Stephanomics

Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman who died this week at age 92, was an imposing public figure—in height as well as stature.

He was best known for his bold moves in the U.S. war against inflation, and for his dedication to public service. But there was more to the man, as Bloomberg Markets editor Christine Harper discovered as she worked with Volcker to co-write his 2018 memoir, “Keeping At It.”

Harper joins host Stephanie Flanders to share her memories and observations of Volcker’s humor, hobbies and patience.

Also this week, Stephanomics explores what’s ailing India, which this year lost its title as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

Moreover, any chance of regaining that crown looks like it’s slipping away, despite the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One reason: The gem and jewelry industry, which accounts for almost 7% of India’s economy, is suffering thanks to external forces like the U.S.-China trade war as well as a possible setback from the Indian government itself.

Anirban Nag reports from Mumbai on the sector, while Flanders digs deeper into the Modi agenda with Bloomberg economist Abhishek Gupta.

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Will the Conservatives loosen the purse strings and spur a growth revival? Can Labour realize its vision of radically reshaping the U.K. economy? How will the course of Brexit be altered?

Stephanie Flanders tackles these questions and more in a preview of Great Britain’s Dec. 12 vote to elect a new government.

Flanders leads a live-recorded panel discussion with three important thinkers: Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Bronwen Maddox of the Institute for Government and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe.

Then Bloomberg U.K. economist Dan Hanson joins Flanders for a closer look at the implications of three possible results of the election.

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What does the business of flashy superyachts for the megarich have to do with the health of the U.S. economy?

A lot, it turns out. They’re often seen as a barometer of consumer spending, and as the holiday shopping season gets in full swing, all eyes are on American wallets.

On this week’s episode of “Stephanomics,” Bloomberg reporter Michael Sasso visits a big boat show in Florida only to discover that sales aren’t looking so great. Then host Stephanie Flanders talks with Carl Riccadonna, Bloomberg’s chief U.S. economist, about his somewhat downbeat macro view of holiday spending.

As a bonus, you’ll hear some additional insights from last week’s New Economy Forumin Beijing. Jorg Kukies, Germany’s deputy finance minister, talks with Flanders about the impact Brexit will have on Europe’s biggest economy.

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This week’s episode of Stephanomics comes to you from Beijing, where Bloomberg hosted the second annual New Economy Forum, bringing together global leaders to discuss how to solve the world’s biggest challenges. 

Stephanie Flanders first interviews Nicholas Stern, one of the world’s foremost experts on climate change and economics—a combined subject that’s gained increasing urgency for policymakers. Stern is a former adviser to the U.K. government and now chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics.

Then we have Zhu Min, a former senior official at China’s central bank as well as the International Monetary Fund. He joins Flanders to discuss key issues in the global economy as well as the U.S.-China trade war.

Finally, we’ll hear excerpts from a panel discussion on a Bloomberg Economics report called Drivers and Disrupters, addressing the forces threatening the world’s hottest economies. Speakers include Tom Orlik, Bloomberg’s chief economist, and former HSBC Chief Economist Stephen King.

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Beneath the tariffs, counter-tariffs and on-again off-again negotiations between the U.S. and China over trade policy, a deeper confrontation is brewing—one with potentially bigger consequences.

In a punitive, short-term move, the U.S. is preventing Chinese companies from using some American technologies. But longer-term, the tactic may trigger a “Silicon Curtain” behind which China develops homegrown tech to rival America’s.

Carolynn Look reports from China on how this is playing out for businesses big and small, and host Stephanie Flanders talks with Bloomberg Chief Economist Tom Orlik about what it all means for China’s economy.

Then we switch gears, in more ways than one, and turn to a new list of the best (and worst) cities around for drivers. Flanders and Bloomberg economy editor Zoe Schneeweiss discuss what makes a metropolis great for automobiles. As it turns out, what’s good for driving can also be good for walking and bicycling.

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The 2020 U.S. presidential election may be a year away but one policy idea is already stirring fierce debate: a big-time tax on the richest Americans. Katia Dmitrieva reports on why Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren want to implement a wealth tax, and how it might work. Many economists have also been warming to the idea of taxing wealth. But you can't help noticing that most of the European countries that have tried wealth taxes have later junked them. Host Stephanie Flanders talks with Bloomberg economists Johanna Jeansson and Maeva Cousin about the death of wealth taxes in Sweden and France and the possible lessons for the US. 

Then Stephanie talks with Frankfurt-based economy editor Jana Randow about two major milestones in the region: Christine Lagarde taking over as president of the European Central Bank and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Randow -- the co-author of a recent book about outgoing ECB head Mario Draghi -- explains how Lagarde is likely to differ from her predecessor. She then shares her personal memories of November 1989 from the standpoint of a child growing up in East Germany.

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Economies represent the ultimate sum of millions of people and businesses making millions of decisions. And if enough of those businesses are frozen on how to respond to the U.S.-China trade war -- like the owner of a Los Angeles cosmetics company featured in this week's episode -- then the U.S. economy will be in trouble. Sarah McGregor, editor of Bloomberg's real-economy team, reports on how the businesswoman, Dara Venekeo, is being forced to consider whether to relocate her hard-built supply chains from China to another country, such as Vietnam.

The conversation on supply chains continues as host Stephanie Flanders visits Singapore this week and checks in with Asia economy reporter Michelle Jamrisko there on how the situation is playing out in Southeast Asia and particularly Vietnam. Stephanie also talks with Asia economy editor Malcolm Scott on how the China-dependent economies of South Korea, Australia and New Zealand might need to resort to unorthodox monetary measures to shore up growth.

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What is the future for international institutions like the International Monetary Fund - and what, if anything, can it do to help Argentina? These are just some of the topics in a special episode from the annual meetings of the Fund and World Bank in Washington. Stephanie speaks about the future of the world on an all-star panel with former India central bank chief Raghuram Rajan and ex-Bundesbank head Axel Weber, along with Columbia University professor Glenn Hubbard, a White House economic adviser under George W. Bush. She also gets a chance to ask Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan - who helps set US interest rates - whether central banks can even control inflation anymore.

But first, Latin America economic editor Bruce Douglas reports from Buenos Aires on just how deep Argentina's problems go -- and whether they can be fixed. It's all part of Stephanomics's lead-up to Bloomberg's New Economy Forum in Beijing in November, where global governance will be high on the agenda.

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Bloomberg's Travel Genius podcast is back! After clocking another hundred-thousand miles in the sky, hosts Nikki Ekstein and Mark Ellwood have a whole new series of flight hacking, restaurant sleuthing, and hotel booking tips to inspire your own getaways—along with a who's who roster of itinerant pros ready to spill their own travel secrets. From a special episode on Disney to a master class on packing, we'll go high, low, east, west, and everywhere in between. The new season starts Nov. 6.

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The macroeconomic kind of economist tends to get the most attention - talking about growth, inflation and whether interest rates should go up or down. But it’s the micro economists working away quietly on smaller parts of the economy who have typically done most to change the world. This week Stephanie Flanders talks to one of them - Harvard University’s Michael Kremer about winning the 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics with two other researchers - and how their work has transformed the way we tackle global poverty. There’s something for macro fans as well with a high level discussion on the future of monetary policy. 

Should central banks be trying to save the planet - and are there tools to fight the next recession which do not disproportionately benefit the rich? These are Just two of the questions up for debate in a panel Stephanie chaired this week featuring Claudio Borio of the Bank for International Settlements, former Bank of England policy makers Sir Charlie Bean and Dame Kate Barker, and Graham Turner, founder of GFC and adviser to the U.K. Labour Party.

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