This November, PETA is launching Plant Wool Month — a 30-day celebration of the beauty, diversity, and sustainability of the wools borne from the extraordinary plants that give the Earth its lungs. Unlike sheep’s wool, which bears the worst possible environmental rating and often involves the mistreatment of the animals, hemp wool, for example, is ranked as a Class A material. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this further is PETA’s Associate Director of Media and Communications Jennifer White.
Guests: Jennifer White
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This episode revisits the motivations, expectations and emotions in the past — reaching right back into childhood years — which may have led to an overweight problem today, and how to let go of that baggage. It discusses a personal challenge, of course, but it could be approached as an analogy for the way that the post-war call for Attleean universal welfare has driven seven decades of excess public spending so that our country is now groaning from the weight of excess debt. It might therefore help politicians to let go of their emotional baggage and focus on a new slimline style of government which targets help and support where it's needed.
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson laments that no film grossed more than £1m last weekend. He found #1 Bugonia, directed by The Favourite's Yorgos Lanthimos with Emma Stone to be beautiful cinema. The story, about conspiracy theorists convinced a CEO is an alien, is a tad pretentious but you have no idea where it's going. At #11 is Shelby Oaks, a low-budget horror film from film critic Chris Stuckmann. Sadly, this slim tale is full of the usual horror tropes: James couldn't remember when he'd last been so bored. No boredom in Netflix's A House of Dynamite, though. Kathryn Bigelow directs Idris Elba in a thriller about the US facing a defence emergency. If you're short of time, just watch the first 39 minutes.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
Steve Caplin is surprised that, despite AWS's massive internet failure, OpenAI will pay it $38bn for computing power. Robot dogs are to be used to deal with Sellafield's nuclear waste. A humanoid housekeeper apparently has to have a human operator. An Australian company has devised a way of skiing indoors in something resembling a giant hamster wheel. Tesla's Cybertrucks are losing their headlights, because mechanics used the wrong glue. China has built the world's first wind-powered underwater data centre. And a solar powered backpack has been devised for homeless people in California.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian says that the Chancellor's pre-Budget speech is clearly setting us up for tax rises. Labour's biggest mistake was promising not to increase income tax, VAT or National Insurance. With taxes at a high but the British state so sclerotic, people are entitled to ask, "Where is my money going?" Mike found it interesting that at the very moment when it looked as if the Chancellor might have to go over her rental income problems, that was when the Palace chose to strip Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his titles. It was a miscalculation for it didn't bury the story. But is it appropriate for the Royals to sort this out on their own? Mike believes not.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell and author of the Telegraph's Questor column wonders why the Chancellor gave a speech about giving a speech, comparing it to Hugh Dalton having to resign in 1947 for letting slip something in the Budget. But the Budget will be important for affecting the 10-year gilt yield, seen as the risk-free rate. Any other investments should be priced to provide higher returns. As examples, utilities are seen as bond proxies as there's little expected capital growth, whereas discounted cash flow models are used to price tech stocks. If the 10-year yield rises, it decreases the value of equities and vice versa. Investors should always bear in mind its importance.
Guests: Russ Mould
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This commentary takes stock of all things 'Share'. as at Autumn 2025 The Share Foundation has made substantial progress: it's enabled over 100,000 young people to claim nearly £¼ billion of Child Trust Funds, and the relatively modest £200 central government grant for opening Junior ISAs for young people in care is enabling substantial local contributions to be raised, accompanied by significant reductions in welfare benefit costs as a result of reduced NEET rates. Meanwhile, Share Alliance's quest for a more egalitarian form of capitalism is steadily building momentum. This is particularly so with research into the potential issuance of equity shares in return for tech businesses which are harvesting our data and creativity while significantly reducing employment opportunities, particularly for young people. Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Despite repeated assurances that Labour would not break its election manifesto by hiking income tax, it appears it is now under consideration by the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget. Why is Rachel Reeves mulling over this U-turn, how much would it cost us, and would she really dare to do it? Angharad Carrick, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss. Speculation over a 'mansion tax' in the Budget has also reared its head again. The team discuss whether it's a good idea to tax people with pricey homes, and how on earth HM Revenue & Customs would decide whether someone's house is worth more than £2 million or not. Elsewhere, some good news in store, as Goldman Sachs has predicted the Bank of England will cut interest rates at its meeting next week. Does fading inflation and sluggish growth mean this is now on the cards, and would the Bank dare to make a move before the Budget beast is unleashed? The team discuss. They also look at why we're now paying three times the energy standing charges that we were six years ago, and why some chocolate biscuits can no longer call themselves chocolate.
Guests: Angharad Carrick,Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
2025 has been the year of AI capex (so far). Companies have been announcing huge spending increases and signing deals to secure critical supplies like semiconductors for years into the future. So far, the market has responded well to these announcements. Except today when Meta announced the most ambitious AI capital spending plan of the Magnificent 7 companies and the market blinked. Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss Meta’s ambitious spending plan sending the stock down, Microsoft’s and Alphabet’s earnings and outlook getting mixed reviews, one year without Brian Niccol at Chipotle, and one year with Brian Niccol at Starbucks. Companies discussed: META, GOOG, MSFT, CMG, SBUX, AMZN. Host - Tyler Crowe; Guests - Matt Frankel, Jon Quast
Guests: Matt Frankel,Jon Quast
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Microsoft has agreed to a deal that will allow OpenAI to become a for-profit company, likely paving the way for an IPO. The tech giant’s stake will be worth $135 billion and comes with another $250 billion in cloud computing revenue. We also discuss recent jobs news and the future of AI in transportation and medicine. Travis Hoium, Lou Whitemand, and Rachel Warren discuss Microsoft’s $135 billion OpenAI stake, rolling lay-offs in Corporate America, and NVIDIA’s deals in robotics, aviation, and medicine. Companies discussed: Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Target (TGT), NVIDIA (NVDA), UPS (UPS). Host - Travis Hoium; Guests - Lou Whitemand, Rachel Warren
Guests: Lou Whiteman,Rachel Warren
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