Big Take

When it comes to measuring economic pain, the cost of a humble breakfast sandwich might not be top of mind. But Bloomberg has an index that tracks the rising cost of a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, plus a cup of coffee. And this year, it’s reached record highs.  On today’s Big Take podcast, we hear from people up and down the BEC supply chain — from a wheat farmer to a cof...

It’s been a bewildering time for retail investors trying to make sense of global markets. In the week since President Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs, markets have plunged, rebounded — and now, they’re sliding again. Meanwhile, the trade war between the US and China continues. Both announced severe new tariffs this week. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Charli...

US President Donald Trump shocked the world -- and global markets -- with tariffs that exceeded expectations last week. But there was one region that was hit harder than most: Asia. Exporting powerhouses like China and Vietnam were slapped with some of the highest levies of any country, with China now facing an additional 50% tariff, bringing the total rate of its levies to more than 100%.  ...

It's been a volatile few days across global markets.  As the equity sell-off has deepened, a growing number of market strategists have revised down their targets for where the S&P 500 will be at the end of the year, and economists at several big banks have updated their forecasts. Today on the Big Take podcast, unpacking the seismic effect US President Trump’s tariffs announcement i...

The genetic testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March, after years of slowing sales, legal trouble, and a declining stock price. And now, the valuable trove of genetic data the company owns is for sale, sparking privacy concerns.  On today’s Big Take, Bloomberg biotech reporter Gerry Smith traces the rise and fall of 23andMe, and bankruptcy reporter Jonathan Randles outlines...

India’s historic stock market surge sparked a retail-investing frenzy that minted millionaires. But the boom also became a breeding ground for financial scams.  On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Alex Gabriel Simon about the retail investors that have been cheated out of their life savings, and how this influx of scams could undermine Prim...

President Donald Trump is calling April 2nd “Liberation Day” — that’s when the president says the world can expect the biggest salvo in his widening trade war. While the specifics are not yet clear, the symbolism is: Trump wants to usher in an era of American protectionist policy that could re-order global trade. Today on the show, Bloomberg’s Shawn Donnan joins host...

In the series finale, our reporters try to crack the secretive companies behind nudify apps that let users create deepfakes in minutes. And a new case rocks another small town high school.   Levittown  is a real-life horror story for the AI generation. In this six-part series from Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podcasts, reporters Olivia Carville and Margi Murphy take listeners from...

Kayla faces down her harasser in court. In New Zealand, an investigator summons a global army of hackers.   Levittown is a real-life horror story for the AI generation. In this six-part series from Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podcasts, reporters Olivia Carville and Margi Murphy take listeners from quiet suburbs of New York to as far as New Zealand and into the darkest corners of the In...

An arrest in Levittown kicks off the next phase of an investigation. The central question for the prosecutors is: Is any of this a crime? And they’re on the clock.   Levittown is a real-life horror story for the AI generation. In this six-part series from Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podcasts, reporters Olivia Carville and Margi Murphy take listeners from quiet suburbs of New York...

Tulum, Mexico has exploded in popularity since the early years of the pandemic. The area’s few Covid restrictions, picturesque beaches and laidback vibes attracted lockdown-weary travelers and helped trigger a real estate boom. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Andrea Navarro and Tanaz Meghjani join host Sarah Holder to discuss the dark side of a pandemic-era development...

Private equity is looking for new ways to raise capital. The industry has its eye on a  $12 trillion piece of America’s retirement market. On today’s Big Take podcast, private equity reporter Allison McNeely joins host Sarah Holder to explain why PE firms are targeting 401(k)s now and what this could mean for the average American’s retirement savings. Read more: Private Equi...

Search is the most lucrative part of Google’s business. So when ChatGPT launched in 2022 and offered to answer users’ every question, it posed an existential threat to the company, forcing Google to respond. Google had to figure out how to compete. But integrating generative AI into Google search would fundamentally change the company’s core product, and it introduced big risks....

It’s not just Levittown. The website hosting the doctored photos is the nexus of campaigns to harass women across the world. A victim in New Zealand helps to spark a global battle against the site and its elusive owner.   Levittown is a real-life horror story for the AI generation. In this six-part series from Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podcasts, reporters Olivia Carville and Ma...

Months after Kayla’s discovery, dozens of women in Levittown, a New York suburb on Long Island, learn they, too, are subjects of faked porn. Most are recent graduates of the local high school, and they zero in on a culprit. One of them sets out to prove it.   Levittown is a real-life horror story for the AI generation. In this six-part series from Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podc...

SHOW DESCRIPTION New Year’s Eve. Levittown, New York. Word travels swiftly as one young woman tells the next: “ You’re on the website.” Dozens of recent high-school graduates are finding out that their photos have been scraped from their social media accounts, manipulated and posted to a porn website. Who would have done this? And can the women get the images taken down? To...

The International Space Station’s time in the stars will soon come to an end. NASA has said that the ISS is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2030 and replaced with a new station made by a private company. Now, the race is on to win the contract.  On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Kiel Porter and Loren Grush tell host Sarah Holder why a former crypto tycoon has made a...

Trump's tariffs on China are causing a lot of pain around the world. Products that would've gone to the US are now pouring into other countries, leading to factory closures and layoffs. And this is likely to increase after April 2, when President Trump has promised to put in place a new set of tariffs. On today’s episode of the Big Take, Katia Dmitrieva joins host David Gura to talk about th...

Crypto optimism soared after President Trump’s re-election and Bitcoin hit an all-time high the day of his inauguration. But it's been on something of a roller coaster since then. And the broader finance industry is watching all of this very closely.  Bloomberg’s Katherine Doherty hit the road for a conference in South Florida, where members of the financial old guard are embracin...

CEO Jensen Huang has always said Nvidia is “thirty days from going out of business.” Even though Nvidia is now worth trillions, Huang is focused on future-proofing the business to outlast the current AI boom — and possibly even create the next one.  Businessweek tech editor Joshua Brustein joins host David Gura to discuss the innovations the company is pursuing, its constant...

As Trump signals a warmer relationship with Putin and a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine comes into focus, optimistic investors and businesses are eyeing potential opportunities in a re-opened Russian economy. But investing in Russia is still a risky bet. On today’s episode of the Big Take, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg’s Anthony Halpin about why some investors are enthusia...

Mauritius and neighboring islands in the Indian Ocean are at the center of a great-power chess match involving the US, China and India. All want to use them as bases to protect shipping lanes and project military might in the region. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha is joined by Bloomberg correspondent Peter Martin to discuss the power struggle, and the implications of China...

It has been a wild few weeks in markets. By last week, the S&P 500 had wiped out all its gains since Election Day – $3.4 trillion in value. When Trump was asked about the possibility of a recession over the weekend, he said the US was in a “period of transition.” Then on Monday, the Nasdaq 100 saw its worst day since 2022, tumbling 3.8% and extending a selloff that has put it...

A crippling property crisis, mounting debt, weak consumer spending… and now a trade war. Despite the headwinds, China has set an ambitious economic growth goal of about 5% this year. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s John Liu about how Xi Jinping intends to meet the target, and how Trump’s tariff war might sabotage his plans.   &n...

Since taking office in January, President Trump has set in motion a series of sweeping rollbacks on US climate policy. This comes at a time when governments around the world have lagged behind their stated environmental goals. On today’s episode of the Big Take, host Sarah Holder is joined by Akshat Rathi, host of the Zero podcast, to talk through the Trump administration’s key climate...