US government debt isn't a crisis to Paul Krugman. The Nobel laureate has long argued that history and arithmetic suggest a crisis is unlikely. But does that hold true in other countries around the world? Can they live with the levels of debt that have become the norm, or is there a nasty shock or full-blown crisis in the offing? Krugman joins host Carmel Crimmins to talk global debt, spending and the politics driving decision-making. Plus, we take a ride on a Berlin commuter train for a real world look at the downside of balancing the books.

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One man’s industrial policy is another woman’s protectionism. Our debut episode has Carmel and China bureau chief Kevin Krolicki discuss recent moves by the US to impose tariffs on China’s hot industry – EVs. What is protectionism versus good local policy, how have we arrived at this point, and what does it all mean for consumers and the planet? Plus, we take you on a ride to a real world example --Beijing.

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Listen now to our new weekly deep dive into a single economic principle driving global headlines.

Join Reuters journalist Carmel Crimmins every week as she and her guests pick apart a key economic principle behind the world’s news.

Get beyond buzzwords and technical terms to understand the ideas and debates shaping the global economic agenda.

Global release date: May 22.

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