Podcasts

Thanks to the internet and social media, we are more connected than ever – so why is it that loneliness remains a growing issue? Joining Adam Cox to discuss this is leading psychologist, Dr Linda Papadopoulos. Could it be that modern technology is actually to blame for rising feelings of solitude and inadequacy – and could “old” media, like radio, be the cure?

The Windrush scandal outraged the nation last year. But last week the Home Office reinstated deportation flights to Jamaica for criminal offenders who they say are foreign nationals. Meanwhile, parliament passed a new immigration bill last month, promising to control the ​“number and type” of people coming to the UK. The home secretary came under fire for proposing a £30,000 income threshold for EU immigrants. A lot of the debate we hear about immigration is made in economic terms. But it’s also about identity, race and belonging. It can be hard at the moment to imagine that a more humane immigration policy might be possible, but that’s exactly what we’re trying to do this week. Guest host Dave Powell is joined by chief exec of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants Satbir Singh, executive director of War on Want Asad Rehman, and Maya Goodfellow, author of a forthcoming book on Britain’s immigration policies.

Davos, the super-exclusive annual gathering of the world’s political and business elite displays all the features of a petri dish for the spread of “crony capitalism”. A tiny number of extraordinarily powerful individuals meet to discuss how the affairs of all seven billion human beings should be planned and co-ordinated. It represents an environment for the growth of regulation, intervention and enhanced barriers to entry for small businesses. All too often what we see in criticisms of capitalism are actually examples of rent-seeking and corporations trying to game the system, which amounts to crony capitalism. But has crony capitalism like that displayed in Davos become a catch-all term? The challenge for free markets, and for capitalism, is manifold: the message is tarnished, the frames are poor, and, fundamentally, the moral case for what they achieve is missing. On this week's podcast, the IEA's Digital Manager Darren Grimes is joined by the IEA’s Director General Mark Littlewood and the Director of the IEA’s FREER initiative Rebecca Lowe to discuss these challenges.

Helal Miah of the Share Centre looks at recent numbers from packaging group Smurfit Kappa, drugs giant Astrazeneca and home furnishing group Dunelm, which has bucked the air of depression in the retail sector. He also looks ahead to reporting from the big banks and, in particular, HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the new world of ideas, communications and self-censorship and how we will cope with the unintended consequences of "many to many" conversations. He also wonders whether Governor Mark Carney is damaging the Bank of England's reputation and, in the EU debate, in the wake of Donald Tusk's comments, who will win the race to Hell?

James Cameron-Wilson, with sinking heart, looks at the UK box office, with Lego Movie 2 at #1, Alita: Battle Angel at #2 and How to Train Your Dragon 3 at #3. The new Kenneth Branagh film about Shakepeare's last days All Is True could only limp in at #10. James ponders the BAFTA results and reviews for home entertainment the 1955 film Picnic with William Holden and Kim Novak. Scandalous in its day and OTT in much of its acting, it's an indication of just how much has changed in the past 60 years.

Steve Caplin marks, but does not mourn, the end of Google+, due to close in April. He also looks at how you can sample pufferfish sushi without the risk of instant death, a survey helping drive morality to be built into driverless cars, sticking plasters that won't be as painful to remove, a sail for bicycles, an impressive pocket phone stabiliser, a weight loss device, why eating clay might achieve the same result and how some people can access Amazon's Alexa in a very retro way.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Jeff Bezos squares off with the National Enquirer; Chipotle sizzles; And Alphabet ramps up its spending. Our analysts discuss those stories and dig into the latest from Disney, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Hasbro, Mattel, Papa John’s, Skechers, Spotify and Twitter. Plus, on Satya Nadella’s 5th anniversary as Microsoft CEO, tech journalist Mary Jo Foley talks about Nadella and the future of Microsoft.

Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the latest Brexit developments as Theresa May once more visits Brussels in the hope of breaking the stalemate. Will Jeremy Corbyn's 5-point letter help to bring about cross-party co-operation to take things forward? Mike also looks at President Trump's State of the Union Address. What were the positives and negatives. In conclusion, Mike wonders whether, as perhaps with the UK, the centre ground of politics has vanished.