logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
9m 34s

Biden turns to autocrats for oil

Financial Times
About this episode

US stocks dip lower on concerns over this week’s Federal Reserve meeting, a star witness in the 1MDB corruption trial has wrapped up testimony in a Brooklyn courthouse, and US president Joe Biden is courting Venezuela and re-engaging with Saudi Arabia to overcome his oil sanctions against Moscow.  


Mentioned in this podcast:

US government bond prices drop ahead of Federal Reserve meeting

Tim Leissner’s testimony in 1MDB trial shines light on vast fraud

Having frozen out Putin, Biden is warming to other autocrats

Germany to buy US F-35 jets in first big deal since defence budget boost

War in Ukraine: free to read 


The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 21
The Big Tech stock rollercoaster
<p>Tech stocks have been on a rollercoaster since Nvidia reported earnings, the US added 119,000 jobs in September but unemployment reached its highest level in four years, and the US has formally handed Ukraine a sweeping peace plan drawn up with Moscow. Plus, we’ll go over all ... Show More
12m 22s
Nov 20
The bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery begins
<p>Nvidia grew sales of its chips even faster than Wall Street anticipated in its latest quarter, and UK inflation fell to 3.6 per cent in October. Plus, Paramount is trying to buy Warner Brothers Discovery and China’s opaque economic data is coming under scrutiny.&nbsp;</p><br>< ... Show More
12m 36s
Nov 19
Brussels sprouts critical minerals plan
<p>Meta has won the antitrust case that threatened to break it apart, the EU plans to create a central body to co-ordinate the purchasing and stockpiling of critical minerals. Plus, US tech stocks sold off on Tuesday as worries mounted over high valuations for artificial intellig ... Show More
10m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Biden’s plan for a US-Saudi-Israeli peace deal
<p>Gideon talks to Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, about the strength of bipartisan support for Ukraine and about President Joe Biden’s proposed&nbsp;“grand bargain” that could see Saudi Arabia and Israel normalise diplomatic relations ... Show More
19m 4s
Oct 2022
The British PM vs a head of lettuce
<p>Ben and Tommy cover the latest from Ukraine, the ongoing disaster that is the Liz Truss-led Tory government in the UK, how former US military officials are making big money in Saudi Arabia, China’s party congress, the Iran protests, BTS joins the military, Biden’s surprising n ... Show More
1h 9m
Feb 2023
Biden goes to Ukraine
<p>Tommy and Ben discuss Biden’s surprise trip to Ukraine, Putin’s decision to suspend participation in the New START treaty, the administration’s warnings against providing military support to Russia, the latest on spy balloons, Scotland’s First Minister resigns, near weapons-gr ... Show More
1h 17m
Apr 2023
The world watches Trump’s arrest
<p>Tommy and Ben talk about Donald Trump’s historic arrest and arraignment, Finland PM Sanna Marin’s election loss, Taiwan’s president visits America, a potential interim Iran nuclear deal, the Washington Post’s tone deaf op-ed on veterans rights, the arrest of an American journa ... Show More
58m 51s
Jan 2023
America’s hard right
<p>A small group of Republican party zealots, backed by former president Donald Trump, have forced their way into a position of power in the US Congress. Gideon talks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest magazine in Washington and senior fellow at the Atlantic Coun ... Show More
23m 22s
Mar 2023
Is prosecuting presidents a good idea?
<p>Tommy and Ben are joined by Crooked contributor Max Fisher for a segment to discuss a possible Trump indictment and how common presidential prosecutions are around the world. Then Ben and Tommy cover Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow, the retirement age in France, ... Show More
1h 14m
Jan 2023
How to handle the Biden docs
<p>Tommy and Ben discuss the Davos summit, the latest round of Biden documents, the U.K. blocking a Scottish law that would make gender change easier, more Russian attacks in Ukraine, the new climate spotlight on the UAE, protests in Israel, China’s population on the decline, and ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 2022
The Economist Asks: How can America counter China and Russia?
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping bonded on basketball courts when they were vice-presidents. Today their relationship has turned tense as they tussle over Taiwan and trade. But the war in Ukraine is also consuming much of President Biden’s attention. Host Anne McElvoy asks Wendy Sherman, ... Show More
26m 14s
Apr 2023
The Pentagon documents leak
<p>Tommy and Ben discuss the massive leak of US intelligence documents and the potential global implications, a new White House report on what went wrong with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the potential repeal of the Iraq war authorization for use of military force, Preside ... Show More
1h 27m