Big Take

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 comp...

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 possi...

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 an...

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 expe...

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. See omnyst...

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...

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 th...

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, Bloo...

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 Pend...

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...

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 g...

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...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

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 imp...

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....

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...

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 o...

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...

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 S...

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 effor...

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...

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 ind...

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 Bloo...

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...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.