The World Trade Organization is the referee for 164 trading partners, each with their own political and economic agendas. Lately, those agendas have gotten more complicated — especially with President Trump’s tariff blitz. Roberto Azevêdo, head of the W.T.O., tells us why it’s so hard to balance protectionism and globalism; what’s really behind the loss of j ... Show More
Jul 17
Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? (Update)
Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? We find out in this update of a 2025 episode. SOURC ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 14
How a Great Architect Thinks, with Bjarke Ingels | Better in Person
Is the oxymoron really “the secret sauce to everything”? That’s the case Ingels makes in this debut episode of our new video show Better in Person, filmed in Stephen Dubner’s living room. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube or Apple Pod ... Show More
43m 27s
Jul 9
681. How to Host a Talk Show, with Dick Cavett
Stephen Dubner had an idea for a new project. So he drove to Connecticut and knocked on the door of the master. Dubner’s new TV talk show Better in Person launches July 14 on the Freakonomics YouTube channel. SOURCES: Dick Cavett, writer, former talk show host. RESOURCES: Eye on ... Show More
43m 27s
Apr 2025
Trump’s Tariffs: Chaos or a Calculated Strategy?
This week, Pedro and Fil examine Trump’s volatile tariff policies and ask whether they’re a chaotic trade war or a calculated financial strategy. They delve into the potential motives behind targeting China, the winners and losers in this economic standoff, and what it all means ... Show More
31m 42s
Feb 2025
What Is Trump's Endgame With Tariffs?
This week, we ask what it is exactly US President Donald Trump may be trying to accomplish with his tariff threats and trade wars. Stephanie Flanders, Bloomberg’s head of government and economics, is joined by Anna Wong, chief US economist at Bloomberg Economics, and Bloomberg re ... Show More
29m 24s
Sep 2023
Ralph Ossa on re-globalization
In the face of recent crises in geopolitics, public health, and the environment, are people better served by the fragmentation of trading relationships or by a new kind of globalization? The WTO’s World Trade Report 2023 tackles the debate head on, as presented by Chief Economist ... Show More
19m 22s