News Items Podcast with John Ellis

Latest Episodes:

Jim Cramer of Mad Money on Life, China, and Jerome Powell Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

John interviews the legendary Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” for the past 16 years, co-host of “Squawk on the Street,” and co-founder of the financial news site TheStreet. John and Jim have a fun and freewheeling conversation about everything from Cramer’s early days as local reporter in California, to China’s ambitions regarding Taiwan, and why he thinks Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is an unsung hero of the left.

This is a lightly edited rerun of the interview that ran on Friday, April 2nd.

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Andrew Sullivan on the Rise of the Woke Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

John interviews Andrew Sullivan, the noted British-American writer and podcaster, as well as the author of the forthcoming collection “Out on a Limb: Selected Writing, 1989–2021.”Named acting editor of The New Republic, at only 26, he quickly established himself as one of America’s leading public intellectuals. In 1989, he wrote a piece titled, “Here Comes The Groom: A (conservative) case for gay marriage.” That headline gives a glimpse into his heterodox style of thinking. As further proof, Sullivan lists the American presidential candidates he’s supported: “Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Dole, Bush, Kerry, Obama, Clinton, and Biden.”

Sullivan has written for The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and New York Magazine, but last year he returned to his blogging roots with The Weekly Dish, which he publishes via Substack. John talks to Andrew about his career trajectory, the rise of Trump, and the rise of woke culture.

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Running America’s Busiest Port During COVID, with Gene Seroka Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

John interviews Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, in the midst of a pandemic import boom and global supply chain woes. The two discuss how Seroka’s experience working in Shanghai during the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak informed his early handling of COVID-19 at what is, by some measures, the busiest port in North America. They also talk about how the port battles cybersecurity threats; the effect pandemic buying has had on global supply chains; and the crucial role that the Port of Los Angeles plays in the national economy.

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‘Tinkering with the Building Blocks of Life,’ with Jane Metcalfe Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

John interviews Jane Metcalfe, the former president and cofounder of Wired magazine, about her fascinating career: from cofounding Wired, to cofounding a chocolate factory, and most recently, founding Neo.life. As Jane tells John, Neo.life is an online magazine about “engineering life,” or, “what happens when you bring an engineering mindset to biology.” It covers the most promising research in genomics, synthetic biology, 3-D printing and artificial intelligence, and it makes the case for a new field Jane calls “neobiology.” As she explained to MobiHealthNews, “We [are at] the dawn of what I call the neobiological revolution, which I define as the accelerating movement of ways to use technology and biology to alter the human race.”

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Why Xi Jinping Is Hammering One Industry After Another Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

John interviews Diana Choyleva, the founder of Enodo Economics – a macroeconomic and political forecasting company focused on China. Choyleva grew up in communist Bulgaria, and her personal experience living under a command economy, combined with her Western education in market economics, give her a unique perspective on China. In this conversation with John, Choyleva explains China's debt problems; why President Xi Jinping is prioritizing economic control over short-term growth; and the strategy behind the digital yuan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four Illusions about Biden, Trump and 2024 Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Science and tech headlines:

A South Korean study has found that one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine plus another of the Pfizer vaccine produces more antibodies than getting the AstraZeneca vaccine alone.
Quantum computing startup PsiQuantum has raised $450 million in a series D round. It plans to develop a quantum computer using photons to store information.

News items:

A congressional panel urged US corporations to pull their sponsorships of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. John explains why the entire multi-billion dollar marketing and broadcasting edifice built round the Olympics will collapse in the next decade.
Despite a blowout quarter for Google, Apple, and Facebook – actually, because of the blowout quarter – John and Rebecca agree that regulatory trouble may come for Big Tech.
Fears that the Chinese government’s crackdown on the real estate and education industries may come for the health care industry has led to a selloff of Chinese health equities. Rebecca explains how the CCP is thinking in “centuries” — not quarters — as they try to solve their demographic quandary – investors be damned!
John and Rebecca discuss John’s most recent column, titled Four Illusions. In it, he explains how President Biden’s obviously declining mental acuity and Vice President Harris’ less-than-stellar performance could lead to the re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 – if inflation rears its ugly head.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Big Business Can Help Beat Climate Change with Mark Tercek Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

John interviews Mark Tercek, a former partner at Goldman Sachs who left the world of finance to become the CEO of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) – the world’s largest environmental nonprofit organization. During his 11 years at TNC, the organization raised over $7 billion dollars to fight climate change and protect land and water around the world. Tercek is also the author of “Nature’s Fortune: How Business and Society Thrive by Investing in Nature.”

John and Mark discuss the move from investment banking to environmentalism, why he brought a business approach to the organization, and how the private sector can be one of the leaders in the fight against climate change.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the Delta Variant Send Us Back Into Lockdown? Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

Science and tech headlines:

A consortium of 99 scientists has completed the map of the human genome, discovering more than 2,000 new genes in the process.
Autonomous truck startups brought in more than $5 billion in funding in the first five months of 2021. John and Rebecca talk about the promise of self-driving semis.

News items:

Los Angeles County reinstated mask mandates and social distancing after official health reports found that 20% of new infections were in people who were vaccinated.
Foreign investors deployed a record $900 billion in American mutual funds and ETFs in the first half of this year. Rebecca explains why US equities look so attractive these days.
John and Rebecca discuss a New York Times story on Facebook’s partnering with religious organizations to create online congregations.
China has sent the Biden administration a list of grievances and demands. John and Rebecca think they won’t be answered.

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How to Rebuild After Losing a $6 Billion Business Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

In the first of a series of interviews with entrepreneurs, John speaks to Jonathan Bush. He is the CEO of Zus Health, a health-tech startup that aims to become the “Build-A-Bear” of digital health platforms for health care providers; the former CEO of Athenahealth; and John Ellis’ first cousin. Bush grew Athenahealth from a small startup in his basement into a public company with a $6 billion market capitalization and 5,000 employees. He and John talk about that journey, and how he came back to health-tech after he departed Athenahealth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're Still Not Talking About Climate Change Enough Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

John interviews Alice Hill, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations; a former special assistant to President Obama; and author of the upcoming book, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19. Hill talks about how adapting communities to extreme and changing weather is just as important as lowering global carbon emissions. For that, Hill argues, the Biden administration ought to draw a national resilience plan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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