Latest from James Graham

• Apr 10, 2023

  Another Tesla Megafactory, this time in Shanghai

  

  From the BBC World Service: Tesla announced that it will open an additional battery production factory in Shanghai that will complement the company’s existing facilities in the city. The electric car maker’s new factory will be capable of producing 10,000 battery megapacks a year. The UN warns that more than twenty African countries are at risk of not being able to repay some of their debts. On the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, is Northern Ireland still reaping the economic benefits?

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 7, 2023

  The jobs report shows a hiring decline, but is it enough for the Fed?

  

  The government’s official jobs numbers dropped this morning, and it showed a slowdown in the number of workers being hired with an unemployment rate of 3.5%. That signals progress toward the Fed’s goal of cooling off the labor market, says FHN Financial chief economist Christopher Low, but it may not be enough to satisfy Jerome Powell and Co. Plus, we look at why Native Americans are often under-represented in government data and what can mean when big datasets like the jobs report come out. And, why Wyoming is still trying to solicit crypto investors amid the industry’s recent high-profile scandals. 

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 7, 2023

  Chipmaking giant Samsung to cut production amid slowing demand

  

  Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant, reported that profits declined by a whopping 96% in Q1 of this year due to slowing demand for microchips and other electronics. We look at the company’s decision to cut production of microchips as a result of the news, and what that says about the wider economy. Plus, lumber prices may be coming down from sky-high pandemic rates, but that will likely do little to alleviate the housing crunch. And, a story of how a Native American group negotiated for the removal of a dam in North Carolina in order to restore the tribe’s land. 

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 7, 2023

  The Good Friday Agreement – 25 years on

  

  From the BBC World Service: 25 years ago this weekend, the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland. Plus, an Australian mayor may sue the company behind ChatGPT after it falsely claimed he’d been jailed for bribery. And, in the UK, printing is underway of new banknotes featuring King Charles III.

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 6, 2023

  Don’t forget those new green credits on your taxes this year

  

  The tax filing deadline is approaching for most Americans, and a significant number will benefit from new green credits set out in the Inflation Reduction Act. We look at what these new tax credits are, as well as how they could benefit people who installed heat pumps, switched to solar panels or bought electric cars last year. Plus, new data shows that the number of people seeing unemployment benefits ticked down but remained higher than expected — KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk tells us what that could say about the labor market. And, why some people who were laid off are not seeking unemployment benefits. 

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 6, 2023

  Meta throws its hat into the generative AI ring

  

  Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is looking to follow tech giants Microsoft and Alphabet into the world of computational artificial intelligence — albeit a bit belatedly. We look into what the company is dubbing “SAM”, which is in development to complement AI systems like ChatGPT. And, amid news of charges against a startup CEO who allegedly defrauded JPMorgan of $175 million, we talk with DePaul accounting professor Kelly Richmond Pope about her new book on the complexity of modern financial fraud. 

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 6, 2023

  French workers continue their revolt over retirement age rise

  

  From the BBC World Service: France is facing another day of strikes and protests after talks between trade unions and prime minister Elisabeth Borne failed to make progress. Unions say she refused to discuss rolling back on legislation raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. We hear from a train driver involved in the protests. Plus, thousands of people have taken to the streets in Argentina over spending cuts imposed as part of a $44 billion debt repayment deal with the International Monetary Fund. And, a copy of the first Shakespeare folio — a collection of some of his most famous plays — has gone on sale with a price tag of $7.5 million.

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 5, 2023

  Why Trump’s arraignment could mean more gridlock in Washington

  

  The indictment, arraignment and upcoming trial of former president Donald Trump in New York captured headlines yesterday, but it’s 200 miles away in Washington D.C. where the economic effects of the spectacle could be felt. We talk with the Eurasia Group’s Jon Lieber about what Trump’s legal imperilment could mean for polarization and policymaking on Capitol Hill. Plus, we chat with Lindsey Piegza, Chief Economist at Stifel Financial, about the latest trends in interest rates and today’s ADP jobs report. Also, Johnson and Johnson is looking to settle lawsuits over its talcum powder for around $9 billion. And, how Zimbabwean mining companies are being impacted by rolling blackouts across the country. 

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 5, 2023

  Is a wider job market cool-off starting to take hold?

  

  There are signs that the job market cooldown, which has been slow to materialize, is starting to accelerate. Fresh data from the Labor Department released yesterday saw a marked decrease in job openings — while that may spell good news for the Fed’s fight against inflation, openings are still way above pre-pandemic levels. And, we speak with the University of Rochester’s Ranga Dias, who tells us about a potentially revolutionary breakthrough that researchers made looking into room-temperature superconductors.

  Read MoreSaveShare
• Apr 5, 2023

  Trade and war on the agenda as two of Europe’s leaders head to Beijing

  

  From the BBC World Service:  French President Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen  – the Head of the European Commission – are in Beijing. Will any deals be made on trade and can they convince China to stop their support of Russia? BBC’s Mariko Oi explains. Plus, BBC Correspondent Anna Holligan reports on a court’s decision to overrule a 10% reduction in flights from Netherland’s main airport.

  Read MoreSaveShare