Latest Interviews
Showing 211–225 of 607 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist25 min
Bulls’ AI: funding artificial intelligence
Rosie Bloor, Henry Trix, Anton LaGuardia, Helena Woods, Holly Burman, Evan Nathaniel Grimm
OpenAI projects a $150 billion valuation driven by soaring LLM training costs and exclusive funding from Microsoft, while the U.S. military modernizes its nuclear arsenal amidst a collapsing arms control framework with Russia and a rapidly expanding Chinese stockpile. Simultaneously, a growing demographic of young Americans increasingly relies on political astrology rather than traditional polling data to forecast election outcomes, as practitioners use birth charts to predict specific events involving Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. This convergence marks a broader shift where massive capital requirements are restructuring Silicon Valley finance, nuclear strategy is returning to complex trilateral rivalries, and subjective alternative forecasting is challenging established objective metrics.
- The Economist26 min
Fed-letter day: at last, a rate cut
Rosie Bloor, Simon Rabinovich, Shashank, Rachel Lloyd
The Federal Reserve executed its first pandemic-era interest rate reduction by cutting the benchmark rate by half a percentage point to a 4.75%–5% range, a move Chair Jerome Powell framed as a recalibration toward neutral policy amid shifting risks to inflation and employment. While the 11–1 voting split and immediate political reactions from the Biden and Trump campaigns highlighted the decision's significance, the central bank signaled that future adjustments will depend on labor market data rather than economic recession fears. Simultaneously, Western allies are deliberating whether to authorize Ukraine's use of long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles for strikes inside Russia, weighing the tactical necessity of denying Moscow safe havens against the strategic danger of escalating direct conflict.
- The Economist23 min
Foiled again: a second attempt on Trump
Trump, Rosie Bloor, John Priddo, Paul Markely, Anne Rowe
Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt by former activist Ryan Wesley Routh, sparking renewed scrutiny over Secret Service protocols and prompting Republicans to leverage the incident for fundraising while media narratives shifted toward security. Concurrently, the expanding utility of digital twin technology is transforming sectors from Formula One racing to medical diagnostics by enabling real-time virtual simulations that predict maintenance needs and test surgical procedures. In a separate cultural development, Brazilian bossa nova legend Sergio Mendes died at 83, leaving behind a legacy of blending global pop hits with Brazilian rhythms and maintaining a strong national identity despite decades in the United States.
- The Economist46 min
The Weekend Intelligence: Detoxified
Vendeline von Bredow, Jason Palmer, Arne Wasmuth, Egidio Mazzona, Daniela Spiegel, Jermaine Barnes, Herr Tischner, Andreas Silbersack
Berlin-based entrepreneurs Arne Wasmuth and Egidio Mazzona have acquired the former estate of Nazi ideologue Paul Schulze-Naumburg to establish the D-DAS Design Academy, a documentation center aimed at confronting the site's history with diverse voices. This initiative directly counters the rising influence of the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the region, where the party recently secured victory in Thuringia and significant support in Saxony. Supported by the German government, the academy seeks to "detoxify" the location and mitigate fears of Eastern Germany becoming a modern "Nazi heartland" through active engagement and international fellowship.
- The Economist53 min
Open to debate: Harris and Trump clash
Harris, Trump, John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Adam O'Neal, James Bennet, Lane Greene, Owen Winter, John Priddow
The September 2024 presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump drew over 67 million viewers and established a critical juncture in a historically tight election. Analysis indicates that Harris successfully employed a prosecutorial strategy to expose Trump's policy vagueness and age-related concerns, earning a post-debate victory according to 63% of surveyed viewers. Consequently, major forecasting models have adjusted the race to a near toss-up with Harris's probability rising to 49% amidst her campaign's significant financial advantage and the strategic deployment of debate moments against her opponent.
- The Economist23 min
Don wan: Harris keeps Trump tame
Harris, Trump, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, James Bennett, Amelia Wood, Ora Ogunbiyi
Vice President Kamala Harris dominated the election debate by reframing border security discussions and presenting specific economic policies, while Donald Trump failed to detail healthcare alternatives, repeated false claims about the 2020 election, and offered vague responses on Ukraine. Analyst James Bennett observed that although Harris put Trump "on the back foot" with this performance, the event is unlikely to significantly shift polling or the campaign's ultimate outcome. Simultaneously, a global medical review highlighted the United States' critical role as the primary plasma exporter, contrasting its payment-based donation model with restrictive European regulations driven by safety concerns and political contradictions. This economic strain also extends to Nigeria, where rising living costs are forcing Yoruba families to consolidate multi-day weddings into single-day events and replace luxury customs with modest, practical alternatives.
- Goldman Sachs40 min
Private equity investing with Blackstone’s Joe Baratta
Joe Baratta, Alison Mast, Leslie Kendrick
Joe Baratta, the global head of private equity at Blackstone since 2012, has guided the $1 trillion asset manager through strategic pivots from value investing to high-growth sectors like software and critical infrastructure. Under his leadership, the firm pioneered the integration of its own debt capital markets and expanded into Europe prior to the Euro's introduction, while simultaneously addressing industry opportunity gaps through expanded recruitment initiatives. Baratta emphasizes strict valuation discipline and long-term relationship building to navigate macroeconomic shifts, citing artificial intelligence and energy demand as key structural drivers for future capital deployment.
- The Economist23 min
Extremes come true: Germany’s far-right triumph
Rosie Bloor, Tom Nuttall, John McDermott, Carla Suburrana Artus
In recent state elections in Germany's Saxony and Thuringia, the extremist far-right AfD secured first place in Thuringia and finished second in Saxony, creating a complex political deadlock that challenges the ruling national coalition's standing ahead of September's federal vote. Simultaneously, the newly formed BSW splinter party emerged as a significant third force, forcing the conservative CDU to navigate the traditional "cordon sanitaire" against cooperating with the far-right while considering unstable alliances with ideologically opposed groups. This electoral surge in eastern Germany is driven by long-standing regional neglect and high voter volatility, intensifying scrutiny on Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government.
- The Economist26 min
Nvincible? What could curb Nvidia’s supremacy
Rosie Bloor, Jan Piotrowski, Aaron Braun, Stanley Pignal
NVIDIA's stock price declined despite record $30 billion quarterly revenue and a $3 trillion market cap, as investors weigh supply chain bottlenecks from TSMC capacity limits against rising competition from AMD and cloud providers designing their own chips. Simultaneously, Highway 1 along California's Central Coast faces existential threats from climate-driven erosion and landslides that threaten a $9 billion tourism industry, sparking debate over whether to continue repairing the crumbling infrastructure or abandon the route entirely. In Europe, the cultural practice of public nudity is retreating to an aging demographic of over-65s, driven by the deterrent effects of social media, smartphone surveillance, and shifting social norms among younger generations.
- All-In Podcast1h 32m
Massive jobs revision, Kamala wealth tax, polls vs prediction markets, end of race-based admissions
Chamath, Jason, Kamala Harris, Biden, Friedberg, J Cal
Panelists analyzed a historic downward revision of 818,000 jobs in the U.S. labor market, which experts argue signals a shift toward Federal Reserve rate cuts and a dangerous trend of government dependency threatening political stability. The discussion turned to the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling, where MIT data shows Asian American enrollment rising to 47%, fueling debates on meritocracy versus race-conscious admissions and the value of vocational models like co-op education. Furthermore, the group critiqued the 2024 election landscape, highlighting Nate Silver's "coin toss" polling and the controversy surrounding Harris's proposed 25% tax on unrealized capital gains, which critics warn could trigger capital flight rather than deficit reduction.
- The Economist27 min
KamaChameleon: What does Harris stand for?
Harris, Wally Amos, Rosie Bloor, Charlie McCann, Auret Ogambi, Ana Lankas, Jessica, Fernando, Jiehao Chen, Anne Hanna, Shahzad Yunus, Anne Rowe
Following her replacement of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris energized the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with a speech emphasizing abortion rights, voting protections, and foreign policy stances that have narrowed the election to a 50/50 race against Donald Trump. The event successfully rallied a broad coalition, including Muslim American delegates, despite earlier pro-Gaza protests, while young voters prioritize the binary choice of Harris over Trump based on fears of policy reversals.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
Women in the workforce: Analyzing the gains and gaps
Kathy Matsui, Sharon Bell, Asahi Pompey, Alison Nathan
Global female labor participation has surged in nations like Japan and Italy through policy-driven shifts in childcare and work-hour regulations, yet the United States faces stagnation due to a lack of supportive infrastructure compared to European counterparts. While the gender pay gap has narrowed in most OECD countries and women are increasingly dominating educational pipelines, significant disparities remain in corporate leadership, with women holding only 9% of S&P 500 CEO roles. To address these structural imbalances, strategic initiatives are focusing on closing the $1.7 trillion capital gap for women entrepreneurs and reforming legal barriers to ensure equitable economic growth.
- The Economist27 min
Landing padded: the global-recession risk
Jason Palmer, Colin Williams, Holly Berman, Henrietta McFarlane, Erica Kaplan, Liam McGregor, Anne Rowe
The Economist's senior economics team argues that global recession fears are misplaced, citing robust corporate earnings, significant inflation correction, and labor market shifts that distinguish the current environment from historical recessionary patterns. Simultaneously, the dating industry is undergoing a structural pivot where stagnation in traditional app models drives a surge in high-end matchmaking services and organized offline social activities. Finally, the legacy of fell runner Joss Naylor is celebrated following his death at 88, marking a life defined by record-breaking mountain feats and a unique background in dry stone walling and sheep farming.
- Milken Institute31 min
Milken-Motsepe Prize Award Ceremony: Global Green Energy Winners | Global Conference 2024
Michael Milken, Patrice Motsepe, Emily Church, Randy Kabuya, Derick Nwasor, Diana Orembe, Jordan Oxley, Zoë Slattery, Jonathan Wilson, Mike Milken, Joy Egbe
Co-founded by Mike Milken and Patrice Motsepe, the Milken-Mozespe Innovation Prize Program has funded 45 companies across 20 nations to solve critical electricity and agricultural challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative recently awarded its inaugural Green Energy Grand Prize of $1 million to Aftrac for its sustainable solar tractor model, while runner-up Omnivat received $250,000 for its modular container-based power grid. Building on this momentum, the program has announced a new $2 million Fintech award cycle designed to continue bridging economic opportunities between the United States and the continent.
- The Economist24 min
One peace at a time: Gaza, Israel and Iran
Jason Palmer, Greg Karlstrom, Oliver Morton, Christian Garcia Mario, Claire McHugh, Alejandro Henao Perez, Alejandro Alvarez
Following high-profile assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, diplomatic mediation by the US, Egypt, and Qatar struggles to secure a Gaza ceasefire while Iran seeks a face-saving retaliation that balances deterrence with regional stability. Concurrently, NASA's InSight lander seismic data reveals a vast subsurface aquifer containing liquid water on Mars, offering the first strong evidence of a permanent liquid environment that could harbor surviving cryptic biosphere remnants. In a separate economic development, Colombia's Chocó region has emerged as a niche producer of genetically distinct vanilla beans, attracting luxury buyers despite significant infrastructure barriers that currently prevent the local harvest from meeting global export volumes.