Big Take

From inflation data to unemployment rates, the US government releases numbers every month that move markets and shape policies. But the agencies responsible for gathering that data are struggling — and President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to find cuts across agencies could further strain their resources.

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, Bloomberg economics editor Molly Smith joins host Saleha Mohsin to dig into what’s at stake if the federal government scales back on its investment in economic data.

Read more: 

• Market-Moving Data Under Threat as Trump Returns to Washington

• BLS Needs Culture Revamp After Botched US Releases, Review Finds

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The gory, dystopian South Korean thriller Squid Game is the most popular series Netflix has ever released. This week, it drops season two — in the midst of the company’s efforts to grow the show beyond the screen.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Sohee Kim and Lucas Shaw about the new season, the story of how the show was nearly never made and all the ways Netflix is trying to expand Squid Game into a global franchise — from reality TV and video games to in-person fan experiences. 

Read more: ‘Squid Game’ Returns in Test of Netflix Global Marketing Muscle

Further listening: K-Pop’s Big Bet on Becoming Less Korean

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Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. To capitalize on that demand, telehealth companies started offering compounded versions of those drugs. That’s made them easier to access, but it’s also introduced new potential risks for people recovering from eating disorders like anorexia.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Madison Muller joins host Sarah Holder to share what she’s learned about the ways telehealth can make it easier for people to get prescriptions that could harm them.

Read more: The Weight-Loss Drug Gold Rush Has a Dangerous Prescription Problem

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A new series from the Big Take podcast investigates the booming market for human eggs. It’s a global and opaque market where demand is so great, that even where regulations are in place, there are powerful incentives to evade them.

In this episode, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg’s Vernon Silver focus on one fertility clinic in Greece that police say stole the eggs of as many as 75 women. It’s a story that shows how the actions of one clinic can have ripple effects around the world and reveals the unique ways that the fertility industry runs not only on capital, but on trust. 

Read more from Bloomberg Businessweek: The Egg

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In his final month as the United States’ chief diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is racing around the globe, responding to conflicts in the Middle East and the latest developments in the war in Ukraine. 

During a stop in New York, he sat down with host David Gura to talk about how he is preparing to hand over the country’s sprawling foreign policy portfolio to the incoming Trump administration.

Read more: Syria: Blinken Says US Weighs Sending Officials for Talks - Bloomberg

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Tens of thousands of migrants in Mexico are currently in limbo after new policies put in place there and in the US changed the process for how people seek asylum. Now, with President-elect Trump promising an immigration crackdown as soon as he takes office, some asylum-seekers are anxious to make it into the US before Inauguration Day.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Alex Vasquez joins host Sarah Holder to explain the complex intersection of these policies and to share the story of one family navigating that system. 

Read more: Stranded in Mexico: Trump’s Looming Crackdown Scares Migrants

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China’s property crisis has become a massive headache for the world’s second-largest economy. Tens of millions of newly built apartments lie vacant, home prices have tumbled and cash-strapped developers are struggling to finish construction.  

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Lulu Chen about what China is doing to try and solve its housing crisis. We go to Zhengzhou, home to the world’s biggest iPhone factory and the city where the housing market first imploded. It's now become a testing ground for government efforts to revive the ailing property sector. We look at whether they’re working, and what it will mean for China’s economy if the big push fails. 

Read more: China’s Housing Rescue Falls Short in City That Signaled the Crisis

Further listening: What Comes Next in China’s Property Crisis

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Germany’s economy is stagnating; households have less disposable income, and businesses report having less faith in the future. Once the growth engine of Europe, the country has gradually been losing its competitive edge. Now, economic anxieties have fuelled a political crisis that led to Monday’s no confidence vote in the German government.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Chris Reiter talks to host Sarah Holder about the consequences of Germany’s economic troubles — for the country and for Europe — and what it could take to turn things around. 

Read more: Germany Is Unraveling Just When Europe Needs It Most

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A new series from the Big Take podcast investigates the booming market for human eggs. It’s a global and opaque market where demand is so great, that even where regulations are in place, there are powerful incentives to evade them.

In this episode, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg’s Natalie Obiko Pearson to unpack an investigation in India that revealed how far some people will go to get a cut of this trade, even if it means exploiting a child.

Read more from Bloomberg Businessweek: The Egg

Plus, watch the documentary from Bloomberg Originals: Inside India's Fertility Underworld

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been a fixture in the economic policy world for decades. She was President Clinton’s chief economic adviser, a Federal Reserve governor and served as Fed Chair under President Obama.

As her tenure at Treasury comes to an end, Yellen sits down with host David Gura to discuss the possibility of additional sanctions on Russian oil and communication between the US and China, and she reflects on her long career as a pioneering economic policymaker.

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South Korea’s family-run conglomerates – or chaebols – have been big drivers of economic growth, and because of that they’ve largely been seen as untouchable. Until now. The chaebols are being challenged, at a time when the stakes have potentially never been higher, with the country mired in political turmoil.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg reporter Youkyung Lee about how a surprise takeover bid for one of the world’s biggest refined metal producers, Korea Zinc, is sending a chill through the chaebol world.

Read more: Powerful Families Who Dominate South Korea Face an Investor Revolt

Further listening: The Six Hours of Martial Law That Stunned South Korea

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Since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed last week, there’s been a deluge of posts on social media expressing rage at the insurance industry and solidarity with the shooter.

Bloomberg reporter Riley Griffin joins Big Take host David Gura to discuss what the shooting revealed about public sentiment toward American health care, and how United and its peers are responding to the attack and its aftermath. 

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After rebels took Syria’s capital, President Bashar Al-Assad fled Damascus for Russia, ending his brutal 24-year reign. His ouster marks the beginning of a new, uncertain phase for a country that’s been ravaged by 13 years of civil war.  

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Paul Wallace joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how Assad’s toppling has opened up a power vacuum in Syria — and what it means for the Middle East, the Syrian people and the world.

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Surveys have shown that business leaders around the US are excited about Donald Trump’s return to the White House. But not all of the policies he’s promising appeal to every CEO. 

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, Business Roundtable CEO Josh Bolten joins host Saleha Mohsin to share what the business leaders he represents want from tax and trade policy — and Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook describes how Trump relishes one-on-one negotiations with fellow executives.

Read more: US Executives Turn More Optimistic After Trump Win, Surveys Show

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In an address broadcast live on Tuesday night, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a move that shocked the nation – and the world. But within hours, after lawmakers unanimously rejected the move and protesters converged on parliament, Yoon went on live television again and backed down, promising to lift the emergency measure.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Sam Kim in Seoul to break down the stunning turn of events. They talk about what happened on the ground during the brief period of martial law, and what the political chaos means for an emerging democracy that remains a key military ally and trading partner of the US.

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The government of French President Emmanuel Macron collapsed Wednesday after losing a no-confidence vote. The outcome brings the country one step closer to a far-right government — the one thing President Macron has sought to avoid at all costs.

Bloomberg’s Stephen Carroll and Big Take co-host David Gura break down the current pressures on France’s government, what led to the vote and what we know about what comes next. 

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For companies with extra cash, it's a popular season for buying back their own shares. In the past few years alone, publicly traded companies in the US executed hundreds of billions worth of stock buybacks. And 2024 is on track to be the biggest year in buybacks ever.

So how do they work? And what’s behind their rise in popularity? Bloomberg reporter Lu Wang joins Big Take co-hosts David Gura and Sarah Holder to explain the logic behind buybacks, and unpack who wins and who loses when companies turn to them.

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Power brokers, administration nominees and even the prime minister of Canada have travelled to Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his resort, making it a new center of political power.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg wealth reporter Amanda Gordon joins host David Gura to discuss Trump’s use of Mar-a-Lago in the lead-up to his inauguration, the impact he’s had on the surrounding area and South Florida’s growing influence on national politics.

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If you’ve bought an airplane ticket recently, you may have noticed that there are a lot more options to choose from — and a lot more line items to pay for. It’s all part of airlines’ strategy of “premiumization.” And it’s why the front of the plane is getting cushier, while coach can feel like a low-cost shakedown. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Amanda Mull joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how airlines are rethinking their pricing — and what it means for airline revenue and your flight experience.

Read more: Why the Flying Experience Feels So Much Worse

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What can the humble chicken reveal about the economic conditions shaping our lives? Turns out, a lot. 

Understanding the chicken industry can help explain some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy. In “Beak Capitalism,” a new three-part series, Odd Lots hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway trace chicken from the farm to the factory to the table.

In the first episode, they examine the consumer side of the industry – including the chicken sandwiches war back in 2019 and the rising cost of eggs.

Further listening: Beak Capitalism, Part 2: The Chickenization of Everything

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Gambling on sports is now legal in almost 40 states in the US, and pro-football is at the center of the rapidly growing, multibillion dollar industry that’s cropped up since the Supreme Court paved the way for it in 2018.

Big Take host David Gura joins Bloomberg’s Jason Kelly, who co-hosts The Deal podcast with Alex Rodriguez, to discuss the ways that the normalization of betting culture is impacting the NFL, its athletes and its fans.

Read more: ‘I’m So Scared’: NFL Players on How Betting Changes the Sport

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India’s Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest men, was charged last week by US prosecutors over his alleged involvement in a $250 million bribery scheme. The indictment sent the stocks and bonds of Adani’s vast conglomerate tumbling and is the second governance crisis to hit the group in two years. 

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Menaka Doshi discuss what the charges mean for Adani’s empire and corporate India, and the implications for US-India relations.

Read more: Gautam Adani Bribery Charges Impact His Net Worth, Markets Beyond India

Further listening: $200 Billion, Four Heirs And One Mighty Empire

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After a messy, public competition between hopefuls, President-elect Donald Trump nominated hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to be the next Treasury secretary. 

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, hosts Saleha Mohsin and David Gura discuss why Trump chose Bessent, and how Bessent might approach the job.

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New York City has some of the highest housing costs in the US. In addition to sky-high rents, tenants often have to pay a fee to a real estate broker when they sign a new lease — whether they hire them or not. But that’s about to change.

Today on the show, host Sarah Holder speaks with City Councilmember Chi Ossé about the passage of his bill that will eliminate upfront broker fees for most renters, and hears from supporters and opponents of the legislation. And Bloomberg reporter Paulina Cachero unpacks what the effort could mean for New York’s renters.

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A record number of Pakistanis are leaving at a rapid speed. Among them are some of the country’s top talent including doctors, engineers, accountants and managers. Over the last three years, one million skilled workers like them have left Pakistan.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Pakistan Bureau Chief Faseeh Mangi about what’s behind the severe brain drain in one of the world’s most populous nations, where the immigrants are going, and what it means for the country’s already fragile economy that depends on loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Read more: Pakistan’s Top Talent Is Leaving the Country in Record Numbers

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This year’s G-20 summit in Brazil revealed a new reality: The world order is shifting as President Joe Biden wraps up his final months in office and President-elect Donald Trump returns to power.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Flavia Krause-Jackson and host David Gura join the show from Rio de Janeiro to talk through the gathering of the world’s largest economies and how they’re preparing for a new geopolitical era.

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Every year, billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil finds its way to China, even though on paper the country hasn’t imported a single drop in more than two years. How? On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Serene Cheong on her team’s investigation into a clandestine shipping hub off the coast of Malaysia that funnels Iranian crude to China.

Read more: The Clandestine Oil Shipping Hub Funneling Iranian Crude to China

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Bloomberg reporter Leslie Patton has noticed a pattern looking at the earnings of mid-priced, brand name companies like Kraft and Luvs. Their sales are down, while the sales of similar products on either end of the price spectrum — cheaper generics and high-end premium goods — are up.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Leslie joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how this “middle brand squeeze” is playing out on grocery store shelves.

Read more: Shoppers Are Ditching Classic Brands They Once Loved

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Climate leaders from around the world have convened in Baku, Azerbaijan for the UN’s biggest annual climate conference, COP29. And this year, it’s all about money. 

Member nations are negotiating over how much responsibility rich countries have to finance the energy transitions of smaller economies. But larger global tensions loom over the proceedings — including the reelection of Donald Trump.

In today’s episode, Bloomberg’s senior climate reporter and host of Zero Akshat Rathi calls in from COP29 to update host Sarah Holder on the unfolding negotiations and how America’s new president-elect changes the conversation. 

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Over the last week, President-elect Donald Trump has announced his nominees for the top jobs in his administration. But one key position that hasn’t been filled yet is Treasury secretary, and the person Trump picks will play a crucial role in shaping US economic policy.

Senior Washington correspondent and host Saleha Mohsin joins David Gura to tick through the top candidates under consideration and how each might shape the Treasury’s priorities if chosen and confirmed. 

Read more: Bessent Hails Trump Agenda as Candidates Vie for Treasury Post

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Higher tariffs. Geopolitical flare-ups. Inflammatory comments. All across Asia, countries are bracing for the return of Donald Trump.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, we unpack what a second Trump term means for China, India and other Asian economies – who are the potential winners and losers and what’s ahead. Host K. Oanh Ha is joined by Daniel Ten Kate, Bloomberg’s executive editor for Asia economy and government, Chan Heng Chee, the ambassador-at-large with the Singapore Foreign Ministry, and Erin Murphy, deputy director of Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

Read more: Trump Is Set to Elevate China Hawks, Deepening Beijing Rift

Further listening: The Economic Impact of Trump’s Promises

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Since Donald Trump’s reelection, Bitcoin has surged to its highest value ever, surpassing $89k per coin on Tuesday. It’s a trend playing out across cryptocurrency, an industry that could benefit from deregulation under President Trump. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s stacy-marie ishmael and David Gura break down whether the recent “melt up” in crypto prices is part another of boom-bust cycle or if the US’s first crypto-friendly president is likely to usher in a new era in digital assets.

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President-elect Trump ran on a promise to help American consumers. As he prepares to take office, the question becomes whether his policies will play out the way he sold them — and how they could evolve as he tries to put them into practice.

Bloomberg Economics has done the math on Trump’s plans, and chief economist Tom Orlik joined host Sarah Holder to look at what Trump’s agenda could mean for inflation, GDP and US taxpayers.

Read more: Your Guide to Trump’s Day-One Agenda — From Taxes to Tariffs

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President-elect Donald Trump’s business ventures, from Truth Social to crypto, stand to benefit from his return to power. But just how much? 

Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Tom Maloney joins host David Gura to break down Trump’s business interests and assets, and explore how he could cash in on his second term in office.

Read more: Donald Trump’s Billion-Dollar Windfall After Election Is Just the Start

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Less than two days after Donald Trump won a second term, the Federal Reserve announced a rate cut. But speaking to reporters, Fed’s Powell faced difficult questions about the path forward for interest rates — and for him — under Trump.

Bloomberg economic policy editor Kate Davidson joins host Saleha Mohsin to discuss how Powell’s answers today set up for a rematch between him and Trump over the Fed’s mission and independence. 

Read more: Trump’s Victory Casts a Shadow Over the Federal Reserve

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In a stunning political comeback, Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States. Just before 2:30 on Wednesday morning, he took the stage at his campaign headquarters in Mar-a-Lago, heralding the “greatest political movement of all time” after Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to the Oval Office had all but evaporated.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Wendy Benjaminson joins host Sarah Holder to break down how Election Day played out, the surge of the so-called Trump Trade, and what we can expect from a second Trump term.

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As America heads to the polls for Election Day, thousands of poll workers and local officials are taking extreme measures to keep things running smoothly and to convince the public that they can trust the results.

On today’s Big Take podcast, we hear from election officials and from Bloomberg national security reporter Chris Strohm on efforts to ensure the safety and integrity of the 2024 US election.

Read more: ‘What Worries Me? Everything’: Officials Brace for US Election Day

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Be in the know this election with Bloomberg Podcasts. Follow Bloomberg News Now for up-to-the minute election results, all night long. And go deeper with The Big Take podcast, featuring in-depth global analysis of the US election every day this week. 

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From conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, to global issues like trade and migration, whoever becomes the next president of the United States will have a huge impact on the rest of the world.

Bloomberg’s Flavia Krause-Jackson and a team of reporters around the world asked government officials one question: How are you preparing for what happens next? Today on the Big Take podcast, she joins host David Gura to share what they found.

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Elon Musk has become one of Donald Trump’s most formidable — and vocal — allies. He’s spoken at Trump rallies, formed a pro-Trump PAC, and funneled more than $100 million into Trump and his allies’ campaigns. This political pivot stunned people who long thought of Musk as a hero of the green energy transition. So how did this happen?

In the first episode of Citizen Elon, host Max Chafkin explains the grievances, grudges and online influences that have shaped Elon Musk’s political ideology — and the ways his money and megaphone are shaping the race. 

Read More: When Elon Musk Got Political

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The world is watching for instability after the US election next week. If there’s a repeat of the chaos that followed the 2020 results, it could damage not just American democracy, but something else: the global financial system that America dominates.

Today on the show, host Saleha Mohsin is joined by former Senator Pat Toomey to unpack what’s at stake for a world that runs on US dollars if a peaceful transfer of power is no longer a given in the world’s oldest democracy.

Read more: Election-Violence Risk Threatens US Dollar Dominance

Further listening: Bloomberg’s Trump Interview: Inside His Economic Vision for a Second Term

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It sounds like science fiction, but it’s real: Venture capitalists, startup founders, and Silicon Valley elites are pouring money into a controversial technology called solar radiation modification that could cool the planet by blocking the sun.

Today on the show, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg reporter Sophie Alexander about the international coordination needed for something like this to work, and why funding for it is ramping up even as researchers express concerns about the possible consequences. 

Read more: Silicon Valley’s Elite Pour Money Into Blotting Out the Sun

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China is making steady progress in its quest to dominate key industries of the future, despite years of US tariffs, export controls and sanctions. 

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Rebecca Choong Wilkins about how the US is struggling to curb Beijing’s technological advances, and whether the upcoming election could change the dynamic.

Read more: US Efforts to Contain Xi’s Push for Tech Supremacy Are Faltering

Further listening:

• How China’s BYD Became King of the Affordable EV

• On Thursday, Odd Lots will dig into Bloomberg’s research on the Made in China plan, and why it largely succeeded in spite of US efforts. Subscribe here.

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With the US presidential election just over a week away, most major polls, including the latest Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll, show Vice President Harris and former President Trump in a dead heat. But Wall Street seems increasingly convinced Trump is going to win. And that is manifesting in what's come to be called “The Trump Trade.”

Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Opinion’s John Authers sits down with host David Gura to break down what the trade is, and what it reveals about how Wall Street sees this election and the future of the economy.

Read more: Prediction Markets Reflect That the Clock Favors Trump

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For a small business, going viral might sound like a good thing. But when a TikTok video turns a shop into an overnight success, that attention can come with major challenges. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder visits small business owners riding the wave of overnight success, and explores the economics of virality with Amanda Mull.

Read more: 

• How Online Influencers Got Addicted to Swedish Candy
• Amanda Mull’s “Buying Power” column

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Decades-long efforts to save Brazil’s Amazon have hit a brutal reality. Impoverished local communities often turn to agribusiness and other industries that drive deforestation. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Brazil bureau chief Vanessa Dezem joins host Sarah Holder to talk through the link between poverty and deforestation and the country’s new efforts to save its rainforest by building up local economies.

Read more: The Amazon’s Relentless Poverty Cycle

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Bloomberg News and Morning Consult have spent the past year polling voters in the seven key swing states that could decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

The results are in for the last poll before Election Day — and the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris could hardly be closer.

Senior editor Wendy Benjaminson leads Bloomberg’s polling coverage. She joins Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin to unpack the state of the race and the economic concerns motivating these voters as November 5 approaches.

Read more: Two Weeks Out, Trump and Harris Are Locked in a Dead Heat

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Started as a battery company in the 1990s in Shenzhen, BYD is now one of the best-selling EV brands in the world. Once mocked by Elon Musk, the company’s startling growth made it a global player and has sparked tariffs in the US and EU.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Gabrielle Coppola and Danny Lee about the company’s aggressive expansion and what it means for the global auto market.

Read more: BYD Is Winning the Global Race to Make Cheaper EVs

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In recent years, investors of all kinds bet big on the future of the so-called Green Economy. But now, some hedge funds are shorting green stocks — a sign that investor enthusiasm may be waning.

A new Bloomberg analysis examines the positions that more than 500 hedge funds have taken on the green economy. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg ESG reporter Sheryl Lee joins host David Gura to discuss the findings, and why some investors who had bet on a sustainable future are now betting against it.

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The education system has an AI problem. As students have started using tools like ChatGPT to do their homework, educators have deployed their own AI tools to determine if students are using AI to cheat.

But the detection tools, which are largely effective, do flag false positives roughly 2% of the time. For students who are falsely accused, the consequences can be devastating. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks to Bloomberg’s tech reporter Jackie Davalos about how students and educators are responding to the emergence of generative AI and what happens when efforts to crack down on its use backfire.

Read more: AI Detectors Falsely Accuse Students of Cheating—With Big Consequences

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Since 2023, more than 165 lawsuits have been filed challenging nearly every dimension of this year's presidential election. Across 37 states, including all seven swing states, these court cases could determine who can vote, how they vote, and how those votes will be counted.

Bloomberg’s Zoe Tillman is tracking these cases as Election Day nears, and joins host Saleha Mohsin to discuss the role courts will play in the outcome of the presidential race — and what this all means for public trust in the voting process.

Read more: More Than 165 Lawsuits Are Already Shaping the 2024 US Presidential Election

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With the US presidential election less than a month away, and the economy top of mind for many voters, former President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura highlights the key takeaways from the interview. From Trump’s defense of tariffs, to his plans for the Federal Reserve and immigration, the interview offers a view of what a second Trump term could mean for the global economy.

Read more: Trump Says Growth to Outpace Feared Debt, Inflation From Agenda

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Vietnamese real estate tycoon Truong My Lan was convicted in April of orchestrating a $12.3 billion fraud. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection, which she is appealing. And this week, the court is expected to hand down another verdict on additional charges. 

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s John Boudreau about how Lan was able to embezzle so much money for so long, how she went from riches to death row and what her multibillion fraud case means for one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.

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In recent weeks, two monster storms have pummeled the US. Hurricanes Helene and Milton left more than 200 dead — and early estimates suggest the recovery could cost more than $100 billion. It’s a huge strain on affected homeowners and the insurance industry that’s meant to shoulder some of that burden. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Leslie Kaufman joins host David Gura to talk about the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events, and how the new normal is changing the calculus for insurers. 

Read more: Federal Flood Maps Are No Match for Florida’s Double Hurricane

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Uber and Lyft promised to give drivers independence and the flexibility to work whenever they wanted. But this summer in New York City, these ride share companies started restricting when their drivers could go online. A new Bloomberg investigation found that driver lockouts were designed to save the companies millions in minimum wage payments — and ultimately cost drivers in the process.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg tech reporter Natalie Lung joins host Sarah Holder to talk about the strategy behind the lockouts, and how she and her team crowd-sourced stories from hundreds of drivers to understand the impact. 

Read more: How Uber and Lyft Used a Loophole to Deny NYC Drivers Millions in Pay

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Will we know the result of the 2024 US Presidential election on election night? Or will the new normal look like 2020, when Americans had to wait days for the final call?

Bloomberg politics reporter Gregory Korte joins Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin to break down what’s changed since former President Donald Trump began contesting the results of his 2020 loss, and what could happen if a drawn-out election call stokes uncertainty in the electoral process.

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Perrier, the popular French bottled water brand, has long been a symbol of luxury. But it’s now under scrutiny after regulators found trace amounts of fecal matter and pesticides where its water is sourced.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg consumer goods reporter Dasha Afanasieva joins host David Gura to talk about how Perrier and its parent company, Nestlé, have responded — and ask bigger questions about sustainability in the global water business.

Read more: Perrier Well Contamination Sparks Scrutiny for Luxe Water Brand

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Adrian Cheng, the third-generation scion of property dynasty New World Development, seemed poised to take over his family’s $20 billion empire. But last month, in a surprising twist, he was replaced as CEO by someone outside of his family.  

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Shawna Kwan about the succession drama at New World, the possible ripple effects on other family dynasties in the region, and what it all could mean for the future of one of Hong Kong’s major property developers.

Read more: New World Scion’s Fall Upends Succession at $23 Billion Dynasty

Further listening: $200 Billion, Four Heirs and One Might Indian Empire

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On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel and Israel responded by declaring war. One year later, that war rages on, conflict has spread through the region, and activists around the world are calling for peace.

Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner joins host David Gura to reflect on how the October 7 attacks have transformed the region and what comes next.

Further listening: The Escalating Conflict in the Middle East

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Shipping ports all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast shut down earlier this week, as the 47,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike. Their demands: A pay raise of nearly 80% over 6 years and strict limits on the use of automation in the nation’s ports. Shipping companies refused and worries mounted that the strike could drag on for weeks, creating gridlock at the ports, and recreating some of the pandemic-era supply chain snarls.

But dockworkers and shipping companies struck a temporary deal late Thursday. Today on the Big Take, Sarah Holder and reporter Laura Curtis talk through the details of the deal, why the White House got involved and who the winners and losers are.

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After a Russian missile hit the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Ukrainian investigators found the navigation system had components made by four Western companies, including two in the US. 

Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg reporter Stephanie Baker talks to host David Gura about how these components are making their way to the battlefield and what steps the US government is taking to try to prevent that from happening. 

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In the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 US election cycle, Tim Walz and JD Vance had two objectives: Keep the momentum going for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, and do no harm. But one of the most surprising takeaways of the policy-forward debate was just how respectful the conversation was. 

Bloomberg senior editor Wendy Benjaminson joins host Sarah Holder to break down key moments – from the cordial to the confrontational – and what Vance and Walz’s performances mean for their tickets.

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Iran attacked Israel for the second time in five months Tuesday, with a volley of missiles coming hours after Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon. 

Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg’s Dan Williams, a reporter in Bloomberg’s Jerusalem bureau, and Joumanna Bercetche in Dubai join host David Gura to talk about the latest on the Middle East and what that means for the region – and the US.

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Harvard University’s endowment fund is larger than the endowment of any other university on the planet. That’s, in part, because of a pioneering investment strategy. But in recent years, the returns haven’t measured up to rival universities like Yale or Brown.

Bloomberg’s Janet Lorin joins host David Gura to talk about how Harvard University’s early edge seems to have waned in the midst of changing leadership and strategies.

Read more: Harvard’s Not-So-Smart Money: Two Decades of Poor Returns and Rich Pay

Further Listening:

• Facing Huge Challenges, One College Tries to Be Too Big to Fail
• If College Is an Investment, These Offer the Best ROI

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This week, China’s central bank announced a stimulus package designed to revive the economy, cutting an interest rate and reducing the amount of money banks need to hold in reserve.

But the country’s ongoing drive to upgrade its struggling economy has left millions of people facing job losses or pay cuts, fueling an existential crisis among some of its best and brightest workers.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Lulu Chen about the impact Xi Jinping’s push is having on professionals, from banking to tech, and what this anxiety could mean for the outlook of the world’s second-largest economy.

Read more: 
Xi Unleashes a Crisis for Millions of China's Best-Paid Workers

China Unleashes Stimulus Package to Revive Economy, Markets

Further listening:

Why China’s Investment Bankers Are Breaking Up With Capitalism

What Does China’s Economic Slowdown Mean For the Communist Party?

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For the past year, Bloomberg News and Morning Consult have been polling voters in swing states. Former President Donald Trump has had a consistent lead when it comes to the question of who voters trust on the economy. But a new poll of likely voters shows Vice President Kamala Harris closing that gap in key states.

Today, senior editor Wendy Benjaminson joins the Big Take DC to dig into how this polling works and what we can learn from the results.

Read more:  Kamala Harris Holds Razor-Thin Lead Across Swing States in Tight 2024 Race

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Skyrocketing tuition costs, COVID and fewer high school graduates have been straining the survival of smaller American colleges, leading many to shut down. Now, some are joining a surprising new path: mergers and acquisitions.

Bloomberg reporter Francesca Maglione sits down with Big Take host David Gura to discuss why some colleges are eager to merge with others, and what this new dynamic might mean for the future of higher education. 

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Talk of de-dollarization has been gaining momentum among China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa in the wake of significant US led sanctions on Russia. Former US President and candidate Donald Trump has said the currency is under attack — and that any country that shuns it would face new tariffs on imports if he is elected.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin about the unique role the dollar plays in the world economy — and what, if anything, could replace it.

Read more: The Dollar’s Dominance, Explained

Further listening: Odd Lots Podcast – How the US Dollar Became an International Weapon of War

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Fighting has escalated in the Middle East after thousands of pagers and walkie talkies held by Hezbollah operatives exploded across Lebanon last week. That attack is the most recent example of supply chain interference — a global problem that national security officials say is now “rampant.” 

Bloomberg cybersecurity reporter Katrina Manson and defense and intelligence reporter Peter Martin sit down with Big Take host Sarah Holder to break down what we know about how and when the Hezbollah pagers were turned into bombs — and what countries like the US and China are doing to protect their supply chains from foreign infiltration. 

Read more: Exploding Pagers Raise Global Supply-Chain Security Concern

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Computers have outplayed humans in chess and Go for decades. But poker was long considered unhackable. The game requires not just crunching numbers, but creativity and complex strategy. That only started to change about 10 years ago, when a new generation of unbeatable poker bots began to appear online. 

The makers of the technology remained in the shadows, so Bloomberg’s Kit Chellel set out to find them. On today’s Big Take podcast, he joins David Gura to share the story of how a group of Russian students invented the world’s best online poker bots and what that means for the multi-billion-dollar industry.

Read more: The Russian Bot Army That Conquered Online Poker

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Since Vice President Kamala Harris took over the Democratic presidential ticket, she’s faced criticism from voters who say they don’t know what she stands for. But we know two Bloomberg reporters who do: California bureau chief Karen Breslau, who’s been following Harris’ career for two decades, and Josh Wingrove, who covers her campaign. 

Today on the show, they join host Sarah Holder to discuss what we know about Harris’ economic message and what a Harris presidency could mean for everything from domestic taxes to global trade.

Read more: Understanding Kamala Harris

Further listening: Donald Trump Sits Down With Bloomberg Businessweek

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The Federal Reserve announced a highly anticipated rate cut of half a percentage point today — larger than many watchers anticipated. Which industries and companies will feel this interest rate cut the most, and what will it mean for everyday consumers?

Bloomberg’s Enda Curran joins host Sarah Holder to talk about what effects we can expect to see as the rate cut ripples through the US economy and the world — and hits our wallets.

Read more: Rent Is the Stubborn Part of the Inflation Story

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They caused global markets to seize up – and raised serious questions about just how much money was at stake. No, we’re not talking about the last Fed meeting, or the US jobs report. We’re talking about carry trades – an obscure part of international markets that this summer suddenly became less obscure.

On today’s Big Take podcast, our Bloomberg Explains series continues with Bloomberg Opinion columnist Shuli Ren. She tells hosts K. Oanh Ha and David Gura when the yen carry trade began and what went wrong, and we look at  what this week's expected interest rate cut in the US could mean for the practice.

Read more: How Big Is the Yen Carry Trade, Really?

Further listening: Odd Lots Podcast - Bloomberg

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This week, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in over four years. And there’s debate over how big the cut will be and how soon it will impact the economy.

Bloomberg’s Kate Davidson joins host David Gura to discuss this turning point for the economy, and what else Fed policymakers have in store for the future.  

Read more: Fed Ready to Unshackle US Economy With Soft Landing at Stake

Further listening: What a September Cut Could Mean for the Economy and the Election

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A controversial AI safety bill was just passed by California’s legislature. It’s been spurned by OpenAI and Nancy Pelosi, championed by Elon Musk – and could radically reshape the future of the technology’s development not just in the state, but globally.

On today’s podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks with California State Senator Scott Wiener, the author of SB 1047, about why he thinks California needs to take a lead in regulating AI. And Bloomberg tech reporter Shirin Ghaffary explains why even if the bill is vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the questions it has raised about AI regulation could be long-lasting.

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The year started with the door of an airplane falling off mid-flight. Frustrations with air travel have mounted since then. It’s up to Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary, to address those problems — which include everything from Boeing’s woes to the shrinking value of airline loyalty points.

Buttigieg joined the Big Take DC podcast in an exclusive interview to talk about the future of air travel, and his political future after his tenure in the Biden administration ends.

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In a wide-ranging debate on Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly put former President Donald Trump on the defensive. Harris leaned into her past as a prosecutor, needling Trump on issues ranging from immigration to the economy and abortion. He attempted to criticize her record and define her as a radical unfit for the presidency.

Bloomberg senior editor Wendy Benjaminson and host David Gura unpack the viral moments from the night, analyze the candidates’ performance, and discuss what comes next.

Read more: How Kamala Harris Baited Trump Into a Debate on Her Terms

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Apple is at a turning point. It ascended from a scrappy tech underdog to the most valuable company in the world through selling devices like iPhones, Macs and Apple watches. But now, a significant portion of its revenue comes from digital services.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Austin Carr tells host Janet Paskin what this shift means for Apple’s appetite for risk, its battles with regulators in the US and Europe, and what that means for all of us.

Read more: How Apple Rules the World

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On today’s podcast, host David Gura speaks to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about everything from the health of the economy to negotiating with China. He also accompanies her on a trip to an IRS processing facility in Texas to talk about tax cheats and what to do about them.  

Read more: Yellen Says Jobs Report Confirms Labor Market ‘Quite Healthy’

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Eleven million people have been let go in the US so far this year. And the job market they’re entering isn’t easy: the latest jobs report showed the economy added just 142,000 jobs in August. But ever since the pandemic, the way we experience — and process — getting laid off has fundamentally changed. It’s no longer just a source of shame. It’s become social media content.

Today on the show, host Sarah Holder speaks with a tech worker who’s at the forefront of the hottest new job market trend: posting publicly about your layoff. And Bloomberg reporter Jo Constantz explains what the shift in how we approach layoffs means for employees and employers everywhere.

Read more: Losing Your Job Used to Be Shameful. Now It’s a Whole Identity

Further listening: 

• The Sahm Rule, Explained (By Claudia Sahm)
• Workers Are Getting Ghosted. Here’s Why

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With two months until election day, Kamala Harris’ campaign is outpacing Donald Trump's on fundraising. But this late into the race, how much does money matter?

Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin sits down with Bloomberg money and politics editor Laura Davison to break down both campaigns’ finances, how they might spend their money, and how much impact cash could actually have in the race.

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Billionaire brothers Clark and Dan Hunt, co-owners of the Kansas City Chiefs, aren’t resting on their laurels after back-to-back Super Bowl victories. They’re hoping for another title, and they’re growing their family’s sports portfolio. 

The Hunts want to boost the NFL’s popularity overseas, and as co-owners of FC Dallas, they’re also trying to capitalize on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Bloomberg reporter Randall Williams shares highlights from a recent conversation he had with the Hunt brothers about their latest deals and their hopes for the future.

Further Listening: Big Take: The Last Great American (Football) Dynasty - Bloomberg

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The US asylum process is meant to offer a fair shot at safe haven. But new reporting from Bloomberg uncovers how the difference between those who are granted asylum and those who are denied often boils down to chance.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporter Monte Reel joins host David Gura to trace the arc of one man’s journey and discuss new data analysis that reveals the flaws at the core of the US asylum system.

Read more: Justice Is Beside the Point in America’s Immigration Courts

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X users might have noticed a new kind of artificial intelligence-generated image proliferating: strange visions of Elon Musk next to Disney characters carrying guns, or Donald Trump in all kinds of, well, weird situations. This was what followed a new release of Musk’s Grok AI tool, which can now make images—unsurprisingly with fewer guardrails than other image-creating machines out there.

On this episode we’ll talk about Grok’s new skillset and also get into the semiotics of the Cybertruck. Initially conceived of as a mass-market truck, it’s slid into another category: marker of a certain kind of right-wing flex, the kind Musk himself has engaged in on his struggling social network. Joining David to discuss is Davey Alba, a Bloomberg technology reporter, along with Max Chafkin and Dana Hull. 

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The taxis of the future are already here. And they’re airborne. After years of research and development and billions in investment, autonomous flying taxis are finally poised to take off. Companies working on these pilotless vehicles have been quietly working on prototypes — and recently, Bloomberg reporter Colum Murphy took a test flight in one of the first models operating in China.

But once the technology is proven, new challenges begin: the industry will have to navigate regulatory hurdles, which can vary country to country, and find a customer base that will trust this new form of air-travel. On today’s episode, Murphy takes the Big Take on his flying taxi ride, and his colleague Angus Whitley explains why it’s a make or break moment for the industry. 

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In June, two NASA astronauts flew to the International Space Station on a Boeing spacecraft for a week-long test mission. But problems with the machinery mean they’ll be stuck there for 8 months… and when they come back in February, they won’t be flying Boeing. Instead, they’re hitching a ride with the company’s biggest rival in commercial space travel: Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Today on the show: space reporter Loren Grush and Boeing reporter Julie Johnsson on the challenges facing Boeing’s space program, the rise of SpaceX, and the future of NASA’s ambitions beyond our planet.

Further listening: Boeing Faces Washington and Wall Street Reckonings

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The World Health Organization declared the last mpox global emergency over in May 2023. And just over a year later, here we are again.

Since the start of 2024, a deadlier, more transmissible strain of the virus has killed about 575 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and infected 30 times more. New cases have recently appeared in Europe and Asia. In August, the WHO declared a new mpox global health emergency. 

Bloomberg’s Ashleigh Furlong joins host Sarah Holder to explain why the latest outbreak could have been avoided — and what it will cost to beat it.

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Call centers in the Philippines, the world’s second-biggest outsourcing center after India, are embracing artificial intelligence - and it’s radically changing what it looks and sounds like to work there. 

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins demos the Sanas AI app and talks to Bloomberg's Saritha Rai about the industry's rapid transition and what it might mean for workers around the world.

Read more: The World's Call Center Capital Is Gripped by AI Fever — and Fear

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The time has finally come for a rate cut. That was the takeaway of Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks in Jackson Hole on Friday when he let the world know to expect a cut at the next ​​Fed meeting in September.

Bloomberg’s Mike McKee joins host Sarah Holder from Jackson Hole to discuss what that cut could look like — and what it would mean for the economy, the US election and the American consumer.Read more: Powell’s Pivot Leaves Traders Debating Size, Path of Rate Cuts

Listen more: The Federal Reserve's Tricky Economic and Political Terrain

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For decades, the Democratic Party has counted on support from Black voters. But former President Donald Trump has tried to leverage voter dissatisfaction with Democrats to bite into the party’s edge with that key demographic. And for a while, it seemed to be working – until the first Black woman to lead a major presidential ticket shook up the race.

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin hears from voters and speaks to Bloomberg reporters Akayla Gardner and Hadriana Lowenkron about how Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has flipped the script for Trump, and for Democrats attempting to reverse President Joe Biden’s losses with Black Americans who were key to his win in 2020.

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A Chinese businessman persuaded officials to establish a special economic zone in a remote part of Laos. The gamblers arrived first. Then came the drug runners, human traffickers and scammers.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Matt Campbell about his investigation into the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone and how it became a criminal’s paradise.

Read more: Dodge City

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For the first time in more than a decade, Burning Man has not sold out. 

The gathering prides itself on its counter-cultural roots, and draws tens of thousands of people to the Nevada desert every year for a week of art, music and adventure. But it’s also gradually moved further into the mainstream, becoming a rite of passage for a certain set of Silicon Valley elites. Whether it’s because of last year’s rain, economic strains, or something deeper, one thing is clear: this year, demand for Burning Man tickets is down. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg technology reporter Ellen Huet joins host Sarah Holder to grapple with a burning question: has Burning Man peaked?

Read more: Has Burning Man Peaked?

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Ports often make the news when they break: like the bridge collapse that shut down Baltimore's port earlier this year. But every day, ports in cities around the world keep supply chains humming and feed local economies; every year, they help move 80% of the things we buy.

As conflicts between world powers intensify, ports are also the latest battlefields where geopolitical power is won and lost. On today’s episode, Bloomberg’s Brendan Murray tells host Sarah Holder how ports, from Belgium to Peru, are becoming strategic sites for countries to defend their interests. And why trillions of dollars are on the line in order to make these ambitions happen on time.

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After ten months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Israel and Hamas could be close to a cease-fire deal. As of Monday afternoon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel had agreed to a cease-fire proposal. Hamas had yet to officially respond.

If an eventual deal is achieved… the question becomes: How could the Gaza Strip rebuild?

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Fares Alghoul, Fadwa Hodali, and Dan Williams take stock of the international cooperation — and money — it would take to reconstruct Gaza and how the future leadership of the Strip could complicate this already monumental task.

Read more: Gaza Reduced to 42 Million Tonnes of Rubble. What Will It Take to Rebuild?

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There is nearly $13 trillion invested in exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. ETFs that mirror the S&P 500. ETFs for gold. ETFs for bitcoin. There’s even a Vegan ETF. How did this market get so big and varied? And just what goes into one?

On today’s podcast, our Bloomberg Explains series continues with Bloomberg Intelligence senior ETF analyst and co-host of the Trillions podcast Eric Balchunas. He tells host David Gura about the unlikely duo who created the first-ever ETF in a last-ditch bid to save a struggling exchange. And Bloomberg ETF IQ and Money Stuff co-host Katie Greifeld breaks down the current booming market, and outlines which ETFs are safe investments – and which are better left alone. 

Further listening: Trillions Podcast - Bloomberg,  Money Stuff - Bloomberg

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Seven key states will play an outsized role in determining the outcome of the 2024 US election. A new analysis from Bloomberg found that as a group those states’ economies pose a challenge for Kamala Harris and an opening for Donald Trump.

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin goes inside this “battleground economy” with Bloomberg senior writer Shawn Donnan and hears directly from voters on how this economic reality is influencing the communities that will choose between Trump and Harris.

Read more: The Swing-State Economic Realities Shaping the US Election

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That White Lotus-inspired trip to Sicily. The Instagram-perfect Joshua Tree glamping holiday. A party weekend in Miami. Ever since the first lockdown restrictions were lifted in 2021, Americans have been spending big on travel. But a recent slew of weak earnings from companies like Delta and Expedia suggest that the post-pandemic travel boom is finally over.

In today’s episode, Bloomberg tech reporter Natalie Lung tells host Sarah Holder that from airlines to Airbnb, companies are reporting weaker-than-expected demand for summer travel. So does that mean now is the perfect time to book a last-minute vacation? Depends on where you’re game to go.

Read more: Flights, Hotels and Parks Are All Flashing Travel Warning Signs

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After weeks of protests and a brutal crackdown that led to several hundred deaths, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down and flee the country, putting an abrupt end to her more than 15 years in power. Stepping into the leadership vacuum is Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who we spoke to last month -- when he was facing charges that his supporters said were trumped up by Hasina. 

Today on The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Kai Schultz about what drove the student-led uprising and Hasina’s downfall, Yunus’s surprising turn to politics, and what’s at stake for one of Asia’s most promising economies.

Read more: 

Yunus Cleared in Graft Case After Becoming Bangladesh Leader

Further listening: 

Why This Nobel Prize Winner Faces Life Imprisonment in Bangladesh

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The sovereign wealth funds of the Persian Gulf used to be relatively easy places for US firms like Blackstone and Goldman Sachs to raise money. But recently, the power dynamics between Wall Street and Middle Eastern wealth fund managers have been shifting.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Heather Perlberg breaks down for host David Gura why Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds are asking for more in return for access to their trillions — and what that means not only for investors but also the future of the region. 

Read more: Middle East Trillions Force New Concessions From Wall Street

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Have you had the flu recently? Or RSV? Or just... some bug that you can’t quite shake? If so, you’re not alone. Bloomberg’s data team recently decided to investigate whether or not the perception that we’re all getting sick all the time is actually backed up by numbers. And what they found was truly surprising: in countries around the world, people are getting much sicker, much more often in the wake of the pandemic.

We’re re-upping this episode, which originally aired on June 14, because – surprise – everyone’s still getting sick. Listen as host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg data reporter Jinshan Hong try to solve the global health mystery – including the potential culprits behind the surge in sickness and what we can do to avoid getting ill so often.

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On today’s Big Take podcast, economist Claudia Sahm explains the Sahm rule: how she came up with the idea, whether or not we’re in a recession, and why she wishes it was called something else.

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What happens when new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic transform a community? Bloomberg healthcare reporter Madison Muller went to Bowling Green, Kentucky to find out. That area has one of the highest concentrations of weight-loss drug prescriptions in the US.

On today’s Big Take podcast, we explore what that means for people who live there, how these drugs are reshaping the local economy, and what it could look like in other places when Ozempic comes to town.

Read more: What Happens When Ozempic Takes Over Your Town

Listen more: Are Cheaper Ozempic Knockoffs Safe?

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Gautam Adani, the controversial Indian billionaire, gathered his two sons and two nephews for a family lunch one day and asked them a bombshell question: Did they want to carve up the Adani Group’s sprawling businesses between themselves or stick together? He gave them three months to decide.

Today on The Big Take, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg editor Anto Antony about the Adanis’ ambitious succession plan, in the wake of regulatory probes and a daring short-seller attack. We also hear from the Adanis themselves on their vision of an Adani Group without Gautam at the helm, how they’ll make decisions to manage an empire – which spans everything from airports to solar farms – and what's at stake for India’s $3.5 trillion economy.

Read more: Adani Unveils $213 Billion Succession Plan as Scrutiny Persists

Further listening: The Rise of Modi: Why India’s Leader Is So Popular – and Polarizing

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On Wall Street, the S&P 500 had its worst day in nearly two years and the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed over 1,000 points. Shares on Japan’s Nikkei Index fell by over 12% — their worst showing since Black Monday in 1987. Cryptocurrencies dropped, bond yields rose and the VIX, known as the fear index, saw its biggest one-day spike in more than 30 years. Is the Fed to blame? AI over-exuberance? Warren Buffett?

On today’s episode, Bloomberg columnist John Authers walks host David Gura through the global market meltdown: what triggered it, how long it could last, and when to panic.

Read more:  $6.4 Trillion Stock Wipeout Has Traders Fearing ‘Great Unwind’ Is Just Starting

Further listening: Why the Market’s Big Tailwinds Are Coming to an End

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In April of 2023, a man carrying a small, black box walked into one of the nation’s most secure buildings, right next to the White House. In the box were ingredients that could be used to create a bioweapon. What the man revealed about how he got his hands on these ingredients was even scarier: an AI chatbot had given him the recipe.

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura speaks to Bloomberg healthcare reporter Riley Griffin about why that stunt alarmed White House officials and woke them up to the potential dangers of AI-made bioweapons. 

Read more: AI-Made Bioweapons Are Washington’s Latest Security Obsession

Further listening: 

• We Can’t Opt Out of AI (But We Can Try)
• AI Wreaks Havoc on Global Power Systems

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If you’ve applied to a job and never heard back, you may have fallen prey to a ghost job — an online listing for a role that never actually existed.

Ghost jobs aren’t just leaving job seekers frustrated. They’re also muddying the waters of the labor market when it comes to assessing the strength of the economy.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Sarah Holder digs into the ghost job phenomenon with Molly Smith, an editor on Bloomberg’s US economy team.

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Each year in April, the US conducts a lottery that shapes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. And each year, only around 85,000 are granted an H-1B visa for highly-skilled workers. With skyrocketing application numbers, the odds of winning have only gotten slimmer. But new data obtained by Bloomberg News has revealed how certain companies have manipulated the system, gaining an advantage over people who play it fair. In other words, the game was rigged.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks to investigative journalists Eric Fan and Zachary Mider who explain how outsourcing companies and staffing firms exploited loopholes in the H-1B system to get extra shots at the lottery. 

Read more: How Thousands of Middlemen Are Gaming the H-1B Program

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Costs are rising in Japan and small businesses risk being squeezed into oblivion if they don’t figure out how to raise their prices. After decades of deflation, many small Japanese companies are out of practice on exactly how to do it.

Today on The Big Take Asia, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg senior editor Reed Stevenson about a class he visited where people are relearning the long-lost skill of negotiation, and what a failure to raise prices at these small businesses – which make up 90% of the economy – could mean for Japan’s future.

Read more: BOJ to Cut Bond Buying as Fate of Rate Policy Stirs Jitters

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This past weekend, Donald Trump became the first American president to address a crypto conference, telling an audience in Nashville that “if Bitcoin is going to the moon, I want America to be the nation that leads the way.” It’s a stark contrast from five years ago, when Trump said Bitcoin’s value was based on “thin air.” Is his conversion from crypto skeptic to crypto cheerleader real – or just a canny attempt to get donations?

On today’s podcast, host David Gura speaks to Bloomberg investigative reporter Zeke Faux about the surprising opinions he heard on-the-ground at the world’s biggest Bitcoin conference – and what that could mean for the future of the 2024 presidential election.

Read more: Trump Became Crypto Believer After Falling in Love With NFTs of Himself

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For most of this year, US markets were hitting fresh highs and investors were giddy about the potential of AI to make the world’s biggest tech companies even more profitable. Then, the picture changed. Welcome to the Great Rotation.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks to Bloomberg cross-asset reporter Isabelle Lee about what’s behind the investor move from the Magnificent Seven tech firms into smaller companies — and what role, if any, recent US political turmoil is playing in investors’ expectations about the rest of the year. 

Read more: Markets Tear Up Popular Trades That Reached ‘Stupid Levels’ and Stocks Caught in Tug of War Between Tech and Rest: Markets Wrap

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to DC was set to be high-stakes, as he arranged to meet with President Biden and former President Trump. But Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy complicated an already delicate balancing act.

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host David Gura speaks with Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner and national security reporter Nick Wadhams about what’s at stake for each of these leaders, the latest prospects for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, and how November’s election could reshape the US-Israel relationship.

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Americans are more and more likely to get health care not from doctors, but from nurse practitioners. It’s one of the fastest-growing professions in the US — and the number of nurse practitioners in the country is expected to climb 45% by 2032. But training for the booming profession has never been standardized, and some students worry they’re not being set up for success.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to investigative reporters Caleb Melby and Polly Mosendz about what the rapid rise of nurse practitioners has meant for their education — and their patients.

Read more: The Miseducation of America’s Nurse Practitioners

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Cheaper, knockoff versions of Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound are flooding the market, often promoted by telehealth companies in online ads and by influencers on TikTok and Instagram. These versions of the drugs are made by so-called compounding pharmacies, an obscure corner of America’s pharmaceutical market which makes drugs that aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Ike Swetlitz and Madison Muller tell host Sarah Holder about their investigation into a $1 billion shadow industry that could be putting Americans’ health in danger.

Read more: Unsafe Ozempic Knockoffs Are Flooding the Market

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With tens of millions of users under the age of 13, Roblox has become the biggest online gaming playground for kids. The company says its combination of AI chat filters and human moderators makes the platform safe for users of all ages. But a Bloomberg Businessweek investigation suggests that Roblox may have striking vulnerabilities. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura speaks with reporters Olivia Carville and Cecilia D’Anastasio about the way predators have used the platform to groom children — and what Roblox is doing to keep young users safe.

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Joe Biden’s decision not to run for reelection leaves the Democratic nominee that replaces him with an unprecedented challenge: running a successful presidential campaign in under four months. That will take a lot of money. 

On today’s Big Take podcast: How much could that campaign cost? Gregory Korte and Laura Davison, who cover money and politics for Bloomberg, dig into that question, Kamala Harris’s fundraising edge and how Democratic donors are reacting to the news.

Read more: Joe Biden Bows to Democrats Who Wanted Him Out, Upending US Politics

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Is K-pop even K-pop without the K? A Bloomberg analysis of song lyrics shows that for the first time, almost half of K-pop songs released this year have English lyrics. 

On today’s podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks with Bloomberg reporter Sohee Kim about the genre’s identity shift and why industry efforts to grow its global audience might mean fewer Korean band members.

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s pick of Senator JD Vance as his running mate has many in Silicon Valley rejoicing — they see the former venture capitalist as one of their own. With Elon Musk’s commitment of $45 million a month to a super-PAC supporting the Trump campaign, it's the latest sign of Silicon Valley elites embracing the MAGA movement.

But the tech world hasn’t always embraced Trump. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Businessweek columnist Max Chafkin joins host David Gura to talk about how we got here and what their support could mean for another Trump term.

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Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus pioneered micro loans as a tool to fight poverty. Now prosecutors in Bangladesh have linked him and his colleagues to a dizzying number of crimes, including embezzlement and laundering millions of dollars. 

Today on The Big Take, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Kai Schultz about the complicated saga and what implications Yunus’s case has for Bangladesh, one of the fastest growing economies. We also hear from Yunus himself, who talks about the rift between him and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the personal impact of the legal drama.

Read more:
Bangladesh Sentences Nobel Peace Prize Winner to 6 Months in Prison

Big Money Backs Tiny Loans That Lead to Debt, Despair and Even Suicide

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Former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination at the party’s convention this week, just two days after an attempted assassination at a campaign rally over the weekend. Prior to that attack, and shortly before his first debate with President Joe Biden, Trump laid out his vision for a second term in a wide-ranging, 90-minute interview with journalists from Bloomberg Businessweek. 

Reporter Nancy Cook and editor Brad Stone take host David Gura inside that conversation, where they dig into “Trumponomics,” how Trump plans to appeal to voters and business leaders who have turned their backs on him.

Read more: 

• Trump on Taxes, Tariffs, Jerome Powell and More
• The Donald Trump Interview Transcript

Corrects length of Powell’s term as chair of the Federal Reserve.

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On Saturday evening, former President Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Even in a country with a history of assassinations and attempts, it is unprecedented. 

Bloomberg national politics reporter Gregory Korte and senior editor Wendy Benjaminson join hosts Saleha Mohsin and Sarah Holder to discuss how the assassination attempt changes everything in the 2024 election - and how political violence has previously shaped America.

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Ever since the first Olympics were held over a century ago, the Games have been known for dazzling sporting feats…and dazzlingly expensive opening ceremonies. Recently, the ballooning cost of hosting the Games has led residents in Boston, Rome, and Oslo to reject efforts to bring the Olympics to their cities. As a result, the International Olympic Committee is hoping to rein in costs – starting with Paris.

On today’s podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks with Bloomberg reporter Hugo Miller about the lessons Paris 2024 is trying to take from the first and only profitable Olympics held in Los Angeles in 1984 – and why no less than the future of the Games is at stake.

Read more: Faster, Higher — Cheaper? Paris's Budget Effort to Reboot the Olympics

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The fallout from President Joe Biden’s debate performance is continuing to ripple through Washington, as prominent Democrats, donors, and world leaders are questioning his ability to win… and to lead.

As US allies converge on Washington for the NATO summit and Congressional Democrats scramble for unity, all eyes are on Biden. Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin talks with Bloomberg White House and politics reporter Jordan Fabian about what’s at stake for Biden in yet another make-or-break week.

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A growing number of Ukrainian entrepreneurs, engineers and tech workers are joining the war effort against Russia, making and delivering a key tool: drones. They’re low-cost, high-impact and can do everything from transporting supplies to dropping bombs across enemy lines.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Technology editor Jake Rudnitsky talks with host Sarah Holder about the burgeoning cottage industry that’s transforming the battlefield in the Russia-Ukraine war – and what the shift to drone warfare could mean for conflicts around the world.

Read more: Ukraine Is Fighting Russia With Toy Drones and Duct-Taped Bombs

Further listening: 

• Zelenskiy Talks Trump, Biden and US Election
• Ukraine’s Frontline Fight Is Changing How the US Prepares for War

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China’s Luckin Coffee is the nation’s top coffee retailer, overtaking even Starbucks. That would be notable itself, but less than 4 years ago the company filed for bankruptcy, making its comeback even more unlikely. The turnaround is in part thanks to the chain’s automated stores, cut-price deals and innovative drinks that appeal to local tastes.

Today on The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Rachel Chang on how Luckin managed to turn around its failing business to overtake Starbucks, and asks whether it can hold on to its success as coffee takes off in China, and more rivals emerge.

Read more: China’s Luckin Coffee Is Back From the Brink and Beating Starbucks

Further listening: What Does China’s Economic Slowdown Mean For the Communist Party? 

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French voters shocked the world on Sunday by rejecting Marine Le Pen’s efforts to see her far-right National Rally party take control of France’s legislature. And across the channel in Britain, a new government is set to enter parliament on Tuesday after voters last week gave the country’s left-leaning Labour Party a majority.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura discusses the reaction to the surprise result in France with Bloomberg Opinion columnist Lionel Laurent, and Bloomberg’s Head of Economics and Government Stephanie Flanders breaks down why the landslide victory for Keir Starmer and Britain’s Labour Party isn’t necessarily as clear-cut as it might seem.

For more, listen to Bloomberg’s “Voternomics” podcast.

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With the US presidential election on the horizon and no end in sight to the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg’s Annmarie Hordern sits down with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for an exclusive interview. They discuss where the conflict stands now, what it would take to secure a peace deal and a possible end to the war – and Zelenskiy’s thoughts after watching the US presidential debate.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s lead on national security coverage Nick Wadhams sits down with host Sarah Holder to analyze the most important moments from the Zelenskiy interview and game out what the outcome of the US election could mean for the future of Ukraine.

Watch the full interview: Zelenskiy on Putin, Russia Cease-Fire Prospects, Trump and US Election

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In the fallout from Biden’s performance in the first presidential debate, a leading name has emerged as the president’s natural replacement: Vice President Kamala Harris.

White House and politics reporters Akayla Gardner and Gregory Korte join Big Take host Sarah Holder to unpack why the calls for a Harris candidacy are surfacing now, her access to Biden’s war chest and who else could be a contender. 

Read more: Kamala Harris Is Having a Surprise Resurgence as Biden’s Campaign Unravels

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The car sales industry in North America ground to a halt in mid-June after sophisticated cybercriminals took down CDK Global, the software provider with a near-monopoly on the industry. It caused chaos in the middle of one of the biggest seasons for car-buying. Dealers couldn’t access their inventory. Buyers couldn’t get cars off the lot. And customers feared for their personal data.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior technology editor Dana Wollman and host Sarah Holder discuss what getting back to normal for dealerships might look like, how the group of hackers behind the shutdown operate, and why industries that rely on centralized software systems — from education to healthcare — are vulnerable.  

Read more: BlackSuit Cybercrime Gang Blamed in CDK Hack That Roiled Car Dealers

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One after another, bankers at China International Capital Corporation — China’s premier investment bank – are pledging loyalty to the Communist Party, underscoring a new reality for Wall Street-style capitalists in the era of Xi Jinping.

Today on the Big Take Asia, host David Gura speaks with Bloomberg’s Cathy Chan about the tug-of-war between communism and capitalism at the “Morgan Stanley of China,” and how politics are redefining Chinese finance.

Read More: China’s Investment Bankers Join the Communist Party as Morale (and Paychecks) Shrink

Further listening: What Does China’s Economic Slowdown Mean For the Communist Party?

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There is a growing push from retail traders, international investors, and a few big hedge funds to do something once unthinkable: keep stock markets open for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But when do traders sleep if Wall Street never shuts?

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg finance reporter Katherine Doherty joins host Sarah Holder to break down what’s behind the growing demand for after-hours trading on platforms like Robinhood, whether regulators will ever approve such a move, and what happens to the opening bell if the New York Stock Exchange never closes.

Read more: 24-Hour Stock Trading Is Booming – and Wall Street Is Rattled

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From big questions about Biden’s performance that have sent Democrats into panic over whether he should be on the ticket to Trump’s misleading statements on January 6th, the first 2024 US presidential debate may have been billed as a rematch, but it was full of surprises.

Inside the spin room in Atlanta, Big Take host David Gura talks to Bloomberg senior politics editor Wendy Benjaminson and politics reporter Stephanie Lai to dig into those moments, discuss what the candidates said about inflation, taxes and immigration, and what it all means for the rest of the campaign cycle.

Read more: Panicked Emails, Gallows Humor: The Aftermath of Biden's Debate Disaster 

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You’ve probably felt the pain of inflation. And you’ve also probably heard about shrinkflation — when companies respond to inflation by keeping their prices steady and making their products smaller. But have you heard of ‘upflation’?

It’s a new tactic consumer goods brands are using to get people shopping again. From whole-body deodorant to more genres of razor, companies are tweaking everyday essentials and jacking up the price. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg consumer goods reporter Leslie Patton tells host Sarah Holder where to spot upflation in the wild – and how to avoid paying extra for everyday products. 

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Four years after Beijing imposed a national security law on the city, Hong Kong continues to serve as an important financial hub connecting mainland China with the rest of the world. But beneath the surface, the consequences of the crackdown are far-reaching.

Today on the Big Take Asia, ahead of the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s China editor Alan Wong about how Beijing is reshaping Hong Kong, its impact on the city’s residents and what that means for Hong Kong’s future.

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LVMH has a sprawling portfolio of brands synonymous with luxury: Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Bulgari, Celine, Tiffany & Co., Hennessy and Veuve Clicquot. Its CEO, Bernard Arnault, almost never speaks to journalists and doesn’t have the name recognition of the likes of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, but regularly vies with them for the title of richest person in the world and has an almost impossible-to-measure influence over the business world.

Bloomberg Businessweek’s Brad Stone and reporter Angelina Rascouët recently landed a rare interview with Arnault, where they learned how he built his empire from the ground up. And they consider a burning question: At 75 years old with five grown children in the business, what are his plans for succession?

Read more: The House of Arnault

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AI data centers are huge energy black holes, consuming as much energy as 30,000 homes – and their rapid growth is straining global grids. The numbers are astonishing: Sweden could see power demand from data centers roughly double over the course of this decade. In the UK, AI is expected to suck up 500% more energy over the next decade. And in the US, data centers are projected to use 8% of total power by 2030, up from 3% in 2022.

On today’s podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg reporter Josh Saul discuss just what these insatiable AI data center power needs mean for local communities, energy prices, and efforts to switch to renewables to combat climate change.

Read more: AI is Already Wrecking Havoc on Global Power Systems 

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What do Robert Kraft, Kevin Durant and Joe Tsai – owner of the Brooklyn Nets – all have in common? They’ve decided to go big on a new professional sport: lacrosse. Historically popular in East Coast colleges and prep schools – with a strong Canadian presence – these days, the Premier Lacrosse League is hoping to broaden its appeal to anyone looking for something other than baseball to watch during the summer.

On today’s episode, Philadelphia Waterdogs players Jake Carraway and Ryan Conrad on what it's like to juggle working on Wall Street during the week and playing lacrosse on the weekends and PLL founder Paul Rabil on his ambitious plans to emulate the success of the UFC. And host David Gura and Bloomberg reporter Bailey Lipschultz discuss what PLL’s story can tell us about other efforts to turn sports like cornhole and pickleball into big-money professional leagues. 

Read more: Wall Street Bankers Skip Hamptons Summer for Pro Lacrosse League

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The long tail of the Great Recession and the aftermath of the pandemic have resulted in a major housing affordability crisis in the US — and it’s hitting everyone from homeowners to renters.

Today, Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin digs into how we got here and whose problem it is to fix. She’s joined by Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, and by Daryl Fairweather, a chief economist at Redfin.

Read more: Mortgages Stuck Around 7% Force Rapid Rethink of American Dream

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As the $4.3 trillion hedge fund industry has boomed and competition for talent has intensified, firms are turning to a new strategy to get ahead: in-house boot camps. The goal is to mold promising new hires into future superstar traders.

Today on the show, Bloomberg’s Nishant Kumar joins host Sarah Holder to discuss what goes on inside these training programs — and what their rise means for the future of the industry.

Read more: Hedge Fund Talent Schools Are Looking for the Perfect Trader

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron shocked the world and sent tremors through global stock markets last week with his decision to call a snap election. The move was prompted by a stronger-than-expected showing by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party in European Union elections. Now, EU politicians are worried about the potential of another Brexit-style crisis that could plunge the continent’s second-largest economy into gridlock.

On today’s podcast, host David Gura speaks to Bloomberg Opinion columnist Lionel Laurent about what’s behind the strength of the far-right not just in France, but across the EU – and what this rightward shift means for relations between Europe and the US in a pivotal election year.

Further Listening: To find out what the rise of the far-right means for the left in Europe, check out the latest episode of the Bloomberg series Voternomics, “How the Left Lost Its Way in Europe” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Indonesia’s nickel business is booming. The metal is a key component in electric car batteries, but its success has a dark side: the country’s nickel mines and processing plants have a history of fatal accidents, with workers being run over by forklifts and burnt to death in smelter fires. 

Today on The Big Take Asia, host Janet Paskin speaks with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Matt Campbell about his investigation into the mines. He found that nickel sourced from these plants are present in the supply chain that feeds virtually every major seller of EVs, and is an indispensable part of the car industry’s green revolution.

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Have you had the flu recently? Or RSV? Or just … some bug that you can’t quite shake? If so – you’re not alone. Bloomberg’s data team recently decided to investigate whether or not the perception that we’re all getting sick all the time is actually backed up by numbers. And what they found was truly surprising: in countries around the world, people are getting much sicker, much more often in the wake of the pandemic.

On today’s episode, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg data reporter Jinshan Hong try to solve this global health mystery – including the potential culprits behind the surge in sickness and what we can do to avoid getting ill so often.

Read more: Yes, Everyone Really Is Sick a Lot More Often After Covid

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US politicians just can’t seem to stay out of court. New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is standing trial for charges that sound like a TV crime drama: alleged bribery, hidden gold bars and a secret FBI recording at a Washington steakhouse. But these allegations don’t just impact Menendez’s career–they could hurt Democrats as they fight an uphill battle to hold onto the Senate.

Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin talks with Bloomberg legal reporter Patricia Hurtado and Congress editor Megan Scully about the trial’s intrigue and how it could harm the Democratic party’s image.

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For over a decade, America’s central bank has had an inflation target of 2%. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced that it would keep its main interest rate unchanged in order to try and get inflation to that magic number. But what if the Fed is thinking about inflation all wrong?

On today’s episode, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg’s Managing Editor for US economic policy Kate Davidson about the reasons the Fed introduced an inflation target in the first place, and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Mohamed El-Erian about the risks if the Fed is wrong about this – and who could be hurt the most.

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Reports of alleged imposters are cropping up more and more in the family office frenzy in Singapore and Hong Kong. The ultra wealthy use family offices to manage their finances and affairs.

Today on The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg investing reporter David Ramli about the secretive nature of the family office industry and why scammers are so hard to spot. Plus, she hears from Medway Investment board director Eric SayWei Neo about how people like him are becoming amateur detectives to try to weed out suspected imposters.

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One factory making pain and fever medications for children used contaminated water. Another made drugs for kids that were too potent. A third made nasal sprays for babies on the same machines it used to produce pesticides. A new Bloomberg investigation reveals that big pharmacy chains have used cheaper, independent factories with a history of manufacturing violations to make store-brand drugs that compete with the likes of Motrin and Tums. 

Today on the podcast, host David Gura speaks with national health care reporter Anna Edney about her new research into the factories making tainted drugs. She reveals that one pharmacy chain has had nearly double the recalls of its closest competitor – and the loophole that shielded all of these pharmacy chains from liability.

Read more: Dozens of CVS Generic Drug Recalls Expose Link to Tainted Factories

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As Ukraine’s war against Russia drags on, the country has found itself engaged in the kind of trench warfare that once seemed unthinkable in the modern age. This kind of warfare requires very old battlefield technology — and its tearing through the US’s stockpile.

Today on the show, host David Gura speaks with Bloomberg reporters Billy House and Roxana Tiron about the World War II-era factories in America ramping up production to meet Ukraine’s ammunition needs. And he hears from Ukrainian Sergeant Andrii Shadrin about how this shortage is playing out on the frontlines.

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While President Biden meets with Europe's leaders this week, he is continuing to push for Israel and Hamas to support a cease-fire proposal. But violence is continuing to escalate on the ground in Gaza, raising questions about what it would take to end the conflict.

Today on the Big Take DC, host Saleha Mohsin speaks with Bloomberg White House correspondent Justin Sink and Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner about the hurdles facing the proposal and what Biden and Netanyahu might do next.

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The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has become one of the most prominent leaders in the development of artificial intelligence. But some people – including current and former OpenAI employees – have questioned how trustworthy Altman is, and whether he is doing enough to inform the public about the technology.

On today’s show, Host David Gura is joined by Ellen Huet, host of Bloomberg Technology’s podcast Foundering: The OpenAI Story. Huet spent months talking to people who know Altman, including some of the world’s biggest investors, his mentors and even his sister.

Bloomberg.com subscribers can listen to the entire series of Foundering right now. Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts for early access.

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Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority in India’s parliament. The stunning blow is forcing Modi to rely on allies to form a government for the first time since he stormed to power a decade ago.

On today’s episode of The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha digs into India’s 2024 general election results with Bloomberg reporter Sudhi Ranjan Sen on the ground in New Delhi. And Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, delves into what the results mean for both India and the world. 

Read more: India Election Results

To hear more from Milan Vaishnav listen to his podcast, Grand Tamasha.

To hear more about our coverage of Narendra Modi, listen to our series, The Rise of Modi.

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People go to Miami for a lot of reasons including winter sun, Cuban food, retirement. But Bloomberg’s Denitsa Tsekova recently traveled to South Florida for something a little different: Hedge Fund Week. There, she discovered something truly shocking: some of the biggest, boldest short-sellers are abandoning their strategy.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura speaks to Denitsa about why the rise of meme stocks, a bull market, and increasing regulatory scrutiny are leading some leading investors like Jim Chanos to abandon the strategy that made them famous. And she explains why the demise of these often-reviled investors isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Read more: Short Sellers in Danger of Extinction After Crushing Stock Gains

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A race is on to map millions of farms around the globe – all in the hopes of saving the world’s forests. A new EU deforestation regulation requires companies to prove their goods don’t contain products grown on deforested land. But that’s no easy task. And billions of dollars in global trade are at stake.

On today’s Big Take podcast: Bloomberg Global Food Tsar Agnieszka de Sousa breaks down just what’s in these new rules – and why the price of everything from cocoa to coffee and lipstick to tires could rise.

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A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a felony.

Bloomberg legal reporter David Voreacos, who has been following the case from inside the courthouse, and Washington Bureau senior editor Wendy Benjaminson join host David Gura to discuss the trial, its historic outcome and how this could shape the rest of the 2024 election cycle.

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The US government was built on a system of checks and balances. But there’s always been a tug of war over just how much power the president has — on paper and in practice.

Law professor and author Dan Farber joins Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin on the powers and limits of the US president, how they’ve evolved since the country’s founding, and what’s at stake if a Commander-in-Chief ignores the office’s unwritten rules and precedents.

Read more: A Hidden Variable in the Presidential Race: Fears of ‘Trump Forever’

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Generative AI is back in the news – and not for a good reason. First, OpenAI made headlines after the voice it introduced as part of its latest GPT update sounded eerily like Scarlett Johansson. Then, Google’s newly-introduced “AI Overview” feature started returning some questionable results – like that eating rocks might be good for you, or that cheese can help prevent cavities. 

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura speaks to Bloomberg AI reporter Rachel Metz and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Dave Lee to get to the bottom of just what’s been happening in the world of generative AI – and what these latest headlines mean for the way we’re all getting our information now and in the future.

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All of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors were shut down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. As the country's energy needs soar, debate is heating up over whether to bring the world’s largest nuclear plant back online.

On today’s episode of The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg reporter Shoko Oda about her visit to the Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant and the challenges to rebooting it.

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Google’s “moonshot” factory, dubbed “X,” encouraged researchers, engineers and developers to dream big for years – no project was too ambitious or too expensive. But recently there’s been a shift. With the tech boom in the rearview mirror, tightening budgets and the rising popularity of ChatGPT, Google has turned its focus away from chasing longshot inventions to expanding its search engine business and AI operations.

In today’s episode, Bloomberg’s Julia Love tells host Sarah Holder what this means for Google and tech innovation at large.

Read more: Google’s Moonshot Factory Falls Back Down to Earth

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South Africa is at a turning point. Thirty years after Nelson Mandela rose to power on a platform of equality, peace, and prosperity, the party he headed is facing serious challengers.

In the country’s May 29th election, the African National Congress Party, or ANC, looks poised to lose its outright majority. In today’s episode, host Sarah Holder is joined by Johannesburg-based economic and government affairs reporter Ntando Thukwana to discuss why voters are souring on the ANC – something once unthinkable for the party that lifted the country out of apartheid. 

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Trump’s 2017 tax cuts were 30 years in the making. Some expire next year, and a nasty battle is brewing over whether to renew them.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg politics editor Laura Davison and Bipartisan Policy Center senior vice president Bill Hoagland join DC host Saleha Mohsin to break down the 2017 tax cuts, what they’ve meant for taxpayers and the US economy, and how a Biden or Trump win could affect their future.

Read more: Ultra-Rich Should Pay to Save Social Security, Swing-State Voter Poll Shows

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Netflix is the biggest paid subscription streaming service in the world. But two years ago, its dominance was in question after it reported its first subscriber decline in over a decade. So the company did something radical: it cracked down on password sharing. The man behind the move? Well, he’s now one of the most powerful people in Hollywood.

Meet Greg Peters, the co-CEO of Netflix. Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw recently sat down with Peters for his first major print profile. He tells host  David Gura about Peters’ bold plan to transform Netflix and the way all of us watch everything from TV shows to sports.

Read more: Netflix Had a Password-Sharing Problem. Greg Peters Fixed It

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After four decades of unparalleled gains in income and wealth, China’s 1.4 billion have been hit by a series of blows: a real estate collapse, a trade war with the US, and a crackdown on entrepreneurs have stalled the country’s prosperity engine.

On today’s episode of The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha dives into how China’s slowing economy is affecting people on the ground, and how Beijing is responding to that shift. Ha talks to Bloomberg correspondent Rebecca Choong Wilkins in Hong Kong and Bloomberg’s Chief Economist Tom Orlik.

Read more: ‘Are You Better Off?’ Asking Reagan’s Question in Xi’s China

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The deaths of Iran’s president and foreign minister in a helicopter crash were followed by a declaration of an official mourning period ahead of a new election.

It also has led to new speculation about who is poised to succeed Iran’s supreme leader, which could have regional and global ramifications.

On today’s episode, hosts David Gura and Sarah Holder discuss the fallout of the president’s death with Bloomberg’s Middle East, Europe and Africa news director Rosalind Mathieson and national security editor Nick Wadhams.

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The meme stock era, led by Keith Gill, aka “Roaring Kitty,” seemed to have come and gone — until this week, when he reemerged on social media. It was enough to send shares in GameStop and AMC on a wild ride again, conjuring memories of 2021’s meme stock mania.

So what’s really going on? On today’s episode, Bloomberg’s Money Stuff columnist Matt Levine schools us in Meme Financial Markets — and breaks down for host David Gura what these wild moves mean for anyone interested in putting money in the stock market.

Read more: GameStop Is Back!?

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Team Trump is up against historic criminal trials and a failed reelection bid in 2020. Despite this, his 2024 campaign is organized, frugal – and getting results.

On today’s Big Take podcast, DC host Saleha Mohsin takes stock of the 2024 Trump campaign through the lens of his past two runs, speaking with former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci and Bloomberg politics reporter Nancy Cook.

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After Berkeley, California, became the first city in the US to ban natural gas in new buildings in 2019, it gained an unlikely opponent: the California Restaurant Association. The industry group sued the city, and kicked off a four-year-plus legal battle that ended with the city backing down. But when Bloomberg’s Ben Elgin started following the money, he found evidence that raised questions about where the association got its support. 

In today’s episode, host Sarah Holder speaks with Elgin about the fight against California gas bans and how gas companies are planning to leverage that victory nationally.

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In 2002, Narendra Modi was facing the biggest political crisis of his career. But in the aftermath of riots that left more than 1,000 people dead – most of them Muslims – he saw an opportunity to turn his fortunes around. He would go on to become one of the most powerful leaders India has seen in decades.

Host K. Oanh Ha, Bloomberg’s Sudhi Ranjan Sen and author Nilanjan Mukhophadyay trace how Modi and his government have been able to transform India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

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Narendra Modi is arguably the world’s most popular politician. With nearly 1 billion Indians eligible to vote in a six-week election that concludes on June 4, Modi and his party are expected to win a majority for the third time in a row and extend their decade in power.

But there are also concerns over human rights and religious and press freedoms that many political leaders, CEOs and bankers in the West appear willing to overlook. On our first episode of The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Sudhi Ranjan Sen chart how Modi built up so much power over the last several decades – and why he is both a beloved and divisive figure.

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When he was first elected to lead France in 2017, President Emmanuel Macron promised nothing less than a revolution. Since then, he’s pushed through controversial pension reforms, slashed taxes, and made it easier for French companies to fire employees. Now, he’s setting his sights beyond France. 

On the sidelines of the Choose France summit in Versailles, Macron speaks to Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait about his bold plan to transform Europe. And he issues a stark warning about what could happen if Europe’s economic growth fails to keep up – not just for the continent, but for global security.

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There are more than 100 million pieces of space trash — defunct satellites, rocket parts, dead batteries — all floating around in Earth’s orbit.

That can pose a problem in space, of course, but it’s an even bigger one when these objects re-enter the atmosphere and crash down to Earth.

On today’s episode, host David Gura speaks with Bloomberg’s space reporter Bruce Einhorn about the startups racing to clean up space, and with a Florida homeowner who found out the hard way that this problem isn’t as far away as it seems.

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The National Weather Service is predicting that vast swaths of the US will see above-average temperatures this summer. That’s weighing on the wallets of small businesses across the country, who already operate on thin profit margins.

On today’s Big Take podcast, DC host Saleha Mohsin does the math on this economic hit, hears from business owners trying to weather it, and unpacks what the government could do about it with Bloomberg economics reporter Catarina Saraiva.

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Tim Cook picked up the mantle from Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple over a decade ago and grew it into a multi-trillion dollar company. Now, as Cook nears traditional retirement age, speculation abounds about who will succeed him. 

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman joins host David Gura to discuss the challenges of replacing Cook, his potential successors and how that decision will impact one of the best-known brands in the world. 

Read more: Tim Cook Can't Run Apple Forever. Who's Next?

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“Buy Now, Pay Later” options have exploded in popularity and availability, and in the midst of stubborn inflation, Americans are even using them to buy essentials like groceries.

But not all of the BNPL providers report data like credit card companies — and no one knows exactly how much debt consumers owe.

On today’s episode, host Sarah Holder talks to reporters Paulina Cachero and Paige Smith, who tried to find out more about the size and scope of the debt.

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Bill Hwang amassed a fortune of $36 billion on Wall Street through his family office, Archegos Capital Management. But over the course of one week in 2021, the firm imploded. Federal prosecutors have since charged Hwang with 11 criminal counts, including securities fraud, wire fraud and racketeering.

Today, Bloomberg’s Sridhar Natarajan and Kathy Burton join host David Gura to discuss Hwang’s rise and fall and why his trial promises to be one of the biggest, and most interesting, in the history of Wall Street.

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Since 2020, Salesforce CEO and co-founder Marc Benioff has been on a mission to plant and preserve one trillion trees. The idea behind his initiative, 1t.org, is simple: A tree is good at taking carbon dioxide out of the environment. And more trees mean more greenhouse gas removal.

Four years, millions of dollars, and dozens of pledges from non-profits, NGOs, national governments, and private companies later – how close is Benioff to one trillion trees? Today, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg wealth reporter Sophie Alexander about why a billionaire decided to go all in on reforestation, why the private sector followed, and why the initiative is lagging behind. 

Read more: A Billionaire Wanted to Save 1 Trillion Trees by 2030. It’s Not Going Great.

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Omaha, Nebraska, is billionaire Warren Buffett’s hometown. A quirk in the state’s election law also means it could wind up deciding the 2024 presidential election.

On this episode, Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin talks to Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb and Bloomberg White House reporter Josh Wingrove, who traveled to Nebraska, to understand the fight to secure Omaha’s vote and the possibility of Warren Buffett entering the fray.

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Canada has seen rapid immigration-fueled population growth in recent years. That’s boosted its economy, but housing production hasn’t kept up. The limited supply and growing demand has exacerbated an existing affordable housing crisis and inspired calls not only to build more, but to impose stricter limits on immigration. A similar dynamic is playing out across advanced economies like Australia and the UK.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks with Bloomberg’s Randy Thanthong-Knight about the relationship between housing and immigration – and how governments are trying to manage it. 

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At the end of last year, the Chair of the US Federal Reserve hinted at cutting interest rates – staving off an expected recession. It was a welcome surprise for many people watching the markets. Five months into 2024, he’s poised to pivot again. 

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura talks with Fed editor Kate Davidson and Bloomberg Economics’ Anna Wong about the Fed’s latest moves and what to expect from this week’s Federal Open Market Committee Meeting.

Further Listening: The Federal Reserve's Tricky Economic and Political Terrain, Explained

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Experts have long held up Australia’s 32-year-old “superannuation” system as the retirement model to follow. But as countries all around the world are bracing for a “silver tsunami” of aging baby boomers, even Australians worry they don’t have enough saved.

Today, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg’s Amy Bainbridge discuss what makes this system so super — and why it’s still falling short.

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Protestors at universities across the country have been demanding that their institutions divest from companies that are tied to Israel or the war in Gaza, a demand universities have long rejected as antisemitic.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg higher education reporter Janet Lorin and California reporter Eliyahu Kamisher about what’s really inside endowment funds and why universities are unlikely to yield to the calls of disclose and divest.

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The US public’s trust in the media, and the government, is markedly low. A recent Gallup poll found only about 30 percent of Americans trust the media — and Pew Research found only 16 percent trust their government.

Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold is using records to try to change that. He’s filed over 9,000 requests through the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA — a Cold War era law meant to ensure the right to transparency from the US government.

On today’s episode, Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin and Jason dissect the FOIA process, the challenges of sifting through redacted documents from secretive government entities and the stories FOIA records have brought to light.

Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files

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Gucci was once a symbol of red-carpet luxury, but its brand, along with its sales numbers, is faltering. This Tuesday, Gucci’s parent company Kering reported its latest earnings: Gucci’s comparable revenue dropped by 18% in the first quarter this year. Kering also warned that recurring operating income will continue to plummet in the first six months of this year.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Angelina Rascouet and Sara Forden talk about what went wrong at the house of Gucci, and how its billionaire owner family, the Pinaults, plan to rescue it.

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The discovery of natural gas in Qatar back in the 1970s was a transformative economic windfall for the country and its long-time rulers, the Al Thani royal family. Since then, the Al Thanis have been spending that money to build Qatar’s global brand – while strengthening diplomatic ties with powerful, and sometimes unlikely, allies.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg wealth reporter Devon Pendleton joins host Sarah Holder to trace the meteoric rise of Qatar and its royal family, and discuss how the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in the Middle East has made the country’s mediator role as critical as ever.

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The US and the Philippines kicked off one of the largest military exercises in waters near the South China Sea on Monday. These joint military drills take place annually but this year’s come amid rising tensions between China and the Philippines. The countries are sparring over control of the waterway, which is rich in energy reserves.

On today’s Big Take, host Oanh Ha and Bloomberg Senior Editor Bill Faries break down why who controls this vast body of water matters for South East Asia and the rest of the world.

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Divyendra Jadoun, known as “The Indian Deepfaker,” is having a pretty busy year. The 31-year-old has built a business around making deep fakes for politicians in India — campaign-style videos where candidates appear to address voters by name.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Bangalore-based AI reporter Saritha Rai and EU policy reporter Jillian Deutsch join host David Gura to explore the growing demand for these campaign deep fakes, concerns about disinformation, and the challenges of regulating the technology as India goes to the polls in the world’s biggest election.

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Tires and doors falling off mid-flight. A top US official stranded because of a 737 jet maintenance issue. Boeing is facing the ire of US lawmakers, scrutiny from its key regulator, and pressure from Wall Street ahead of an earnings report — all as it struggles to rebuild trust with passengers after a string of crises.

On today’s episode, Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin digs into Boeing’s rise and fall with reporter Julie Johnsson, global aviation editor Benedikt Kammel, and long-time pilot and accident investigator Captain John Cox.

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Cocoa has never been so expensive. That’s bad news for players all along the chocolate supply chain: from farmers, to chocolatiers, to chocolate lovers. 

In today’s episode, we travel from a farm in Ghana to Jacques Torres’ chocolate factory in Brooklyn, on a journey to understand the origins of a cocoa crisis – and what it means for the future of chocolate.

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In a frightening trend, scammers are catfishing teen boys and trying to extort them — and there have been tragic outcomes. The FBI says this type of crime, which it calls “sextortion,” is one of the fastest growing crimes targeting children in the US. 

Today, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg investigative reporter Olivia Carville about how teen boys are targeted online — and how these crimes impact the victims and their families.

This episode discusses sensitive topics, including suicide. If you or someone you know needs help with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, a global list of help lines is available here.

Read More: Scammers are targeting teenage boys on social media—and driving some to suicide

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Over the weekend, Iran deployed hundreds of drones and missiles in an attack on Israel. Now, Israel weighs its response as US officials and their allies try to prevent further escalation.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner and national security editor Nick Wadhams join host David Gura to discuss what happened over the weekend, and where this conflict could go from here.

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Bluey, the Australian animated TV show about a family of Blue Heeler dogs, is worth $2 billion. But is Bluey worth that without the show’s auteur Joe Brumm in the picture? The release of a special extended episode coming this weekend is sparking rumors about the smash-hit sensation.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Devin Leonard and Reyhan Harmanci join host David Gura to talk about the beloved program, the secret to its broad appeal, and the challenge of managing Bluey’s commercial success. Featuring some of our youngest listeners.

Further reading: How Bluey Became a $2 Billion Smash Hit—With an Uncertain Future

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A Japanese company’s bid to buy US Steel has sparked a fight with the United Steelworkers union — and put the company at the center of the 2024 presidential contest.

Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg reporters Joe Deaux and Josh Wingrove join host David Gura to trace why the deal came to a halt, how the company fits into Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s brands of political nostalgia, and why the fate of this deal could have an outsized impact on the election.

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It’s college acceptance season and many students are facing a decision: prestigious private universities versus cheaper public options. But if they’re looking at college as an investment in their future, there are some metrics worth considering.

Today on the Big Take podcast, personal finance reporters Paulina Cachero and Francesca Maglione join host Sarah Holder to dig into data on the return on investment at colleges and universities in the US. And given the ballooning price of higher education, they found that, based on financial ROI, prestige doesn’t always pay off.

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India is posting some of the most robust economic growth rates right now in the world. And with China slowing, India could become the new engine of global economic growth. 

But it will take strategic investments, increased labor participation and more for India to achieve its economic ambitions. Today on the show, Bloomberg’s New Delhi-based economics and politics reporter Dan Strumpf joins host Sarah Holder to discuss India’s roadmap, and what its success could mean for the rest of the world.

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The US-China relationship saw several years of instability — including a trade war, China’s Covid-Zero policy and the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon above the United States.

And now, with both sides keen to resume cooperation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is wrapping up a trip to China with strong words about the country’s manufacturing strategy and its alleged support of Russia’s war effort.

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Argentina’s president Javier Milei has made waves since taking office in December. From his plans to abolish his country’s central bank and replace its peso with the dollar, to his efforts to reverse previous administrations’ moves to build closer ties with China, Milei is charting a perilous – and untested – new course for a country long-rankled by inflation and economic instability.

Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait sits down with host David Gura to discuss his exclusive interview with the Argentine leader.

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After years of letting the private tax e-filing industry run the show, the IRS is finally piloting an online tool that’s supposed to make tax season easier – and free – for thousands of taxpayers in a dozen states. 

On this episode of The Big Take podcast, we explore how the idea got off the ground, who can use it, and whether the program could ever compete with the powerful private tax-filing industry.

Corrects date the Free File Alliance was launched in podcast published April 4.

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When Wall Street investors Tom Wagner and Greg O’Hara took over Hertz, they had ambitious plans. They aimed to revolutionize the car rental business by bringing a record number of electric vehicles into Hertz’s fleet, including 100,000 Teslas. And when Hertz’s IPO launched in 2021, it seemed Wagner and O’Hara had just made a visionary deal. 

EVs were hot when Hertz started buying them. But as Bloomberg reporters Erik Schatzker and David Welch tell host Sarah Holder, the company would soon discover that making them work in the rental market was another challenge entirely.

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With the stock market hitting record highs, many are wondering if it will continue to soar or come crashing down. One way to tell what’s on the mind of investors is to look at the options market. Bloomberg’s Carly Wanna tells host David Gura that average daily call volume on the VIX, often called the “fear gauge,” was up in the first quarter.

So, should we be worried that traders are preparing for the possibility of a big downturn?  Today on the show, what's driving markets to all-time highs, and what the VIX tells us about what investors think will come next.

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Big banks made big promises to help fight climate change. But as the world warms, those institutions are quietly cooling on their plans. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Alastair Marsh joins host Sarah Holder to break down why banks are rethinking their commitments, and what that could mean for the climate crisis.

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Jerry Seinfeld is a billionaire, thanks in part to earnings from his iconic 1990s sitcom, Seinfeld. After co-creating and starring in the TV show, Seinfeld parlayed his comedy into big money – but changes to the entertainment industry could make it a challenge for others to follow suit.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg wealth reporter Annie Massa talks to host Sarah Holder about how the Bloomberg Billionaires Index valued Seinfeld’s net worth for the first time, and what made his eponymous show such an enduring – and lucrative – classic.

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Immigration has become a top issue for voters in the 2024 election cycle, but people on the border want action now — not after November.

On the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg's Washington Bureau Chief Peggy Collins visits Eagle Pass, Texas, to explore why the US-Mexico border is shaping up to be a dominant campaign issue and what the needs on the ground really are.

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In the nearly five months since a jury found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty, a narrative has started to take shape in crypto circles that the business model behind FTX was sound and that SBF would have been successful had he not dipped into customer funds.

But on the eve of his sentencing, Bloomberg’s Max Chafkin and Zeke Faux join The Big Take Podcast to discuss how they found — after interviewing insiders and carefully examining trial testimony and thousands of pages of documents — that fraud was at the very core of FTX’s meteoric rise.

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SpaceX’s Starlink satellite program touts itself as a source of reliable internet in hard-to-reach places. But there are some countries where Starlink’s services aren’t licensed, or where the company can’t do business because of US sanctions. And a Bloomberg investigation has found that Starlink kits are appearing in many of those markets anyway – with geopolitical consequences. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior editor Alan Crawford traces the burgeoning black market for Starlink terminals, from Sudan to Venezuela. And national security reporter Dan Flatley breaks down why US government officials are taking notice – and the hurdles to shutting the black market down.

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Citigroup was the first major Wall Street bank with a female CEO. But interviews with 22 people who worked in or closely with the bank’s equities division suggest a pattern of harassment and discrimination.

Bloomberg’s Paige Smith and Max Abelson join The Big Take podcast to share what their reporting uncovered, and what it says about the rest of Wall Street’s overdue #MeToo reckoning.

Read more: Harassment and Drugs Plagued a Citigroup Division for Years

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The US House of Representatives has passed a bill with an ultimatum for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance: sell the app, or be banned in the US.

Today on The Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Dan Flatley and Alex Barinka cover the national security concerns behind this bill and the potential geopolitical and tech industry consequences.

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For the first time in almost two decades, Japan has raised interest rates out of negative territory. The reason? Inflation has finally arrived in the country’s economy.

Today on The Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Paul Jackson and host Sarah Holder tackle what the change means for banks, business, and Japan’s economy.

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Major League Baseball has a big problem: it’s tapped out on new fans in the US. So it's looking abroad to Asia to bring in new ones. Japanese baseball prodigy Shohei Ohtani is crucial to that plan. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Janet Paskin discusses Ohtani’s meteoric rise, his $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his pivotal role in the league’s global ambitions.

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Cryptocurrencies have been on a tear. Over the past few weeks, Bitcoin has been hitting all-time highs. And many say this is just the beginning. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Stacy-Marie Ishmael joins us to discuss crypto’s latest record-setting run: is it going to the moon or are we on the brink of another bubble?

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The US has a plumber shortage. And as more and more baby boomer plumbers reach retirement, there aren’t enough young people coming in to fill the gap.

On today’s Big Take podcast, we talk to Bloomberg’s US Economy reporter Enda Curran about why there’s a shortage and what it means for America’s infrastructure and economy. Plus – we hear from Chris Biondi, a plumber struggling to clear the way for future generations in the industry.

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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is trying to navigate a tricky economy – stubborn inflation and persistent fears of a recession. Now, two men hoping for a second term in the White House are drawing the central bank into the political fray.

“We can expect that things are going to get a little spicy,” Bloomberg’s Kate Davidson, who covers the Fed, joins the Big Take DC podcast to talk about the battle to maintain the central bank’s independence in the glare of 2024.

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On today’s Big Take podcast, we trace the origin of Loro Piana’s $9,000 vicuña sweaters to the Andes mountains. Bloomberg’s Marcelo Rochabrun joins host Sarah Holder to unspool what it all means for the Indigenous communities that harvest the wool.

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Today on the Big Take podcast, we visit the hedge fund with one of the world’s largest collections of catastrophe bonds, Fermat Capital Management, to see how they place their bets to get record returns. And we hear how the growing industry is helping fill a need in the global insurance market.

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Israeli and Hamas officials failed to come to a cease-fire agreement before the start of Ramadan this past weekend. That’s adding to the difficulty of getting aid into war-torn Gaza and the dire situation on the ground.

Today on The Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Fares Alghoul and Ethan Bronner report on what a cease-fire would mean and why reaching an agreement has been so challenging.

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When the 96th Academy Awards airs this Sunday, the year’s biggest films will face off to compete for the highest honor in the movie industry.

For a movie studio, winning an Oscar is a big deal — and it’s become big business. Studios spend millions on marketing, screeners and advertising in the lead-up to the Academy’s votes for a race not unlike a political campaign. It wasn’t always this way. On today’s Big Take podcast, author Michael Schulman and Bloomberg entertainment industry reporter Chris Palmeri take us to the sweet, Shakespearean rom-com that started it all and map how it led to the overheated, multimillion dollar ad blitzes we see today.

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Donald Trump faces four criminal trials amounting to 91 felony counts, and three civil cases. None of this has fazed his base as he runs for election. “If he was in jail, I sure would vote for him,” said Ralph Hunter, a South Carolina resident. He told the Big Take DC podcast that while he doesn’t like Trump “as a person,” he was impressed with his presidency.

Trump’s electability is intact – but his finances are another story. Today on the Big Take DC: How Trump’s legal woes are hitting his wallet and his re-election bid. 

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Microsoft’s Bing is the second most popular search engine in China, a market that Google exited years ago. Today, Bing remains as the only Western search engine accessible there. But success has meant having to make significant compromises on issues such as censorship.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Ryan Gallagher gives us one of the first comprehensive, inside accounts of Bing’s sophisticated censorship system in China, and how it’s centered on an expanding blacklist of websites, words and phrases. 

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Fifteen states voted in the presidential primary contest on Super Tuesday, marking a decisive point in the election cycle. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign notched a clear victory as he marches down the path to clinching the Republican nomination. For President Joe Biden, between Super Tuesday and his State of the Union on Thursday, it’s officially the beginning of campaign season.

Is Trump’s grip on the GOP’s future solidified? Will Biden be able to rekindle Trump angst to compete with Trump nostalgia?

Host Saleha Mohsin and Bloomberg politics editor Mario Parker talk about the vulnerabilities each candidate faces, and what lies ahead in 2024.

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As climate risks grow, some private home insurance providers  are retreating from US regions most vulnerable to catastrophe. And homeowners who can’t get coverage through the private market are increasingly turning to insurance “plans of last resort,” created by states.

The amount of liability taken on by these types of insurance plans is staggering, and growing: by some estimates, they’re holding more than $1 trillion of risk.

On today’s Big Take podcast, climate reporter Leslie Kaufman and California reporter Nadia Lopez share an investigation into how skyrocketing enrollment in state-created plans could create the conditions for a financial crisis. 

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The core personal consumption expenditures price index came in hot last week. After months of evidence that inflation was decelerating, the PCE — the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation — rose at its fastest pace in nearly a year. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, we sort through the numbers with Matthew Boesler, who covers the US economy for Bloomberg, to understand whether the latest PCE report is a one-off aberration, or if it signals a true resurgence of inflation.

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The Deal, hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, features intimate conversations with business titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs who reveal their investment philosophies, pivotal career moves and the ones that got away. From Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals, The Deal is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Television, and Bloomberg Originals on YouTube.

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A new wave of Chinese people are leaving China after the Covid-19 pandemic  and they’re headed to places that aren’t the typical destinations for Chinese immigrants in the past.

Bloomberg’s Lulu Chen tells us how China’s slowing economy, fears over new policies to redistribute wealth and Beijing’s handling of the pandemic created the perfect storm for this exodus. In today’s Big Take podcast, we look at the impact Chinese immigrants who move into these communities in far-flung places have, and what a rising outflow means for China’s future.

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On today’s Big Take podcast, an investigation by Bloomberg Businessweek reveals how Prince Albert II’s government regularly favored his nephews in business deals. Members of the royal family deny any wrongdoing, but Monaco finds itself in the midst of a political crisis.

Bloomberg reporters Gaspard Sebag and Anthony Cormier detail why two of the Prince’s nephews are now facing allegations of using state contracts to line their own pockets at a time when the country’s government is already under scrutiny for failing to curb financial crime.

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On today’s episode, the US military’s mysterious project to bring modern artificial intelligence to the battlefield — told by the defense official behind it, whose job was so secretive he couldn’t even tell his wife about it. Bloomberg’s Katrina Manson takes host Saleha Mohsin behind the scenes for an unclassified look at Project Maven.

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Private credit funds are having a moment. Once under-the-radar lenders that did deals with riskier clients, the firms have gotten a lot more popular as interest rates have climbed. But private credit funds are also under a lot less oversight than traditional lenders, allowing little transparency into the way they value their loans. And all this new-found attention is starting to come with heightened scrutiny.  

On today’s Big Take podcast, reporter Silas Brown shares what we know – and what we don’t – about how the world of private credit operates, and what new regulatory interest could mean for the $1.7 trillion dollars of assets these funds are managing. 

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Two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, US-led sanctions have incalculably changed its economy – but haven’t ended the war. Treasury’s chief sanctions economist says US efforts are working.

But one analyst, who was at Russia’s central bank until he fled in 2022, says Russia’s economy is very much alive. In this episode of the Big Take DC, we find out about Russia’s “brain drain,” how its economy went from shrinking to a projection that it will beat expectations in 2024, and whether it will ever regain its prestige as part of the global community.

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The US and other countries say a deeper connection has been forged over a new arms trade between Russia and North Korea. They accuse North Korea of providing Russia with ballistic missiles and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition – supplies Russia desperately needs to continue its war in Ukraine. 

Both North Korea and Russia deny that an arms trade is underway. But as Bloomberg’s Jon Herskovitz tells us, it’s clear that an isolated economy like North Korea could stand to gain a lot from this arrangement. Jon takes us inside the evidence that an arms deal is happening and tells us why this could be one of the most lucrative moves North Korea has ever made.

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Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur just after midnight on March 8, 2014. Aviation officials lost contact with the flight less than an hour later. MH370 never made it to its destination, and the 239 people on board were never found. Ten years later, what happened to the plane is still aviation’s biggest mystery.

In the wake of the accident, regulators proposed a key safety change that could prevent a plane from disappearing again. But after a decade, most planes are still not outfitted with the proposed tracking tools. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Angus Whitley shares why the airline industry has been slow to learn from the lessons of MH370 — and what that means for the odds of another disaster like it happening again.  

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For years, it seemed like Papua New Guinea was on a course to stamp out malaria. In 2010, the total number of suspected malaria cases in Papua New Guinea was 1.7 million. By 2015, the number had been cut nearly in half. Experts believed the country could see a malaria-free future as soon as 2030. But then, something changed—and cases started climbing again, as quickly as they had fallen. 

In today’s episode of the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg health care reporters Anna Edney and Michelle Fay Cortez unpack how a single business decision made by the world’s biggest manufacturer of bed nets reversed years of work to eradicate malaria in a country that—at least for a while—was on track to beat it. 

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Bill Ackman has had a big year. His constant posting and vocal condemnation of antisemitism on college campuses has won him over a million followers on X (and more than a few critics). Meanwhile, his hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, has netted him $610 million in earnings. 

Where Ackman’s online strategy is loud, Bloomberg wealth reporter Tom Maloney says the hedge fund manager’s financial strategy is more hands-off. And it’s working.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Maloney reveals the paydays of last year’s top hedge fund managers, and why the same big players keep appearing on the list despite the economy's ups and downs.

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America’s use of sanctions has grown by almost 1,000% since 9/11. So why isn’t Congress giving the office in charge of them more resources?

Today on the Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin talks to John Smith, a former director of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, and Bloomberg National Security editor Nick Wadhams about OFAC’s scrappy operation and why lawmakers aren’t giving it more to work with.

Get this episode and Big Take DC episodes a day earlier by subscribing to Big Take DC.

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The commercial real estate market has been upended by changing office habits and rising interest rates. For years, lenders and global investors did not have to confront these plunging building values. But with deals picking up again, the reality can no longer be ignored.

On today's Big Take podcast, Bloomberg real estate reporters Natalie Wong and Patrick Clark share how these losses may ripple across the global financial system.

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American voters are so disillusioned by their options in the presidential election that pollsters have come up with a term for it: “Double-hater.” These are people who don’t like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump, who leads the race for the GOP nomination. And yet, when asked by the Big Take DC podcast if an outsider candidate could break through in 2024, Ralph Nader, who ran for president outside the two major parties four times, gave a simple, “No.” Still, there are some indications that third-party candidates could cause trouble for the frontrunners. 

In this episode of Big Take DC, we examine the impact an outsider candidate could have on the general election and efforts from groups like No Labels to offer a viable alternative.

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The US power grid has long been under pressure. But now, aging infrastructure is facing more extreme weather, more electricity usage and more renewable energy coming online.

These strains on the grid mean dangerous power surges could potentially flow directly into people's homes. In today's episode, Bloomberg's Naureen Malik takes us inside the realities of electrification.

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For years, the true price of health care in the US has been the result of negotiations between providers, insurance companies and government agencies. But for the patients, companies and taxpayers who pick up the tab, it's often been a mystery. That's led to hospital pricing that’s all over the map.

In today’s episode of the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter John Tozzi explains how patients at almost half of US hospitals can find significantly less expensive competitors within 30 miles. And we hear from Jen Villa, a special education teacher from Salinas, California, who has felt the impact of those pricing disparities firsthand.

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China’s economy has been in rough shape, and the government is trying to address it. But there’s another threat on the horizon: the US election.

During their presidencies, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump backed policies that drove the US and China further apart. Now, they're both campaigning for re-election on continuing on that trajectory.

In this episode, Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway from the Odd Lots podcast speak with Tom Orlik, chief economist at Bloomberg Economics, and Mackenzie Hawkins, US industrial policy reporter for Bloomberg News. They’ve measured what a Trump or Biden victory in 2024 could mean for China’s economy, and beyond. Subscribe to Odd Lots to get all of their episodes.

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This Sunday in Nevada, the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Both teams, like lots of others in the league, have been owned by the same family for decades. But with soaring valuations for NFL franchises, and owners getting older, the NFL's long standing family ownership model is facing new threats.

As the football league debates potential rule changes that would allow private equity investors to buy into teams, Bloomberg sports business reporter Randall Williams joins today’s Big Take podcast to answer our pressing question: Could this be the end of the last great American dynasty?

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The meltdown at FTX scared a lot of retail investors away from crypto. But many big banks have doubled down, and are pushing cryptocurrency more into the mainstream.

In today’s episode of the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior crypto reporter Olga Kharif explains how traditional financial institutions have gotten behind the technology underpinning crypto and what it means for the rest of the industry.

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In September 2022, a tanker called the Queen Majeda was stopped by authorities in Albanian waters, stuffed to the gills with $2 million worth of marine gas oil. The ship was coming from Libya’s port of Benghazi. And according to the Albanian authorities, the oil they were carrying was being smuggled out of the country illegally.

The Queen Majeda was just the tip of the iceberg of Libya’s $5 billion fuel-smuggling problem, Bloomberg’s senior global business reporter K. Oanh Ha discovered. She learned from the head of Libya's audit bureau that as much as 40% of the fuel imported to Libya under a subsidy program in 2022 was smuggled out. And by tracking shipping data, Ha found that a lot of the fuel exiting through illicit trade originally came from Russia. The fuel then made its way from Libya into European countries that have banned Russian fuel imports.

In today’s episode, Ha unravels the mystery of the Queen Majeda – and reveals how Russian fuel flows through Libya to dodge European sanctions.

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The seemingly vast profit potential of artificial intelligence has helped buoy the stock prices of tech behemoths like Alphabet, Apple and the rest of the Magnificent Seven. But last week’s earnings showed that for many of these companies going all-in on AI, lofty investor expectations are hard to meet. As advanced as AI applications like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot may seem, it’s an open question as to whether tech companies can monetize them.

In today’s episode of The Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Businessweek technology reporter Max Chafkin explains the gap between investors' AI expectations and reality, and what it would take for these technologies to live up to their promise.

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When the US borrows money, just like any borrower, it needs to pay its loans back with interest.

The national debt right now is $34 trillion and rising. Soon, America will need to spend more each year paying interest on the debt than it spends on national defense.

Today on Bloomberg’s Big Take DC, host Saleha Mosin talks to Bloomberg reporter Liz McCormick and Phillip Swagel, director of the Congressional Budget Office, on what it would take to rein in the US's government's debt spiral.

Get this episode and Big Take DC episodes a day earlier by subscribing to Big Take DC.

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Nayib Bukele has brought violent criminal gangs to a heel in El Salvador, transforming the country into one of the safest in Latin America. That’s made him extremely popular, even as human rights groups have condemned mass arrests and what they say are other abuses of civil liberties.

Marcelo Rochabrun, one of Bloomberg's bureau chiefs in Latin America, tells us how Bukele’s success in fighting crime has come at the expense of civil rights. And now, other leaders in the region are starting to follow suit.

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The UK is in the midst of a green energy transformation, with more than 40% of its electricity coming from wind power as of December. But wind can be unpredictable and the grid can’t always handle the power wind turbines generate on blustery days — and so to protect the grid, operators sometimes pay wind farms to power off. 

After Bloomberg’s investigations team received a tip about troubling inaccuracies in the data used to calculate these payments, our reporters went looking for answers. And they found a big problem lurking in the UK’s renewable energy market: some wind farm operators were routinely overestimating their production forecasts, and traders and market experts say that, in effect, they’re getting paid to stop producing power that they wouldn’t have produced anyway. 

According to Gavin Finch and Todd Gillespie, the reporters who led this investigation, the price tag for consumers is in the millions of pounds. And with the UK aiming to triple the number of wind turbines in the country by the end of the decade, those costs could increase.

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Microsoft recently cut 1,900 jobs from its gaming division and among the layoffs were many at the recently acquired video game developer Activision Blizzard. Blizzard Entertainment’s President Mike Ybarra and co-founder Allen Adham are both departing. The tech giant also announced the cancellation of a Blizzard game, called “Odyssey,” that was already six years in development. Today, Microsoft reported its quarterly earnings. Revenue is up.

Jason Schreier, the creator of Bloomberg’s Game On newsletter, joins the Big Take to give us the latest on Microsoft’s moves and makes some predictions about larger trends for the gaming industry to watch for in 2024.

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United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain has been in the news almost nonstop for successfully negotiating a new contract for union members and, most recently, endorsing President Joe Biden for re-election.

But that endorsement is at odds with many rank-and-file union members who support Donald Trump. And Fain's next industry battle could be much harder.

In setting his sights on electric vehicle makers like Tesla and rallying his union members (many in swing states) around Biden, Fain is trying to propel the UAW back to its former industry might and political sway.

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Bloomberg’s Big Take DC podcast looks into how the US managed to avoid a recession — and whether the Federal Reserve’s decisions were based on reliable data.

Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin talked with Claudia Sahm, an ex-Fed economist, and with Odd Lots podcast hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway.

Get this episode and Big Take DC episodes a day earlier by subscribing to Big Take DC.

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The multi-billion dollar weight-loss drug market has ballooned in the past few years. And the two pharmaceutical companies currently duking it out for market dominance, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, have a century-long rivalry.

Bloomberg News health reporter Madison Muller breaks down how Eli Lilly developed Zepbound, a new drug that can help patients cut more than 20% of their body weight — and why some investors and analysts think it will turn Eli Lilly into the first ever trillion-dollar drug company.

(Corrects characterization of the current size of the weight-loss drug market)

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The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Jan. 19, for the first time in two years. It was the start of a winning streak. In today’s Big Take episode, Bloomberg markets editor Chris Nagi joins the show to discuss why Wall Street’s somewhat pessimistic expectations for this year’s stock market were blown out of the water.

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For two months, Houthi militants have been launching surprise attacks on civilian ships in the Red Sea. Repeated rounds of retaliatory strikes by the US and its allies haven't stopped the assaults. Now, these tensions are threatening not only trade routes, but the broader global supply chain.

The Big Take spoke with Bloomberg News reporters Enda Curran in Washington, DC and Mohammed Hatem, who reports on economics and politics in Yemen, about what brought us to this point and how companies are trying to strengthen their supply chains in the face of uncertainty.

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Over the last few decades, Israel has transformed itself from a relatively poor agrarian economy to a global startup haven. Its per capita GDP now exceeds that of France, the UK and Japan. But with Hamas’ attack on Israel – which killed 1,200 people and claimed more than 200 hostages – and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza, that economic trajectory could be at risk.  

Some 360,000 Israeli reservists were called to serve in the military in the days that followed October 7th, destabilizing Israel’s workforce, while economic growth is forecast to have plummeted in the last quarter of 2023. And as Israel continues its invasion of Gaza – a war that has already claimed the lives of more than 25,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas officials –  Israel’s military spending is expected to balloon. The country’s just-released 2024 budget calls for $19 billion in war-related expenditures. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Israelis involved in building the country’s vibrant start-up ecosystem share their stories of how the aftermath of October 7th has impacted their employees and the community’s operations – and Bloomberg’s Galit Altstein walks us through what it could all mean for Israel’s economic future. 

Read more: An Isolated Israel Doubles Down on War in Gaza — At All Costs

This episode was produced by: David Fox
Senior Producers: Naomi Shavin and Gilda Di Carli
Editors: Caitlin Kenney and Jordan Fabian
Executive Producer: Sage Bauman
Sound Design/Engineer: Blake Maples and Alex Sugiura
Fact-checker: Adriana Tapia
Special thanks to Galit Altstein and Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner for the reporting that inspired this episode.

Have questions or comments for the team? Reach us at [email protected].

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Today, we’re sharing the newest episode from our collaborators over at the Big Take DC. They look at why Wall Street donors are waiting to weigh in on the GOP primary. Make sure you subscribe to the Big Take DC feed so you can get episodes like these every Thursday. Just look up Big Take DC, available wherever you listen to podcasts — And while you’re there, check out their reporting from the Iowa caucuses earlier this week. 

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The biggest individual donors have been notably absent in the GOP primaries: Wall Street investors. 

So far, big investors haven’t opened their wallets for Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump. But they haven’t rallied around any of his challengers, either. In fact, they’re just as fatigued by the options as everyday American voters, many of whom grimace at the thought of a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden. 

Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin talks with Kyle Bass, who is plugged into the world of political money and is close with major donors, and Bloomberg politics editor Laura Davison about what investors want out of the 2024 election, the impact of their donations and what their hesitancy means for this consequential election.

Corrects to remove reference to billionaire in podcast and third paragraph.

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We here at The Big Take are big fans of our colleagues and friends over at the Odd Lots podcast, hosted by Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway. Please enjoy this episode, and hop on over to subscribe to their feed if you like what you hear!

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In the early 2010s, US shale players were producing oil like crazy, with no concerns about profitability. Then the legs were kicked out from the industry, causing a massive bust and massive oversupply. In 2021 and 2022, it looked like a very different story. Oil prices were surging and it seemed as though US players had found religion, learning how to maintain production discipline and improve profitability. But now we're in a new era that nobody saw coming: US oil production is booming. In in fact, it's at a record high. What's more, industry participants are actually making money at the same time. So how did they do it? And how did the prognosticators get things wrong? On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Bloomberg Opinion columnist and commodity specialist Javier Blas. We discuss the state of US supply and what it means for OPEC. We also talk about the rising tension in the Red Sea, as well as his reporting on the rise of electronic electricity trading in the European market.

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Last year, TikTok Shop officially launched in the US. It’s the latest commercial venture from ByteDance Ltd., the parent company that owns the social media app. By creating its own marketplace — where users can find and buy products without leaving the app — TikTok hopes to compete with giants like Amazon. And TikTok is not being shy about its ambitions: according to Bloomberg’s reporting, it aims to grow the size of its US e-commerce business to $17.5 billion this year.

Small vendors like Scott McIntosh have been invited to TikTok Shop and encouraged to start live streaming their products, a tactic that has proven wildly popular in Southeast Asian TikTok Shop markets. Although skeptical of TikTok as a sales platform at first, McIntosh is now a believer. Will TikTok be able to win over the rest of the American e-commerce market?

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At over seven feet tall with an eight-foot wingspan, 20-year-old Victor Wembanyama is not your average NBA rookie. As a center on the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama’s fluidity and defensive prowess are already on full display. But his game isn’t the only thing that sets Wemby, as his fans call him, apart. Bloomberg’s sports business reporter Randall Williams crunched the numbers, and found that Wembanyama is on track to earn $1 billion from basketball contracts by the time he’s 33. It would make him the first professional basketball player to reach billionaire status just from playing the game.

As Wembanyama considers new brand partnerships and the NBA negotiates new media deals, he could make his billion even sooner – unless an injury sets him back. With rare skills and this rare opportunity, Wemby just might make basketball history.

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Taiwan’s politics have long been defined by tensions with China, which claims the island as its own. Over the past several years, China has stepped up military exercises and Taiwanese leaders have responded by asserting the island’s self-rule — a tension that shows little sign of easing with the weekend’s election of current vice president Lai Ching-te to the presidency.

Across Taiwan, individuals are formulating their own responses to the specter of conflict. Our previous Big Take episode showed one young military veteran’s determination to defend Taiwan set him on a tragic course to Ukraine. In this episode, Bloomberg reporters Wan Chien-Hua and Yang Yang explore those who are plotting flights to safety. Some attend civil defense fairs, which teach where to shelter and drill kids on five ways to protect from missile strikes (plug ears; open mouth). Others accumulate passports to foreign countries that may promise more peaceful lives.

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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. 

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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds gives an exclusive interview to Big Take DC just days before her state kicks off the 2024 presidential cycle. After months of debates and polling, the Iowa caucuses will be the nation's first state-level contest for the next Republican presidential nominee.

Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin talks with Reynolds about why Ron DeSantis has her vote, and what she’ll do if Donald Trump becomes the party’s nominee.

This interview has been condensed for clarity.

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Watching footage of Russian attacks on Ukraine, Jonathan Tseng thought: That could happen here, too.

So from his home in Taiwan, Jonathan — Tseng Sheng-Guang in Chinese — resolved to take up arms against Russia. He left his wife, son and his beseeching mother in June 2022 to join the ranks of foreign fighters in Ukraine. His decision mirrored his own fears about unwelcome aggression on Taiwan, should China move beyond decades of warnings and threats, and into open conflict, against the island it claims as its own.

Bloomberg reporter Yang Yang spent several months looking for and talking to Jonathan’s family, friends and fellow soldiers in Ukraine, in order to understand more about what drove a young Taiwanese man to battle a neighboring aggressor, and what happened to him there. 

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Elections this year will determine the leadership of 40% of the world’s population, spanning the United States, to Taiwan, to Mexico, to Senegal. On today’s Big Take podcast: What democracy’s big test means for the economy.

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We here at Big Take are big fans of our colleagues and friends over at the Elon, Inc podcast from Businessweek, hosted by David Papadopoulos. Please enjoy this episode, and hop on over to subscribe to their feed if you like what you hear!
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Were we talking about almost any other executive, the report by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend about Elon Musk’s alleged drug use would have qualified as a bombshell. The article contends the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla has used a collection of substances. This, according to the Journal’s unidentified sources, has caused consternation within Musk’s companies, with Tesla board members and SpaceX executives privately expressing concerns that the alleged drug use may be making Musk unreliable and erratic.

But it’s not clear that many people, either inside or outside Musk’s companies, are genuinely worried. Musk mostly laughed off the report, offering a jokey response suggesting that  any drugs he was taking should be seen as performance enhancers and noting that he’d passed government-mandated drug tests “after that one puff on Rogan”—a reference to a 2018 interview with Joe Rogan during which he smoked marijuana. Investors have been largely unmoved by all of this, partly because during the period that Musk is alleged to have indulged in illicit substances, he also made them a great deal of money. And Musk has mostly gone back to his regular schedule of boosting conspiracy theories proffered by election deniers, white nationalists and other assorted right wing influencers.

On this episode, we are joined by Loren Grush, a Bloomberg aerospace reporter and author of the NASA history, The Six, to discuss why these drug allegations haven’t hurt Musk and why a labor dispute involving SpaceX employees might be a bigger threat in the long run.

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At the end of every year, Wall Street’s best and brightest release their predictions about where the economy is heading next. Markets reporter Sam Potter has pored through this year’s financial tea leaves – thousands of pages of them – and joined the show to share the most significant takeaways. Overall, there’s optimism about a “soft-ish” landing, disinflation, and continued consumer strength. 

But the consensus view has missed the mark before, and 2024 will bring new unknowns, from interest rate changes to technological advances to global elections. We walk through the possibilities, and the stakes: What can we expect if Wall Street is right? And what happens if they’re wrong?

Read more: Here’s (Almost) Everything Wall Street Expects in 2024

Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/bigtake

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We're taking a break this week, here's an episode you might have missed.

Taylor Swift’s monumental success is due to her talent as a performer — as well as her business acumen. Bloomberg’s Devon Pendleton and Claire Ballentine join this episode to talk about how the pop star has taken ownership of her music, built a fiercely loyal fan base–and become a billionaire in the process.