The Mishal Husain Show

Make sense of the world with one essential conversation, every week. Mishal Husain, one of Britain's best interviewers, brings her signature blend of curiosity and tenacity to weekly conversations with world leaders, business titans, and cultural icons, revealing who they really are and how they see the world changing around them. Subscribe today at Bloomberg.com/audio or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For annotated transcripts of Mishal's conversations head to Bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

  1. Anthony Scaramucci: Trump and the Humiliation That Made Him Famous

    2 DAYS AGO

    Anthony Scaramucci: Trump and the Humiliation That Made Him Famous

    For a brief moment in 2017, Anthony Scaramucci became a unit of time. His 11-day stint as White House communications director was so short-lived that it entered the political lexicon.Almost a decade on, he has proven more durable than the joke. The Trump loyalist-turned-critic, Wall Street financier and podcast host remains a well-known figure in American political culture.Scaramucci is still holding forth on the US president he once backed, as well as bets that have shaped his own career, including on crypto and Sam Bankman-Fried.In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Scaramucci talks about his early life, his mistakes and his view of the political landscape ahead of the midterm elections. Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview03:00 - The midterms are “a longtime off”06:58 - “I’m a loyalist”08:35  - Who’s Trump’s successor?08:55 - A president needs “name recognition” 11:41 - Meeting Trump for the first time13:14 - Trump’s “phenomenal political instincts”14:45 - Joining the Trump campaign16:11 - “Donald Trump was talking to my Dad”20:56 - Getting fired by Trump24:16 - It was “humiliating”25:56 - Meeting Sam Bankman-Fried 27:53 - “I made false assumptions”31:18 - Bitcoin “I want to judge it over a five or 10 year period”33:05 - Growing up on Long Island 35:17 - “The Mooch” 37:17 - The future of the Democrats44:51 - History is a guide Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min
  2. Why India Has Lost Its Way: Writer Amitav Ghosh on the New World Order, Politics and Past Lives

    1 MAY

    Why India Has Lost Its Way: Writer Amitav Ghosh on the New World Order, Politics and Past Lives

    For more than 30 years, the Indian-born writer Amitav Ghosh has built a global following with novels that draw on deep historical research.  But his latest offering, Ghost-Eye, is more esoteric. The plot moves back and forth between India and the US, using past lives to explore the ties between the personal and the political. The plot centers on a psychiatrist treating a 3-year-old who shocks her family by insisting she remembers a past life in a fishing community. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Ghosh explains why he’s finding it harder to write nowadays, how the memories of his childhood came flooding back during the Covid pandemic, why he sees capitalism as an obstacle to protecting the environment and thinks India has lost its way diplomatically.  Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview03:37 - “She had a near-death experience”05:37 - Reincarnated past lives08:05 - “The world has lost all its wonder”08:28 - Growing up in Kolkata10:56 - Kolkata and New York are the “opposite ends of the telescope”11:44 - “I really learned to think against the grain”12:13 - Creating a “bubble of tranquility” to write12:32 - Writing from “within the crisis”14:45 - India has lost its way diplomatically16:25 - Watching Zohran Mamdani grow up 19:12 - India and China 23:11 - Writing a story to be read in 100 years27:31 - Writing books by hand  Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  3. Hamlet, James Bond and SNL UK: Riz Ahmed on Reinventing Cultural Icons

    17 APR

    Hamlet, James Bond and SNL UK: Riz Ahmed on Reinventing Cultural Icons

    A new and radical take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet is out in US cinemas. The force behind it is actor, writer, producer and musician Riz Ahmed. He says the 400-year-old story has never felt more current.Ahmed, Oscar-nominated for Sound of Metal and star of the Oscar-winning live-action short The Long Goodbye, has a new series on Prime Video called Bait. It’s a black comedy about an actor on the cusp of a life-changing role as James Bond.  In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Ahmed talks about creativity and politics, discusses his upcoming movie with Tom Cruise and how becoming a father affected his acting. Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview02:32 - Hamlet “never goes out of fashion"03:39 - “The old order is falling apart”05:00 - “Is it the world that’s gone crazy or is it me?”07:50 - The dream of playing Hamlet09:51 - To be, or not to be is “misunderstood”13:40 - “It's authentic. I'm not acting”17:00 - Bait “it’s a very personal show”17:24 - Why Barbara Broccoli said yes to using Bond21:43 - Looking for acceptance22:34 - “Culture works in cycles”25:04 - Acting was an extension of real life28:20 - “I don’t like being pinned down”28:42 - SNL UK30:01 - Working with Tom Cruise32:21 - “My weekends are really simple” Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  4. Lionel Shriver on Immigration, Identity and Why She Refuses to Stay Quiet

    2 APR

    Lionel Shriver on Immigration, Identity and Why She Refuses to Stay Quiet

    Lionel Shriver has often tackled complex or contentious issues in her fiction. From school shootings in We Need to Talk About Kevin to economic collapse in The Mandibles.  Her new novel, A Better Life, is the story of a family home taken over by outsiders. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Shriver discusses the sociological concerns behind the story, which she says is a metaphor for the increase in undocumented US immigration during the Biden administration.  Shriver is a regular columnist for The Spectator, a conservative UK magazine. The link between the writing styles in that publication and her novel also feature in this episode. In the written version of this conversation, you’ll find more information on how Mishal Husain researched and prepared for this interview, including her own notes, data, historical context and further quotes from Lionel Shriver. www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview 02:27 - Inspiration for A Better Life03:39 - Extended adolescence06:32 - A metaphor for America10:21 - Shriver’s political journey12:42 - Declining populations17:02 - ICE tactics20:34 - From North Carolina to Northern Ireland22:57 - Rebelling against church24:30 - Transgender debate30:07 - Why Shriver left the UK 32:26 - Muslim immigration35:32 - Novels versus columns40:12 - Writing for shorter attention spans41:30 - Shriver’s recovery from illness Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min
  5. Why Israel Could Be Forced to Stop: Shira Efron on War, Fatigue and Netanyahu's Strategy

    27 MAR

    Why Israel Could Be Forced to Stop: Shira Efron on War, Fatigue and Netanyahu's Strategy

    With attention fixed on the potential developments between the US and Iran, could the Israeli government be forced to end the war earlier than it might like? The last few weeks have seen daily air strikes by Israel on Iran, and retaliatory attacks that have killed and injured Israelis. The wider picture is of two and a half years of constant conflict, particularly in Gaza. In this conversation, Mishal Husain speaks to Shira Efron, who has been a Middle East analyst for the last 20 years and is now Distinguished Chair for Israel Policy at RAND. They discuss Israeli public opinion on Iran, the extent of the military operation in Lebanon and what’s at stake in the Israeli election due later this year. 02:25 - Life in Tel Aviv 04:42 - Israeli public opinion on Iran 06:24 - “A feeling of deja vu”07:42 - Netanyahu's calculation09:17 - Will elections go ahead?10:59 - Did the Mossad get it wrong? 12:44 - American public opinion14:24 - US and Israeli relations18:24 - “There's one boss and this boss is President Trump”20:11 - The future of Lebanon23:52 - “Everyone forgot where Gaza is”31:21 - Smotrich’s plan33:44 - “We are seeing a shift to the right”37:37 - Looking ahead to 2028 Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min
  6. Ro Khanna on Stopping the Iran War, Taking on the ‘Epstein Class’ and Taxing Billionaires

    20 MAR

    Ro Khanna on Stopping the Iran War, Taking on the ‘Epstein Class’ and Taxing Billionaires

    US Representative Ro Khanna of California helped force Donald Trump to release the Epstein files. Now he wants to end the war with Iran. Earlier this month, the Democratic Congressman joined forces with Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, on a War Powers resolution seeking to halt the military action, though it ultimately failed in the GOP-controlled House. Speaking to Mishal Husain almost three weeks after the US and Israel began coordinated attacks on Iran, Khanna says he believes that  opposing war in the Middle East and taxing billionaires could unite progressives and disaffected Trump voters.02:57 - Hearing Epstein’s name for the first time05:18 - Forcing the release of the Epstein files 10:07 - Holding this Epstein class accountable11:05 - A new found confidence 11:59 - Hoping for a split in MAGA? 12:43 - “It’s a coalition that’s gonna win”14:24 - Stopping the war in Iran 15:53 - Trump’s “looking for an off ramp to end the war”17:21 - Increasing pressure on Trump over Iran 19:50 - Could Cuba be next? 21:21 - Khanna’s grandfather was an Indian MP23:15 - Running for president in 2028? 24:58 - Taxing billionaires30:08 - A progressive coalition34:06 - “You can't help but be hopeful about the American story”Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min

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4.6
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About

Make sense of the world with one essential conversation, every week. Mishal Husain, one of Britain's best interviewers, brings her signature blend of curiosity and tenacity to weekly conversations with world leaders, business titans, and cultural icons, revealing who they really are and how they see the world changing around them. Subscribe today at Bloomberg.com/audio or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For annotated transcripts of Mishal's conversations head to Bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

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