Money Talks from The Economist

When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in America” was a big influence on later generations of writers and thinkers, including The Economist’s US Editor John Prideaux. Now, 250 years after its birth, the vitality of that democracy is under question. In this series, John retraces the route Tocqueville took to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville about America remains—and how worried we should be about what’s changed.Out now

The world’s most important asset is under threat. Government debt, inflation and unpredictable policymaking are all putting the Treasury market in peril. What can be done to save it?Guests and hosts:Jay Barry, head of global rates strategy at JPMorganNellie Liang, Senior Fellow at the Brookings InstitutionMike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Alice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Ethan Wu, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:America’s treasury marketSafe assetsFederal ReserveTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

How do you get rich in today’s America? With many careers threatened by AI, running a franchise looks like a good bet. McDonald’s has plausibly created more millionaires than any firm in history. Now the franchising model can be found everywhere from hotels to Pilates studios. Is franchising the future?Guests and hosts:Greg Flynn, CEO of Flynn GroupMike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Alice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:FranchisingFast foodHigh streetTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Nearly everything about SpaceX seems otherworldly–even its forthcoming IPO. Not only will it be the largest in history (by some margin) but, to make good on its promises, the company will need to put data centres in space and build a 1m-person city on Mars. Both of those ambitions depend on SpaceX’s next-generation rocket, Starship. So will Elon Musk's latest test-flight IPO be meteoric or explosive?Guests and hosts:Henry Tricks, The Economist’s US technology editorTim Cross, The Economist’s senior science writerMike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Alice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:SpaceX IPOStarshipOrbital data centresTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

South Korea’s KOSPI stock index has nearly doubled this year alone. The wild bull run has been driven by two companies: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. This has prompted big questions about how to spread the benefits of the boom and led to threats of strikes. So how long can the rally last?Guests and hosts:Timothy Moe, chief regional equity strategist for Asia Pacific at Goldman SachsHyok Jung Kim, associate research fellow at the Korea Institute for International Economic PolicyAlice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Ethan Wu, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:South KoreaAIMemory chipsTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Donald Trump’s ongoing fight with the Federal Reserve could be over. Kevin Warsh, the president’s pick for the new Fed chair, has now been confirmed and is promising “regime change”. What does that mean for the world’s most important central bank?Guests and hosts:Skanda Amarnath, co-founder and executive director of Employ AmericaJohn H. Cochrane, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford UniversityMike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Alice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Ethan Wu, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:Kevin WarshUS Federal ReserveInterest ratesTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The AI boom is running into an unexpected problem: physical bottlenecks. Demand is soaring, but chips, data centres, transformers and power grids cannot be scaled at the same speed as software. As hyperscalers like Amazon and Google pledge hundreds of billions of dollars in spending, companies further up the supply chain are struggling to keep up. So is the real world about to put a brake on artificial intelligence?Guests and hosts:Jigar Shah, co-managing partner at MultiplierShailesh Chitnis, The Economist's global business writerAlice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Mike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:AI boom Chip manufacturingUS data centresTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

After the 2016 Brexit vote, the outlook for London was bleak. Detractors predicted all but financial oblivion for the City’s bankers, insurers and traders. But, ten years on, those prophecies look overblown in a city that’s got its swagger back.Guests and hosts:Huw van Steenis of OIiver WymanMichael Mainelli of think tank Z/YenMike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Ethan Wu, co-host of “Money Talks”Alice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:BrexitThe City of LondonFinancial servicesTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The Iran war has shown that low-cost drones can challenge even the mightiest military forces. Now the Pentagon is turning to a new breed of defence companies, led by Anduril, SpaceX and Palantir. How are these firms changing the way America wages war?Guests and hosts:Matthew Steckman, president and chief business officer at AndurilHenry Tricks, The Economist's US technology editor Mike Bird, co-host of “Money Talks”Alice Fulwood, co-host of “Money Talks”Topics covered:DronesDefence industryIran warTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.