Few people have lived the entertainment world like Barry Diller. Over 60 years in the business, he has run movie studios and TV networks and most recently built a portfolio of digital media properties. In the process he has seen the sector move from a studio-and producer-driven model to the increasingly tech-dominated business it is today.
On this episode of Free Expression, Diller speaks with Gerry Baker about his life in the entertainment business, how modern tech domination has diminished the value of creativity and why Hollywood went woke and progressive. Discussing his newly published memoir, “Who Knew?,” he also reveals what he calls the “sexual nuance” of being gay while being married to a woman, his wife of 25 years, the fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg.
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33:17
Can the U.S. Avoid an Oncoming Debt Crisis?
The House of Representatives has passed Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and now the Senate is pondering its version. Chief among the concerns for some senators is how much it will add to the federal debt. Already at $36 trillion, how much is too much? Are we on the brink of a major fiscal crisis? On this episode of Free Expression, Bridgewater founder and investor Ray Dalio talks to Gerry Baker about the risks of a debt calamity if bond markets take fright. They also talk about his new book, “How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle”, which chronicles the history of governments with unsustainable debt and offers his “3%”, three-part solution for ensuring fiscal health.
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38:05
Newt Gingrich on Donald Trump’s Not-So-Conservative Triumph
Improbable as it would have once seemed, Donald Trump is the dominant political figure of the first quarter of the 21st century, creating a populist movement not seen in recent American history. But is he really a conservative, and what are the defining characteristics of the way he has bent the Republican party to his will? On this episode of Free Expression, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talks to Gerry Baker about his new book, “Trump’s Triumph: America’s Greatest Comeback,” why the lack of coverage of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline is one of history’s greatest scandals, and why the courts should not have the power and authority over Donald Trump’s executive power.
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33:52
Kelsey Grammer Discusses his Sister’s Tragic Death, its Meaning and the Role of Faith in his Life
Actor Kelsey Grammer is known for his many acting roles, most notably as radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane in the long running TV sitcom “Frasier.” But behind the comic mask lies a lifelong story of pain and grief. Fifty years ago, his beloved sister Karen was abducted, raped and murdered. In a new memoir, “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” he writes of how the tragedy shaped his own life. On this episode of Free Expression, Grammer speaks with Gerry Baker about his sister as a source of joy in his life, his spiritual reunion with her and his evolving Christian faith. A rare conservative in Hollywood, Grammer also discussed the current political climate in America and how the pursuit of individual freedom remains his guiding philosophy.
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31:41
Tariffs, Taxes and ‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’
This week, Donald Trump celebrated a “reset” with China, lowering tariffs and signaling a major thaw in the trade war between the two countries. Meanwhile, as the President traveled to the Middle East, House Republicans announced their framework for the “big, beautiful” spending bill looking to make changes to Medicaid and reduce the budget deficit. Where does Donald Trump's wider economic agenda now sit?
On this episode of Free Expression, Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw tells Gerry Baker why the President has to stop thinking the U.S. is an economic “loser,” and how the U.S. under Trump is starting take on some of the appearances of an unstable emerging market and gives his perspective on academic freedom on the Harvard campus and elsewhere after the administration's unprecedented campaign against institutions of higher learning.
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Based on his Wall Street Journal Opinion column "Free Expression," Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks every week with some of the world's leading writers, influencers and thinkers about a variety of subjects. Baker will welcome his guests from the worlds of politics, philosophy, and culture for wide-ranging dialogues that will enlighten and fascinate listeners. Episodes will be released each week.
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