The Intelligence from The Economist

A jury in California agreed with a plaintiff who argued that Meta and Google, two social-media giants, designed their platforms to be addictive. That opens the floodgates to more litigation and perhaps to regulatory change. We examine the world’s maritime chokepoints and how they shape geopolitics—littorally, not figuratively. And how digitally animated films came to dominate the box office.

Guests and host:
Tom Wainwright, media editor
Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
Alex Selby-Boothroyd, head of data journalism
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:
social-media sites, internet use, online addiction
geopolitics, chokepoints, Strait of Hormuz
animated films

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In the daily tea leaves one might read that President Donald Trump would prefer a deal with Iran to a continuing military campaign. Where would that leave Israel and its goals? Cryptocurrencies have gained a particular foothold in Asian economies; will they become real financial infrastructure or just tools of fraud? And tracing the history of mafias through the ages.

Guests and host:
Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent
Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:
Iran war, Israel, America
cryptocurrency, Asia
mafias, crime families, history

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Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into hot conflict. We ask what raised the temperature, and whether the Iran war may act to lower it. Meanwhile that war’s oil shock brings with it fears of rising inflation; we examine how recent disruptions might inform policy decisions. And “listening parties”, once for music-industry insiders, are becoming the norm.

Guests and host:
Tom Sasse, south Asia bureau chief
Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent
Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:
Afghanistan, Taliban, Pakistan, TTP
Iran war, oil shock, inflation
music, albums, listening parties

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As the war in Iran progresses, none of the options available to Donald Trump looks good. We examine each of them. Thailand’s Buddhist monks are implicated in lots of lawless and dodgy behaviour—but clearing out the bad apples is more complicated than it seems. And gene-editing comes to the fruit bowl: we look at what science is serving up next.

Guests and host:
Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
Alizée Jean-Baptiste, Asia senior podcasts producer
Maria Lisik, news editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:
Iran war, Donald Trump
Thailand, Buddhist monks
gene-editing, fruit

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As attention has focused on war in Iran, Israel sees an opportunity to crush a weakened Hizbullah in Lebanon. Our correspondent says it would be far better for the Lebanese state to do so. As south-east Asia is modernising, Islam is counterintuitively gaining greater primacy in civic life. And a tribute to Jürgen Habermas, Germany’s and perhaps Europe’s most prominent intellectual.

Guests and host:
Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent
Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent
Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:
Lebanon, Hizbullah, Israel, Iran war
Islam, south-east Asia
Jürgen Habermas, obituaries

Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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