Latest Interviews
Showing 1–9 of 9 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist23 min
Fed man walking? Trump v Powell
Trump, Powell, Jason Palmer, Simon Rabinovich, Archie Hall, Emily Steinmark
President Trump's threats to dismiss Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell triggered a market crisis and highlighted legal hurdles protecting the central bank's autonomy, though analysts warn that undermining the Fed could force higher rates and deepen economic stagnation. Simultaneously, global remote work trends are solidifying a five-year post-pandemic equilibrium in English-speaking nations, driving suburban housing prices up while introducing social challenges like increased isolation. Concurrent environmental assessments reveal that despite eliminating tailpipe emissions, electric vehicles generate significant non-exhaust particulate matter due to heavy battery packs, prompting calls for lighter designs and stricter regulatory oversight.
- The Economist24 min
Gene genies: CRISPR’s critical moment
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Emily Steinmark, Leo Marani, Eleanor Whitehead
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for CRISPR, a precision gene-editing tool now enabling curative treatments like Kisjevi for sickle cell disease while facing regulatory hurdles distinct from traditional genetic modification. Simultaneously, Asian markets drove nearly two-thirds of global gold demand to hedge against currency instability and capital controls, with India and China leading consumption despite the trade deficits this high import volume creates. In New Zealand, an accelerated net brain drain of nearly 129,000 emigrants was fueled by economic recession and housing costs, as professionals migrated to Australia seeking higher wages under the Trans-Tasman Agreement.
- The Economist21 min
Doomed traders: Trump’s tariff fallout
Trump, Rosie Bloor, Rachna Shambhog, Tom Sass, Emily Steinmark
Following the US announcement of global tariffs on April 2, major economies including China and Canada implemented retaliatory measures that triggered a $12 trillion drop in global market value and elevated recession probabilities to 60%. Despite diplomatic outreach from approximately 50 nations, the US administration maintains its stance, with officials describing the policy as a permanent restructuring of trade that has forced corporations to delay capital investments. Analysts warn that these developments will likely result in two decades of protectionism and reduced global economic integration.
- The Economist21 min
Paradise lost: Hurricane Milton bashes Florida
Rosie Bloor, Oliver Morton, Nick Pelham, Emily Steinmark
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm driven by warm ocean waters, prompting President Biden to issue evacuation warnings as it caused widespread power outages and structural damage across Florida while experts link its severity to climate change trends. Concurrently, the crisis has injected urgency into the US election cycle amidst political disputes over disaster response, paralleling a resurgence in global Palestinian activism that has shifted cultural perceptions and heightened fears of further Israeli expansion. In the scientific realm, imminent development of a nuclear clock prototype promises to test fundamental physics theories through unprecedented precision, marking a significant leap in measuring time via nuclear transitions rather than current atomic standards.
- The Economist26 min
The sound of fury: pressure builds within Israel
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Anshul Pfeffer, Emily Steinmark, Tim Cross
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied international pressure and domestic protests following the recovery of six dead Israeli hostages, even as the US criticized his efforts and Britain suspended arms sales. Concurrently, studies reveal a persistent gender gap in generative AI adoption, where high-achieving women self-impose bans due to ethical concerns despite hiring premiums for AI expertise. Meanwhile, new research in *Science Advances* proposes using artificial metal dust to warm Mars, offering a method 5,000 times more mass-efficient than previous terraforming concepts.
- The Economist24 min
Cryptic message: why arrest Telegram’s founder?
Rosie Bloor, Tom Wainwright, Henry Kerr, Emily Steinmark
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, was arrested in Paris on charges related to the platform's alleged failure to curb child sexual abuse material, money laundering, and encryption violations. While Telegram denies the accusations and frames the incident as a free speech issue, the arrest has sparked global debate regarding content moderation standards and potential geopolitical motives tied to the platform's role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This legal development risks establishing a precedent for nations to use executive arrests to compel compliance with local laws, following similar threats faced by tech executives in Brazil.
- The Economist23 min
Food for thought: raising the world’s IQ
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Robert Guest, Shashank Joshi, Emily Steinmark
The event examines the critical impact of early-life malnutrition on cognitive development and global economics, highlighting the success of Uganda's NutriCash pilot and the potential for $12 billion in targeted investment to reverse slow progress. Concurrently, analysts assess growing geopolitical threats to the 600 undersea fiber-optic cables sustaining global telecommunications, noting state-sponsored sabotage risks from Russia and China alongside the strategic vulnerability of limited repair infrastructure. Finally, the discussion presents a breakthrough in menstrual product innovation where alginate polymers transform blood into a firm gel, marking the first significant design evolution since the 1931 applicator tampon.
- 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
Modi’s mess: a shock election result spells uncertainty for India
Modi, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Jeremy Page, Anjani Trivedi, Emily Steinmark
Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a third term with his BJP party relying on coalition partners after failing to win an absolute majority, forcing a shift from centralized governance to a consensus-based approach. In parallel, foreign investment in Africa contracted by $32 billion due to global economic headwinds, prompting businesses to pivot toward regional supply chains despite persistent logistical hurdles like visa restrictions. Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Milan successfully demonstrated that running along a suspended circular wall could simulate lunar gravity using only two minutes of daily exercise, offering a potential low-tech solution for long-term space health.