The Economics of Everyday Things - 117. Cut Flowers

Grab a simple bouquet from your local grocery store and you're activating a global network of farms, shipping companies, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. Zachary Crockett stops to smell the roses.

 

 

 


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Newshour - Syrians mark one year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad

UN human rights investigators have said that the cycles of vengeance and reprisal must be brought to an end in Syria, as the country commemorates the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. A UN independent commission of inquiry commended the steps taken by Syria's new leadership to address the crimes and abuses of the Assad era. But it said violent incidents in the past year had raised worries about the future direction of the country. Newshour's Lyse Doucet is in Damascus.

Also in the programme: we profile Formula 1's new champion Lando Norris; and a new documentary looks at what senior US military officials know about UFOs. (Photo: A drone view shows the parliament in Damascus, Syria, September 21, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Mahmoud Hassano)

The Source - Should America be a force for good in the world?

It’s frequently been noted that the United States is the lone superpower in the world. But in the age of Trump and 'America First,' what does it mean for the U.S. to exit the world stage as a force for democracy, human rights and economic globalism? This creates a vacuum for China to fill but also increases suffering in many parts of the world. The Case for American Power, defends the necessity of U.S. global leadership.array(3) { [0]=> string(20) "https://www.tpr.org/" [1]=> string(0) "" [2]=> string(1) "0" }

Motley Fool Money - Interview with Mercado Libre Senior Vice President Leandro Cuccioli

E-commerce powerhouse Mercado Libre is Latin America’s largest company by market cap and is often called the Amazon of Latin America. Motley Fool analyst Asit Sharma recently talked with Leandro Cuccioli about opportunity, volatility, and the business of Mercado Libre.

 

Host: Asit Sharma

Guest: Leandro Cuccioli  

Producer: Bart Shannon, Mac Greer

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Newshour - Low voter turnout at today’s Hong Kong polls

Will the recent deadly fire at a housing complex in Hong Kong - and the angry response to it - have an impact on today's elections to the Legislative Council?

Also on the programme: a failed coup attempt in the west African country of Benin; we'll be in Syria - a year on from the ousting of the Assad regime - and the prison diaries of Nicolas Sarkozy - written after a mere three weeks behind bars.

(Image: A voter checks on the candidates at a polling station in Tai Po during the Legislative Council general election in Hong Kong on December 7, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Lam Yik)

Global News Podcast - The Global Story: The Fifa-Trump bromance

Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, is widely expected to award Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on Friday, at the draw for the 2026 World Cup in Washington DC. The prize has led to scrutiny over Infantino’s close relationship with Trump, along with concerns that Trump might move matches from host cities and fears over visa delays or refusals for travelling fans and officials.

We speak to Dan Roan, the BBC’s sports editor, about why Infantino is cozying up to Trump, and what it means for football and global diplomacy.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Fifa President Gianni Infantino shows US President Donald Trump the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office. Chip Somodevilla

WSJ What’s News - Inside the Growing Push to Ban Social Media for Kids

Australia is on the cusp of banning social media for children, with countries around the world expected to follow suit. Teenagers and tech companies alike have argued that the ban hurts free speech, but politicians and parents are concerned about the mental-health impacts on young people as more studies show that social media can worsen feelings of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. WSJ tech reporters Sam Schechner and Georgia Wells discuss the pros and cons of a social-media ban and what it could mean for companies’ bottom line. Caitlin McCabe hosts.

Further Reading

Australia Adds YouTube to Social-Media Ban for Young Teens

Families Battle Tech Giants as Australia Pushes for an Under-16 Social-Media Ban

Australia Passes Landmark Social-Media Ban for Under-16s

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The Daily - Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies

The first week of December at The New York Times is known as “Cookie Week.” Every day, for seven days, our cooking team highlights a new holiday cookie recipe. This year’s batch features flavors that aren’t necessarily traditional holiday ones — or even, for that matter, flavors. Instead, they draw inspiration from family night at the movies, drinks like Vietnamese Coffee, and perhaps most surprisingly, an Italian deli meat.

In this edition of the Sunday Special, Gilbert Cruz talks with Melissa Clark and Vaughn Vreeland from New York Times Cooking about this year’s cookies, and they answer questions from readers about how to navigate cooking and baking during the holidays.

Background Reading:

These 7 Cookies Will Be the Life of Every Party

Melissa Clark is a food reporter and columnist for The Times.

Vaughn Vreeland is a supervising video producer for NYT Cooking and writes the “Bake Time” newsletter.

Audio produced by Tina Antolini and Alex Barron with Kate LoPresti. Edited by Wendy Dorr. Engineered by Rowan Niemisto. Original music by Daniel Powell and Diane Wong. 

Photo credit: Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. 

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.