Latest Interviews
Showing 496–510 of 530 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist11 min
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.
- The Economist7 min
How science is changing the nature of families
Mike, Crystal Travis, Dr Danielle Lane, Dr Michelle Perugini, Dawn Hallett
Dawn and Mike Hallett, a Nova Scotia couple facing decades of infertility, overcame strict Canadian guidelines by securing a successful surrogacy in the unregulated market of Georgia, resulting in the birth of their daughter Audrey when the mother was 65. This personal milestone occurs amidst a rapidly expanding global fertility industry where egg freezing and advanced technologies, such as Dr. Michelle Paragini's AI-embryo selector, are increasingly enabling women to delay childbirth while improving success rates and reducing costs. Despite these medical and technological advancements, ethical debates persist among specialists like Dr. Danielle Lane, who maintain that pregnancy risks for women over 50 outweigh the benefits of such late-life conception.
- The Economist38 min
UK Election: live Q&A with The Economist
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Adrian Wooldridge, Sarah Collinson
The Conservative Party secured a decisive majority with 364 seats, marking its largest electoral victory since the Margaret Thatcher era and triggering a dramatic realignment that collapsed the traditional Labour "Red Wall" in northern England. Led by Boris Johnson, the government now holds a clear mandate to finalize Brexit by January 31st while navigating the economic challenges of negotiating a permanent trade deal and balancing the conflicting interests of its new working-class and traditional southern voters. The outcome has stabilized financial markets and reshaped the UK's international relations by removing the threat of a Labour-led anti-NATO policy, positioning the nation for a renewed focus on the Anglosphere despite lingering uncertainties regarding long-term political durability.
- The Economist38 min
US-China trade war: live Q&A with The Economist
Soumaya Keynes, Henry Curr, Sarah, Sameah Kanes
The anticipated "Phase One" U.S.-China trade agreement has been delayed until next year after the cancellation of a critical summit between President Trump and Premier Xi removed the necessary political catalyst for resolution. With a December 15 tariff deadline approaching, the impasse risks triggering widespread tariff reimposition that shifts economic costs to U.S. importers and consumers while accelerating supply chain fragmentation. This prolonged conflict reflects a deepening bipartisan structural confrontation over China's state-led economic model, extending beyond trade into national security and technology control that continues to suppress global investment.
- The Economist34 min
Brexit: Live Q&A with The Economist
After securing EU approval for his withdrawal deal, Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a parliamentary amendment backed by the DUP that delays the final vote pending new legislation, effectively blocking a no-deal exit. With Speaker John Bercow ruling against a repeat vote and analysts deeming the October 31 deadline improbable, the government is compelled to request an extension while navigating intense regional tensions over the new Irish Sea border arrangements. Although the political landscape points toward an early general election rather than a second referendum to break the deadlock, long-term economic forecasts warn of reduced investment and global trade friction regardless of the outcome.
- The Economist9 min
Could Brexit end London's financial dominance?
Post-Brexit analysis reveals that the UK financial sector faces severe economic penalties, including the loss of access to the European Court of Justice and the relocation of over 300 firms that collectively moved up to £1 trillion in assets to EU hubs like Frankfurt, Dublin, and Amsterdam. While these cities benefit from the fragmentation of London's centralized dominance, experts warn that the Eurozone's resulting financial inefficiencies and increased funding costs may ultimately outweigh the gains from capturing market share. Consequently, British regulators remain hesitant to align with EU rules for market access, fearing that such compliance would further erode London's status as a global financial center while offering the region little net improvement in stability.
- The Economist8 min
How Brexit is changing the EU
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.
- The Economist8 min
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.
- The Economist36 min
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: identity, feminism and honest conversations
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sacha Nauta
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explores the fluid nature of identity and critiques the "own voices" movement for potentially flattening literature, arguing that storytelling requires inhabiting experiences beyond one's own. She explicitly rejects sensitivity screening and demands that authors write with honesty rather than being constrained by a fear of offense, while advocating for a feminism that actively includes men to dismantle harmful socialization. Ultimately, Adichie calls for a world where individual merit supersedes identity-based judgments, urging creators to humanize marginalized groups without sacrificing the complexity of their characters.
- The Economist11 min
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.
- The Economist33 min
Climate Change: The Economist live Q&A
Oliver Morton, Sarah Collinson
*The Economist* launches its inaugural issue dedicated entirely to climate change, integrating analysis from all fourteen sections to cover diverse impacts ranging from Panama Canal droughts to Arctic permafrost thaw. Senior writer Oliver Morton and contributors argue that while individual lifestyle changes are insufficient, systemic solutions like decarbonized grids, targeted solar deployment, and liberal democratic reform offer the most viable path to mitigating long-term economic and ecological damage. Ultimately, the publication urges a strategic balance of intellectual pessimism regarding rapid reversals of the crisis with practical optimism focused on adaptation and gradual emission reductions to prevent the worst global outcomes.
- The Economist11 min
Climate Change: can nature repair the planet?
Tom Crowther, Oliver Morton, Simon Lewis
Recent research from ETH Zurich reveals that while global reforestation could theoretically sequester 200 gigatons of carbon, this process spans over two centuries and requires careful geographic calibration to avoid warming effects in boreal regions. Experts including Professor Tom Crowther warn against media narratives positioning tree planting as a standalone solution, emphasizing instead the urgent need for rapid fossil fuel reductions alongside natural regeneration strategies that outperform commercial plantations. Case studies in Uganda and the UK demonstrate that allowing land to regenerate naturally yields superior carbon storage, reinforcing a scientific consensus that effective climate action demands a holistic mix of approaches rather than a single technological fix.
- The Economist17 min
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.
- The Economist15 min
Hong Kong Protests: The Economist live Q&A
Robert Guest, Anna Bucks, Anna Box
Facing a strategic dilemma where military suppression would undermine the rule of law essential for its global economic standing, the Chinese government must balance the need to quell mass dissent in Hong Kong with the fear of triggering catastrophic regional consequences for Taiwan. The decentralized, non-violent movement involving up to 1.7 million citizens has successfully avoided a full-scale crackdown by maintaining discipline, while international powers like the US and UK lack the leverage to intervene directly. Ultimately, the protests have exposed a critical vulnerability in Beijing's authoritarian model, forcing a choice between a violent resolution that could destroy international business confidence or a political concession that risks further instability.
- The Economist8 min
How to save humankind (according to 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.