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.

What in the world: predictions for 2026

The editor of our annual “World Ahead [https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2025/11/10/tom-standages-ten-trends-to-watch-in-2026?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]” publication predicts the themes and events that will dominate the headlines in 2026, from geopolitics to tech. He also admits what we got wrong last year. And The Economist launched its first podcast [https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts?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] 20 years ago. We chart the evolution of audio, from a basement broom cupboard to today’s bountiful offerings. 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.