Latest Interviews
Showing 76–90 of 164 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist21 min
Rio brand: why Brazil is courting China
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Ana Lankes, Natasha Loder, James Francham
At the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized neoliberal globalization and proposed reforming international institutions while Brazil pivots economically and strategically toward China to offset tensions with an anticipated Trump administration. Concurrently, a Guy Foundation report warns that space travel induces accelerated aging by damaging astronaut mitochondria, suggesting that deep-space colonization may eventually require genetic engineering to overcome biological barriers. Finally, the United Kingdom's telecommunications infrastructure has deteriorated to rank among the worst in the developed world due to regulatory setbacks, insufficient investment, and planning restrictions, prompting a controversial proposed merger between Vodafone and 3 to alleviate capacity constraints.
- The Economist25 min
The long game: how will US missiles help Ukraine?
Rosie Bloor, Shashank Joshi, Simon Rabinovich, Benjamin Sutherland
The Biden administration authorized Ukraine to employ US-supplied ATACMS missiles within Russian territory, a strategic move designed to counter North Korean troop deployments in Kursk and bolster Kyiv's position ahead of President Trump's inauguration. Concurrently, divergent Western diplomatic approaches have emerged, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz breaking his silence to call Vladimir Putin despite criticism from Kyiv and Warsaw. In domestic affairs, President-elect Trump's "Trumponomics" platform promises aggressive tax cuts, deregulation, and high tariffs, creating immediate market rallies while economists warn of long-term inflation and labor shortages. Finally, airship technology is experiencing a resurgence driven by fuel efficiency and cargo capacity, with commercial demonstrations expected soon to address logistical bottlenecks where speed is secondary to cost.
- The Economist25 min
Kyiv calm and carry on: Trump’s win may benefit Ukraine
Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Oliver Carroll, Katherine Nixie
Amidst a deteriorating military situation in Ukraine characterized by Russian offensives toward Pokrovsk and internal morale crises, the incoming Trump administration's potential peace plans, including neutrality proposals from J.D. Vance, face skepticism regarding their feasibility within a 24-hour window. Simultaneously, African diaspora churches are experiencing rapid global expansion and financial integration through tithes and digital innovation, while the release of *Gladiator II* sparks cultural debate over its departure from the original film's democratic optimism in favor of modern themes like anti-elitism and racial diversity. These divergent developments highlight a geopolitical landscape shifting under new leadership, a religious sector adapting to Western demographics, and entertainment reflecting contemporary societal anxieties about institutional trust.
- The Economist24 min
The Peking order: Can China’s army surpass the US?
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Avantika Chalkoti, Anne Rowe
At the Zhuhai Airshow, China officially debuted the J-35A stealth fighter and new drone vessels while signaling a strategic pivot toward quality over quantity to achieve military parity with the US by 2049. Despite retaining advantages in carrier experience and AI, American forces face a narrowing gap in hypersonic capabilities and vertical launch system numbers that analysts predict China will surpass by 2026. Concurrently, the global luxury e-commerce sector is undergoing a contraction driven by macroeconomic pressures, prompting major players like Farfetch and Net-a-Porter to be sold or restructured as consumers shift toward in-store experiences and direct brand channels.
- The Economist25 min
Needs Musk: Donald Trump’s new appointments
Musk, Donald Trump, Rosie Bloor, John Priddo, Matt Steinglass, Leo Morani
The Trump administration appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new commission for government efficiency while filling key national security and State Department roles with figures aligned to a hardline agenda. Concurrently, European agricultural sectors face intensifying labor shortages due to migration policy shifts, forcing nations like the Netherlands to balance reliance on migrant workers against rising exploitation and regulatory reforms. In India, a trend of "nominal inflation" sees officials appending lengthy ideological titles to public spaces and programs, a practice critics argue creates bureaucratic burdens and reflects a fundamental unseriousness toward modernization.
- The Economist24 min
Parting Scholz: what next for Germany?
Scholz, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Tom Nuttall, Sasha Nauta, Duncan Robinson
Germany's "traffic light" coalition collapsed on November 6 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Finance Minister Christian Lindner clashed over the constitutional debt break, triggering a minority government that will face a confidence vote and a general election scheduled for February 23. Simultaneously, a re-analysis of a 2020 medical study debunked earlier claims that Black doctors significantly improve survival rates for Black infants, attributing the original statistical anomaly to uncontrolled variables regarding very low birth weight rather than physician race. In the United Kingdom, London's King's Cross district has evolved from an industrial wasteland into a premier global tech hub anchored by major corporations like Google and OpenAI, though analysts caution that such regeneration relies on unique assets that limit its replicability outside central London.
- The Economist24 min
Some like it hot: could Trump derail climate talks?
Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Oliver Morton, Henry Tricks, Catherine Nixie
Microsoft and OpenAI are exploring a shift away from exclusive Azure partnerships to host OpenAI models on Amazon Web Services, a move driven by revenue diversification and regulatory pressures that align with Microsoft's broader AI portfolio expansion. Simultaneously, COP29 in Baku confronts the urgency of 2024's record-breaking heat and potential US withdrawal under a second Trump administration while attempting to establish new climate finance baselines to replace the 2015 Paris Agreement's ad hoc targets. In cultural affairs, the Remembrance Day poppy has evolved from a unifying WWI memorial into a contested symbol of modern identity politics, with its commercial sales and varying interpretations now sparking polarized public debates as living historical memory fades.
- The Economist24 min
Last-ditch pitch: America’s campaigns conclude
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Daniel Franklin, Piotr Zalewski, Anne Hanna, Zoe Bulsara
The 2024 U.S. presidential election remains a virtual tie in key swing states, characterized by intense rhetorical conflicts between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris that have intensified concerns regarding election integrity and democratic stability. Simultaneously, the Organization of Turkic States has evolved from a diplomatic forum into a strategic economic bloc of 89 nations, utilizing a shared alphabet and the Middle Corridor trade route to diversify away from Russian influence. In the UK, remote work trends have driven a 33% surge in canal boat residency as a housing solution, though this demographic shift faces mounting infrastructure risks due to insufficient government funding and rising maintenance costs.
- The Economist24 min
Turn up the PA: the last in our swing-state series
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Adam O'Neill, Avantika Chokotty, David Benin
This briefing analyzes three distinct sectors: the 2024 US presidential election's reliance on Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes amidst deep demographic realignments, the projected growth of the $480 billion global influencer economy driven by high-trust niche creators, and the mainstream integration of the goth subculture fueled by new music releases and high-fashion adoption. Political strategies highlight Kamala Harris's suburban gains against Donald Trump's rural base, while marketing shifts prioritize authentic engagement over follower counts to combat consumer fatigue. Cultural resilience is demonstrated as goth aesthetics expand beyond their niche origins to influence diverse music genres and span over 35 years of generational attendance.
- The Economist22 min
Tax driver: Labour’s budget
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Archie Hall, Stevie Hertz, Rachel Lloyd
Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a historic UK budget featuring £40 billion in tax increases and record borrowing to fund NHS and public service expansion, a move Conservative leader Rishi Sunak condemned as broken promises. Simultaneously, the North Carolina election faces significant logistical hurdles after Hurricane Hélène damaged infrastructure in key swing counties, complicating early voting operations despite record turnout elsewhere. In cultural news, a viral surge of pickle consumption on social media has driven culinary experimentation, though testing of these trends yielded mixed reviews regarding flavor combinations.
- The Economist25 min
Ukraine reaction: Russia deploys North Koreans
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Tom Easton, Catherine Nixie
Recent analysis indicates Russia is bolstering its war effort in Ukraine with North Korean troops and massive ammunition supplies while the Ukrainian military faces a severe mobilization crisis and critical shortages of air defense interceptors. Concurrently, logistical failures in overseas voting during the US election have undermined American democratic credibility, while the UK's "Life in the UK" citizenship test is increasingly scrutinized as an arbitrary barrier rather than a genuine integration tool. These developments collectively highlight a shifting global landscape where military attrition, domestic political friction, and exclusionary civic policies are reshaping international stability and democratic norms.
- The Economist24 min
Timed bombs: Israel’s pre-election attack on Iran
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Greg Karlstrom, Henry Trix, Mike Jakeman
Israel executed its first officially acknowledged strike on Iranian soil, targeting air defense and missile manufacturing sites while deliberately avoiding nuclear and economic infrastructure to comply with US pressure ahead of the November election. The operation aimed to deliver a strategic blow without inflaming global oil markets, prompting domestic criticism in Israel for its limited scope and leaving Iran in a period of defensive calculation as it weighs future retaliation. Meanwhile, broader geopolitical and economic shifts include a significant surge in generative AI investment within customer service and ongoing, complex negotiations to merge the LIV Golf and PGA tours despite regulatory and cultural hurdles.
- The Economist25 min
Follow the leader: who will run Hamas?
Rosie Bloor, Gareth Brown, Rebecca Jackson, Anne Rowe
Following the killing of Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, Hamas faces a critical leadership vacuum while weighing a transitional council against potential successors like the Iran-aligned Khalil al-Hayya or the Turkey-aligned Khalid Mashal. Concurrently, Kamala Harris navigates a fragile Georgia election strategy amidst significant erosion of Black male support, countering economic anxieties with policy proposals on housing and the child tax credit. Meanwhile, the death of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen closes the chapter on a decades-long power struggle that destabilized Turkey's institutions through a vast network of schools and the fallout from the failed 2016 coup attempt.
- The Economist23 min
Coming up Trump: our election model puts Harris behind
Trump, Harris, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Dan Rosenheck, Simon Wright, Shailesh Chitnas
The Economist's latest forecasting model has shifted to give Donald Trump a 56% probability of winning the U.S. presidency, narrowing the Electoral College gap in key swing states after consolidating undecided and third-party voters. Meanwhile, Tesla introduced its autonomous Cyber Cab and RoboVan with plans to undercut competitors on price, though the event triggered a 9% stock decline due to investor skepticism over regulatory hurdles and a lack of concrete deployment timelines. Finally, Microsoft marked Excel's 40th anniversary by integrating AI assistants to maintain its dominance among 400 million paid users despite the software's historical role in significant data processing errors.
- The Economist24 min
Marching borders: what was Hizbullah’s plan?
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Anshul Pfeffer, Ana Laikas, Mario Grassi, Valedeiro, Tatiana Shore, Simon Cox
Amidst escalating strikes in southern Lebanon and discovered Iranian-backed fortifications near the Israeli border, Tel Aviv assesses its capacity for a prolonged multi-front war while awaiting geopolitical decisions influenced by the upcoming US presidential election. Simultaneously, Brazil is leveraging its tropical climate and degraded land to scale up voluntary carbon credit markets through mechanized reforestation, despite facing hurdles regarding land titles and logistical bottlenecks. Global innovation activity shows signs of contraction with a drop in patent filings driven by higher interest rates, though the World Intellectual Property Organization's latest index highlights that emerging economies like India and China continue to outperform their economic output in efficiency rankings.