logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
10m 50s

Bessent takes aim at the IMF

Financial Times
About this episode

Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen will on Thursday finalise plans for a new defence pact, US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has accused the IMF and World Bank of “mission creep” and Boeing reported lower than expected losses. Plus, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk looks to right the electric-car company by reducing his role in the Trump administration.


Mentioned in this podcast:

UK and EU finalise plans for defence pact

Musk drives Tesla calmly through investors’ red lights

Scott Bessent accuses IMF and World Bank of ‘mission creep’

Boeing prepared to redirect orders destined for Chinese carriers

Credit: Associated Press


The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Katie McMurran, Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


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

Up next
Today
Google closes in on Nvidia in the AI race
<p>Google’s parent company got close to a record $4tn market capitalisation, and more than $1tn has been wiped from the cryptocurrency market in the past six weeks. Plus, US consumers aren’t feeling too merry ahead of the holidays, and the UK prepares for its long-awaited Budget ... Show More
10m 50s
Yesterday
How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences
<p>Traders are piling into bets that Wednesday’s UK Budget will push the pound lower against the dollar, and the pharmaceutical industry saw some promising — and not so promising — clinical trial results. Plus, US tech stocks leapt on Monday and Ireland’s military neutrality has ... Show More
10m 26s
Nov 24
The scramble for a Ukraine peace deal
<p>US pressure on Ukraine and its allies to agree a peace deal with Russia ignites fresh concern in Europe, and the US has officially designated Venezuela’s “Cartel of the Suns” a terror group. Plus, Europe looks to increase investment rules to stand up to China, and a look at wh ... Show More
12m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 8
Elon Musk and the end of a telecom tycoon’s dream
In recent weeks, satellite business EchoStar has clinched multibillion-dollar deals with SpaceX and AT&T. It may sound like boom times for founder Charlie Ergen, but these deals illustrate something different: the abandoning of an ambitious, decades-long quest to build his own mo ... Show More
23m 40s
Sep 17
Fed Cuts Rates by Quarter-Point; Powell Cites Weakness in Jobs
Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Federal Reserve officials lowered their benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point and penciled in two more reductions this year following months of intense pressure from the White House to slash borr ... Show More
39m 20s
Oct 13
What’s up with the US economy? With Austan Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and a voter on the Fed’s interest rate-setting committee, speaks to the FT’s economics commentator Chris Giles about the outlook for the US economy amid a boom in AI investment, sluggish hiring, President Donald Tr ... Show More
24m 57s
Oct 18
Trump-Zelenskiy, Prince Andrew and Hollywood tariffs
In talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, U.S. President Donald Trump appears to press pause on upgrading Ukraine's weapons arsenal. The EU unveils a plan for a drone defence wall. Prince Andrew relinquishes the "Duke of York" title after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. ... Show More
12m 38s
Sep 12
Starmer in a spin as the ‘Dark Lord’ bites the dust
After the toe-curling revelations about Lord Peter Mandelson’s connections with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the ambassador’s departure seemed inevitable to all - with the exception of some in Downing Street. Questions about the speed of his sacking, what Sir Keir St ... Show More
31m 21s
Sep 26
Does Starmer have a northern problem?
As the prime minister prepares for his annual party conference, the mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, seems to be mounting a thinly veiled bid for the Labour leadership. In numerous interviews given to the media this past week, Burnham said he had been privately urged b ... Show More
32m 16s
Sep 16
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Tariffs, TikTok, & A Duel 9/16/25
<p>On the ground in London for the President’s state visit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discusses tariffs, a potential trade deal with China, Federal Reserve independence, and reports of a spar between himself and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Plus, <a ... Show More
45m 28s
Nov 2024
915. News: LATAM fintech is booming, Metrobank slapped with a hefty fine, and why Klarna chose NYC for its IPO
Join hosts Laura Watkins and Benjamin Ensor alongside some great guests as we look at the biggest financial services and fintech stories of the past week. Topics covered include: a LATAM fintech roundup featuring news from Nubank, Ualá, and Tako; Klarna announcing plans to IPO i ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 23
461. Question Time: The Tel Aviv Fan Ban & Japan’s New Thatcher
This episode has been edited to remove a discussion on the China spy case. The Rest Is Politics wishes to make clear that Mr Christopher Cash and Mr Christopher Berry were found not guilty of gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state ... Show More
31m 38s
Oct 3
Shutdown drags on, AI fuels record highs, Trump eyes farmer bailout
US stocks edge higher as Wall Street extends its record run despite the government shutdown entering day three. Economic data remains frozen, with the September jobs report delayed, but investors continue to ride the AI wave as Nvidia (NVDA) and OpenAI unveil new partnerships. Pr ... Show More
21m 49s