Down to Business English
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Down to Business English
A podcast for people who use English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) in their work environment and want to improve their overall language skills. In each episode, hosts Skip Montreux, Dez Morgan, and Samantha Vega discuss Business news making headlines around the world. Through their discu...
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151 episodi
The Fall and Resurgence of Intel … Maybe
For decades, Intel was one of the most dominant companies in the global technology industry. Its processors powered the majority of personal computers...
RAMageddon
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is creating enormous demand for advanced memory chips. As chip manufacturers move more of their resources...
Calculating Inflation
Inflation affects almost every part of the economy — from food prices and wages to pensions, mortgages, and central bank policy. But how is inflation...
Tokenmaxxing and the Corporate AI Pullback
AI tools were expected to help companies work faster, spend less money, and become more productive. But what happens when employees use so much AI tha...
Sneakernomics Revisited
Guyana has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies after major offshore oil discoveries transformed its economic outlook. In this episode,...
Sneakernomics Revisited
The global sportswear market has changed a lot since Down to Business English first covered ‘Sneakernomics’ back in 2019 (D2B 154). Nike and Adidas ar...
The Great Kiwi Exodus
New Zealand is seeing a record number of its citizens leave the country, with many moving to Australia for better pay, stronger career prospects, and...
Anthropic v. The United States
Oil prices are rising, flights are being canceled, and businesses around the world are feeling the pressure. But another major conflict is also affect...
Hallyu and the K-Beauty Industry
South Korea’s cosmetics industry has become a major global force. In 2024, South Korea ranked as the world’s second-largest exporter of beauty product...
SCOTUS Strikes Down Trump’s Trade Tariffs
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that the U.S. President cannot use the International Emergency Economic Po...
The Netflix–Warner Bros. Acquisition (Part 1)
Netflix has won the bidding battle for Warner Bros. Discovery’s major entertainment assets — and the deal is now moving into its next phase. Even thou...
AI Slop: How Low-Quality Content Is Flooding the Internet
AI-generated content is spreading fast — from strange social media videos to fake product reviews and “polished” workplace writing that says very litt...
GLP-1 Inhibitors
GLP-1 drugs have become one of the most important developments in the pharmaceutical industry. With products like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro in hig...
Jaguar
British automaker Jaguar is undergoing one of the boldest transformations in its 100-year history. From switching to an all-electric lineup to unveili...
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is Africa’s biggest hydroelectric project. It is a great step forward for Ethiopia’s development, bu...
Image Washing
From rainbow logos during Pride Month to eco-friendly rebrands by oil giants, businesses often try to make themselves look more responsible than they...
The Stablecoin Gold Rush — Why Wall Street Is Betting on Digital Dollars
Stablecoins are suddenly the hottest topic in global finance. From Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, to governments in the U.S., Jap...
The Protein Push: From Bodybuilding Niche to Global Trend
Once limited to gyms and fitness circles, protein-packed products have gone mainstream. From “proffee” at Starbucks to high-protein rice balls at Japa...
The Coldplay Kiss-Cam Scandal
A viral Kiss Cam moment at a Coldplay concert exposed an affair between two executives of the data tech company Astronomer, forcing both to resign. Bu...
Reimagining Wearables
Smart glasses are making a comeback, with big tech companies hoping these AI-powered wearables will soon become part of everyday life. But will smart...
Back to the Workshop: The Rise of Blue-Collar Careers
Blue-collar jobs are making a comeback around the world. As white-collar office work loses some of its shine, skilled trades are attracting more peopl...
Scarcity Marketing
Scarcity can make people want something more — even if they didn’t want it in the first place. Whether it’s the new Nintendo Switch 2 or a rare collec...
The State of AI in 2025
Artificial Intelligence is no longer something from the future — it is already here. From helping people work faster to causing job losses, AI is chan...
Crowded Skies: The Commercial Satellite Boom
You’ve seen them streak across the sky — tiny points of light that are not stars. Satellites are now so numerous, they are changing the night sky and...
The Race to Develop Humanoid Robots
Robots competing in a half marathon? It might sound like science fiction, but it recently happened in Beijing. Humanoid robots are moving out of the l...
Meat the Future: New Zealand’s Red Meat Industry in Transition
When people think of New Zealand, they often imagine green fields and lots of sheep. But the country’s red meat industry — beef and lamb — is facing b...
Hong Fu Bets Big on India
You might not recognize the name Hong Fu Industrial Group — but chances are, you've worn their products. As the second-largest manufacturer of sports...
Geographical Indications & Jamaican Rum
Some products are famous because of where they come from — like Champagne from France or Scotch whisky from Scotland. Products like these are protecte...
China's game-changing pharmaceutical and biotech industry
China is fast becoming a major player in the global pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Once focused primarily on generic and me-too drugs, Chinese...
Time Shift: The Economic Impact of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time — a simple clock adjustment with far-reaching consequences. As countries debate whether to keep, ditch, or make DST permanent, th...
Rare Earth Minerals Explained
Rare Earth Elements are everywhere — in your phone, your car, even your headphones — and the world can’t function without them. As demand for green te...
Brazilian Currency & Debt Crisis
Brazil is facing a currency and debt crisis as investor confidence in the country’s economic policies plummets. Since President Lula da Silva returned...
Steel Standoff: The Blocked Nippon-US Steel Acquisition
In a surprising turn of events, the outgoing Biden administration blocked a $14.9 billion deal for Nippon Steel to acquire US Steel, citing national s...
Real Ice and their plan to save Arctic sea ice
The Arctic is warming at an alarming rate, leading to dramatic declines in sea ice. A UK-based start-up, Real Ice, is tackling this crisis by developi...
BuzzFeed’s Hot Sale of Hot Ones
Hot Ones, the wildly popular YouTube interview show where celebrities tackle spicy chicken wings, has a new home. BuzzFeed recently sold the productio...
Coffee Talk: Starbucks CEO turnover and Luckin's expansion
The coffee industry is brewing big changes as Starbucks navigates high CEO turnover and faces a new challenge from Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coff...
BRICS: its aims and how it challenges G7 influence
The BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa— are taking steps to challenge the influence of the G7 by promoting economic cooper...
Understanding Economic Stimulus
China is taking action to boost its slowing economy with different types of economic support. By lowering interest rates, making it easier to borrow m...
Big Tech goes Nuclear
Big Tech is turning to an unexpected solution to meet the soaring power demands of artificial intelligence — nuclear energy. With Microsoft, Amazon, a...
Charles Ponzi - the father of Ponzi schemes - redux
Ponzi schemes are one of the most famous types of financial fraud, promising big returns but often leaving investors with huge losses. But where did t...