Boris Johnson suffered the toughest day of his premiership on Wednesday when he faced calls to quit after he admitted attending a Number 10 “bring your own booze” party during lockdown, the commodities boom has extended to nickel which reached its highest level in a decade, environmentalist activists are targeting public relations firms, and Beyond Meat has become one of the most shorted companies on US stock market. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyMentioned in this podcast:Nickel hits 10-year high as electric vehicle production ramps upActivists target public relations groups for greenwashing fossil fuelsShort sellers pile into Beyond MeatBoris Johnson faces calls to resign after ‘bring your own booze’ eventThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/afd4c412-780b-407a-8b5a-10175cf319fcA US judge says that the Federal Trade Commission can go ahead with a revised case seeking to break up Facebook, and the latest US inflation report is expected to show prices rose at their fastest pace in nearly 40 years. Plus, the FT’s US markets editor, Eric Platt, explains how the Federal Reserve is expected to wind down its $9tn balance sheet after a pandemic largesse. Mentioned in this podcast:Facebook loses bid to dismiss FTC antitrust case a second timeUS inflation expected to rise at fastest pace in nearly 40 yearsFederal Reserve prepares to shrink $9tn balance sheet after pandemic largesseHot-water bottles are… hotThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/d84a12a8-97da-4331-836b-391c25c8676bThe Federal Reserve’s second-in-command has resigned after a trading scandal, companies raised more than $100bn on the bond market in the first week of this year, and Wall Street’s biggest banks are set to report record profits. Plus, the FT’s pharmaceutical correspondent, Jamie Smyth, discusses the latest controversy as the US shifts away from the ‘war on drugs’. Mentioned in this podcast:Fed’s second-in-command resigns after trading scandalCompanies raise $100bn on global debt market in brisk start to 2022Wall Street banks set to report record profits for 2021Will overdose deaths force an end to the US ‘war on drugs’?The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/51351f23-63b8-458c-9ee2-a7cbda43c287Nato has warned Moscow to abandon its belligerent foreign policy or face a military alliance steeled for conflict, frustration over corruption in Portugal is the hot button issue for voters in this month’s election, and UK financial regulators plan to take a close look at cloud computing companies. Plus, the FT’s Asia business editor, Leo Lewis, explains why investors are ready to pour money into metaverse hardware makers. West treads narrow path to common ground in Russia talkshttps://www.ft.com/content/a1311bb7-7083-4491-89d7-2912289ebe68Trust in Portugal’s elite wanes over struggle to tackle corruptionhttps://www.ft.com/content/8a7b799e-2732-4979-ab49-c5cbf8587ce7Investors gear up for ‘gold rush’ in metaverse hardwarehttps://www.ft.com/content/182bb2a7-b4e4-4d0d-8178-4cd9b4c225c4UK financial regulators to step up scrutiny of cloud computing giantshttps://www.ft.com/content/29405a47-586b-4c5a-b641-0f479b4cee1dM&S steals retail crown back from upstart online rivalshttps://www.ft.com/content/67ff963d-8883-47d6-ba69-f30721efd006The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year! Our first episode of 2022 is dedicated to one of the world’s most powerful cultural forces: Disney. What happens when a company with that much influence just keeps growing? We visit Disneyland for a rare interview with CEO Bob Chapek, with FT reporters Chris Grimes and Anna Nicolaou. We explore where Disney Plus fits into the digital streaming wars. And Lilah speaks with a Disney expert, Sabrina Mittermeier, about how the company is reckoning with its prejudices 100 years into its history. --------------If you want a great offer on an FT subscription specifically for listeners, use this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – Chris and Anna’s profile of Bob Chapek, Disney CEO: https://www.ft.com/content/69e1cc1e-9c64-4000-b47f-a7e448107a5b – And their follow-up on the streaming wars: ​​https://www.ft.com/content/ae756fda-4c27-4732-89af-cb6903f2ab40– Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier’s book, A Culture History of the Disneyland Theme Parks: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo70345519.html–Follow Anna Nicolaou on Twitter @annaknicolaou–Follow Chris Grimes on Twitter @grimes_ce--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/4418eedc-e949-4d44-a517-55e73f2076f9Outgoing Federal Reserve vice-chair has blamed “inadvertent errors” for failing to disclose the full extent of his trading activity at the start of the pandemic, the FT’s Katie Martin looks back on the first week of trading in 2022, and our Moscow and Central Asia reporter, Nastassia Astrasheuskaya, unpacks the protests in Kazakhstan and Russia’s interest in helping its neighbour maintain stability.Fed trading scandal rekindled by disclosure from top officialhttps://www.ft.com/content/3bc91644-08e2-4cee-be2c-538d855cd675Kazakh protests are a warning for other ex-Soviet autocratshttps://www.ft.com/content/560b1b28-c180-40ec-b19a-ece58f214259US tech shares swing as investors assess Fed minutes and mixed datahttps://www.ft.com/content/76bd2194-ccf4-4029-b527-6d56d6c8465cTwitter Spaces: After the Capitol Riot, what role will civil unrest play  https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1djGXPDOgrzGZ?s=20The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/31290819-a321-496e-a995-4281198ec453Minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting show the US central bank gearing up for more aggressive tightening, tech stocks plummeted, Hong Kong is bracing for sharply higher food prices, and one of Germany’s biggest utilities, Uniper, has been forced to seek €10bn of financing to avoid a cash crunch. Plus, the FT’s US business editor, Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, talks about corporate America in the year since a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. Fed warns faster rate rises may be needed to tame soaring inflationhttps://www.ft.com/content/35766dd4-7da1-4064-9e60-79a714297c5aUniper secures €10bn of credit as gas prices surgehttps://www.ft.com/content/f8cdfafc-2ce4-4ad7-b8c4-98e6eaa6ce89Isolated Hong Kong faces higher food prices as pandemic restrictions bitehttps://www.ft.com/content/f31edc79-f7df-48d7-badf-5d074cb19afdUS companies under pressure to support voting rights pushhttps://www.ft.com/content/712d9e1a-68dc-451e-a094-0d7db570dfd7Twitter Spaces: After the Capitol Riot, what role will civil unrest play  https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1djGXPDOgrzGZAudio from the January 6th Capitol riot provided by CSPANThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/cf9a801f-d99d-4703-a1dd-2219ee91f3faChinese banks rushed to meet their annual state-imposed lending quotas last month by buying up low-risk financial instruments, a divided EU has demanded a role in next week’s negotiations with Russia over the Ukraine crisis, and travel stocks rose sharply on Tuesday. Plus, the FT’s Frankfurt correspondent, Joe Miller, explains why the German city of Mainz wants to hang onto the vaccine maker BioNTech.  Chinese banks buy up low-risk financial instruments amid concern over economyhttps://www.ft.com/content/70451eee-5163-4348-af1a-82656f7a50faTravel and leisure stocks surge as Omicron disruption fears fadehttps://www.ft.com/content/20ae6c32-2c03-45ad-af8d-b4310c5acce0EU demands seat at Ukraine talks as Russia prepares to meet US and Natohttps://www.ft.com/content/db2d642b-5068-40c3-a4c2-d3c330f3972bGerman city reaps tax windfall from BioNTech’s Covid vaccine successhttps://www.ft.com/content/5a705ebc-ce1f-4525-8406-d2875a32c473The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/f1236902-0997-4028-8cd1-d50317d10abaA jury found Elizabeth Holmes guilty of conspiring to defraud investors in the failed blood testing start-up Theranos, Apple has become the first company to hit a market capitalisation of $3tn and US president Joe Biden is launching a crackdown on the country’s largest meat producers. Plus, the FT’s US economics editor Colby Smith explains why the country is struggling to measure jobs growth and the larger ramifications. Elizabeth Holmes found guilty in criminal fraud trialhttps://www.ft.com/content/8bde19f6-e8a5-4800-8882-fd799f0caac0Apple becomes first $3tn company after boost from pandemic demandhttps://www.ft.com/content/57f57303-82b9-49db-89ee-54888e1c714dBiden launches crackdown on largest US meat producershttps://www.ft.com/content/a180dc0d-0cfc-4321-91aa-c5772b4a8dc1US struggles to measure jobs growth as pandemic distorts labour market datahttps://www.ft.com/content/4f1155be-1a5f-4fd2-ba57-b15bdb273c00Mercedes breaks 1,000km barrier with electric-vehicle prototypehttps://www.ft.com/content/0017dfdf-c308-4e04-b4cb-8055568ddffeThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/f0ee8a8b-fab1-4fcc-a49e-864a7b2cf62eThe US chief medical adviser has warned of an “unprecedented” surge in Covid-19 cases, and Tesla smashed its own production and delivery records in the final months of last year. Plus, the FT’s chief leader writer, Neil Buckley shares some of the FT’s predictions when it comes to 2022’s top stories. Omicron drives Covid infections in US to record highshttps://www.ft.com/content/a75a74a9-a017-4c5a-9cc9-fd9c76bac51fTesla dodges supply woes to deliver record number of new vehicleshttps://www.ft.com/content/ad6d68b0-0171-4f24-9076-d778babf6fedForecasting the world in 2022https://www.ft.com/content/8909b60f-01aa-4c16-b448-178e46ecb3c9The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.