Latest Interviews

Covid-19: how it will change the world

Edward Carr, Callum Williams

In an analysis of the pandemic's intersection with geopolitical shifts, The Economist's Edward Carr and Callum Williams argue that the crisis accelerates the decline of the post-WWII order by reinforcing de-globalization and reducing US willingness to lead. The discussion highlights how state power is expanding through unprecedented interventions to prevent bankruptcies and address healthcare vulnerabilities, while simultaneously threatening scientific innovation and the green energy transition due to economic uncertainty. Furthermore, the speakers note that while supply chains face diversification pressures and oil-dependent nations confront a potential structural collapse, emerging market adaptations and persistent unemployment underscore a complex economic landscape where recovery to pre-2020 levels remains unlikely.

Covid-19: what the world has learned during lockdown

Ed Carr, Callum Williams, Edward Carr

A comprehensive review of the pandemic examines uncertain long-term immunity, the divergent economic impacts of lockdowns on wealthy versus emerging markets, and the tension between national self-interest and global vaccine distribution. Epidemiological case studies from Sweden, India, and various Asian nations highlight the varying effectiveness of voluntary versus enforced social distancing amidst constraints like school safety and informal labor. The discussion concludes by urging institutional reforms for the World Health Organization and mandatory domestic production audits to ensure nations can better withstand future viral threats.

How to treat covid-19

In response to the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, scientists are repurposing existing antivirals like Remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine to target the viral replicase system while the World Health Organization launches a global megatrial to evaluate their efficacy. Although President Donald Trump championed hydroxychloroquine as an immediate solution, rigorous clinical data remains limited compared to laboratory findings, prompting the trial to seek evidence of marginal therapeutic benefits. This strategy aims to rapidly reduce hospital stays and alleviate health system strain while the definitive long-term vaccine solution continues to develop over the estimated 1.5 to 2 years.

Covid-19: more questions about coronavirus, answered

Ed Carr, Alok Jha, Edward Carr

Policymakers and economic analysts are addressing the severe trade-off between strict disease containment and deepening economic contraction, with US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin warning that unemployment could reach 20% without intervention. The event evaluates the likely L-shaped recession trajectory while examining how global aid, healthcare disparities, and the virus's seasonal mutation patterns will shape long-term recovery. Ultimately, the discussion emphasizes the necessity of international cooperation to restore scientific trust and accelerate vaccine development within an 18-to-24-month window despite rising nationalistic trends.

Election 2020: What could Super Tuesday mean for the future of the Democratic Party?

John Prideaux, Jon Priddow, Charlotte Howard, Jon Fassman

Bernie Sanders' insurgent campaign has capitalized on the collapse of traditional Democratic establishment structures to challenge a fragmented moderate field, effectively reversing the 2008 consensus that party endorsement guarantees delegate success. Despite Joe Biden's decisive South Carolina victory creating a potential two-horse race, a dominant performance by Sanders on Super Tuesday—particularly in California and Texas—could secure an uncatchable delegate lead that forces the party toward a contested convention in Milwaukee. While some donors remain ideologically opposed to the progressive nominee, the shared imperative to defeat Donald Trump is increasingly driving financial support toward Sanders despite the absence of a unified moderate alternative.

How Brexit is changing the EU

Andrea Venson, Marine Le Pen

Following the 2016 Brexit referendum, which initially predicted the European Union's dissolution, public attachment to the bloc has strengthened and populist exit movements have largely subsided as leaders like Marine Le Pen shifted toward reforming the EU from within. This resilience was demonstrated through the bloc's successful navigation of the 2008 financial crisis and 2015 migrant surge, fostering a paradoxical sentiment where the departure of the UK is viewed as a stabilizing force rather than a catalyst for fragmentation. Consequently, while exit sentiment remains significant in specific nations like Italy, the overall trend reveals a political will among diverse member states to preserve the union against threats, exemplified by the rise of pan-European movements such as Volt Europa.

South Africa: rugby's race problem

Chester Williams, Peter de Villiers

Twenty-five years after South Africa's unifying 1995 Rugby World Cup victory, the Springboks remain a flashpoint for racial division as the government mandates quotas to increase black player representation despite 82% of black respondents favoring strict merit-based selection. Key figures like Chester Williams defend these quotas as essential for dismantling systemic barriers, whereas former coach Peter de Villiers argues they damage player reputations without addressing root causes, though both agree that long-term transformation depends on nurturing youth talent rather than national-level mandates. While the 2019 target required 50% of players to be black, the ongoing debate highlights the broader disconnect between political freedom and economic inclusion, with experts projecting that true selection neutrality based on nationality may still be a decade away.

How to help America's poor

Idris Kahloun, Lauren Jones, John Prideaux

A recent analysis reveals that the United States relies on an obsolete 55-year-old poverty metric that fails to account for modern expenses like childcare and housing, leaving one in six Americans, particularly children, trapped in geographically concentrated deprivation. Field observations in suburban communities like Waukegan illustrate how the "working poor" face severe instability despite owning assets, as rising costs for diapers, internet, and rent force families into desperate survival strategies. To address these systemic failures, experts propose replacing fragmented subsidies with universal child benefits, a policy shift argued to be both more cost-effective and politically viable than current means-tested approaches.

Why we should talk to strangers, according to Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell, Anne McElvoy

Malcolm Gladwell examines the dangers of misjudging strangers through the lens of the Sandra Bland tragedy and the Amanda Knox case, arguing that human "truth-default" instincts often fail against individuals whose external behaviors mismatch their internal emotional states. He expands this analysis to judicial systems, where algorithmic tools are proposed to augment human judgment without replacing it, and to political landscapes where candidates like Donald Trump succeed by perfectly aligning their outward expressions with public expectations of authenticity. Ultimately, the discussion highlights a global trend where increasing interactions between culturally disconnected groups make these communication mismatches more frequent and consequential.

How to save humankind (according to James Lovelock)

James Lovelock

Scientist James Lovelock warns that humanity faces an existential climate crisis exceeding Earth's self-regulatory limits and proposes a four-point survival strategy involving mass migration to climate-controlled megacities, a global shift to nuclear energy, active geoengineering to cool the atmosphere, and the transition to artificial intelligence for planetary stewardship. He argues that while Gaia will eventually rebalance itself, humans must abandon fossil fuels and accept a subordinate role to superior machine intelligence to avoid extinction in an increasingly hostile environment. Although Lovelock expresses hope for survival, he acknowledges uncertainty regarding humanity's ability to withstand broader cosmic threats without these drastic interventions.

Why Jeremy Hunt thinks he'll be Britain's next prime minister

Jeremy Hunt, Donald Trump, Michael Gove, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Anne

Contender Jeremy Hunt warns that failing to deliver Brexit will lead to a Labour victory and political extinction, arguing that a no-deal outcome remains a necessary negotiation lever to overcome parliamentary blockades. To ensure the EU trusts the UK's delivery capacity, he proposes a unified government team including the DUP and ERG while rejecting a second referendum as undemocratic. Hunt further outlines his economic strategy of corporate tax cuts, asserts that NHS ownership will not be sold in US trade talks, and emphasizes that 5G decisions must prioritize national interest over foreign dependency.

Fake news v fact: The battle for truth

Alexa Koenig, Eyal Weizman

Open-source investigators have transitioned from relying on witness testimony to deploying digital forensics and big data to expose state crimes in cases ranging from the Myanmar Rohingya crisis to the Skripal poisoning. These high-stakes investigations often challenge official state narratives by analyzing satellite imagery and social media data, as seen when Forensic Architecture disputed Israeli military claims in Gaza. However, the legal system currently lacks the infrastructure to fully validate or reject such digital evidence, creating a critical need for updated judicial standards that prevent both the blind acceptance of slick presentations and the dismissal of verifiable truth.

MH17: can Russia be held to account?

Following the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine, a Dutch-led investigation utilized digital evidence to identify the Buk missile launch as originating from Russian-controlled territory. The Netherlands and Australia now seek international legal accountability through the European Court of Human Rights or domestic trials, aiming to prosecute specific Russian agents despite the Kremlin's denial and jurisdictional hurdles. While these proceedings face significant enforcement challenges due to the absence of extradition mechanisms, they represent the primary avenue for establishing state responsibility and asserting that the international community rejects the dismissal of the incident.

#Metoo: how it's changing the world

Jacob Zuma, Gigi White, Noah, Jordan Peterson, Sheryl Sandberg, Morgan Mercer, Avela Faye, Sean, James, David Fuller

Since its global explosion in October 2017, the #MeToo movement has driven legal reforms and the resignation of powerful figures while simultaneously exposing systemic failures, such as South Africa's high femicide rate and low rape arrest statistics, as well as Western workplace tensions where male hesitation to mentor women has increased. To address these deep-rooted issues, initiatives like the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund have provided millions in support for victims, while innovative interventions including virtual reality training and male emotional intelligence workshops aim to bridge the growing empathy gap between genders. Despite a backlash characterized by male anxiety over undefined social boundaries, the movement continues to redefine sexual harassment discourse by shifting focus from isolated incidents to broader societal power dynamics and structural inequality.

Tara Westover: Mormons, Harry Potter and the future of education

Tara Westover, Anne McElvoy

Author Tara Westover discusses her memoir *Educated*, detailing her journey from an isolated fundamentalist household in rural Idaho where she lacked formal schooling until age seventeen. She highlights the sharp generational divide within her family, where three siblings including herself earned doctorates while four others did not complete high school, all while navigating estrangement caused by domestic violence. Westover frames education as the active construction of one's own mind, arguing that the current system must balance individual agency with social standards and better support teachers to remain effective.