logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2025
11 m

Trump’s push to privatise Fannie and Fre...

Financial Times
About this episode

Elon Musk’s xAI is launching a $300mn share sale that values the group at $113bn, and China’s property sector woes are compounded by tariff worries. Plus, Poland’s new president is going to make life hard for the country’s prime minister, and the FT’s Amelia Pollard explains why US president Donald Trump wants to take mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac private. 


Mentioned in this podcast:

EU companies more concerned about China slowdown than tariffs

Donald Trump’s plans for Fannie and Freddie would mean payday for hedge funds

Nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki wins knife-edge Poland presidential election

Elon Musk’s xAI seeks $113bn valuation in $300mn share sale


Today’s FT News Briefing was produced by Sonja Hutson, Ethan Plotkin, Kasia Broussalian, Fiona Symon, Mischa Frankl-Duval, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Blake Maples, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our intern is Michaela Seah. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. 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
Yesterday
Quantitative easing is under the microscope
Donald Trump has said Israel and Hamas have agreed the first step in his plan for a Gaza ceasefire, and Washington wants its companies exempt from EU climate rules. Plus, Chinese customs agents are going after a wide range of US semiconductor tech, and central bankers around the ... Show More
10m 46s
Oct 8
Carmakers are falling back in love with petrol
A UBS fund has 30 per cent of its portfolio tied to the failed First Brands Group, and carmakers across much of the world are scaling back on electric vehicle plans. Plus, international investors are returning to China’s start-up scene, in addition to assets across emerging marke ... Show More
11m 25s
Oct 7
OpenAI’s circular deals
EU governments have agreed to limit the travel of Russian diplomats, analysts are worried about a flurry of circular AI deals, and France lost another prime minister after less than a month in office. Plus, why the weaker dollar is helping big US exporters, while domestic-focused ... Show More
10m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 6
Democrats Accused Of “Playing Politics” As Shutdown Continues
While the government shutdown continues, Congress remains at a standstill on whether it can reopen the government anytime soon. Meanwhile, both Democrats and Republicans are fighting over who is to blame for the shutdown. Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of t ... Show More
34m 53s
Sep 16
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Tariffs, TikTok, & A Duel 9/16/25
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, Stephe ... Show More
45m 28s
Mar 2025
Will Rachel Reeves be forced into an emergency budget?
It’s been a week of political whiplash, including that infamous explosive meeting in the Oval office and renewed commitment from European leaders to back Ukraine. George Osborne and Ed Balls consider who - if anyone - has fared well in this wild week. Is Trump himself as the deft ... Show More
58 m
Sep 17
Can the FBI Survive Trump & Kash Patel?
Tommy & Ben start with Gaza: the UN Human Rights Council’s finding that Israel has committed genocide, and Israel’s ground operation into Gaza City. They discuss how Marco Rubio signaled that Trump has given up on brokering a peace deal in Gaza, and why the Netanyahu government i ... Show More
1h 39m
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
Apr 2025
Why is Trump at War With Harvard University?
In today’s episode, we cover Trump’s freeze on Harvard University funding, JD Vance’s comments on a UK-US trade deal, Ecuador’s election, and Sudan’s civil war updates.Watch TLDR’s latest videos here:https://youtu.be/aV388-Ik4wI?si=ApYB5IU-Q5vHcCPuhttps://youtu.be/RmH-R19AsIU?si= ... Show More
6m 34s
Sep 19
Trump Cancels Kimmel
Caving to a pressure campaign from Donald Trump's FCC, Disney pulls Jimmy Kimmel's show off the air. Jon and Dan are joined by newly minted Crooked contributor Alex Wagner to discuss Trump's attacks on Kimmel and his new lawsuit against The New York Times, the impending takeover ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 3
Why did the US government shut down?
The US federal government is closed for business. Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to agree on a budget to keep the government open. But over two million federal workers who will go without a paycheck during negotiations have a new worry: will President Donald Trump u ... Show More
21m 2s
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
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