Big Take

Bloomberg’s Henry Meyer and Galit Altstein join this episode with an update on the Israel-Hamas war, including the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza; calls from the US and other nations for a pause in the fighting; and the latest on negotiations to free the hundreds of hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza. Read more: Israel’s Step-by-Step Gaza Offensive Risks Longer Deadly War Listen to The Big Tak...

In November 2021, President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Act into law. That hasn’t translated into a clear political win for a president seeking reelection, though.  According to a recent Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll, only 38% of voters in seven swing states say they trust President Joe Biden to handle infrastructure, compared to 42% who trust former President Don...

Bloomberg’s Zoe Tillman and Sara Forden join this episode for an update on former president Donald Trump’s ongoing legal troubles—including gag orders that restrict what he can say about cases in DC and New York, plea deals in the Georgia case by some of his former lawyers, and attempts to invoke the Constitution to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in at least two states. Listen to The Big Take p...

Bloomberg’s Agnieszka de Sousa joins this episode to discuss why concerns about food security have become a top issue in elections around the world—including in Argentina, Poland, New Zealand and India. And food security expert Tim Benton of Chatham House talks about what can be done to relieve growing global tensions over food. Read more: Food Is Hot Campaign Issue in Elections From Argentina to...

Bloomberg’s Jessica Brice and Michael Smith join this episode to talk about how and why the US Commerce Department is helping the firearms industry find overseas buyers for American-made guns. Read more: How Hundreds of US Government Employees Became Gun Industry Sales Reps   Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questio...

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. Read more: Taylor Swift Vaults to Billionaire Ranks With Blockbuster Eras Tour Listen to T...

On Wednesday, after a three-week battle in the US House of Representatives, Republicans voted in a new House speaker to replace ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy. Bloomberg congressional editor Megan Scully joins this episode to answer the question people inside Washington and around the US are now asking: Who is Mike Johnson? Read more: What to Know About Trump-Backed Speaker Mike Johnson Listen to T...

Julie Johnsson and Siddharth Vikram Philip join this episode to discuss Bloomberg’s investigation into sales of airplane components with falsified documentation. Read more: Ghost in the Machine: How Fake Parts Infiltrated Airline Fleets   Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? R...

Bloomberg’s Israel Bureau Chief Ethan Bronner joins this episode to talk about the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war. Read more: Hostages and Hezbollah Force Israel to Rethink Gaza Ground War Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net. See...

Bloomberg’s Thomas Black joins this episode to talk about the progress being made in developing autonomous trucks—including the 18-wheelers that deliver goods across the US. Three companies are now testing them in Texas, and trucks without drivers could be rolling down US highways as early as next year. Plus, Chris Urmson, CEO of Aurora, one of the companies  testing in Texas, discusses the road t...

Bloomberg’s Rebecca Choong Wilkins joins this episode to talk about this week’s meeting of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Beijing, and what it says about the complicated relationship between the two men and the nations they lead. Read more: Will Xi Jinping’s Gamble on Vladimir Putin Pay Off? Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3E...

Bloomberg's Jackie Davalos joins this episode to talk about Kindbody, a startup that operates fertility clinics around the US—and the challenges the company has faced as it expands. Read more: Embryo Errors, Flooded Clinics: Kindbody and IVF's Risky Business Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for...

Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and Sohee Kim join this episode to talk about Bang Si-Hyuk, South Korea’s enormously successful music mogul. The billionaire has built a K-pop empire with bands like BTS and New Jeans, and he’s now looking to expand on that model with a new, global act based in the US. Read more: The K-Pop Mogul Behind BTS Is Building the Next BTS Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday...

Bloomberg’s Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner joins this episode from Tel Aviv to talk about Israel’s expected ground invasion of Gaza, and the intense diplomatic efforts by the US and other nations to avert a broader conflict in the Middle East. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for Wes and the...

Bloomberg’s Ike Swetlitz and Riley Griffin join this episode to discuss what’s driving the shortage of generic drugs in the US, including amoxicillin, and what can be done to restore supplies. Read more: A Key American Plant Making Antibiotics for Kids Risks Shutting Down Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions o...

Bloomberg’s Piotr Skolimowski and Andrea Dudik join this episode to discuss why Poland’s parliamentary elections will determine the nation’s social and political standing in Western Europe. Read more: Europe at War Can’t Ignore Poland’s Bitter Election Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for Wes a...

Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Company’s hugely successful CEO, came out of retirement last November and once again took the helm of the entertainment giant. But the company, and the industry, are facing tough new challenges. Bloomberg’s Thomas Buckley joins this episode to talk about Iger’s efforts to put Disney on solid footing for the future. Read more: Has Bob Iger Lost the Magic? Listen to The Big...

The US Justice Department’s case against Google and the case against Amazon brought by the Federal Trade Commission are considered two of the most consequential antitrust actions of the modern online era. What’s at stake for the companies–and consumers–when it comes to how we search online and what we buy? Bloomberg’s Leah Nylen is covering these cases. She joins this episode to explain the govern...

Bloomberg’s Rosalind Mathieson joins this episode to discuss the attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s swift military response—and concerns about the possibility of an escalating conflict across the region. Read more: A Fractured Israel Unites Around a Singular Goal: Crush the Enemy Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have qu...

Public schools across the US are getting ready for a financial blow next year, when $190 billion in federal pandemic aid runs out. Bloomberg’s Shruti Singh and Nic Querolo join this episode to discuss the challenges facing school districts, including teacher burnout. And Charles Ebea, a school counselor in the Bronx, New York, shares his perspective. Read more: Pandemic Aid for Public Schools Is R...

Bloomberg’s Chief U.S. Economist Anna Wong joins this episode to make the case for why a recession is still more likely than not.  Read more: Why a US Recession Is Still Likely — and Coming Soon Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net . See omnys...

Today on The Big Take, Bloomberg’s Justina Lee and Sam Potter take us inside how artificial intelligence is changing the way financial firms and other market players make decisions about what to buy and sell. Can AI beat the market? Do we want it to? We also hear from Renee Yao, the founder of an investment firm that’s all in on AI.  Read more: Can AI Beat the Market? Wall Street Is Desperate to T...

The US established Federal Home Loan Banks almost a century ago to make it easier for people to buy a home. Although these institutions have billions of dollars to lend, many people are still struggling to get approved for a mortgage. Bloomberg’s Heather Perlberg and Noah Buhayar join this episode to talk about why that is—and what’s being done to fix it.  Read more: Flawed US Home-Loan System Neg...

Bloomberg’s Peter Elstrom and Mackenzie Hawkins join this episode to explain why the microchip inside Huawei’s new Mate 60 Pro phone is alarming the US government.  Read more: Huawei Takes Revenge as China Catches Up on Semiconductors Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK   Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach...

Even with a looming recession, high interest rates and a tight labor market, small businesses have been opening at record rates over the last few years, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. They’ve also been the primary driver of job creation in the US. Bloomberg reporter Enda Curran dug into why small businesses are having a moment—and the challenges owners are facing in this uncertain economy. Plus,...