The Big View

Reuters Breakingviews columnists tap their best contacts to explore the biggest issues driving business and markets today. Every Tuesday, Global Editor Peter Thal Larsen and his team tackle a pressing question with a senior executive, financier, policymaker, or other expert. The Big View helps you understand what is going on, explore all sides of the argument, and think about what happens next.

[For previous The Exchange podcast users, we didn't want to leave you hanging so we've decided to repurpose this feed for the launch of The Big View podcast. You can still find the legacy episodes below marked under the old title]

News
1
Why Trump’s trade assault will fail and keep going
41 min
2
Why robotaxis are picking up speed and credibility
Enthusiasts have long claimed driverless cars are around the corner. As they hit the streets from the West Coast to Wuhan, the business model is taking shape too. In this episode of The Big View podcast, James Peng, CEO of $6 bln industry pioneer Pony AI, explains what’s changed.
31 min
3
The wobbly foundations of the stablecoin boom
37 min
4
Private equity’s nightmare on Main Street
A spate of books chronicling the industry’s harmful economic effects are exacerbating its financial quandaries. In this episode of The Big View podcast, ‘Bad Company’ author Megan Greenwell discusses how buyout shops dash the American dream, and ways to thwart them from doing so.
35 min
5
How the EU can respond to US economic warfare
As President Donald ⁠Trump ⁠threatens tariffs, Brussels is also ⁠worrying ⁠about Washington using ⁠sanctions ⁠against it. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Agathe Demarais of the European Council on Foreign Relations talks about how the ⁠bloc ⁠should deploy its own ⁠weapons⁠.
37 min
6
How Apple’s China celebration became a conundrum
40 min
7
Europe’s self-defence is battle on multiple fronts
Leaders are scrambling to shore up defences against Russia while also becoming less dependent on the US. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Bruegel Senior Fellow Guntram Wolff talks about the need for a joint European body to make the increase in spending more effective.
36 min
8
Why US-China decoupling will be hard to reverse
Trade between the two economies is collapsing. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Christopher Beddor of Gavekal explains where relations could be repaired, where they could deteriorate further, and why Washington and Beijing may tacitly agree on the need to pull apart.
35 min
9
What Trump’s tariff tantrum will do to world trade
The White House is negotiating with trading partners while US-China commerce seizes up. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Professor Simon Evenett of IMD Business School explains how the tense discussions might play out, and where they will leave the global trade system.
33 min
10
The theory and practice of Trump’s economic policy
The president’s tariffs have wreaked havoc in financial markets. Beneath the short-term turmoil, though, are more fundamental woes. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Edward Chancellor describes how the US became a bubble economy, and why deflating it is so dangerous.
40 min
11
What could knock King Dollar off its throne
41 min
12
Market turmoil rewrites the lessons of investing
33 min
13
Plugging the gaping holes in economic data
30 min
14
What investment firms can teach us about AI
Though artificial intelligence seems new, fund managers have used it to spot patterns for years. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Gary Collier, chief technology officer of Man Group, talks about the surprising lessons he’s learned and debunks some common AI tropes.
33 min
15
Why financial warfare could backfire on the US
38 min
16
The debit and credit of the private lending boom
38 min
17
How to sort winners from losers in AI’s civil war
Some advocates believe artificial intelligence is poised to surpass human capabilities. Others see it more as a powerful problem-solving tool. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Felix Martin explores the implications of the diverging views for investors and economists.
37 min
18
How to navigate Trump’s trade wars
38 min
19
The long haul to reviving Britain’s economy
Productivity has slowed, real wages are stagnant, and investment has dried up. The new UK government also faces high debt and rising interest rates. In this episode of The Big View podcast, newly appointed minister Torsten Bell makes the case for radical but incremental change.
46 min
20
How US presidents imposed their will on CEOs
Tycoons like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg bent the knee to Donald Trump. They’re not the first to bow to the Oval Office. In this episode of The Big View podcast, former White House aide Tevi Troy explores the shifting balance of power between corporate and political leaders.
32 min
21
The economics of war and peace in Ukraine
It’s almost three years since Russia invaded, unleashing death and devastation. In this live edition of The Big View podcast, economist and former minister Tymofiy Mylovanov talks about the damage to both sides, the effect of sanctions, and what a peace deal might look like.
40 min
22
Donald Trump’s return reverberates beyond the US
The immediate effects of the president’s second term will be felt at home. But he’s also upending parts of the US-led order. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Reuters Commentator-at-Large Hugo Dixon discusses relations with Europe, rivalry with China, and climate change.
34 min
23
Huawei is a microcosm of China’s last four decades
Since its founding in 1987 the tech giant has learned from Western rivals, expanded overseas, and is now on the front lines of a new Cold War. In this episode of The Big View podcast Eva Dou, author of ‘House of Huawei’, explains how the secretive firm became a national champion.
38 min
24
Why private credit is shrinking as it booms
Non-bank lenders, sitting atop $2 trln in assets, keep taking more of the market away from the traditional titans of Wall Street. Yet the industry is now rapidly consolidating. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Marc Lipschultz, co-CEO of Blue Owl Capital, explains why.
44 min
25
How the world could unplug from China’s batteries
International cell makers are struggling to compete with Chinese giants like CATL. But innovations like solid-state batteries could upend the industry in the not-too-distant future. In this week’s episode of The Big View podcast, QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram explains how.
32 min