WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

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Based on his Wall Street Journal Opinion column "Free Expression," Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks every week with some of the world's leading writers, influencers and thinkers about a variety of subjects. Baker will welcome his guests from the worlds of politics, philosophy, and culture for wide-ranging dialogues that will enlighten and fascinate listeners. Episodes will be released each week.

3 SEPT

A Top Banker on the Fed, Tariffs, and the Uncertain Outlook for the U.S. Economy

With Donald Trump’s tariffs heading towards a Supreme Court showdown, his efforts to reshape the Federal Reserve in his own image intensifying, and another Washington battle under way over funding the federal government, the U.S. economy and markets face new uncertainties entering the fall. On this episode of Free Expression, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan tells Gerry Baker that despite the uncertainty, he sees no U.S. recession in the near future and thinks inflation remains contained. But he emphasizes the importance of Fed independence and offers his thoughts on tariffs and the growing fiscal crisis, and on the challenges and opportunities posed by crypto currency and artificial intelligence to the banking system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

31 min
13 AUG

Tariffs, Stagflation and the New AI-driven Economy

With emerging signs that Donald Trump's revolutionary tariff regime may be starting to take a toll on U.S. economic prospects, what's the outlook for the immediate future? And how is the latest wave of technological change, allied with a new strand of government activism, going to change longer term economic performance? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with financier and philanthropist Glenn Hutchins about what the recent jobs and inflation numbers might mean for the economy, what the Federal Reserve should do in response, what the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and the renewed focus on national priorities will mean. And as a long-standing supporter of Democratic candidates and causes, he offers a few thoughts on the future of the Democratic party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

32 min
5 AUG

Democracy on the Brink

Liberal democracy is under siege. Domestically, popular discontent with civic, cultural and political institutions is tempting voters in many democracies towards more authoritarian leadership. Globally, the axis of autocracies in Russia and China threaten to upend weaker democratic neighbors. Donald Trump’s trade policies and diplomacy are weakening alliances and undermining faith in "the west.” Is democracy in retreat? Does it matter? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker and former British prime minister Rishi Sunak discuss the state of democracy in the U.K. and the U.S, how liberal democracy can be strengthened, and how rapid technological change is affecting economics and politics. And the U.K.'s last Conservative prime minister offers his thoughts on the state of conservatism on both sides of the Atlantic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

37 min
29 JUL

Can Israel Win its War in Gaza?

While Israel continues to achieve great military successes against Hamas, Hezbollah and most recently Iran in its almost two year campaign, the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Gaza are growing worse. There is growing evidence of famine throughout Gaza, caused by disruptions in the delivery of aid, and both sides are being accused of causing the crisis. International pressure on Israel is mounting. Last week, Emmanuel Macron of France announced he would recognize a Palestinian state and Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has said he could do the same in September. So can Israel effectively finish its war in the face of the human cost and growing international isolation? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal about what it could take to settle the war between Israel and Hamas, the international reaction to the crisis, and how Israel can ultimately guarantee its own security and very existence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

43 min
23 JUL

The Last Republican Holdout?

Donald Trump’s control of the Republican Party is almost complete. But there are still some members pushing back against the president. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is a persistent dissident. She was one of the few Senators to vote against a recent package of cuts that had already been approved in a spending bill. She has also voted against and expressed reservations about a number of Donald Trump’s cabinet members. She voted to convict him on impeachment charges after the January 6 2021 Capitol Hill riots. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Murkowski about her recent memoir, “Far From Home,” her concerns about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stances on vaccines in relation to the recent measles outbreak in Texas, and why she’s “not losing sleep” over the direction of the Republican party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

34 min
9 JUL

Are the Socialists Taking Over the Democratic Party?

The hottest properties in the Democratic Party at the moment are self-described democratic socialists. Zohran Mamdani won the party’s nomination for New York City mayor last month while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders (who’s not even a Democrat) are in the forefront of the party’s campaigning against President Donald Trump. The trend alarms the party’s leadership and mainstream establishment, who see it as a quick route to electoral oblivion. Can the next wave of Democratic candidates for local and national elections appeal to the middle, or is the distaste for President Trump making the party hostage to its more radical elements? On this episode of Free Expression, former Commerce Secretary and White House Chief of Staff William Daley tells Gerry Baker about his concerns for the direction of the Democratic party, what it can learn from the mistake from the Tea Party movement of the GOP, and who he thinks are the party’s most electable candidates for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

41 min
2 JUL

Trump, the GOP and the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill'

Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress set a July 4th deadline to pass a spending package the President and others gave the moniker the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Getting the measure to the president’s desk hasn’t been plain sailing - the Senate version passed this week only with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Now fiscal conservatives in the House are battling over some of the details, but it seems likely to become law soon enough. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with economist and former director of the Congressional Budget Office Douglas Holtz-Eakin about the bill’s likely positive impact on the economy as well as the nation's dire fiscal situation, how the nation’s budget challenges still require reform of entitlements that seems politically elusive, and what this signature piece of domestic policy says about the direction of Trump’s Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 min
25 JUN

Is New York City Ready for a Democratic Socialist Mayor?

A shockwave rippled through New York politics this week as little-known 33-year old assemblyman Zohran Mamdani toppled Andrew Cuomo, whose political lineage could not compete with his scandal-ridden tenure as governor, to win the Democratic primary nomination for the city’s mayoral election. Mamdani mobilized a coalition of young voters, ethnic minorities and others behind a hard-left platform that called for even higher taxes than New Yorkers already pay and expanded government programs. He has voiced strong support for Palestinian causes and has called to “globalize the intifada” whatever that means. Meanwhile, current mayor Eric Adams plans to run as an independent as a way to head off the new young radical’s path to Gracie Mansion. What does Mamdani’s stunning success say about Democrats - in New York and in the country as a whole. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker and political analyst Heather Mac Donald look at some of Mamdani’s more radical views, break down just who voted for each candidate, and what the latest far left Democratic plans for a major city may do to New York’s economy and financial sector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

38 min

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WSJ Special Access is a curated selection of interviews and conversations with top business leaders and newsmakers from The Wall Street Journal’s exclusive live events. Plus, go inside the C-suite with Executive Insights from WSJ Pro, a series that gives you essential context about industry news and trends. Special Access is available for WSJ subscribers only. To gain access as a subscriber, connect your account.

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Gerard Baker

Host

Based on his Wall Street Journal Opinion column "Free Expression," Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks every week with some of the world's leading writers, influencers and thinkers about a variety of subjects. Baker will welcome his guests from the worlds of politics, philosophy, and culture for wide-ranging dialogues that will enlighten and fascinate listeners. Episodes will be released each week.