The World Faces a $270 Billion Traffic Jam in Panama
Big Take12 Jan 2024

The World Faces a $270 Billion Traffic Jam in Panama

The Panama Canal moves roughly $270 billion dollars worth of cargo annually – it’s the trade route taken by 40% of all US container traffic alone. But the crucial waterway is contending with a crippling drought, worsened by climate change and infrastructure constraints. Water levels are so low that the Panama Canal Authority is restricting the number of ships that can pass through each day. As the line gets longer, shippers are paying to jump the line, or resorting to workarounds.

Bloomberg reporter Peter Millard traveled to Panama to understand how the drought is snarling global shipping and impacting locals. Millard joined the Big Take podcast to share what could solve the canal’s water level issues: from the experimental ideas, to the politically fraught choice to build a new reservoir and flood neighboring lands. There are no easy fixes. But with a traffic jam this big, getting the canal flowing again is becoming more urgent.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(818)

Betting on Sunday’s Game? Here’s Who You’re Up Against

Betting on Sunday’s Game? Here’s Who You’re Up Against

When the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, more than $2.6 billion in wagers will be on the line. A growing share — $800 million — will come through prediction markets like K...

6 Feb 18min

Generic Versions of Weight Loss Drugs Will Upend the Market

Generic Versions of Weight Loss Drugs Will Upend the Market

Shares of Novo Nordisk were down Thursday morning after Hims & Hers introduced a compounded version of its Wegovy pill. The dip came two days after Novo predicted its sales could drop as much as 13% t...

5 Feb 17min

Has the AI Reckoning Arrived?

Has the AI Reckoning Arrived?

AI anxiety is coursing through the stock market right now. From Tuesday’s global selloff in software and technology stocks to last week’s $381 billion Microsoft rout, investors are skittish over any s...

4 Feb 18min

Behind Thailand’s Push to Recriminalize Cannabis

Behind Thailand’s Push to Recriminalize Cannabis

Four years after Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, its booming market is at a crossroads. Initial high hopes for a tourism surge and a billion-dollar industry have b...

3 Feb 19min

What Is (And Isn’t) in the Latest Epstein Files Release

What Is (And Isn’t) in the Latest Epstein Files Release

The Department of Justice released another batch of documents from the so-called Epstein Files on Friday. It brings the total number of pages the DOJ has made public since December to nearly 3.5 milli...

2 Feb 18min

Weekend Listen: Why the Tech World Is Going Crazy for Claude Code

Weekend Listen: Why the Tech World Is Going Crazy for Claude Code

In the AI industry, there's always a hot new thing. First it was ChatGPT. Then it was the image generators. There was the DeepSeek moment. In the latter half of last year, everyone was excited about h...

1 Feb 54min

How Kevin Warsh Could Shape the Fed

How Kevin Warsh Could Shape the Fed

After months of speculation and a publicized selection process befitting The Apprentice, President Trump has announced his pick to lead the Federal Reserve: former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh. Historical...

30 Jan 18min

The Fight Over ICE Funding

The Fight Over ICE Funding

The US Senate failed to advance a government spending package on Thursday, setting up for a partial government shutdown. At the center of the debate is funding for the Department of Homeland Security....

29 Jan 19min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
i-retten
stopp-verden
forklart
popradet
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
dine-penger-pengeradet
fotballpodden-2
rss-gukild-johaug
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-ness
bt-dokumentar-2
frokostshowet-pa-p5
e24-podden
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk