Latest from Nick Esposito

• Jul 7, 2023

  Talks, tension and China’s economic troubles…

  

  It’s Janet Yellen’s first trip to China as US Treasury chief. The visit comes as tensions between the two countries are running high and China’s economy is struggling to mount a post-pandemic recovery. The Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry says more than 60,000 women will lose their jobs after the Taliban’s decision to shut all female beauty salons in the country. Could robots be the answer to our social care problem and a way of combating loneliness in older people?

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• Jul 6, 2023

  Not your grandpa’s Pong

  

  A quarter of video gamers in the U.S. are 50 and older, and no, they don’t just want to play “brain games.” Plus, the latest on Meta’s Twitter-like platform, and a look at the markets.

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• Jul 6, 2023

  Next year, your health care could get more expensive

  

  Like, 7% more expensive. But will the price hike stick around? Plus, Janet Yellen visits China and Toyota announces EV progress.

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• Jul 6, 2023

  Shell boss defends oil commitment

  

  From the BBC World Service: There’s currently a major emphasis on the green transition, but the boss of oil giant Shell tells us cutting oil production is ‘dangerous’ while there’s not enough renewable energy to replace it. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen heads to China — will she be able to ease tensions between the world’s economic superpowers? And Last week’s riots have exposed deep divisions in French society. We hear from Marseille where people living in one of the city’s most deprived and violent neighbourhoods say they feel abandoned by politicians.

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• Jul 5, 2023

  Can federal agencies contact social media companies?

  

  A judge in Louisiana says no. The Trump appointee barred federal agencies from communicating with social media companies about misinformation on their platforms. But the decision might lack constitutional standing. Plus, fireworks insurance is getting prohibitively expensive and retailers are already anxious about year-end shopping.

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• Jul 5, 2023

  Insider trading? Or really, really good luck?

  

  ProPublica acquired leaked IRS records showing shockingly well-timed trades in healthcare stocks. Reporters and experts think it could be an SEC violation. Plus, airlines are still dealing with a pilot shortage.

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• Jul 5, 2023

  The UK’s National Health Service is 75 years old, but it is still fit for purpose?

  

  From the BBC World Service: It was the first free health service in the world, but is the UK’s National Health Service still fit for purpose as it reaches its 75th anniversary? We ask an American doctor working for the NHS. Plus, Victoria Craig reports from Turkey where new finance minister Mehmet Simsek has promised to tackle the country’s deep economic problems.

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• Jul 4, 2023

  In South Africa, light at the end of the energy crisis tunnel

  

  Daily power cuts, which have been the norm for over a decade in South Africa, could be over by the end of the year. Plus, Native nations get funding to grow and purchase healthier, traditional food.

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• Jul 4, 2023

  The cost of climate change: insurance edition

  

  Thanks to climate change, insurance costs are going up. Major providers are pulling out of high-risk markets, and remaining coverage options can cost an arm and a leg. Plus, how small businesses decide whether to raise their prices, as inflation slows but doesn’t stop.

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• Jul 4, 2023

  A social media face-off as Meta prepares to launch a rival to Twitter

  

  From the BBC World Service: Facebook’s owner Meta has announced it will launch Threads, a new social media app, on Thursday. Technology reporter Io Dodds told us what this means for Twitter. Also, the killing of a French-Algerian teenager in Paris has triggered days of rioting. The BBC’s Paul Moss reports on two funds that have been set up, one for the victim and the other for the policeman who shot him. And finally, the BBC’s Andrew Harding investigates who’s to blame as South Africa faces a winter of discontent over power shortages.

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