News Items Podcast with John Ellis

John interviews Adam Tooze, a historian, the author of five books on economic history, and a professor at Columbia University, where he is the director of the interdisciplinary European Institute. Adam also writes a newsletter, “Chartbook,” which in its own words, reports on "economic data, images, stories that matter."Adam's two latest books deal with the major economic crises of the past two decades. “Crashed” looks back at the global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, and explains both its causes and the rescue plan that got us out of it – though not without eroding democracies around the world. The newly-released “Shutdown” analyzes the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on the world economy.John and Adam talk about both crises, their differences, and the mystical workings of the repo market. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Steve Coll, a staff writer at The New Yorker, the dean of the Columbia Journalism School, the author of eight books, and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Between 1989 and 1992, he worked as The Washington Post's South Asia bureau chief. That experience ultimately led him to write two books on Afghanistan and Pakistan (with a third on the way).The first, “Ghost Wars,” won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005. It chronicles the C.I.A.'s secret wars in Afghanistan and how these fueled the founding of Al Qaeda. The second, “Directorate S,” focuses on the Pentagon and C.I.A.'s struggles with the eponymous, secretive branch of the Pakistani intelligence service that supported the Afghan Taliban.John and Steve discuss both books and the intense research they required; the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan; and Steve's plans for a third book on the subject. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Jeffrey Stern. An award-winning journalist and the author of three books, Jeffrey originally started his career as a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan. In 2018, his book “The 15:17 to Paris” was adapted into a film by Clint Eastwood, and in 2019, he won the Overseas Press Club award for best human rights reporting in any medium and Amnesty International's USA Media Award in the international news category.John talks to Jeffrey about how he became a writer; his first book, “The Last Thousand,” which tells the story of a school in the slums of Kabul that has sent kids to Ivy League universities; and how he came to co-write “The 15:17 to Paris.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Joseph Kanon, a former publishing executive who became a bestselling author in his 50s. Joseph's spy novels take place in the aftermath of World War II and the Cold War that followed. He published his debut novel, “Los Alamos,” in 1997, and the story of a murder set against the backdrop of the Manhattan Project won the Edgar Award for best first novel. His third novel, “The Good German,” was adapted to the big screen by director Steven Soderbergh and starred George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.Joseph's stories are told through characters navigating ethically fraught terrain. “There was a reviewer who said at one point that my books were novels of moral intrigue,” Joseph said. “And I thought it was a perfect description that I hadn't thought of, or otherwise I would have told it to the publisher, to put it on the jacket.”John and Joseph talk about his midlife career change; his tenth novel, “The Berlin Exchange,” which comes out in January; and what he's writing next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Priya Donti, a Ph.D. student in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. She is also the co-founder and chair of Climate Change A.I., an organization working at the intersection of climate science and machine learning.Priya's goal is to use machine learning to analyze, slow, and adapt to climate change. This could include optimizing pollutive supply chains, improving climate models, and helping researchers create next-generation batteries.John and Priya talk about these applications; machine learning's relevance for insurance companies; and why A.I. isn't a silver bullet for this era's most prominent environmental challenge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews journalist Josh Tyrangiel. After quickly rising through the ranks at Time Magazine, Josh became the editor of Bloomberg Businessweek and then the executive vice president of news at Vice Media. There, he launched the Peabody Award and Emmy Award-winning “Vice News Tonight.” Last year, Josh joined Eden Productions, as a development executive in charge of documentaries.John talks to Josh about his career, the future of the news business, and what makes for a good podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Joe Klein, an award-winning journalist who wrote for Time, Newsweek, The New Yorker, and New York Magazine, among others, and the author of seven books, including the bestselling “Primary Colors.” John and Joe discuss Afghanistan's fate; radical centrism; how the news media has changed; and With Honor, a political organization Joe works with to help elect military veterans to Congress. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Cade Metz, a technology correspondent at The New York Times and the author of “Genius Makers,” a book on artificial intelligence. The book focuses on neural networks, an approach whereby, given enough data, A.I. can get better at specific tasks — like recognizing speech or images — all on its own. The idea behind neural networks dates to the ‘40s and ‘50s, but it was largely abandoned for decades. Today, a few dogged researchers, along with the tech giants that act as the field's biggest players, have made it ubiquitous. “This is the technology we now use today when we speak commands into our cell phones,” Cade says. “This is what allows self-driving cars.”John asks Cade about the earliest days of artificial intelligence; how the international nature of A.I.'s brightest teams complicates the technology's geopolitical stakes; and why we should all start paying attention to proteomics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Major League Baseball's commissioner, Rob Manfred. Before joining the MLB in 1998, in part to oversee labor relations, Rob worked for the league as a lawyer at the firm Morgan Lewis. “I was lucky enough literally to get assigned to Major League Baseball work,” Rob says. “I caught a real break there.” In 2014 the league's 30 owners elected him to lead the MLB as the tenth commissioner in its history. John and Rob talk about the MLB's efforts to reach younger, cable-cutting fans; its relationship with leagues in Latin America and Asia; and the advantage that comes from streaming 2,430 regular season games a year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Susannah Cahalan, author of the bestselling memoir “Brain on Fire.” In 2009, Susannah's reporting career at the New York Post was derailed by a frightening set of symptoms. She grew paranoid, lost touch with reality, and alienated those around her with aggressive, seemingly inexplicable behavior. This culminated in multiple seizures, a hospital stay, and a diagnosis of anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis — Susannah's body was essentially attacking her own brain. While recovering, she reported on her own case, piecing together the details of a monthlong episode she only partially remembered, and turned it into the subject of her first book. John and Susannah talk about their common experience with different forms of autoimmune encephalitis; her second book, “The Great Pretender,” an investigation into a landmark study in psychiatry; and her next project, a history about women and psychedelics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Tim Higgins. Tim is a tech reporter at The Wall Street Journal, a regular CNBC contributor, and the author of “Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century.” The book chronicles Tesla's multiple near-death experiences and shows how it came to symbolize the electric car and, ultimately, grew into the largest automaker in the world by market value. However, Tim says, “this isn't the story of Elon Musk,” and the book reports on many of the other figures that give Tesla its edge.John and Tim discuss Musk's penchant for bold moves (good and bad); Tesla's true competitors; and the recently opened federal investigation into the company's self-driving tech. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews A.I. scientist Rosalind Picard. Rosalind is a pioneer in the field of affective computing, the co-founder of two companies at the forefront of A.I., Affectica and Empatica, and the founder and director of the affective computing research group at the MIT Media Lab. Affective computing aims to close the emotional gap between computers and their users. As Rosalind wrote in her book “Affective Computing,” published in 1997, “if we want computers to be genuinely intelligent, to adapt to us, and to interact naturally with us, then they will need the ability to recognize and express emotions.” John and Rosalind talk about the limits and applications of affective computing, and how wearable technology could change health care as we know it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Lisa Bryant, the director and executive producer of the Netflix docuseries “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.” In the second episode of this two-part conversation, John and Lisa discuss Epstein's suspicious death in a jail cell in 2019, as he awaited trial — and the curious story of his alleged co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is set to go on trial in November.Part one of the conversation aired yesterday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Lisa Bryant, the director and executive producer of the Netflix docuseries “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.” In the first episode of this two-part conversation, John and Lisa discuss the making of the series; Epstein's background and wealth; and how he rubbed elbows with (and ensnared) powerful people. John also asks Lisa about Epstein's first conviction in 2008, and how a “sweetheart deal” allowed him to step out of jail for 12 hours a day, six days a week. Part two of the conversation, which airs tomorrow, delves into Epstein's death in 2019 as he awaited trial in a second case — and the curious story of his alleged co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is set to go on trial later this year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, a bestselling author and an adjunct senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.John and Gayle discuss her newest book, “The Daughters of Kobani,” which tells the story of the all-female Kurdish militia that helped defeat ISIS in Syria. They also talk about Afghanistan, and what the Taliban's victory could mean for both the Biden administration and Afghanistan's neighbors. (This interview was conducted before the fall of Kabul.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews award-winning journalist Donald G. McNeil Jr. In this, the second half of a two-part interview, John and Donald talk about the early days of the pandemic and the evidence, regarding the origins of the virus, behind the animal-to-human transmission theory versus the lab leak theory.If you haven't heard part one, make sure to go back and listen to John and Donald discuss the Biden administration's response, the Delta variant, and the financial incentives behind the anti-vaccine movement. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews award-winning journalist Donald G. McNeil Jr. about a recent essay, published in Medium, where he excoriates the Biden administration's handling of the pandemic. In part one of this two-part interview, John and Donald discuss the administration's aforementioned stumbles; the financial incentives motivating the leaders of the anti-vaccine movement; and the deadly risks posed by the Delta variant, as tens of millions of unvaccinated children return to school.Make sure to tune in tomorrow for part two, to hear John and Donald discuss the coronavirus' origins. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Hamish McKenzie, one of the co-founders of Substack. Since its start in 2017, the company has managed to upend the relationship between journalists and news outlets. A good number of prominent writers, including Anne Helen Peterson, Glenn Greenwald, Andrew Sullivan, Matt Yglesias — and John Ellis himself — have started newsletters on Substack, and some of them make a good deal more money than they did when they were employed at traditional outlets.Of course, the company hasn't been without some controversy. John and Hamish talk about that, as well as the company's newly announced effort to attract comic book creators — and how it plans to fend off competition from giants like Facebook. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Rita Singh: a pioneer in the emerging field of voice profiling, the author of “Profiling Humans from Their Voice,” and an associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Rita and her team are developing technology that can analyze a human voice signal and unlock a wealth of information about its owner. With only a short voice recording, researchers can make startlingly accurate deductions about a person's skeletal structure, general appearance, age, and even their medical outlook. This obviously has massive implications for health care, and in just a few months, commercially available voice profiling that uses Rita's technology may help people find out whether they should take a COVID-19 test, or if they're “in the clear.” John and Rita talk about the moment that led her to switch from voice recognition research to voice profiling; how the technology works; how it could transform health care; and the serious privacy implications that arise when a short voice recording is all it takes to unlock a stranger's health secrets. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Jane Metcalfe, the former president and co-founder of Wired magazine, about her fascinating career: from starting the “Rolling Stone of technology,” to co-founding a chocolate factory, and most recently, founding Neo.life. Metcalfe describes it as a digital media company that reports on how “to apply engineering to human biology.” With this new venture, she makes the case for a new field she calls neobiology. It is, in her words, “the next stage of the digital revolution,” or how humans will become capable of shaping their own evolution.This is a longer, lightly edited version of an interview that ran on Monday, August 2nd. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews the legendary Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” for the past 16 years, co-host of “Squawk on the Street,” and co-founder of the financial news site TheStreet. John and Jim have a fun and freewheeling conversation about everything from Cramer's early days as local reporter in California, to China's ambitions regarding Taiwan, and why he thinks Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is an unsung hero of the left.This is a lightly edited rerun of the interview that ran on Friday, April 2nd. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Andrew Sullivan, the noted British-American writer and podcaster, as well as the author of the forthcoming collection “Out on a Limb: Selected Writing, 1989–2021.” Named acting editor of The New Republic, at only 26, he quickly established himself as one of America's leading public intellectuals. In 1989, he wrote a piece titled, “Here Comes The Groom: A (conservative) case for gay marriage.” That headline gives a glimpse into his heterodox style of thinking. As further proof, Sullivan lists the American presidential candidates he's supported: “Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Dole, Bush, Kerry, Obama, Clinton, and Biden.” Sullivan has written for The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and New York Magazine, but last year he returned to his blogging roots with The Weekly Dish, which he publishes via Substack. John talks to Andrew about his career trajectory, the rise of Trump, and the rise of woke culture. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, in the midst of a pandemic import boom and global supply chain woes. The two discuss how Seroka's experience working in Shanghai during the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak informed his early handling of COVID-19 at what is, by some measures, the busiest port in North America. They also talk about how the port battles cybersecurity threats; the effect pandemic buying has had on global supply chains; and the crucial role that the Port of Los Angeles plays in the national economy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Jane Metcalfe, the former president and cofounder of Wired magazine, about her fascinating career: from cofounding Wired, to cofounding a chocolate factory, and most recently, founding Neo.life. As Jane tells John, Neo.life is an online magazine about “engineering life,” or, “what happens when you bring an engineering mindset to biology.” It covers the most promising research in genomics, synthetic biology, 3-D printing and artificial intelligence, and it makes the case for a new field Jane calls “neobiology.” As she explained to MobiHealthNews, “We [are at] the dawn of what I call the neobiological revolution, which I define as the accelerating movement of ways to use technology and biology to alter the human race.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Diana Choyleva, the founder of Enodo Economics – a macroeconomic and political forecasting company focused on China. Choyleva grew up in communist Bulgaria, and her personal experience living under a command economy, combined with her Western education in market economics, give her a unique perspective on China. In this conversation with John, Choyleva explains China's debt problems; why President Xi Jinping is prioritizing economic control over short-term growth; and the strategy behind the digital yuan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: A South Korean study has found that one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine plus another of the Pfizer vaccine produces more antibodies than getting the AstraZeneca vaccine alone.Quantum computing startup PsiQuantum has raised $450 million in a series D round. It plans to develop a quantum computer using photons to store information.News items: A congressional panel urged US corporations to pull their sponsorships of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. John explains why the entire multi-billion dollar marketing and broadcasting edifice built round the Olympics will collapse in the next decade.Despite a blowout quarter for Google, Apple, and Facebook – actually, because of the blowout quarter – John and Rebecca agree that regulatory trouble may come for Big Tech.Fears that the Chinese government's crackdown on the real estate and education industries may come for the health care industry has led to a selloff of Chinese health equities. Rebecca explains how the CCP is thinking in “centuries” — not quarters — as they try to solve their demographic quandary – investors be damned! John and Rebecca discuss John's most recent column, titled Four Illusions. In it, he explains how President Biden's obviously declining mental acuity and Vice President Harris' less-than-stellar performance could lead to the re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 – if inflation rears its ugly head. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Mark Tercek, a former partner at Goldman Sachs who left the world of finance to become the CEO of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) – the world's largest environmental nonprofit organization. During his 11 years at TNC, the organization raised over $7 billion dollars to fight climate change and protect land and water around the world. Tercek is also the author of “Nature's Fortune: How Business and Society Thrive by Investing in Nature.”John and Mark discuss the move from investment banking to environmentalism, why he brought a business approach to the organization, and how the private sector can be one of the leaders in the fight against climate change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: A consortium of 99 scientists has completed the map of the human genome, discovering more than 2,000 new genes in the process.Autonomous truck startups brought in more than $5 billion in funding in the first five months of 2021. John and Rebecca talk about the promise of self-driving semis.News items:Los Angeles County reinstated mask mandates and social distancing after official health reports found that 20% of new infections were in people who were vaccinated.Foreign investors deployed a record $900 billion in American mutual funds and ETFs in the first half of this year. Rebecca explains why US equities look so attractive these days.John and Rebecca discuss a New York Times story on Facebook's partnering with religious organizations to create online congregations.China has sent the Biden administration a list of grievances and demands. John and Rebecca think they won't be answered. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first of a series of interviews with entrepreneurs, John speaks to Jonathan Bush. He is the CEO of Zus Health, a health-tech startup that aims to become the “Build-A-Bear” of digital health platforms for health care providers; the former CEO of Athenahealth; and John Ellis' first cousin. Bush grew Athenahealth from a small startup in his basement into a public company with a $6 billion market capitalization and 5,000 employees. He and John talk about that journey, and how he came back to health-tech after he departed Athenahealth. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Alice Hill, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations; a former special assistant to President Obama; and author of the upcoming book, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19. Hill talks about how adapting communities to extreme and changing weather is just as important as lowering global carbon emissions. For that, Hill argues, the Biden administration ought to draw a national resilience plan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: England ended all pandemic-related safety restrictions today. The British tabloids are calling it “Freedom Day,” but Rebecca and John don't see it quite the same way. China was the only country to see continued growth in robotics in 2020. News items: Floods in Germany have killed 200 people and hundreds more are still missing. John and Rebecca discuss how the tragedy, and the larger specter of climate change, could influence Germany's upcoming elections. A report by the American Association for Public Opinion Research finds that the 2020 polls were worse than in any election cycle since 1980 – John calls BS. With Fed Chair Jay Powell's term ending in 2022, Biden must decide whether to reappoint him, or to bow to progressive pressure, and nominate someone who will be tougher on banks. John and Rebecca explain why they're on “Team Powell” and why the Fed Chair's role is so tricky. The index fund turns fifty this month! At $16 trillion, and growing, passive investing is making some Wall Street giants even bigger, and that may pose a problem. Rebecca explains the history of the index fund and what it means when she says that active fund managers are now “the underdog.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews General (Retired) Russell Howard, former US Army Commander and founding director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. John asks Howard about whether “the War on Terror” is won and Afghanistan's fate as US soldiers leave the country. He and John also discuss the repercussions on neighboring nations like Iran, Pakistan, and even China, as well as the state of three major terrorist organizations — ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Hezbollah. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines:The CEO of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin, says vaccine booster shots are critical to beating the pandemic.Apple anticipates a jump in demand for its next line of iPhones, as evidenced by its order to manufacture 90 million of them.News items: REvil, the Russian hacking group responsible for recent cyber attacks on JBS Foods and other companies, went offline on Tuesday. Rebecca asks John who he thinks is behind the shutdown — Biden, Putin, or the hackers themselves?Peter Shepard and Morgan Stanley are working on an “ultimate index” which would track all markets, including commodities and private assets like real estate and private equity. Rebecca thinks it's a disaster in the making.France's antitrust watchdog recently fined Google 500 million euros for failing to talk with news publishers about using their copyrighted work. Here in the US, the FTC announced a probe into Amazon's $8.5 billion deal with MGM. John and Rebecca disagree on what big tech owes legacy media. Holdings in both Chinese stocks and bonds have surged globally. Rebecca explains why. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Amy Wilentz, a journalist; author; professor at the University of California, Irvine; and an expert on Haiti. Wilentz describes the situation after last week's assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The two also discuss the role of gangs in Haiti; Taiwanese interest in the country; and what happens next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: Chinese scientists have drawn up plans for a fleet of rockets that could push a potentially Earth-bound asteroid off course.Waters near areas with high levels of amphetamine use can be polluted by trace methamphetamines, and Czech researchers have found that fish can grow addicted to it. The drug reduces their overall activity and shows up in their brain tissue.News items: England's “Freedom Day” from COVID restrictions, set for July 19, (and amidst a surge in infections driven by the Delta variant) is a political decision – and not a smart one, according to John.Taliban forces are expected to quickly fill the void left by US troops departing Afghanistan, and neighbors Iran and Pakistan have reason to worry about their national security.Is there really a rift between Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg, as the New York Times suggests? John thinks not. Recently announced Senate candidate J.D. Vance is currently polling at only 5%, but his campaign already has the mainstream media and Democrats freaking out. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Every morning on The Recount Daily Pod, host journalist Reena Ninan will break down the most important news of the day, both domestically and abroad. In 5 minutes or less, you'll walk away feeling smarter and more in sync with the world. Then, tune in for an interview with journalists who are on the forefront of the stories that affect us all.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews David Barboza, the Pulitzer Prize-winning co-founder of the digital newsmagazine The Wire China. They discuss how the country has changed in the last few decades; why predictions of China's economic collapse never pan out; the potential for war over Taiwan; and how the Chinese Communist Party lost the international community's trust.This is a longer, lightly edited version of an interview that ran on Thursday, June 17. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rebecca interviews Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman on the housing market frenzy. They discuss the pandemic's impact on buyers and sellers; how remote work could revitalize middle America; and the labor and lumber shortages contributing to a lack of inventory. Plus, Glenn offers his top home buying tip. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Sheila Smith, a senior fellow on Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. They discuss the successes and failures of Abenomics, the arc of the pandemic in Japan, and the tricky political and public health considerations behind hosting an Olympics during a global crisis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Gerard Baker, editor-at-large of The Wall Street Journal (and its former editor-in-chief) on his rise to the top of the paper. They discuss what it was like to run the newsroom during the Trump presidency and the era of #Resistance journalism. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Elizabeth Economy, a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. They talk about China's political history, Xi Jinping's rise to power and the country's not-so-unified front. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Gerald Seib, executive Washington editor of The Wall Street Journal, and the author of "We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump—A Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution."They talk about the evolution of populism within the GOP, how party leadership misread its base on immigration, and what's next for Republicans in 2022 and beyond. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: Researchers have mapped in detail how a compound modeled on a natural microorganism produces hydrogen. One distant but possible application: clean energy.mRNA vaccines are one thing, but the next medical revolution could rely on proteins (like parts of the coronavirus spike) created entirely in labs rather than found in nature.News items:COVID-19 news: the Delta Plus variant could cause a third wave in India. The original Delta variant is 50% more transmissible than the current major strain in the U.S., and it's expected to become the dominant strain here within a few weeks. Finally, low-vaccination areas around the country are seeing spikes in hospitalizations. Engine No.1, the activist hedge fund that landed three board members at ExxonMobil last month, launched an ETF on Wednesday. It will try to influence the direction of the companies it invests in via shareholder elections. Rebecca is skeptical.Canada's House of Commons passed a bill to make the digital media landscape in Canada — from TikTok to Netflix — more, well, Canadian. Now it just has to pass the Senate. John and Rebecca discuss the merits, and the chance that it'll inspire copycat legislation across the pond.Pandemic-related protections for renters and homeowners in the U.S. are fading, and mobile home owners may stand to lose the most. John and Rebecca say the Biden administration needs to act fast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews investigative journalist Phoebe Eaton about her book, “In the Thrall of the Mountain King: The Secret History of El Chapo, the World's Most Notorious Narco.” Phoebe tells John about meeting the drug kingpin's mother in Culiacán – and how she got her to open up by asking about the secretive religious traditions practiced by the family. She also explains why pilots are venerated in Culiacán's narco culture; how drug bosses use straw owners to shield their earnings from seizure; and how details in the recent guilty plea by Emma Coronel (El Chapo's wife) suggest she's cooperating with the American government. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: Google's internet browser, Chrome, will block cookies starting in early 2022. John and Rebecca discuss the implications. Cuba's three-jab Soberana 2 vaccine has qualified for approval from the WHO, giving the world one more tool in the fight against COVID-19. News items:BuzzFeed is negotiating the purchase of Complex Networks, and it has plans to merge with a SPAC and go public soon. But it might all be for naught – John explains why he thinks most digital media companies are doomed. According to The New York Times media reporter Ben Smith, Tucker Carlson has been leaking stories about Trump and Fox News to the mainstream press for years. John explains why the news is underwhelming.Supply chain woes will probably lead to inflation faster than experts expected. Rebecca says she's sticking with Fed chair Jay Powell. Economic historian Adam Tooze is out with a timeline of the Biden administration's evolution from dovish to hawkish vis-à-vis China. Rebecca and John discuss what role the strategic consulting firm WestExec might have played in that evolution, and how Trump can make hay of it in 2024. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second half of John's interview with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), they talk about what it was like to live through the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; Biden's goals in office; and the Senator's recent talks with former President Donald Trump. This is a follow up episode to part I of John's interview with the Senator that aired on Tuesday, June 15th. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews David Barboza, former Shanghai bureau chief at the New York Times and co-founder of The Wire China. The two discuss China's leverage on the global economy; the geopolitics of Taiwan; and what's changed since Barboza first arrived in China in 2004. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: There are roughly a million animal and plant species at risk of extinction. A special section in The Economist argues biodiversity loss is a threat on par with climate change.A leading Arctic researcher warns that irreversible global warming may already be upon us.News Items: Fox Corp. announced a $100 million bet on NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens. Rebecca and John explain why they like the move. American regulators are anxious about the $100+ billion market capitalization for stablecoins. Rebecca and John say FedCoin is the answer.Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo rejected Coca-Cola in favor of water... and the beverage giant's stock slumped. Maybe they should have Dasani, their H2O brand, sponsor him?The UK's new conservative news channel, GB News, drew eyeballs in its debut last weekend, but John thinks it will have a long road to profitability. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) on the Senator's efforts to sound the alarm about COVID-19 early in 2020; why he thinks the lab-leak theory is the most plausible explanation for the novel coronavirus's origins; and the CDC's failure to meet the moment.Part two of the interview, which delves into Senator Cotton's experiences during the January 6th Capitol riots, will be published this Friday, June 18th. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science and tech headlines: Writing poetry, creating pictures, modeling proteins — the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence's latest artificial intelligence model appears to be a massive step forward for China's AI efforts.Could machine learning help us understand (and speak to) whales?News items: Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, is out. John explains why he thinks Bibi may be back, in the not-too-distant future.Election officials across the country are still getting death threats over imagined election fraud. John and Rebecca discuss why that probably won't stop anytime soon. Has Biden's agenda hit a wall? John and Rebecca discuss why the split Senate makes passing an infrastructure bill – let alone anything more ambitious – so tricky. Elizabeth Holmes swag is selling fast. Ahead of the Theranos founder's trial in August, mugs, t-shirts, and even shower curtains are in high demand. Rebecca points out the undercurrent of misogyny behind the boom — and how P.C. culture may have led to Holmes' ascent. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John interviews journalist and news editor Stephen G. Smith. They talk about his early days in the news business; the industry's transition from print to digital; incidents of cancel culture at The New York Times; why the media came down with “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.