FT News Briefing

Meta has agreed to spend billions of dollars on millions of Nvidia’s chips, and Warner Bros Discovery has reopened sale talks with Paramount. Plus, Christine Lagarde has decided to leave her post as president of the European Central Bank early, and US offshore wind companies are racing to bring projects online that can withstand Donald Trump’s efforts to cripple the industry.

Mentioned in this podcast:
Nvidia secures multibillion-dollar Meta deal as it battles chip rivals
Warner Bros throws ownership battle open by giving Paramount a week to up its offer
US offshore wind farms try to withstand the force of Trump’s wrath
Christine Lagarde to leave the ECB before April 2027
US restaurants downsize meals to counter anti-obesity drugs and affordability crisis

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted and edited by Marc Filippino, and produced by Victoria Craig. Our show was mixed by Kent Militzer. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán lashed out at Ukraine at a meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Budapest. Fund managers are betting against the US dollar. Shareholders push oil companies to accelerate growth. Plus, a new top contender in the FT’s business school ranking.

Mentioned in this podcast:
Marco Rubio says Viktor Orbán’s leadership is ‘essential’ to US interests
MIT Sloan tops FT Global MBA Ranking for the first time
Fund managers take most bearish stance on dollar for a decade

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted and edited by Josh Gabert Doyon, and produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval and Sonja Hutson. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello and David da Silva. Executive producer Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cross-border EU banking deals reached their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, and regulation reversals are hitting global electric-vehicle makers. Plus, soaring gold prices are affecting insurance coverage for precious metals storage, and how to make sense of recent AI-induced selloffs on Wall Street.

Mentioned in this podcast:
EU cross-border banking deals jump to highest since 2008 crisis
End of EV euphoria triggers $65bn hit for carmakers
Soaring gold price forces vaults to reduce insurance cover
Wall Street hunts next casualty from AI threat to white-collar work
Wall Street’s anything-but-tech trade shakes up US stock market
Credit: White House

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Sonja Hutson. Our show was mixed by Alex Higgins. Additional help from Peter Barber. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the most watched business in the world. And the least understood. Streamed by millions every day, porn is everywhere. It shapes our culture, our relationships and even technology. Yet, nobody seems to know who really controls the business. The power brokers tend to lurk in the shadows, while their performers remain quite literally exposed.

In the new audiobook The Kink Machine: The Hidden Business of Adult Entertainment, from Pushkin Industries and the Financial Times, Financial Times journalists Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker start digging into the porn industry and following where the money flows. Their reporting uncovers a shadowy power structure that includes billionaires, tech geniuses and the most powerful finance companies in the world.

A gripping exposé of how power operates behind the most taboo corner of the internet, Nilsson and Barker unravel a story about control, influence and an industry with staggering cultural reach that no one really wants to talk about — until now.

Here’s a preview of The Kink Machine. If you like what you hear, get The Kink Machine on Audible, Spotify, Pushkin.fm, or wherever you get audiobooks.
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The Trump administration plans to roll back some tariffs, Schroders agrees to a US takeover, and Americans paid 90 per cent of the cost of US President Trump’s tariffs last year. Plus, Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer will depart the company over Epstein ties, and how to buy a law firm when you’re not really allowed to.

Mentioned in this podcast:
Trump plans to roll back tariffs on metal and aluminium goods
Schroders boss reassured UK Treasury ahead of £9.9bn US takeover
Alphaville’s annotated thoughts on the Schroders takeover
US businesses and consumers pay 90% of tariff costs, New York Fed says
Top Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathy Ruemmler to resign over Epstein links
How to buy a law firm if you’re not allowed to buy a law firm

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Fiona Symon and Sonja Hutson. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.