Latest Interviews
Showing 61–75 of 215 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist23 min
A tax or attacks: how the Houthis fund themselves
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Corbyn Duncan, Stephen Askins, Alex Hearn, Ore Ogunbiyi, Amma Mensah, Sylvanus Ashan
In the Bab el-Mandab Strait, Houthi attacks have collapsed 70% of shipping volume and spiked freight rates fivefold, while major powers like the US and China remain constrained by regional diplomatic frictions that limit naval intervention. Simultaneously, China has rapidly narrowed its artificial intelligence gap with the US through cost-efficient frontier models like DeepSeek V3, challenging American infrastructure dominance despite sanctions on top-tier chips. In Ghana, founder Amma Mensah transformed a loss-making rainforest operation into a luxury spirits brand, boosting farmer salaries by 50% and targeting the global market with high-value rums derived from local botanicals.
- The Economist25 min
Executive orders of magnitude: Trump’s day one
Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, John Prudhoe, Edward Carr, Nicole Phan
During his second-term inauguration held indoors due to extreme cold, Donald Trump delivered an address centered on reclaiming the Panama Canal, reviving Manifest Destiny, and announcing a goal to plant an American flag on Mars while key Silicon Valley leaders like Elon Musk attended. On his first day in office, he signed executive orders establishing a two-gender policy, declaring a national emergency at the southern border to halt illegal entry, and withdrawing from the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement. Although Trump currently holds peak approval ratings and dominates the Republican Party, legislative constraints from narrow majorities in Congress and potential Supreme Court challenges may limit the long-term durability of his aggressive tariff threats and immigration reforms.
- The Economist24 min
Reunions and rubble: Gaza’s first moments of peace
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Anshul Pfeffer, Duncan Robinson, Dolly Setton
A four-day ceasefire in Gaza initiated a two-stage truce that released three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners, while triggering political instability in Israel as far-right ministers resigned and the incoming US administration secured the agreement. This diplomatic breakthrough is followed by complex challenges regarding the billions required for reconstruction and the establishment of a governance model, which remains uncertain without Hamas or the Palestinian Authority leading the effort. Concurrently, the United Kingdom faces wage compression as the new National Living Wage narrows the pay gap between unskilled and skilled labor, while medical research confirms clinical hypnosis reduces procedural pain and anxiety despite barriers to its widespread adoption.
- The Economist29 min
Billionaires boldly go: private space-treks
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Erin Braun, Anne Rowe
Blue Origin successfully debuted its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket, establishing a direct commercial rival to SpaceX in the satellite launch sector while SpaceX achieved a historic booster catch during its seventh Starship test despite losing the upper stage. Concurrently, the incoming US administration plans to initiate a massive deportation campaign led by Stephen Miller and Tom Homan, though legal and logistical hurdles are expected to significantly constrain the operation's scale. In a related obituary, pioneering psychiatrist Dr. Peter Fenwick is remembered for his groundbreaking research into near-death experiences, which revealed that a majority of subjects reported profound visions of light, deceased relatives, and a conscious choice to return to life.
- The Economist26 min
Peace by piece: a ceasefire in Gaza is close
Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al-Assad, Rosie Bloor, Greg Karlstrom, Steve Cole, Samira Saeed
President Biden announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that mandates the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, a deal driven by pressure from President-elect Donald Trump's envoy despite skepticism from Netanyahu's coalition. Simultaneously, the Trump administration nominated Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, sparking scrutiny over her 2017 failure to verify the detention of American journalist Austin Tice during a fact-finding mission in Syria. In a separate domestic trend, the US and UK markets are experiencing a surge in matcha beverage consumption driven by Gen Z wellness trends, with industry forecasts projecting significant global growth despite potential supply constraints in Japan.
- The Economist23 min
Arrest development: South Korea’s Yoon held
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Noah Snyder, Ana Lykes, Sarah Burke
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yool became the first sitting president to be arrested following his suspension of martial law and subsequent impeachment, triggering parallel criminal proceedings and a Constitutional Court trial that have intensified political polarization. Simultaneously, the global cosmetics industry is surging to an $82 billion valuation driven by social media trends and venture capital, while Japan's primary education model continues to gain international traction through its emphasis on student-led governance and holistic moral development. These concurrent developments in governance, commerce, and pedagogy reflect shifting societal values and significant structural transformations across multiple nations.
- The Economist23 min
View to a killing: bond yields rise and rise
Rosie Bloor, Josh Roberts, Henry Kerr, Edward McBride
Rising global bond yields driven by sticky inflation and anticipated US fiscal expansion under Donald Trump are forcing higher borrowing costs for governments and consumers alike, while threatening to slow economic growth. Parallel strategic tensions involve the US exploring coercive or transactional methods to secure Greenland's critical mineral resources and naval significance, despite local sovereignty concerns. Meanwhile, Singapore faces a severe crisis in its UNESCO-recognized hawker culture as high recruitment costs and low profits deter younger generations, prompting a struggling government to rethink its intervention strategies.
- The Economist26 min
A run for cover: LA’s fires and insurance
Jason Palmer, Aaron Braun, Henry Trix, Robert Bellotta, Gavin Jackson, Shashank Joshi, Catherine Nixie
California faces a deepening insurance crisis where regulatory constraints and unmanageable wildfire risks have forced insurers like State Farm out of the market, while a newly implemented January 2nd reform allowing climate risk modeling may stabilize coverage at the cost of significantly higher premiums and depressed real estate values. Simultaneously, Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's contentious claims regarding women in combat roles and alleged criticisms of Joint Chiefs leadership have ignited a debate over military effectiveness, recruitment viability, and the potential erosion of institutional expertise needed to compete with China. Finally, the enduring evolution of children's literature highlights a persistent tension between modern censorship efforts targeting adult-purchased stories and the historical reality that many classic tales originally contained graphic violence intended to preserve folklore rather than sanitize it for young audiences.
- The Economist25 min
Adaptitude: India and climate change
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Robert Guest, Sukanya Ashin, CK Vishnudas, Arumar Rivi, Ganesh Shankar, John Prudhoe, Alex Hearn
Recent developments highlight a triad of global challenges and responses, where India's intensifying climate crisis drives urgent adaptation strategies ranging from community-led flood warnings to high-tech water conservation, while a forecast of Donald Trump's second term predicts aggressive regulatory rollbacks and tax cuts alongside low-probability foreign policy breakthroughs. Simultaneously, the English wine sector is pivoting toward robotic automation to counter labor shortages and rising temperatures, utilizing spectral analysis to harvest grapes with precision before their sugar levels compromise quality. These interconnected narratives underscore a broader shift where economic inequality, political constraints, and environmental pressures force rapid technological and policy adaptations across diverse industries.
- The Economist22 min
Towards Russia with love: Austria’s political tilt
Jean-Marie Le Pen, Jason Palmer, Christopher Lockwood, Sophie Pedder, Sarah Burke
European right-wing parties, including Austria's Freedom Party led by Herbert Kickl and France's National Rally following the death of its founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, are gaining traction through anti-migration and pro-Russian platforms that challenge traditional democratic norms. Simultaneously, Latin America is experiencing a surge in banking adoption driven by digital payments and open banking initiatives, though structural barriers and a widening gender gap continue to limit full financial inclusion for vulnerable populations. Analysts warn that the convergence of these pro-Russian political blocs in Central Europe and persistent economic inequalities in Latin America presents complex challenges for international cooperation and regional stability.
- The Economist25 min
It’s no longer Trudeau: Canada’s PM resigns
Trudeau, Jason Palmer, Rob, Sophie Pedder, Shailesh Chitnas
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation following a decade of governance marked by significant electoral decline and internal conflict, setting the stage for a leadership succession race and an upcoming election centered on economic instability and foreign tariff threats. Meanwhile, the French satirical newspaper *Charlie Hebdo* marked the tenth anniversary of the deadly 2015 attack by reaffirming its provocative editorial stance from a secure location, even as public support for its right to caricature religious figures wanes amid a shifting cultural landscape. In the pharmaceutical sector, Artificial Intelligence is poised to disrupt an industry struggling with soaring development costs by accelerating molecular design and reducing timelines, though current clinical success rates remain constrained by the inherent complexity of human biology.
- The Economist25 min
Against the clock: Gaza peace talks
Jason Palmer, Anshul, Guy Scriven, Emma Hogan
Outgoing and incoming US administrations are coordinating with Israel, Egypt, and Qatar to finalize a ceasefire and hostage deal in Qatar before Donald Trump's January inauguration, driven by shared strategic interests and domestic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Simultaneously, the region's economic and political landscape faces significant shifts as Nordic firms leverage long-term ownership structures to navigate global volatility, while Asian democracies grapple with authoritarian backsliding in Indonesia and Thailand despite coalition victories in India and Sri Lanka. These converging geopolitical trends underscore a critical transition period where security negotiations, business resilience, and the trajectory of political freedom are being actively redefined across multiple continents.
- The Economist22 min
Three presidents and counting: South Korea
Jason Palmer, Noah Snyder, Ana Lycus, Alexandra Suicbas
South Korea faces a dual crisis of political instability and tragedy, marked by President Yoon Seok-yeol's impending insurrection trial, the resignation of three acting presidents in rapid succession, and the investigation into a deadliest-in-history air disaster. Meanwhile, Brazil's football sector is undergoing a financial transformation through privatization laws that have revived indebted clubs like Botafogo and Cruzeiro while attracting billions in investment from foreign owners and sports bettors. Concurrently, Hollywood is pivoting its revenue strategy away from diminishing superhero franchises toward video game adaptations, with dozens of projects slated for 2025 to capitalize on established fan bases and high-grossing successes like *The Last of Us* and *Super Mario Bros*.
- The Economist23 min
Billions of voices heard: a year of elections
Rosie Bloor, Ed Carr, Gabriel Crossley, Maria Wilczek
The 2024 global election cycle saw Donald Trump secure a decisive US victory and marked a surge in right-wing populism across Europe, challenging centrist technocratic rule in nations like Germany and France. Simultaneously, major shifts occurred in autocracies such as Russia and Bangladesh, while India and South Africa delivered rejections of unchecked nationalism through coalition governments. Parallel political and economic trends emerged in China, where urbanization is pivoting from megacities to provincial hubs, and in Poland, where communist-era "milk bars" face subsidy cuts while modernizing to survive rising operational costs.
- The Economist28 min
Of peanuts and principles: Jimmy Carter dies
Jimmy Carter, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, John Prudhoe, Tom Standage, Tim Cross
This episode analyzes the complex legacy of Jimmy Carter by contrasting his troubled presidency with his transformative post-White House humanitarian work, while forecasting a volatile 2025 shaped by Donald Trump's potential return and disruptive forces like solar storms and AI adoption. The discussion further dissects Elon Musk's ideologically driven leadership through recommendations of science fiction and biographies that reveal his fixation on existential threats and multi-planetary colonization. Collectively, these segments offer a multidimensional view of historical reflection, future geopolitical unpredictability, and the personal philosophies driving modern technological power.