Latest Interviews
Showing 301–315 of 1,511 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist12 min
Why are scientists racing to fill seed banks?
Managed by scientists at Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank, a global biodiversity initiative is currently collecting wild plant seeds from heavily fragmented forests along Madagascar's East Coast to support worldwide restoration efforts. These rigorous expeditions navigate dangerous terrain to map populations and capture genetic material before climate change disrupts fruiting cycles, with the harvested seeds subsequently split between local Malagasy facilities and the UK repository for germination testing and storage. While these collected stocks have enabled projects such as the planting of 30,000 seedlings in the Ankara Fantsky dry forest, the ongoing pace of deforestation driven by poverty and political instability continues to outstrip the capacity of seed banks to fully compensate for habitat loss.
- The Economist10 min
How did the Democrats learn to win again?
Zohran Mamdani, Charlotte Howard, James Bennett, John Priddo
Following victories in Virginia and New Jersey, Democratic governors Jennifer Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill established a pragmatic, affordability-focused governing model that contrasts sharply with the radical left-wing platform of New York's Zoran Mamdani. These elections intensified the Democratic Party's internal strategic tension between moderate problem-solvers and progressive ideologues, a division exemplified by Jared Golden's retirement and the absence of a unified national platform for the 2028 cycle. As Republicans seek to weaponize Mamdani's candidacy to paint the entire party as radical, Democratic strategists now face the imperative of balancing diverse local successes with a coherent national message.
- Goldman Sachs9 min
Rise of the Retail Investor
Goldman Sachs analyzes divergent retail trading profiles across ETFs, single stocks, and options, revealing a massive shift toward AI equities and sustained "buy and hold" strategies alongside elevated short-term option activity. This heightened retail participation, combined with aggressive hedge fund alpha-seeking, has driven the largest single-stock earnings moves since 2009 and established a distinct volatility divergence between individual names and broader indices. Consequently, the firm warns against shorting based solely on high sentiment, instead noting that option sellers are currently monetizing retail demand while defensive income funds attract significant capital as investors navigate an environment of extreme stock-level volatility.
- The Economist14 min
Are nitazenes the new fentanyl?
Emerging on the illicit European market in 2019, nitrooxenes are a class of potent synthetic opioids derived from 1950s research that cause fatal overdoses through highly toxic active metabolites. This dangerous trend surged following global supply disruptions to traditional heroin, leading to confirmed clusters in countries like Ireland where authorities discovered the drugs were being laced into other substances without user knowledge. While some nations implemented public warnings and harm reduction strategies, policy experts argue that continued punitive approaches fail to address the market dynamics driving the production of increasingly lethal synthetic alternatives.
- Sequoia Capital10 min
From Early Failures to ‘Clash of Clans’ and ‘Brawl Stars’ - Supercell ft Ilkka Paananen
Ilkka Paananen, Maya Hoffree, Joost van Dreunen, Roelof Botha
Supercell established a unique corporate structure known as "cells" that empowers individual game teams with startup-like autonomy, a strategy that enabled leaders to cancel their initial €8 million investment in the Facebook title *Gunshine* to pivot successfully toward mobile platforms. This bold approach fostered a culture where project failures are celebrated as learning experiments, ultimately leading to the creation of industry-defining hits like *Clash of Clans* and *Hay Day* that currently command 60% of total industry playtime. Now fifteen years old, the company continues to navigate the high barrier of launching new titles by embracing increased risk-taking, aiming to emulate the century-long legacy of Nintendo or LEGO while maintaining operational excellence.
- Goldman Sachs18 min
China's Economy: Reasons for Optimism
The October 30 Trump-Xi summit established a reciprocal trade truce marked by U.S. removal of fentanyl tariffs and pauses on semiconductor rules in exchange for China halting rare earth restrictions, effectively shifting from previous U.S. dominance to a negotiation based on equal leverage. This de-escalation, combined with resilient high-tech exports and a revised 15th Five-Year Plan prioritizing technological self-reliance, prompted Hui Shan to revise China's real GDP growth forecasts upward to 4.8% for 2026 and 4.7% for 2027. While the agreement leverages mutual dependence to stabilize the economic relationship, its durability remains contingent on reconciling conflicting official reports and resolving the structural uncertainty between advanced manufacturing gains and immediate household consumption growth.
- The Economist8 min
Could the AI bubble pop?
Market analysts describe a speculative frenzy where investors treat AI startups as high-stakes lottery tickets, driven by the potential for a single entity to capture a $1.46 quadrillion monopoly by achieving superintelligence. Unlike historical infrastructure booms that left behind tangible physical assets, this sector faces unique risks from rapidly obsolete specialized hardware and the disruptive proliferation of free open-source models that could strip commercial value from paid solutions. Consequently, the ultimate economic outcome remains uncertain as the market grapples with whether the industry will result in a winner-takes-all dominance or a fragmented collapse similar to the 2001 telecom crash.
- The Economist7 min
Are rich countries facing a debt crisis?
Advanced economies face unprecedented public debt levels driven by repeated crises, structural political reluctance, and budget forecasts that consistently underestimate long-term liabilities. Fiscal sustainability is further compromised by rising interest costs, an aging population consuming 40% of budgets for entitlements, and constrained discretionary spending due to mandatory increases in defense and green transition investments. Consequently, efforts to reduce deficits are stalled by a lack of political will to implement revenue measures like VAT or to adjust retirement ages, leaving governments vulnerable to economic instability.
- The Economist7 min
How long will Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s trade war truce last?
Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Jeremy Page, Jason Palmer
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year trade truce during a meeting at a South Korean airbase, securing reciprocal delays on rare earth export controls, threatened tariffs, and fentanyl-related duties while restoring soybean purchases. This temporary pause was accompanied by parallel U.S. initiatives to diversify critical mineral supply chains with allies and upgrade defense technology for South Korea, even as structural disputes over industrial policy and semiconductor sales remain unresolved. Although the deal reduces immediate escalation risks, the agreement lacks a final resolution to underlying tensions, leaving the relationship vulnerable to future volatility amid ongoing geopolitical instability.
- The Economist10 min
Can Zohran Mamdani turn New York around?
Zohran Mamdani, Charlotte, John, Ed
33-year-old Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani is leveraging a surge of disillusionment with centrist politicians to run an optimistic mayoral campaign in New York City against incumbent Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. His platform features bold, controversial proposals including a rent freeze for stabilized units, free city buses, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030, though critics highlight significant fiscal hurdles and a lack of executive experience. While Mamdani's hardline stance against Israel and use of digital platforms signal anti-establishment authenticity to younger voters, his strategy may ultimately rely on forcing a moderation of these radical pledges to remain viable.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
A "Blow-Off Top" Ahead?
Following the September rate cut, Federal Reserve Chair Powell removed the certainty of a December reduction, prompting a market repricing that shifts probability from 95% to 60% and dampens expectations for aggressive easing. While 55% of S&P 500 companies recently beat earnings estimates, these gains resulted in a 32 basis point underperformance rather than the historical norm, signaling crowded positioning in high-performing stocks. Institutional investors are maintaining a net long exposure of only 70% amidst gross risk levels at five-year highs, concentrating aggressive buys in the AI complex while shorting energy and consumer sectors ahead of a potential year-end rally driven by the cyclical rotation.
- The Economist10 min
Former IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath’s warning for rich world economies
Former IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath assessed the global economy from 2019 to 2025, highlighting how emerging markets demonstrated unexpected resilience against the pandemic, war, and inflation thanks to improved fiscal governance and diversified borrowing. Despite this stability, she warned of looming systemic risks including a fragile US financial sector, the opacity of non-bank lending, and a projected global debt-to-GDP ratio exceeding 100% by 2030. Addressing these challenges requires advanced economies to confront structural fiscal imbalances and aging demographics, though necessary adjustments to retirement ages face significant political resistance.
- Goldman Sachs19 min
Regeneron CEO Dr. Leonard Schleifer on Science-Driven Success
Dr. Leonard Schleifer, John Waldron
Founded in 1988 by MD-PhDs Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos, Regeneron rejects top-down target selection to pursue science-driven therapeutics, enduring two decades of losses before achieving profitability in 2011. The company currently employs 15,000 people and markets Dupixent as its flagship treatment for diverse allergic conditions while leveraging genomic data from 3 million individuals to advance research in areas like obesity and cancer. Under Schleifer's unique leadership style that eschews quarterly earnings guidance, Regeneron is expanding its genetic sequencing efforts to 50 million people and integrating AI to refine diagnostic precision without compromising its "do well by doing good" ethical mandate.
- The Economist6 min
Which countries have fallen down the passport power rankings?
Michelle Hennessy, Rosie Blau, Rosie Bloor
Henley & Partners' latest global mobility ranking places Singapore at the forefront with visa-free access to 193 destinations, while US and UK passports have notably declined due to reciprocal restrictive immigration policies. Wealthier nations facing stricter entry requirements are seeing their citizens seek alternative mobility through citizenship-by-investment programs, with Americans now forming the majority of such clients. This trend underscores a growing correlation between political stability, economic wealth, and the practical necessity for global travel rights.
- The Economist8 min
Kaja Kallas: can the European Union survive in an era of strongmen?
Representative Kaya Kalas reported that Chinese leadership intentionally prolongs the war in Ukraine to divert U.S. attention from China, while European nations struggle to leverage their market power due to fragmented coordination and a failure to deploy their Instrument to Counter Economic Coercion. Kalas argued that the West's slow democratic decision-making processes create a structural disadvantage against the rapid, unilateral actions of authoritarian leaders like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Consequently, the proposed European strategy focuses on building diversified supply chains across the Global South to reduce dependency on Chinese exports and consolidate internal unity to effectively counter geopolitical rivals.