Best Forhecz Topher Podcasts (2024)

1
What is the future of photography? 20:46

27m ago20:46

20:46

Critics have been warning about the death of photography as an art form for years. Smartphones were going to lead to its demise by making everyone a photographer. Then came warnings about AI, which can create photographic images without a human actually being present at a given time and place. But, the FT’s US art critic Ariella Budick argues that …

1
The $250bn in corporate taxes riding on US election 11:24

1h ago11:24

11:24

Chinese authorities are demanding wealthy individuals and companies double-check their taxes for unpaid liabilities, and the largest US companies are facing two starkly different financial futures after the election. The UK Conservative party elects right-wing Kemi Badenoch as leader, and share prices of clean hydrogen companies have collapsed due …

1
Swamp Notes: Why the polls aren’t budging 16:03

2d ago16:03

16:03

In a campaign full of twists and turns, one thing has stayed surprisingly steady: the polls. On this final pre-election episode of Swamp Notes, the FT’s senior data journalist Oliver Roeder and deputy Washington bureau chief Lauren Fedor explain why the polls have barely budged this cycle, and how Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are motivating their…

1
UK Budget spooks bond markets 9:20

32m ago9:20

9:20

Apple reported solid revenue growth in the past quarter, and investors are worried about the additional borrowing set out in UK chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget. The US warned that North Korean troops are expected to enter combat alongside Russia’s army in the coming days, and Spain is set to become the world’s fastest-growing major advanced econom…

1
Culture Chat: the bonkbuster world of ‘Rivals’ 31:12

1h ago31:12

31:12

Today we head to Rutshire, to take a crack at the frothy, riotous TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s 1980s romance novel, Rivals. The eight-episode series follows a cluster of posh English country-dwellers – including TV executive Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and local heartthrob Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) — as they bonk and bust the…

1
UK Labour’s Budget borrows big, taxes more 13:15

5m ago13:15

13:15

Microsoft’s quarterly revenue rose 16% on strong cloud computing demand, the UK’s Labour party reveals bold tax increases and borrowing, and the US economy grew at an annualised rate of 2.8% in the third quarter. Plus, critics cry foul over a proof of citizenship law in Arizona. Mentioned in this podcast: Microsoft’s revenue beats estimates on stro…

1
Arm enters the AI race 11:33

4h ago11:33

11:33

Alphabet’s profit jumped 34 per cent in the third quarter, and Israel’s parliament approved legislation on Monday that will ban a UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating within Israeli territory. The US and Taiwan are preparing to negotiate a new tax agreement, and mobile chip designer Arm may try to rival Nvidia. Mentioned in this podcas…

1
US election betting is on a roll 20:15

4h ago20:15

20:15

On November 5, voters in the US will head to the polls to decide who should be the next president: Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. But over the past several months, people from around the world have been placing millions of dollars on who will win that race. As interest in betting on US politics reaches a new high, the FT’s Oliver Roeder and Sam Lea…

1
Boeing races to avoid credit downgrade 10:19

1d ago10:19

10:19

PwC’s business in Asia contracted sharply in the past year, Boeing announced a $19bn share sale to help avoid a credit rating downgrade, and Volkswagen plans a massive restructuring that includes shutting at least three German plants. Plus, fears of violence have left some US election boards struggling to hire poll workers. Mentioned in this podcas…

1
Historian Simon Schama wants to make truth sexy again 27:04

2d ago27:04

27:04

Historian Sir Simon Schama is one of the most influential public intellectuals of our time. So when he replied to our invitation to come on the show ahead of the US presidential election by saying he wanted to talk about “the unprecedented collapse of truth”, we immediately said yes. It’s been a disorienting presidential campaign. For many American…

1
Georgia’s disputed election 10:42

2d ago10:42

10:42

Iran has signalled that it will pursue a measured response to Israel’s latest strikes, and Georgia’s opposition has called for protests after the ruling Georgian Dream party claims victory. Plus, the possibility of Donald Trump’s trade war has hit the shares of export-sensitive European companies, and large investment funds are being forced to offl…

1
Swamp Notes LIVE: A look back at the economy and the election 32:43

4d ago32:43

32:43

With the election just over a week away, Swamp Notes visited the University of Michigan to recap the final FT-Michigan Ross poll. Swamp Notes host Sonja Hutson is joined by the FT’s US managing editor Peter Spiegel, and Erik Gordon and Francine Lafontaine of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business to examine the poll results and explai…

1
Halloween Chat: ‘Beetlejuice’ and the lost art of soft horror 29:55

5d ago29:55

29:55

Today we are pulling on our striped demon ghost suits for a special Halloween episode: a deep-dive on Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, Beetlejuice. It persists in our cultural memory, remade as an animated series, a theme park ride, a musical, and as of last month, a legacy sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. We talk about why it’s endured with such ferocit…

1
Will Russia lead on an alternative to the dollar? 9:27

5d ago9:27

9:27

Tesla shares leapt 22% after Elon Musk predicted an electric vehicle sales rebound, and Russia’s pitch for a US dollar alternative failed to excite Brics leaders. Plus, a major change to the open source technology model could be coming. Mentioned in this podcast: Tesla shares leap 22% after Elon Musk predicts sales rebound Vladimir Putin’s alternat…

1
AI that can control your computer 10:33

8d ago10:33

10:33

Boeing’s machinists voted on Wednesday to reject the company’s latest offer and the US has finalised long-awaited ‘open banking’ rules, hoping it will inject more competition into the market. Plus, Deutsche Bank reported a record third-quarter profit and artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic has built a virtual agent that can perform tasks on …

1
HSBC’s east-west split 11:00

7d ago11:00

11:00

Deloitte has cut about 250 UK employees and HSBC’s chief executive has announced an overhaul of the bank. The IMF has warned global protectionism will endanger the world’s growth outlook, as a possible Donald Trump victory in the US election raises the prospect of tariff increases. Plus, South Korea has called on Russia to stop the deployment of No…

1
An activist tried to take on Pfizer. Then things got messy 20:37

7d ago20:37

20:37

Activist investors tend to rely on an element of surprise to catch their target company off guard: quietly building up a stake and swooping in with a slide deck full of strategic changes at just the right moment. That’s not what happened at the beginning of a recent campaign led by the hedge fund Starboard Value against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.…

1
Three big economic ideas that explain the US election 10:47

8d ago10:47

10:47

Share buybacks on mainland China’s biggest exchanges have soared to a record high this year, and Israel has attacked an Hizbollah-affiliated financial institution in Lebanon. Plus, Disney has appointed former Morgan Stanley boss James Gorman as its new chair, and a trip to America’s third-biggest shopping mall offers answers to what’s really going …

1
Chef Victoria Blamey is giving the tasting menu new life 27:13

10d ago27:13

27:13

In recent years, critics and jaded diners have deemed the multi-course tasting menu dead. It’s gotten repetitive, the argument goes, with chefs serving luxury courses like caviar at the expense of any point of view. But recently, our host Lilah Raptopoulos had a meal that felt extremely alive, at Victoria Blamey’s restaurant Blanca, in Brooklyn. Vi…

1
Uber’s drive for ‘super app’ status 11:13

9d ago11:13

11:13

Trading in the world’s second-largest IPO of 2024 begins on Tuesday, but retail investors have given a lukewarm reception to Hyundai Motor India’s listing. A coalition of oil-producing African countries is seeking $5bn to fund projects on the continent, and Boeing’s largest labour union will vote on Wednesday whether to end a costly strike. Uber ha…

1
Swamp Notes: Election denialism is still in style 16:05

11d ago16:05

16:05

The 2020 US election was one of the most contested in American history, and it culminated in an unprecedented attack on the US Capitol building by supporters of Donald Trump. FT data journalist Eva Xiao and US legal correspondent Joe Miller join this week’s Swamp Notes podcast to explain how Trump and his allies are preparing to challenge the 2024 …

1
Chipmakers send tech shares yo-yoing 11:11

14d ago11:11

11:11

Israel says it has killed Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader and the architect behind the October 7 2023 attacks. Mixed quarterly earnings from chipmakers send tech stocks yo-yoing, and the European Central Bank has cut interest rates by a quarter-point, amid signs that growth and inflation are weakening. Plus, South Africa’s Government of National Unity…

1
Culture Chat: The FT takes on ‘Industry’ season 3 27:10

12d ago27:10

27:10

This week, we’re talking about the HBO finance drama Industry, which follows the lives of London bankers as they navigate frantic careers and make chaotic life choices. The third season is out, and snidely pokes at greenwashing and how the corporate world pretends to do good. What is this show reflecting about how we feel about money? Does it take …

1
Israel accused of implementing ‘starvation plan’ in Gaza 10:35

13d ago10:35

10:35

Rights groups say Israel appears to be implementing a controversial plan to force Hamas into submission by laying siege to the north of Gaza. BHP’s chief executive met government officials in South Africa last week, fuelling speculation that the miner will resurrect its failed bid for rival Anglo American. Plus, the downfall of once-hyped genetic t…

1
Private credit’s growing ‘IOU’ habit 10:15

14d ago10:15

10:15

Shares in ASML led a tech rout on Nasdaq on Tuesday after the chipmaker warned of a slower recovery in the semiconductor market, and Goldman Sachs’ quarterly profits jumped 45 per cent to $3bn, boosted by its equity trading business. Asian battery makers are racing to develop new generations of superfast charging for electric vehicles, and a growin…

1
Wall Street’s new trading titans 19:07

14d ago19:07

19:07

When it comes to trading, Wall Street’s investment banks are falling further behind. And independent trading firms, such as Jane Street and Citadel Securities, are taking the lead in everything from stocks and options to derivatives and crypto. The trading firms argue that they’ve made the process more efficient, but what risks does that carry? The…

1
Pressure builds on Beijing to boost economy 11:15

15d ago11:15

11:15

OpenAI is considering a largely untested company model to protect chief executive Sam Altman from outside interference, and virtually all global insurers now include at least one low-carbon transition goal within their investment plans. Millions of dollars in bets are being placed on the US presidential election following the lifting of a domestic …

1
Fashion loves Ozempic. Should we talk about it? 20:51

16d ago20:51

20:51

Before she was the editor of our luxury magazine HTSI, Jo Ellison was features editor at British Vogue, which means that throughout her career she’s had a front-row view of the fashion industry’s love of thinness. In recent years, fashion began to embrace more diversity in body shapes and sizes. But with the rise of Ozempic and other GLP-1 weight-l…

1
US banks ride ‘soft landing’ high 11:24

16d ago11:24

11:24

Russia has expanded the capacity of its shadow fleet of oil tankers despite western sanctions, and US bank stocks hit their highest level since before the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday, following better than expected quarterly earnings. Plus, the Eurozone’s weak economic growth and sluggish consumer prices have raised concerns about low…

1
Swamp Notes: Will Republicans take back the Senate? 14:49

18d ago14:49

14:49

Both chambers of the US Congress are like the country they represent: narrowly divided. But while Democrats currently hold a one-seat Senate majority, Republicans are increasingly confident that they’ll take back control of the chamber after the election next month. The FT’s Washington bureau chief, James Politi, and the Cook Political Report’s Sen…

1
Japanese PM’s uphill battle to win back voters 11:35

19d ago11:35

11:35

The French government has proposed a budget for next year with some €60bn worth of spending cuts and tax increases, and Hurricane Milton ploughed across Florida on Wednesday. US inflation fell to 2.4 per cent in September. Plus, we look ahead to Japan’s early elections later this month. Mentioned in this podcast: French PM unveils shock therapy in …

1
Culture Chat: why is everyone so mad at Katy Perry? 29:04

20d ago29:04

29:04

Today we’re sexy, confident, intelligent, heaven-sent – and taking on Katy Perry’s disastrous new album, 143. Featuring the lead single ‘Woman’s World’, this album has gone viral for all the wrong reasons: a muddled feminist message, a slew of publicity gaffes and even a government investigation. What makes the album so disappointing? And why do pe…

1
US considers breaking up Google 10:20

20d ago10:20

10:20

HSBC’s top-paid bankers to bear the brunt of cost-cutting restructuring, and the UK Conservative party leadership race has been whittled down to two rightwingers. Plus, Germany’s economy is expected to shrink, and the US government is considering seeking the break-up of Google to end its monopoly in search. Mentioned in this podcast: US weighs Goog…

1
Could Italy’s UniCredit reignite European banking? 18:40

21d ago18:40

18:40

After the financial crisis, dealmaking among banks in different countries in Europe fell to a standstill. But recently, Italian lender UniCredit revealed that it had built up a stake in Germany’s Commerzbank, prompting discussions of a possible tie-up. EU policymakers and politicians believe cross-border deals like this could unlock European bankin…

1
India’s belated oil rush 10:51

21d ago10:51

10:51

The head of KPMG US says the industry urgently needs to make it easier to become an accountant, and the EU is suing Hungary’s government over a new security law it says is in breach of citizens’ fundamental rights. Plus, India races to extract as much oil as possible while there remains a market for crude. Mentioned in this podcast: KPMG US head sa…

1
Strikes threaten Boeing’s bottom line 11:19

22d ago11:19

11:19

Big bank bosses join a growing list of prominent financiers expected to skip COP29 next month, and Spain proposes a new mechanism to help harmonise the EU’s capital and credit markets. Plus, activist investor Starboard Value has built a $1bn position in struggling drugmaker Pfizer, and tens of thousands of striking machinists are threatening Boeing…

1
In the age of AI, what counts as art? 20:09

24d ago20:09

20:09

The FT’s innovation editor John Thornhill writes a lot about the dangers of artificial intelligence, but when he recently saw a movie about the musician Brian Eno, created with the help of an algorithm, he liked it. Or, better put, he liked the version he saw: the documentary has 52 quintillion variations. A new take on the film comes together each…

51
Israel marks one year after October 7 11:45

24d ago11:45

11:45

A new report forecasts that Donald Trump would raise the US debt by twice as much as Kamala Harris, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX is quietly opening up a new front in a global battle over a scarce and precious resource: radio spectrum. Plus, US partners at accounting firm EY have been told their pay for 2024 will be deferred, and a year after the October …

1
Swamp Notes: How the Middle East conflict is shaping the election 13:40

26d ago13:40

13:40

The Biden administration has tried and failed to contain fighting in the Middle East over the past year - and now, the conflict is close to spiralling into all-out war. The FT’s US foreign affairs and defence correspondent Felicia Schwartz and US political news editor Derek Brower join this week’s Swamp Notes to explain what Kamala Harris and Donal…

1
Markets keep calm despite global tensions 11:27

27d ago11:27

11:27

A strike that closed US east and Gulf coast ports will be suspended, and market reaction to escalations in the Middle East remains minimal. Plus, Italy’s government will raise more taxes from companies earning windfall profits, and luxury group LVMH will become a top sponsor of car-racing franchise Formula One. Mentioned in this podcast: US dockwor…

1
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is a mess worth seeing 34:50

27d ago34:50

34:50

Today, we are stopping time to discuss Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola's controversial passion project, which took him 40 years to make. The film was entirely self-financed for $120mn and has an all-star cast, including Adam Driver, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, but it has fiercely divided viewers. Is this Coppola’s worst film, or are critics be…

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Forhecz Topher Podcasts

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