Latest from James Graham

• Feb 21, 2023

  Big cases for Big Tech at the Supreme Court

  

  The Supreme Court will hear a case today challenging a liability shield that’s helped protect tech companies from what users post on their platforms. Many argue this protection helped build the modern internet — and wonder what will happen if it’s struck down. The BBC looks at the results of one of the world’s largest four-day workweek experiments, which was conducted in the UK over a period of six months. And, some personal finance tips for people making big life changes from CBS News’ Jill Schlesinger. 

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 21, 2023

  Who in Britain is for a four-day week?

  

  From the BBC World Service: How would you like to get all your pay for working 80% of the time? We take a look at one of the world’s biggest pilots of the four-day work week. Nearly all the businesses that took part want to carry on. Plus, as President Putin makes a major address to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we take a look at the human toll. Millions of people fled to other countries and some of them have been setting up businesses. And finally, more heads are rolling in Spain after $250m was spent on trains too wide to fit through tunnels.

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 20, 2023

  President Biden visited Ukraine. What was on the agenda?

  

  President Biden arrived in Kyiv this morning on a surprise visit to wartime Ukraine. Hear about what was on the agenda, including fresh arms deliveries and other forms of assistance. The BBC investigates alleged sexual assault on Kenyan tea farms that supply some of the world’s largest brands. And, a look at how abortion funds and clinics in the South are sending services across state lines into communities where the practice became illegal after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.  Please be advised content featured in this podcast includes a story about sexual abuse that listeners may find difficult to hear or inappropriate for younger audiences.

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 20, 2023

  How could federal dollars transform American manufacturing?

  

  The American manufacturing sector is set to receive a huge deluge of funding in the coming years, thanks in large part to two major laws: the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. We spoke with Charlotte Howard, Executive Editor and New York Bureau Chief at The Economist, about what the laws could portend for the sector. President Biden is in Ukraine for a surprise visit, where he met with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and announced new military aid. And, a view from Moldova, where Pro-Russian protests are causing instability for the country’s Western-aligned government. 

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 20, 2023

  The dark cost of tea farming in Kenya

  

  From the BBC World Service: A BBC investigation has uncovered widespread sexual abuse on tea farms which supply some of the world’s biggest international tea brands. Plus, the brewer Brewdog is expanding into China in a tie-up with Budweiser. And, we take a look at the economic implications of war in Ukraine on the eve of the first anniversary. Please be advised content featured in this podcast includes a story about sexual abuse that listeners may find difficult to hear or inappropriate for younger audiences.

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 17, 2023

  Consumers are really, really indebted

  

  A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says credit card debt reached all-time highs at the end of 2022, around $986 billion in total. A look into why that matters, and what it says about the economy. As Turkey recovers from a devastating set of earthquakes that rocked the country’s southern region this month, questions are arising about a so-called “earthquake tax” that’s been in place since 2004. And, while revenue from online ads shrinks for giants like Meta and Alphabet, small businesses are keeping up their advertising campaigns.  

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 17, 2023

  The job market is sending mixed signals

  

  There have been some contradictory signs coming out of the job market in the past month — some big tech companies are announcing layoffs, but other places say they’re hiring lots of workers. We look into what to make of the wider labor market picture. It’s time for the renewal of the Farm Bill, the massive agricultural spending law, and Congressional Republicans are aiming to trim SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps. And, we talked to the head of a Pennsylvania department store that’s been open for 118 years. 

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 17, 2023

  How much will it cost to rebuild in Turkey and Syria?

  

  From the BBC World Service: After the United Nations launched a $1bn appeal to help those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria we speak to our reporter to find how much it will cost to rebuild the affected areas. We hear about a major Chinese businessman who has been reported missing, and we ask Manchester United fans who they want to buy their club with a deadline looming.

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 16, 2023

  Theatre jobs are still recovering from pandemic shocks

  

  Theatres were one set of businesses that were hit hardest by pandemic shutdowns, which forced many workers to be cut or furloughed. We check in with the Minneapolis-based Children’s Theatre Company to see how things are going. Today’s Producer Price Index data confirms what other recent inflation data is showing: rising prices aren’t slowing down nearly fast enough. And, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as July should Congress fail to agree to raise the debt limit. 

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload
• Feb 16, 2023

  U.S. and China trade tit-for-tat sanctions amid balloon blowup

  

  China announced this morning that defense giant Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon would go on a blacklist, which follows similar American moves last week. It’s the latest incident in the Chinese balloon saga that has seen the U.S.-China relationship sour further. The White House’s new standards for electric vehicle chargers could bring about new business opportunities. And, we check in with an egg farmer about how the industry is doing amid its recovery from a severe avian flu outbreak.

  Read MoreSaveShareDownload