It's been a week filled with uncertainty for the banking sector, investors and consumers. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and subsequent government takeover, the Credit Suisse stock crash, and yesterday's $30 billion big bank bailout of First Republic have given the Fed a lot to consider ahead of its upcoming interest rate meeting. Former IMF Chief Economist Ken Rogoff, now a professor of economics at Harvard, has repeatedly warned of financial instability if the central bank continues to raise interest rates. He joins Julia to discuss.

Mar 17, 2023

Julia’s special guest today is venture capitalist Bradley Tusk. He argues that Silcon Valley Bank’s sudden collapse shows that financial regulators are unprepared for bank runs in the age of social media and says major platforms such as Twitter and Instagram should be required to flag major spikes in activity concerning financial institutions to allow regulators to get ahead of possible problems faster. 
Also on today’s show: Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco.

Mar 16, 2023

Brex is a fintech startup that aims to be a one-stop financial shop for startups and small businesses, offering a deposit account, a corporate credit card and lines of credit as well as expense management tools. Since its 2017 launch it's taken on over 20,000 clients from startups to well-known brands such as Airbnb and Door Dash. After the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Brex was inundated with calls from businesses in need of immediate credit lines. Fortunately, they weren't required after the US government stepped in, but Brex founder and co-CEO Henrique Dubugras says the fall of SVB is a pivotal moment for the industry.

Mar 15, 2023

US markets rose across the board in early trading today, likely thanks to an encouraging CPI report showing inflation continuing to cool. That could give the Fed some breathing room to hold rates steady next week, given recent pressures on the banking sector. Joining Julia to try and sort things out is Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

Mar 14, 2023

President Biden addressed the nation this morning to emphasize the banking system is "safe" following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank -- the second-largest bank failure in US history. Biden outlined a number of steps his administration is taking to address the issue. But the big question remains: How did this happen? Sultan Meghji, the former chief innovation officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, joins the show to discuss.

Mar 13, 2023

New data from the Labor Department shows the US added another 311,000 jobs in February, once again far exceeding economists' expectations. The unemployment rate ticked higher (3.6% from 3.4%) and average hourly wages rose 0.2%. Nela Richardson, chief economist and co-head of the ADP Research Institute joins the show to discuss. 
Also on today's show: Julia speaks with Wells Fargo Senior Analyst Mike Mayo about the troubles at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which is reportedly exploring a sale after selling billions of dollars of assets to make its customers whole and sparking a panic on Wall Street this week.

Mar 10, 2023

JustAnswer is a Bay Area-based online question-and-answer service that connects users with experts in various subjects. Just about one year ago, Julia spoke with the company's founder/CEO Andy Kurtzig and his daughter Jamie about their decision to travel to the Ukrainian border during spring break to deliver medical supplies and help refugees. Since then, JustAnswer has been in the western city of Lviv to treat Ukrainians suffering from PTSD and other mental health conditions. Andy Kurtzig rejoins the show today from Lviv.

Mar 9, 2023

Today is International Women's Day. It's an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the major role women play in leadership and beyond around the world. Today's featured guest is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a widely respected international finance expert who has shattered many glass ceilings, including becoming the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization as Director-General.

Mar 8, 2023

Danish toy giant LEGO celebrated its 90th anniversary last year by out-gaining its rivals and gaining market share. The iconic company reported a jump in revenue of nearly 17% due to new products, a strong digital presence and resilient supply chains. Joining Julia to discuss is LEGO Group President/CEO Niels Christiansen. 
Also on today's show: Aicha Evans, CEO of autonomous vehicle company Zoox, talks about their new robotaxi shopping service.

Mar 7, 2023

The role of indigenous peoples in protecting our planet cannot be overstated. According to the World Bank, they make up about 6% of the world's population but safeguard as much as 80% of the earth's precious biodiversity. On today's show, Julia welcomes Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga, whose Oscar-nominated documentary The Elephant Whisperers highlights the bond that humans have with the earth and the animals that inhabit it.

Mar 6, 2023