Prosecutors launch investigation into Fed chair; Iran threatens retaliation if America strikes, and more
The World in Brief from The Economist
The Economist
4.1 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 12 January 2026
⏱️ 5 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The Economist |
| 0:04.3 | Hello, you're listening to the free edition of the world in brief from The Economist. |
| 0:12.6 | As a reminder, if you subscribe to The Economist or our new podcast subscription, Economist Podcast Plus, |
| 0:19.9 | you'll get access to a deeper look at the day ahead, |
| 0:23.0 | updated three times a day. You'll also get access to the rest of our award-winning podcasts. |
| 0:29.7 | If you're already a subscriber, visit economist.com slash the world in brief, or visit the |
| 0:36.1 | economist app to start listening. |
| 0:38.6 | Here's today's free edition. |
| 0:44.7 | This is the World In Brief from The Economist. |
| 0:51.5 | Our top stories. |
| 0:54.3 | America's Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve. |
| 1:00.8 | Mr. Powell said he had been served grand jury subpoenas and threatened with an indictment |
| 1:04.8 | related to testimony he delivered to Congress in June about a renovation of the Fed's headquarters. |
| 1:10.9 | He said the unprecedented action was a pretext to reign in the central bank's independence. |
| 1:16.1 | Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Mr Powell for not cutting interest rates. |
| 1:21.4 | The Speaker of Iran's Parliament said that American troops in Israel would become legitimate |
| 1:26.1 | targets for retaliation if Donald Trump |
| 1:28.2 | orders military strikes over anti-government protests. On Friday, America's president said that, |
| 1:33.9 | we'll be hitting them very hard if Iran starts killing protesters. Activists claim that almost |
| 1:39.3 | 500 people have died. A government imposed internet blackout hides the extent of the protests. |
| 1:46.2 | Christine Nome, America's Homeland Security Secretary, said that she was dispatching hundreds |
| 1:50.9 | more federal agents to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thousands of residents took to the streets this weekend |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Economist, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Economist and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.