Latest Interviews
Showing 121–135 of 138 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist23 min
Bidin’: will Joe go or no?
Joe, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, John Brito, Claire McHugh, Mark Johnson
President Biden remains defiant against calls for withdrawal following a contentious debate, despite polls showing a record deficit against Donald Trump and internal Democratic concerns that he is endangering broader election prospects. In Colombia, the government has initiated a controversial scientific excavation of the intact San José galleon, navigating a complex legal battle with Spain, the United States, and indigenous groups over the billions in treasure while prioritizing cultural heritage over commercial gain. Meanwhile, the Finnish town of Rautalampi is experimenting with importing foreign students from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Tanzania to avert school closures, leveraging EU funding to address a looming national demographic crisis.
- The Economist23 min
Change of heart surgeon: Iran’s reformist president
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Nicholas Pelham, Kerryyn Richmond-Jones, Anjani Trivedi
Reformist heart surgeon Massoud Pezeshkian secured the Iranian presidency with 16 million votes following the fatal helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi, promising social liberalization and Western negotiations while navigating deep public distrust and hardline security constraints. Simultaneously, Ukraine faces a critical $20 billion private debt deadline as a negotiation deadlock between proposed 60% and 22% write-downs threatens default amidst a shrinking economy and uncertain post-war outlook. In a contrasting shift of capital flows, over 7,000 global millionaires selected Dubai as their primary destination this year, drawn by tax advantages and regulatory transparency following the UAE's exit from the FATF grey list.
- The Economist25 min
Lurch in the left: France’s election shock
Jason Palmer, Sophie Pedder, Tom Gardner, Anne Rowe
French President Emmanuel Macron's dissolution gamble resulted in a hung parliament where the New Popular Front secured the most seats while the hard-right National Rally finished third, preventing an RN-led government but complicating coalition formation due to tactical resentments and a lack of political tradition. Simultaneously, the Basketball Africa League concluded its fourth season as a continent-wide professional endeavor aiming to retain local talent and drive economic growth, though it faces hurdles regarding infrastructure investment and consistent attendance. In a separate historical note, Ángeles Flores Peón, a 105-year-old Spanish Republican who survived fifteen years of Francoist imprisonment and decades of exile, passed away having spent her later years campaigning for historical memory and women's rights.
- The Economist24 min
Rule and divide: Donald Trump is judged immune
Donald Trump, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Stephen Mazey, Katrine Braig, Nicole Phan
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling granting former President Donald Trump partial immunity from federal prosecution for official acts, a decision critics warn may establish a monarch-like "president for life." Concurrently, scientists are debating polar geoengineering projects to halt ice sheet melting, though experts predict these extreme interventions will fail due to logistical impossibility and high environmental risks. Meanwhile, the iconic Hoi Fong Sriracha brand faces prolonged production halts stemming from a 2017 supply dispute, prompting consumers to switch to competitors while the rancher who supplied the chili launched a rival product.
- The Economist24 min
Bet noir: Macron’s electoral gamble backfires
Macron, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Sophie Pedder, Joshua Spencer, David Adam
Marine Le Pen's National Rally won the first round of French parliamentary elections, while centrist President Emmanuel Macron's alliance finished third, setting the stage for a likely hung parliament and strategic runoff tactics on July 7th. Simultaneously, Thailand's Senate passed a historic same-sex marriage bill redefining unions as between "two persons" with bipartisan support, awaiting royal endorsement to become the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize marriage equality. In sports technology, researchers from Fribourg University are utilizing augmented reality headsets to help penalty takers improve reaction times by 100 milliseconds, addressing the high failure rates that account for approximately 20% of knockout matches in major tournaments.
- The Economist26 min
Debate and switch? Biden’s stumble
Biden, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Idris Kholoun, Emily Steinmark, Lane Green
President Joe Biden faces intensifying scrutiny and succession speculation after a CNN debate marked by significant memory lapses, while Donald Trump countered with mixed policy shifts and historical inaccuracies. Simultaneously, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument released preliminary data suggesting dark energy density fluctuates over time, potentially invalidating the standard cosmological model. In Spain, the San Isidro Festival demonstrated bullfighting's cultural resilience despite declining participation rates and rising political opposition from left-wing officials.
- The Economist23 min
Labour-saving: Britain’s probable next leader
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Matthew Holhouse, Tamara Jilkes-Boer, Carla Subrana-Artus
Following a 2019 landslide victory for the Conservatives, *The Economist* has endorsed Keir Starmer's restructured Labour Party to address weak economic growth through centrist policies and internal reforms. Meanwhile, U.S. schools face a contentious debate over smartphone bans driven by distraction and learning loss, complicated by parental security demands and enforcement challenges. In the financial sector, a 120% surge in art-secured lending since 2019 allows collectors to leverage holdings against rising interest rates, with institutions like Sotheby's leading $700 million asset-backed securities initiatives.
- The Economist28 min
Pier pressure: a visit to Gaza’s aid platform
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Zannie Minton-Beddoes, Greg Carlstrom, Callum Williams, Aaron Braun
A joint assessment reveals the US-built Gaza aid pier has delivered less than 10% of required supplies due to structural failures, logistical bottlenecks, and disputed security claims, prompting UN threats to pause operations amidst a bleak post-conflict outlook. Simultaneously, the global housing market demonstrated unexpected resilience with a 3% price increase driven by low mortgage distress and strong labor markets, defying predictions of a crash following interest rate hikes. In the sports sector, the Savannah Bananas surpassed MLB in social media engagement by adapting baseball with high-energy exhibition rules, offering a strategic model for the professional league to reverse its declining youth viewership.
- The Economist26 min
Spring a leaker: Assange goes free
Assange, Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Simon Rabinovich, Varinia Sardines, Lizzie Peet, Mei Liao, Melanie Bartelm, Becca Milstein
Former Wikileaks founder Julian Assange secured a plea deal with the United States to avoid prison time for disclosing classified documents on Iraq, Afghanistan, and the 2016 election, ending a seven-year legal saga that raised concerns over journalistic freedom under the Espionage Act. In the realm of economic policy, former Trump advisor Peter Navarro is championing a protectionist agenda for a potential second administration that prioritizes aggressive global tariffs over subsidies to counter Chinese influence, despite widespread expert criticism regarding the inflationary impact on consumers. Simultaneously, a luxury shift in the American food market has rebranded canned fish as a premium consumer good, driven by social media influencers and nostalgic packaging to push sales of high-end tins to over $3 billion while challenging traditional perceptions of canned goods as mere hardship rations.
- The Economist23 min
Heir tight: why boomers are so stingy
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Callum Williams, Rachel, Paul Markilley
A comprehensive analysis reveals that Baby Boomers are defying economic models by aggressively saving rather than dissaving assets due to inheritance motives and longevity fears, while simultaneous breakthroughs in biomedical research have established artificial menstrual models to correct historical drug development biases. Parallel to these human-centric shifts, the shipping industry is accelerating decarbonization efforts by retrofitting vessels with automated wind-assist technologies capable of cutting fuel consumption by up to 25%. Together, these developments highlight a global trend where demographic behavioral changes and technological innovation are reshaping financial, medical, and industrial trajectories.
- The Economist27 min
Sudan impact: the war the world forgot
Gary Lineker, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Tom Gardner, Andrew Miller
A humanitarian crisis in Sudan has escalated as the Rapid Support Forces besiege El-Fasha, threatening the lives of millions through famine, displacement, and potential ethnic cleansing that could destabilize the entire region. In contrast to the conflict's severity, Gary Lineker's career trajectory illustrates a successful transition from football to media entrepreneurship, though his public role remains subject to scrutiny regarding political impartiality. Simultaneously, Japan's host club industry has expanded to meet growing demands for paid intimacy driven by high rates of unmarried adults, raising serious concerns about financial exploitation and the erosion of genuine social connection.
- The Economist26 min
A real work of peace? An Israel-Hamas deal
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Anshul Pfeffer, Max Norman, Vingeru Nkandawire
US and regional mediators are advancing a three-stage peace proposal that officially includes a full ceasefire, yet the plan faces severe obstacles from Israel's fractured war cabinet following the resignation of Benny Gantz and Hamas's insistence on unconditional guarantees. Concurrently, a statistical analysis reveals a systematic bias against right-wing authors on the New York Times bestseller list, with conservative titles appearing significantly less frequently regardless of sales volume, challenging claims of editorial neutrality. Meanwhile, the UK non-alcoholic beverage sector is experiencing rapid sales growth but remains hampered by strict regulatory definitions that lag behind international standards and hinder consumer clarity.
- The Economist22 min
America's next top-job model: our election forecast
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Dan Rosenheck, Natasha Loder, Caitlin Talbot
Recent polling indicates Donald Trump holds a 60% probability of winning the 2024 election despite legal convictions, as economic dissatisfaction drives a stable race in the Sunbelt states. Concurrently, global malaria progress has stalled due to drug resistance and funding gaps, prompting the rollout of the affordable R21 vaccine as a critical intervention tool. Meanwhile, the "tradwife" social media trend has garnered hundreds of millions of views by romanticizing domesticity, though labor statistics reveal this aesthetic remains largely performative rather than a mass workforce exodus.
- The Economist21 min
Doing their not-own thing: “generation rent”
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Tom Sass, Holly Berman, David Benin
Global analysis reveals a significant rise in private renting across Western democracies, driven by economic stagnation and housing inflation, while strict rent controls in Stockholm prove counterproductive compared to Auckland's successful upzoning strategies that boosted supply. Concurrently, the Biden administration's ultimatum to force TikTok's divestiture over national security concerns has sparked a high-profile legal battle alleging First Amendment violations, despite the administration's continued political reliance on the platform. In the cultural sphere, major artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish are revitalizing the album format to secure dual revenue streams and challenge historical gender biases in music consumption.
- The Economist21 min
French anti-foreign legion: an EU-election shock
Emmanuel Macron, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Chris Lockwood, Tamara Jilkes-Bohr
Following shock defeats for centrist leaders Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, the European Parliamentary elections highlighted a significant surge for far-right parties in France and Germany despite a marginal overall EU-wide shift. Concurrently, U.S. schools are grappling with a post-pandemic absenteeism crisis driven by economic instability and lost learning habits, prompting a pivot from punitive measures to supportive interventions like high-impact tutoring and basic needs assistance. In the automotive sector, manufacturers increasingly rely on alphanumeric or abstract naming conventions to distinguish models, though these strategies risk consumer confusion and cultural blunders ranging from mistranslations to legal disputes over regional naming rights.