With the boarding and seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker, the United States's confrontation with Venezuela ascends to a higher level. What's going on? And why are Democrats making crazy commercials and going with crazy candidates for 2026? And why am I recommending a movie from 1946–It's a Wonderful Life—that everyone has already seen? Give a listen.
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday. And this decision comes as President Donald Trump continues to put pressure on the supposedly independent agency to move the economy the way he wants. Plus, the president is reportedly beginning final interviews for Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s potential successor.
David Beito’s new biography on Franklin D. Roosevelt is not the hagiographic nonsense that has dominated the US history profession. That is a good thing. Americans should know how FDR’s presidency led to one disaster after another.
Plus, Eli Lilly reports dramatic weight loss in a clinical trial of a next-generation obesity drug. And the U.S. trade deficit fell to a five-year low in September. Pierre Bienaimé hosts.
María Corina Machado, Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize winner, speaks after her first public appearance in 11 months. She has mostly been in hiding since the country's disputed presidential election in 2024. She confirms the US helped her escape the country. She says President Maduro's regime is weaker than ever - partly as a result of the actions of President Trump, who announced the seizure of a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Also: France battles to control violent drugs gangs that are exploiting children. In the worst affected city, Marseille, the number of teenagers caught up in the drug world has risen six fold in recent years. Victims of a typhoon, that battered the Philippines four years ago, sue the oil company Shell, accusing it of contributing to climate change and therefore making such weather events more severe. A BBC investigation discovers endangered species - including tigers and sharks - are offered for sale on Facebook. Research finds that living in extreme heat can severely affect children's development. And the last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots is going on public display for the first time in a generation in the city of Perth, Scotland.
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The Nobel Peace Prize winner arrives in Oslo after a clandestine journey from her hiding place in Venezuela. We hear the inside story of how she slipped out of the country.
Also in the programme: French police's crackdown on drug gangs in Marseilles, and a rare public display for Mary Queen of Scots' final letter before execution.
(Photo: Maria Corina Machado waving at her supporters from a balcony in Oslo. Credits: Lise Aserud/EPA/Shutterstock)
Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group says it has captured Uvira town near DR Congo's southeastern border with Burundi. This comes after US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between DR Congolese leader Felix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in Washington DC last week. We look at what the renewed fighting means for DR Congo and the peace agreement.
Also, a housing deficit poses a threat to Africa's young people with increased difficulty in renting or acquiring homes. Where will Africa's youth live?
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya and Madina Maishanu
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
The Federal Reserve decided to cut interest rates again at its meeting this week, partly because Fed officials think the labor market is weaker than it appears. This morning, we'll hear why Fed Chair Jerome Powell says estimating job growth can be so tricky. Also on the show, we'll dig into the drone warfare industry, central to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Plus, are we past tariff inflation yet?
Plus: Oracle stock is on pace for its worst day since January. And smartphone and laptop makers will face a squeeze from the renewed rise in memory prices, warns research firm TrendForce. Julie Chang hosts.