How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “I will have a quiet dinner with my husband in NYC on my actual birthday. And the weekend before I will do a family dinner to celebrate mine & my dad’s 87th birthday. So we have at least two birthday parties planned!”

How did you get your start in journalism? “I started in radio while still studying at NYU. I was a paid intern for the Barry Farber show in 1988. Then in 1989, I got an internship at CNN, which turned into a paid internship. They hired me as staff later that year after I graduated. I was a writer and producer at Ted Turner’s CNN business news until I sent my tape to CNBC and CNBC hired me as an on-air reporter in 1993. I stayed there for 20 years. Then moved to Fox in 2014.”

What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or finished? And why?

“I am reading Michael Pillsbury’s book on China called ‘The Hundred-Year Marathon.’ It is a very good explanation of China’s aspirations over the long term and how the U.S.-China relations fit in.”

What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “Artificial intelligence and its impact on the economy. I am currently working on a report on this, and it will be broadcast soon on Fox News and Fox Business. AI is going to change the way we live and work. It will impact virtually every industry, and it will require new training to stay ahead of the curve. It needs much more scrutiny.”

How is the Trump presidency going? “There are strengths and weaknesses. Some people react to personality. I react to policy. While he is doing very well on the economy and foreign policy, the country remains very divided, and this is something that is troubling. One major positive is that POTUS has completely changed the conversation around China. And this is important because there are real national security risks here. Facial recognition is being used to target citizens in China. They can identify everyone’s faces and you will get graded, and your behavior will dictate whether you are allowed to take a trip, get a mortgage or any number of other things in China. They are building military bases across the world and building their navy at the fastest pace. People should be very concerned about this kind of regime wanting to become the world’s No. 1 superpower militarily and economically — POTUS has educated America on this.

“His economic policy has worked to move the needle on economic growth. But there are questions about his approach to tariffs. This is playing out negatively in markets before we see the positives. He is in a critical position to bring us together, and we should not be throwing out all of our values that we deem so important as American citizens because some people do not like his personality and approach. But that is exactly what has happened in the media. Regarding due process, innocent until proven guilty. The ability to not get wiretapped for no reason. But some people seem to think this is OK because it was the Trump campaign targeted, so no big deal. This is wrong. And extremely troubling.”

What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I grew up playing the accordion. My mom is a real character. She insisted I learn an instrument. I still have my beautiful accordion and love it.”

Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/11/playbook-birthday-maria-bartiromo-1488839