Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
American politics underwent a sea change last week; it may have been fuelled by populism being thoroughly disillusioned by the economic consequences of Trump's war with Iran and extensive imposition of tariffs on imports, but it also called for a new take on democracy rather than autocracy. The Democrats now have the opportunity to bring forward new solutions to our most intractable problems — all of which are global: wealth polarisation, climate change and geo-political conflict. This should start by supporting the call for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. Background music: 'Saving the World' by Aaron Kenny
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
The Bank of England raised interest rates for the first time in three years from 3.75% to 4% last week.It was an 8-1 vote, with the outlier wanting to raise it to 4.25%. What does it mean for our money, can it really help tame inflation and will there be more rate rises in coming months? Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss. With many homeowners coming off fixed mortgage deals, many are questioning whether a tracker might be the best home for now — is it a wise move? We answer a listener question. Donald Trump and the Republicans took a bruising in the mid-terms, and Wall Street took a beating on Thursday too with more than £2 trillion wiped off US technology stocks in a day — raising fears of a wider stock market crash. Investors are getting nervous about the vast sums being poured into AI, whether they'll ever see a decent return and that the election results could put the brakes on data centre development. Are you heading for a bleak retirement and is your stingy employer to blame? You might think earning a good salary means you'll have a decent pension — but not necessarily. Almost half of millennials say inheritance is crucial to achieving their financial goals. But new research suggests their parents might have other ideas. And with people living longer, rising care costs and pensions being brought into inheritance tax from April next year, there could be even less to pass on.
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin is not one to lament the passing of the Tesla Cybertruck, an ugly vehicle with problems aesthetic and technical. He's impressed by a robot working in space to assemble a satellite antenna, with earthbound help. He explains why Google's DeepMind robot AI is being trained to understand babies and pets. Most UK banks are banning AI agents from accessing customers' accounts. There's a keyboard with a laptop inside which some might find useful. New smart glasses contain a standalone computer with hot swappable batteries. Amazon are to extend their drone deliveries. A crowd-funded smart window-cleaning robot might not be all it's cracked up to be. Chinese scientists think we might be able to increase our lifespan by almost 10% by rubbing our shins: it has worked on mice. And Amazon have a solution if you think you're getting a scam message from them.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that #2 Wild Horse Nine is deservingly getting lots of Oscar buzz. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh in his trademark style and starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell & Steve Buscemi, it's a tale of CIA assassins, one of whom has dementia. Packed with great performances and wonderful dialogue, it is initially very funny but gets steadily darker. He and Simon lament that John (Shakespeare in Love) Madden's Onwards and Sideways is languishing at #23. It stars Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney who both contract Parkinson's Disease and is written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, who suffers from the disease in real life. While it is eye-opening on the nature and cruelty of Parkinson's, the film is also incredibly funny – with Ifans never finer – as well as being moving and is strongly recommended. James was also totally invested in Netflix's South Korean drama Possible Love, another film getting early Oscar attention.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
AI stocks took a hit this week, but does the sell-off signal a lasting shift in the market’s biggest trade? Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Emily Flippen discuss the future of AI spending, companies fighting disruption, and Tesla’s shifting EV strategy. They also challenge assumptions about Google Search, S&P 500 diversification, and Big Tech’s staying power before putting two beaten-down stocks on their radar. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Emily Flippen discuss: is AI Over?, non-AI opportunities, Tesla ends Cybertruck, are we sure?, Big Tech risks, and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: Nvidia (NVDA), Duolingo (DUOL), Uber Technologies (UBER), Alphabet (GOOGL), Datadog (DDOG), Tesla (TSLA), Meta Platforms (META), Apple (AAPL), Rivian Automotive (RIVN), Volkswagen (VWAGY), Microsoft (MSFT), Axon Enterprise (AXON), Zebra Technologies (ZBRA). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Emily Flippen.
Guests: Lou Whiteman,Emily Flippen
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
A record number of CEOs have departed for two years running — and it's not because they lacked intelligence or experience. It's because the map they were using became outdated overnight. Motley Fool analyst Rachel Warren talks with Cornelia Choe — international leadership expert, former Morgan Stanley private equity investor, and co-author of 'The Panoramic Leader' — about the hidden warning signs that a management team is operating on autopilot, the three questions she uses to immediately assess whether leadership is truly on top of what's happening, and why in a world where AI has commoditised knowledge, the executives who can see around corners will be the ones worth betting on. Host — Rachel Warren; Guest — Cornelia Choe.
Guests: Cornelia Choe
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Original Broadcast: Modern Mindset
With the next Making Tax Digital deadline tomorrow, new research reveals that half of us don’t know what the scheme involves – and more than half aren’t confident we’d even know if a change to the tax rules applied to us. With many more sole traders and landlords set to join the system next April, joining Rory McGowan to explain what it means and how to stay on top of it is Mark Purdue, the Lead Technology Product Manager at Wolters Kluwer.
Guests: Mark Purdue
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It’s Talk Money Week — a time to get the nation talking about money — but new YouGov research suggests that lots of us are quietly paying for things we have forgotten about, and keeping other money matters to ourselves. Joining Rory McGowan to talk about the findings, and how to start those conversations, is Zoe Burns-Shore from the Money and Pensions Service.
Guests: Zoe Burns-Shore
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Most of us would treat dry eyes, chapped lips, or dry skin without a second thought. New research from BioXtra has found that many Britons experience difficulties eating, speaking, or swallowing because of a dry mouth, and don’t seek professional advice. The survey also revealed that, while people are comfortable managing their eye health, not so many routinely check inside their mouth. So why is dry mouth still being overlooked, and what should people be looking out for? Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this is Oral Health Educator Emma Riley.
Guests: Emma Riley
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
In the latest robot developments, Steve Caplin discusses robots that can mine and cut overgrown trees beside railways, as well as those which have established a world record for synchronised dancing. Astronauts will now be able to take eyedrops with them into space. Scientists in Singapore have developed a screen that can be woven into the sleeve of a sweater. Others have found a way to send smells via the internet. The new Virgin Galactic plane will take half a dozen passengers to the edge of space: there's a waiting list of 675 even though it costs $850,000. A bitcoin miner can heat your hot water tank at the same time as it mines. And an AirTag has been used to locate a thief stealing valuable stones from old walls.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson is delighted by #1 Wicker, an independent movie starring Olivia Colman and Peter Dinklage. A medieval romantic fantasy with a strong flavour of Chaucer, it's about a woman who asks a basket weaver to make her a man. Earthy and very witty, it is a genuine original. He is less keen on Prime Time, a true story in which Robert Pattinson plays the host of a TV show whose aim is to entrap predators. With poor storytelling and characters, James found it a missed opportunity. But, as with its cinema release, he praises French film Love Me Tender, a powerful and nuanced drama about a woman who discovers herself after a separation but gets entwined in a bitter custody battle.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
One of the most welcome features of the UK Budget is the encouragement given to entrepreneurs to start their businesses, scale them to full commercial vibrancy, and stay in the UK rather than taking them overseas: and, for us and The Share Foundation, the special 'Young Entrepreneur's Allowance' in England. This should provide an important alternative for the one million young people not in education, employment or training, and we look forward to it being included in Alan Milburn's forthcoming review. However, it will require an attitudinal transformation for many, and our commentary points to a potential way forward. Background music: 'The Plan's Working' by Cooper Cannell
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