Bloomberg Benchmark

The U.S. and China are on the verge of a trade war, one that President Donald Trump says will be easy to win. So how will it really impact China's economy? Is the nation's GDP really growing at an incredible 7 percent rate, or is it about to collapse from a mountain of debt and aging population? Jeff Kearns, a Bloomberg editor who just finished a three-year stint in Beijing, helps separate myth from fact with host Scott Lanman, himself a former China economy editor.

Globally, women make 50 percent less than men. In the U.S. and U.K., it's about 20 percent. Why? What are some countries trying to do to fix it? And is this even possible? Rebecca Greenfield, host of Bloomberg's "The Pay Check" podcast, joins Scott Lanman to discuss some of the findings and stories from her show.

With the U.S. jobless rate at the lowest level since 2000, where can employers turn to fill positions and keep up with demand? There's a huge corps of Baby Boomers and slightly younger Americans who are perfectly willing to do so. But businesses may need to overcome their inclination to go younger -- and if they do, it could prove profitable for them and the economy. Jean Setzfand of AARP and Keith Hutchison of energy utility National Grid talk with Bloomberg's Scott Lanman and Chris Condon about the benefits of employing older workers.

No need to be caught off guard by the latest tweet from Donald Trump about tariffs and China. The underlying nature of Western economic links with the Asian nation today follows a pattern set by events almost 200 years ago. Britain, then the world's pre-eminent industrial power, wanted to reduce its trade deficit with China and muscled Beijing to reduce barriers. The result was a conflict that weakened Imperial China irrevocably, but framed President Xi Jinping's view of foreign relations. Stephen R. Platt, author of a new history of the opium conflict, speaks with Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg Opinion about how much -- and how little -- has changed.

The U.S. is producing more oil than ever. So why are oil prices rising so much that a gallon of gasoline now costs almost $3? Wasn't shale oil supposed to make OPEC irrelevant? How much higher can prices go, and how is it all impacting the global economy? Javier Blas, chief energy correspondent for Bloomberg News, discusses all this and more with Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg Opinion.

In Argentina, the cost of borrowing is shooting up to stratospheric levels with interest rates rising to 40 percent. The country's leadership promised a new era that put this sort of trajectory behind it. But now, Argentina finds itself in talks with the International Monetary Fund for loans to shore up its finances. Federico Kaune, head of emerging markets fixed income at UBS Asset Management, tells Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg Opinion how Argentina got to this point, how the country can make it right and how this is part of a larger challenge facing emerging markets.

Listeners are probably familiar with China's economic and strategic ambitions in the South China Sea. But have you heard about what China is up to in Vanuatu? (Hint: It's not the beaches.) China is pouring money into this South Pacific nation by investing in local infrastructure projects. That's got the region's traditional powers, the U.S. and Australia, breaking out in a sweat, and it’s raising eyebrows in France, a colonial power. Jonathan Pryke of the Lowy Institute explains to Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg Opinion what’s at stake.   

It’s a big, expensive, global mystery. Why do women still make less money—a lot less—than men? In the US, the average woman makes 80 cents to every dollar a man makes. Launching May 9, the Pay Check is an in-depth investigation into what that 20 percent difference looks like. In this miniseries we'll show you how the gender pay gap plays out in real life. We'll hear from Lily Ledbetter, Mo’Nique, and a lot of other women who weren’t happy to be paid less. We'll find out what happens when a whole country tries to tackle the pay gap. And we'll talk to some women who are taking things into their own hands.

The U.S. unemployment rate may be at the lowest level since 2000, but some economists want the federal government to go further and guarantee a job for every American. Several potential Democratic presidential candidates support the idea, but the plan faces plenty of hurdles, from how to pay for it to how it would actually get up and running. Economics professor L. Randall Wray, one of the plan's principal authors, and Evercore ISI analyst Ernie Tedeschi discuss the issue with Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg Opinion.

From self-driving cars to robot-powered factories, artificial intelligence is taking over significant pieces of the global economy. But while this is good news for the businesses incorporating robots into their workplaces, it also means more and more people will lose their jobs to computers. Joshua Gans, co-author of the recent book "Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence," explains to hosts Scott Lanman and Christopher Condon what this shift means for the economy, and how it will also impact issues like inequality, monopolies and geopolitical competition. 

For years, oil was the major determinant of which countries rose to -- and lost -- power in the global economy. Today, that commodity increasingly is water. This week on Benchmark, we hear about the water crisis in Cape Town, where authorities are warning they may need to turn off the taps, from local Bloomberg editor Robert Brand. Then, we take a journey through global water issues with Helen Mountford of the World Resources Institute. They speak with Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View.

It's been a wild ride for investors in the U.S. stock market these past couple months. Yet for all the chaos on Wall Street, Main Street seems to be doing fine. So are equities signaling trouble for the economy, or will this storm blow over? Jim Paulsen, a veteran market strategist with a doctorate in economics, gives his take to Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View.

What if it's not the economy, stupid? The Great Recession and the long, moderate expansion that's followed gets blamed for a lot of political upheaval. But, William Galston of the Brookings Institution says that's a misreading. The former adviser to President Bill Clinton tells Bloomberg News' Jeanna Smialek and Bloomberg View's Daniel Moss that the populist wave moving across the world is also born out of anxiety about immigration. 

You've heard about Xi Jinping now becoming China's leader for life. But did you know about his new economic team? They are the ones who could help direct -- or deflect -- a possible trade war between the U.S. and China. China economy expert Nicholas Lardy gives the lowdown on these men to Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View.

It may be hard to remember, but not too long ago, hailing a taxi in many cities was often a hassle. Ever since companies like Uber and Lyft entered the world, it's become a lot easier for consumers to catch a ride -- and a lot tougher for drivers to make a living. Henry Farber, a Princeton University economist, joins Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View to explain the dynamics of this industry -- and how it may be upended once again by driverless cars.

Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum don't add up to a trade war. It's more like a frontier skirmish. But, what would a real conflict look like? Who would win and who would lose? Shannon O'Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations joins Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View to explore these questions, and what tariffs might mean for you.

The North American Free Trade Agreement has been labeled everything from an unfair deal for U.S. workers to a boon for commerce across the continent. Less well known is that it's helped cause a big expansion in Mexican waistlines. Simon Barquera, executive director of the Nutrition and Health Research Center at Mexico's National Institute of Public Health, explains the nation's rise in obesity to Scott Lanman and Bloomberg intern Shelly Hagan.

The Maldives, known as an exotic and luxurious tropical vacation spot, is fast becoming one of the world's most important geopolitical footballs. China is investing heavily in the island chain in a bid for economic and strategic supremacy, stoking the ire of India -- just miles away. Eurasia Group's Shailesh Kumar explains to Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View how this honeymoon destination got caught up in a great-power rivalry.

Decrypted returns on March 6th with a brand new season. Here's a sneak peek of what's in store. We'll be releasing new episodes every Tuesday starting next week. 

There's a crisis in coffee. On Java, the Indonesian island that gives your morning shot its nickname, the bean is struggling. A booming Asian middle class is spurring demand just as climate change is eroding farmland and changing the taste along the way. Indonesia is now being forced to import coffee from Brazil and Vietnam just to keep up. It's a bit like Saudi Arabia importing oil. Jamal Gawi, a climate change consultant in Jakarta, explains what's going on to Bloomberg News' Scott Lanman and Daniel Moss of Bloomberg View.