Latest Interviews
Showing 226–240 of 797 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist25 min
Love match: Modi-Trump’s tariffs tussle
Modi, Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Kira Khuyu, Leo Morani, John Fassman
At the White House, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi advanced a "mega-prosperity" partnership marked by the "MIGA" slogan, even as trade tensions over reciprocal tariffs and immigration enforcement disputes threaten the $200 billion bilateral relationship. Concurrently, global aviation faces a decade-long crisis of eroding safety and shrinking airspace due to geopolitical conflicts, granting non-Western carriers a competitive edge while forcing Western airlines to cancel routes. In the entertainment sector, *Saturday Night Live* celebrates its 50th anniversary by maintaining structural consistency under Lorne Michaels' leadership, successfully adapting its political satire for the digital age to sustain high ratings during election cycles.
- The Economist23 min
With this ring: Trump and Putin omit Ukraine
Trump, Putin, Rosie Bloor, Shashank Joshi, Rachel Lloyd
In a significant geopolitical shift, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin initiated direct diplomatic talks to end the Ukraine war, with a newly formed US negotiating team excluding Ukraine and European allies while signaling a move away from NATO membership guarantees. Simultaneously, the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma, prompting a regional military escalation and raising concerns about further advances toward Kinshasa despite a lack of immediate negotiation prospects. In the cultural sector, the *Bridget Jones* franchise is returning with a fourth film that explores themes of bereavement and relatable imperfection, continuing the series' legacy of commercial success and social relevance over two decades.
- The Economist38 min
Scam Inc 3: The bottom line
Sammy Chen, Jackie Burns, Zannie Minton-Beddoes, Sulin Wong, Rita, Jay Beckhamer, Shane Haynes, Edgar, Bella, Jalil, Sarah, Gavesh, Sam Colbert, Alize Jean-Baptiste, Weidong Lin, Darren, Clare Reid, Rosie Bloor, Heidi Pett, John Shields
This exposé details the transformation of Myanmar's border fraud compounds into sophisticated, self-contained cities like KK Park, where centralized operations generate hundreds of millions in illicit revenue through a franchise model that treats crime as a legitimate business. The narrative highlights a specific rescue mission where 12 victims were freed from an execution threat by leveraging rebel intermediaries, underscoring the lethal pressure placed on both trafficked individuals and "voluntary" scammers within a global ecosystem estimated to employ 500,000 people. Ultimately, the analysis reveals that dismantling this $100 billion industry requires addressing deep systemic issues, including severe psychological trauma among survivors and the economic rationality that drives some victims to return to the compounds despite the dangers.
- The Economist36 min
Scam Inc 2: Opportunity of a lifetime
Zannie Minton-Beddoes, Sulin Wong
Recruited through deceptive job postings, victims from the Philippines, Uganda, South Africa, and South Asia are smuggled into remote Myanmar compounds where they are held captive and forced to execute "Pig Butchering" cryptocurrency scams. These workers endure 16-hour shifts and brutal physical punishment while impersonating wealthy professionals to defraud White Americans aged 40 to 65 of tens of thousands of dollars. Controlled by Chinese-led hierarchies and increasingly industrialized by satellite-confirmed infrastructure, these self-contained operations utilize deepfake technology and strict racial targeting to sustain a vast, transnational fraud network.
- The Economist41 min
Scam Inc 1: Pigs in a barrel
Jim Tucker, Shane Haynes, Bill Tucker, David, Su Lin Wong, Zannie Minton-Beddoes, Karina, Evan, Edgar, Sam Colbert, Alizé Jean-Baptiste, Weidong Lin, Darren Ng, Claire Reid, Rosie Blore, Heidi Pett, John Shields
In July 2023, Elkhart, Kansas, Heartland Tri-State Bank collapsed after CEO Shane Haynes transferred $47.1 million to the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken following a sophisticated "pig butchering" scam. Despite the board's secret meeting and unanimous rejection of a recovery plan, federal regulators seized the bank, dissolving its charter and costing local shareholders millions while depositors remained insured. This incident exemplifies the rise of global criminal networks that exploit professional relationships to generate tens of billions in annual losses for victims worldwide.
- The Economist23 min
War hoarse: is Zelensky being heard?
Zelensky, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Ore Ogunbiyi, Vicente Maldonado, Caitlin Talbot, Halen Michael Seaman, Gabe Poirot
President Zelensky warns of grim front-line realities and insists Ukraine will only negotiate with binding U.S. security guarantees, while simultaneously facing funding hurdles for a contingency plan to double the national army. In West Africa, aquaculture startups like Troppo Farms struggle to meet surging local fish demand due to high capital intensity and bureaucratic barriers, despite 60% of global consumption shifting to farming. Meanwhile, TikTok has become a primary driver of religious engagement for Gen Z, where viral influencers bypass traditional institutions to build communities, albeit with risks of spreading misinformation and fragmenting belief systems.
- The Economist30 min
Eye to the chancellor: interviewing Friedrich Merz
Friedrich Merz, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Sani Minton-Beddoes, Chris Lockwood, Tom Nuttall, Alice Hsu, Johnny Williams
Ahead of the German general election, CDU leader Friedrich Merz positions his party as the polling frontrunner by diagnosing deep structural economic crises while refusing to compromise on the constitutional debt brake. Simultaneously, Taiwan confronts an unprecedented wave of military espionage where Chinese agents coerce both retired officers and active-duty soldiers through debt traps and psychological tactics to prepare the population for a potential 2027 invasion. In a separate commercial shift, the backpack market has evolved from utilitarian gear into a high-fashion sector driven by luxury brands and design innovations, with limited-edition items commanding prices between $400 and $4,000.
- The Economist22 min
I’ll be jammed: electronic warfare in Ukraine
Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Tim Cross
The event analyzes three distinct shifts in modern strategy: the intensifying electronic warfare contest between Russia and Ukraine driving NATO's need for portable spectrum tools, the emergence of carbon monoxide as a hard-to-detect performance enhancer in professional cycling, and the erosion of UK parliamentary oratory driven by social media constraints. Key figures include the Union Cycliste Internationale and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while specific outcomes involve Ukraine's increased local EW production, WADA's pending classification of carbon monoxide, and a century-long decline in parliamentary speech length. Collectively, these developments highlight critical adaptations in military technology, sports regulation, and political communication required to address evolving threats and cultural changes.
- The Economist24 min
It could happen to you: introducing “Scam Inc”
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Su Lin Wong, Simon Rabinovich, Tim Cross
Podcast series *Scam Inc.* reveals a multi-billion dollar online fraud industry utilizing violent coercion, AI-driven voice cloning, and psychological exploitation across the globe. Concurrently, the US administration has aggressively implemented sweeping tariff threats on major trading partners, creating significant market volatility while seeking to revitalize domestic manufacturing through protectionist policies. In the sports sector, Magnus Carlsen and Tim Cross are launching a rebranded Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour that employs randomized starting positions and F1-style broadcasting to transform chess into a mass-market entertainment product.
- The Economist25 min
Leeward: we meet South Korea’s probable president
Marianne Faithfull, Jason Palmer, Noah Snyder, Claire McHugh, Anne Rowe
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol faces removal following an attempted martial law imposition, while opposition leader Lee Jae-myung emerges as a frontrunner despite facing disqualification hurdles from past election law convictions and pending corruption charges. Simultaneously, Colombia's Catatumbo region endures a severe humanitarian crisis with over 53,000 displaced persons resulting from intensified violence between the ELN and FARC dissidents, prompting President Gustavo Petro to declare a state of internal commotion and suspend peace negotiations. In cultural history, singer Marianne Faithfull passed away as a symbol of redemption after a dramatic fall from 1960s counterculture fame to street life due to heroin addiction, followed by a critically acclaimed musical resurgence in the 1980s.
- The Economist26 min
As a next resort: Trump’s vision for Gaza
Trump, Binyamin Netanyahu, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Anshul Pfeffer, Avantika Chilkoti
Donald Trump's proposal to economically redevelop the Gaza Strip by relocating its two million Palestinians has drawn immediate rejection from Arab foreign ministers and the governments of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, while garnering ecstatic support from Israeli far-right figures. Analysts widely characterize the plan as practically unfeasible and morally indefensible, suggesting it may serve as a political distraction for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than a viable diplomatic strategy. Simultaneously, rising tensions over the 1943–1944 Volhynia massacres threaten to strain Poland-Ukraine relations, while global baby industry spending surges despite demographic shifts and economic constraints.
- The Economist29 min
Rebel with a new cause: meeting Syria’s president
Ahmed al-Sharaa, Mamoon Alhidayat, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Zeni Minton-Bettos, Nicholas Pelham, Ethan Wu, James Francham
Ahmed al-Shara has consolidated power as Syria's transitional president following Bashar al-Assad's removal, though his refusal to explicitly reject Sharia law and vague commitments to democratic elections have raised concerns about potential authoritarian consolidation. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan concluded its era of deflation by raising interest rates to 0.5%, driven by a virtuous wage-price cycle that has boosted bond yields despite lingering pressures on household spending. In the UK, a fifteen-year financial review disclosed that Members of Parliament earned £60 million from second jobs, with media appearances and speeches accounting for the majority of income and sparking public debate over potential regulatory caps.
- The Economist22 min
Thy neighbours, beggared: Trump’s opening tariffs
Trump, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Henry Kerr, Jeff Carr, Andrew Miller, Tom Trevithan, Jonathan Brown, Stephen Katz
President Trump has declared a national emergency to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports, prompting Canada to enact immediate countermeasures targeting Republican states while the administration seeks to leverage economic disruption for border security and industrial goals. Simultaneously, Denver-based Boom Supersonic successfully demonstrated its XB-1 aircraft breaking the sound barrier, advancing plans for commercial supersonic travel by 2029 through advanced carbon fiber and engine technologies. In the cultural sector, London's West End and other British venues have seen a post-pandemic surge in obligatory standing ovations, a phenomenon critics argue has diluted the meaning of applause into a coercive ritual driven by ticket costs and restored social habits.
- The Economist43 min
Below Delhi, the search for India's mythical past
Leo Mirani, Rosie Bloor, Raghu Karnad, Vasanth Swankar, Barclay, Rathish Nanda, Richard Eaton
Archaeological excavations at Delhi's Purana Kila by archaeologist Vasanth Swankar have uncovered pottery shards confirming three millennia of habitation, yet the site has become a flashpoint between scientific evidence and politicized narratives linking it to the Mahabharata's mythical Indraprastha. While the Sabyata Foundation now manages the location to reframe its history around Hindu epic themes through controversial sound and light shows, historians like Richard Eaton warn that this approach prioritizes myth over verified facts, creating a dangerous disconnect between academic methodology and public discourse. This tension underscores a broader struggle where material findings of pottery and daily life are increasingly overshadowed by demands for a national identity rooted in contested divine claims rather than documented history.
- The Economist25 min
Turkish delight: influencing the new Syria
Mauro Morandi, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Piotr Zalewski, Mike Bird, Anne Rowe
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is re-engaging Syria to secure its 900-kilometer border and suppress Kurdish autonomy while facilitating the return of three million refugees, a strategy that draws cautious interest from regional powers like Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, the Trump administration has pivoted to integrate cryptocurrencies into the U.S. financial system through an executive order and a new "Doge" body led by Elon Musk, reversing previous restrictions to encourage bank participation. Meanwhile, Mauro Morandi, who lived in isolation on the Italian island of Budeli for three decades, evolved from a recluse into an environmental educator before passing away in his 80s.