Stephanomics

Drug companies and researchers have made huge advances in recent years to treat cancer, possibly the world's leading cause of death. And more breakthroughs are likely. But it will come with a big price tag, and getting all the way to a cure will be tricky. What does it all have to do with the global economy? And what's a moonshot, anyway? Dr. Louis Weiner, director of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, explains it all to Dan Moss and guest host Scott Lanman, who has a deep personal connection to the topic at hand.

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Why is Norway attracting attention in a post-Brexit Britain? Saleha Mohsin, who followed Norwegian politics and economics for Bloomberg, joins Dan Moss to explain `EU Decaf.' How does it work and how is it different, if at all, than being a full member of the EU? You get freedom of goods, services, capital and -- critically -- labor. Norway even contributes to the EU budget! Yet Norwegians are happy with EU Decaf. Oh, and an EU referendum was defeated there as well. Twice.

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Have British voters rejected more than the EU? The vote to leave the Union, which grew from the idea seven decades ago that enmeshed economies won't wage war on one another, is a blow to the liberal order that's prevailed since 1945. It's also a shot across the bow of modern family life. Paul Gordon from London joins Dan Moss to explain why. We also find out what the barista said to Paul as dawn broke in London and how he will greet his German wife when he comes home to Frankfurt.

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Will the government still feed me when I'm 64? How about 74, or even 84? Americans are living longer than ever, but the retirement age has barely budged from the original 65. How can Washington adjust the public retirement system -- a political third rail -- without enraging millions of U.S. workers? What the heck do we mean by a third rail? Join us for a chat with Peter Coy, economics editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, Dan Moss and guest host Kate Smith about the future of Social Security and why you should care right now.

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Venezuela, home to the world's biggest oil reserves, is in the throes of economic crisis. With inflation projected at nearly 300 percent this year, how do Venezuelans live amid six-hour lines for groceries, crumbling hospitals and growing violence? Nathan Crooks, Bloomberg's Caracas bureau chief, walks Aki and guest co-host Catarina Saraiva through his daily life, how things got so bad and what's next for the troubled country.

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Every day the gig economy gets bigger, whether you're talking about drivers on Uber or programmers on Upwork. Are these workers freed from the drudgery and rigidity of full-time jobs, or are they exploited by companies that want to sidestep the commitments and the costs of traditional employees? Danny Margulies, who catapulted from unemployment in 2012 to a freelance copywriter commanding as much as $250 an hour, joins Aki and guest co-host Saleha Mohsin this week to offer a peek into his own life. Danny loves his arrangement, but as Benchmark's own Tori Stilwell reports this week, some economists worry it's leading to a more precarious labor market for middle and low-wage workers.

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Washington is once again mired in political gridlock, this time involving the Supreme Court. A seat on the highest court in the land has been open since February, and it probably won't be filled until a new president is elected. How do businesses fare in the face of so much uncertainty? For answers, Tori speaks with Al Franken, the junior senator from Minnesota and a former star of Saturday Night Live, along with Bloomberg's Supreme Court reporter Greg Stohr. As an added bonus, Franken shares his thoughts on Donald Trump, the Benchmark theme song, and rumors he may be Hillary Clinton's vice president.

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After decades of progress in U.S. mortality rates, scores of white middle-aged Americans are dying or reporting that their health is deteriorating and life is increasingly painful. What does this have to do with the economy, and even the election? More than you might think. To discuss, Tori and Aki talk to Princeton professor Anne Case, whose work with husband Angus Deaton has documented the stunning regression.

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For criminals looking to sell drugs, fund terrorism, evade taxes or bribe government officials, cash is king. That's why a growing chorus of academics and policy makers want to do away with high-denomination bills around the world, culminating last week in the European Central Bank's decision to stop printing the 500 euro note. But does this put us on a slippery slope toward a cashless society, where Big Brother can monitor our every financial move? Tori and Aki discuss with Peter Sands, a senior fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School and the former CEO Standard Chartered Bank, whose research helped spark the debate.

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Puerto Rico missed a $400 million debt payment on Sunday, and bigger, more consequential defaults could follow. But how did things get so bad in the first place? Michelle Kaske, Bloomberg's municipal bonds reporter, joins Dan and Aki to discuss the best- and worst-case scenarios for the U.S. Territory as its next payment deadline approaches.

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