Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 39 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist25 min
Economies of sail: migrant-smuggling entrepreneurs
Rosie Bloor, Joel Budd, Noah Snyder, Oliver Morton, Rachel Dobbs, Ainsley Johnston
An analysis of global security and environmental trends reveals that UK migrant smuggling networks have fragmented into professionalized, decentralized supply chains that evade traditional law enforcement decapitation tactics, while simultaneous extreme wildfires in South Korea and Japan signal accelerating climate impacts in high-latitude regions. Parallel to these physical shifts, international public opinion is undergoing a rapid polarization driven by US political changes, characterized by a sharp decline in favorable views of America across traditional allies like Canada and European nations. These converging dynamics suggest a global landscape where adaptive criminal markets, climate-fueled disasters, and fractured diplomatic trust are reshaping security challenges and cross-border perceptions.
- The Economist25 min
Kurds in the right place: a truce nears
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Pyotr Zalewski, Simon Rabinovich, Danielle Zaslavsky, Henrietta McFarlane
Following secret negotiations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and former hardline leader Devlet Bahçeli have advanced a peace initiative with imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, aiming to end a 40-year conflict through a PKK ceasefire while securing regional stability against Israel and Western alliances. Simultaneously, President Trump's aggressive tariff escalation on China, Mexico, and Canada triggered immediate global market sell-offs and record-low consumer sentiment as nations retaliated, compounding existing economic vulnerabilities in housing and business investment. In a contrasting cultural shift, the $3.1 billion caviar industry is surging toward a projected $4.6 billion valuation by 2029, driven by viral social media trends among young consumers who are adopting unconventional pairings and spurring innovations in cultivated, fish-free alternatives.
- The Economist28 min
Pompcast: Trump rallies Congress
Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, John Priddow, Ana Lankes, Alex Hearn
President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine following a dispute with Volodymyr Zelensky, triggering retaliatory 25% tariffs from Mexico and Canada and prompting Zelensky to signal readiness for a new minerals deal. In his first congressional address, Trump claimed record-breaking approval swings and erroneously contrasted European and American aid contributions while asserting he ranks alongside George Washington. Simultaneously, Ecuadorian Attorney General Diana Salazar continues high-stakes investigations into corruption linking drug cartels to former President Rafael Correa, with the outcome threatening to determine whether the nation remains a democracy or becomes a narco state before upcoming elections.
- 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
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 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
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.
- The Economist22 min
Remote control: Rwandan proxies occupy Congo
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Emmett Livingston, Robert Guest, Slaweja Čankova, Vishnu Padmarabhan
Following a collapse of government defenses, the M23 rebel group and alleged Rwandan troops captured Goma, displacing millions while exploiting the region's resources amid accusations of a proxy war strategy. Concurrently, medical research published in the *New England Journal of Medicine* identifies microplastics in half of a patient sample with arterial plaque, linking their presence to a quadrupled risk of heart attacks and stroke. Simultaneously, the global astrology market is surging to $23 billion by 2031 as Gen Z users increasingly turn to AI-driven platforms for guidance amidst declining religious adherence and rising societal stress.
- The Economist25 min
Executive orders of magnitude: Trump’s day one
Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, John Prudhoe, Edward Carr, Nicole Phan
During his second-term inauguration held indoors due to extreme cold, Donald Trump delivered an address centered on reclaiming the Panama Canal, reviving Manifest Destiny, and announcing a goal to plant an American flag on Mars while key Silicon Valley leaders like Elon Musk attended. On his first day in office, he signed executive orders establishing a two-gender policy, declaring a national emergency at the southern border to halt illegal entry, and withdrawing from the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement. Although Trump currently holds peak approval ratings and dominates the Republican Party, legislative constraints from narrow majorities in Congress and potential Supreme Court challenges may limit the long-term durability of his aggressive tariff threats and immigration reforms.
- The Economist22 min
Don’t mention the war: Russia’s internal tensions
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Arkady Ostrovsky, Matthew Holhouse
Analysts predict Vladimir Putin's regime faces potential unraveling due to a fragmented society where a pacifist majority fears total collapse yet creates fertile ground for crisis-driven change, a dynamic paralleling the late Soviet era. Simultaneously, the UK's Labour government confronts severe electoral volatility after securing a parliamentary majority with only 34% of the popular vote, necessitating tangible economic improvements to counter insurgent challenges from Reform UK and the Greens. Finally, corporate research demonstrates that while third-party nicknames enhance brand authenticity, hierarchical workplace nicknaming erodes psychological safety when initiated by management.
- The Economist36 min
Tomes will tell: books that predict the future
Rosie Bloor, Oliver Morton, Shashank Joshi, Rory, Christian Novotny, Tom Standage
The Economist's *The Intelligence* program, hosted by Rosie Bloor, convenes editor Oliver Morton, Shashank Joshi, and Tom Standage to dissect science fiction and non-fiction that forecasts technological, geopolitical, and biological trajectories. The discussion evaluates Vernor Vinge's speculative near-future regarding augmented reality, analyzes Andrew Steele's theories on extending human lifespans through biological intervention, and reviews literature addressing the renewed immediacy of nuclear conflict in Ukraine and Asia. Complementing these themes with listener recommendations on climate resilience and algorithmic control, the panel concludes that while technological capabilities evolve, future outcomes remain dependent on political will and the enduring nature of human emotion.
- The Economist24 min
The club rules? India’s RSS
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Avantika Chilkoti, Anjani Trivedi, Lane Green
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leverages its 5 million members and network of celibate pracharaks to deeply influence Indian policy-making, despite internal friction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal cult and the organization's collective ethos. Simultaneously, Gulf states are pivoting from fossil fuels to applied scientific research, aiming to solve regional challenges like water scarcity and food security through partnerships with Western universities despite current low R&D spending. In the United States, the term "kakistocracy" was crowned the 2024 Word of the Year, reflecting widespread political anxiety over Donald Trump's re-election and controversial cabinet appointments.
- The Economist20 min
Dark side of the Yoon: South Korea’s chaos
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Emma Hogan, Ana Lankes, Tim Cross
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attempted to declare martial law for six hours to counter alleged North Korean infiltration, a move rejected by lawmakers who have since united to pursue his impeachment amid claims of an attempted coup. The crisis stems from deep political polarization and could trigger a constitutional trial that would likely shift the nation's foreign policy away from hawkish stances toward engagement. This instability threatens South Korea's regional alliances with the US and Japan while leaving the country's constitutional order vulnerable to further internal conflict.
- The Economist22 min
All for one: Donald Trump and his key Musketeer
Donald Trump, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Patrick Fowles, Rachel Lloyd, Fraser McIlwraith
Elon Musk is set to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency under President-elect Donald Trump, a partnership driven by shared hostility toward federal bureaucracy and "woke" culture despite risks of conflicts of interest and a volatile alliance dynamic. Concurrently, Ireland is confronting its history of Magdalene laundries through new criminal legislation prohibiting record destruction and plans for a remembrance center, though church-controlled education stalls broader reform. Finally, Chile is witnessing a surge in salmon theft as criminal networks pivot from timber to the lucrative aquaculture sector, prompting enhanced security measures and legislative proposals to address the rising crime wave.
- The Economist27 min
Look at who’s talking: divining Trump’s Middle East plans
Trump, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Greg Karlstrom, Andy Laidlaw, Tom Sass, Anne Lowe
Donald Trump's anticipated second term presents a complex Middle East dynamic where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks relief from diplomatic pressure while Iranian leaders brace for potential nuclear sanctions and a return to "maximum pressure" tactics driven by a fractured advisory circle. Concurrently, Western European nations face a severe prison overcrowding crisis, prompting British officials to reject the long-standing "prison works" ideology in favor of decarceration models proven effective in the Netherlands and select US states. The era is further marked by the passing of Quincy Jones at 91, whose career broke racial barriers in music and film while producing historic works like *Thriller* and the charity single "We Are The World."