Do you worry about a future where your job is replaced by AI? Are you a high earner but never seem to have any money? Would you like to work less and spend more time pursuing joy? Then FIRE might be right for you! Tamara Gilkes Borr delves into the “Financial Independence, Retire Early” movement to find out how to step back from work and what you have to sacrifice to do so.

Topics covered:

• FIRE
• Early retirement
• Financial independence
• environmentalism

Links to articles:

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/05/14/prepare-for-an-ai-jobs-apocalypse

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/05/14/the-jobs-apocalypse-a-very-short-history

https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/25/why-you-should-never-retire

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Music by Blue dot and Epidemic

This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.

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After years of conflict reporting and manic episodes, journalist Ayman Oghanna was aiming for a quiet life—one that looks boring from the outside. Then, in February 2026, his home in a sleepy seaside town on the edge of Athens, was penetrated by a spy.

Topics covered:

• China
• Espionage
• Bipolar disorder

Links to articles:

https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/10/14/has-britain-gone-soft-on-china

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe 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.

Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.

Read more about how we are using AI.

Jails on New York City’s Riker’s Island have been in crisis for decades. Violent and unsafe, its remote location makes it hard for inmates to get to court or be visited by family. The city’s solution is to build new jails next to courthouses across the city. But doing so requires using a classic of New York City design: building up. How does a vertical jail work? And can it really be more humane?

Topics covered:

• Jails
• US criminal justice
• Architecture

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe 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.

Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound

Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts