Russia & Ukraine Trade Fire, Trump-Xi Taiwan Tightrope, Pret’s Recipe For Revival

On today's podcast: (1) Russia and Ukraine exchanged fire early Tuesday with heavy air raids on Kyiv and assaults on southern Russian areas, just hours after President Donald Trump struck a positive tone on prospects for a ceasefire deal. (2) The European Union’s antitrust chief ruled out easing the bloc’s tech rulebook, after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Brussels needed to change its digital regulations in order to get a deal to lower steel and aluminum tariffs. (3) President Donald Trump held back-to-back calls with the leaders of China and Japan, as escalating tensions over Taiwan threaten to derail his weeks-old trade truce with Beijing. (4) Nvidia shares fell on a report that Meta Platforms is in talks to spend billions on Google’s AI chips, suggesting the internet search leader is making headway in efforts to rival the industry’s bestselling AI accelerator. (5) Chancellor Rachel Reeves will slash the amount Britons can save in their tax-free cash ISA each year to £12,000 in a bid to get households investing more in UK stocks. (6) Pret’s CEO is searching for the right recipe for the chain in a post-pandemic world where inflation remains high, competition is stiff and consumers are feeling the pinch. Podcast Conversation: Is Food No Longer What Makes a Great Restaurant Great ? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.