Big Take

The Big Take team is taking a knee for the holiday, so we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes. Enjoy, we'll be back tomorrow! ------- The global pet economy is expected to reach nearly half a trillion dollars by 2030. After a pandemic surge in pet adoptions, more people are buying ever more expensive food and toys for their furry friends. But beyond these routine costs, a growing number o...

The shale revolution has powered the US economy, shaken up oil markets, and shaped America’s foreign policy. That may soon begin to change as the growth in shale oil productions slows. Bloomberg Opinion columnist Javier Blas joins this episode to talk about how important the shale bonanza has been for the US, and what–if anything–can ultimately replace it.  Read more: Wall Street Is Finally Going...

Virtual private networks, or VPNs, first emerged in the 1990s as a way for employees to securely log in to their office computer from home. Now, VPN providers market them to people looking to protect their web searches, location, and personal data from advertisers and other prying eyes. They’re used for everything from streaming television shows to accessing websites blocked by authoritarian regim...

The US dollar is the world’s most-used currency for global transactions. Now China aims to elevate its currency as an alternative. Over the past year, President Xi Jinping's government has struck deals linked to the yuan stretching from Russia and Saudi Arabia to Brazil and even France. Bloomberg reporter George Lei joins this episode to talk about how China’s efforts to create a rival to the doll...

The PGA Tour has long been the dominant force in US professional golf. But LIV Golf, an upstart backed with billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia, has lured away some top names. Can players compete in both organizations’ events? That’s the question at the heart of a court case between the two rivals. Bloomberg reporters Malathi Nayak , Erik Larson , and Ira Boudway join this episode to talk about...

By now we’re all aware advertisers and apps collect data about our online lives. But the kind of information they compile about us–and the sheer amount of it–might surprise you. Dr. Johnny Ryan, an online tracking expert and senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, joins this episode to explain how details about where you are, where you go, and what you look at are widely distribute...

Who doesn't love a little Sunday extra? Our team here at The Big Take wants to introduce you to the 1A Podcast, hosted by Jenn White, from WAMU and NPR. This show looks beyond the headlines to get to the heart of the story, and it's one of our favorites. Bloomberg News collaborated with 1A this week for a series called  Life and Debt.  This bonus episode of 1A we are sharing is from that series, a...

The Black Summer bushfires devastated Australia in 2019 and 2020. As wildfires become more frequent in the US, Europe, and around the globe, Bloomberg reporters Amy Bainbridge and Angus Whitley join this episode to discuss what doctors have learned from Australia’s fires about the long-term health hazards of breathing wildfire smoke–especially for children. Read more: Wildfire’s Toxic Legacy Leave...

Since the CHIPS and Science Act passed in 2022, the US Commerce Department has been working to create a network of research and development sites around the country, as part of the National Semiconductor Technology Center. The goal: to rebuild America’s domestic semiconductor capacity and competitiveness. Bloomberg reporter Eric Martin breaks down the CHIPS Act and what this tech center aims to ac...

This week, world leaders will convene in Hiroshima, Japan for the annual Group of Seven summit. Bloomberg executive editor Flavia Krause-Jackson and news director Rosalind Mathieson join this episode to share what they’ll be watching for—both in the public eye and behind the scenes.  Read more: China the Target of New G-7 Push Against ‘Economic Coercion’ Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekda...

Cases of avian flu in birds have hit record levels globally—but so far, there’s no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Bloomberg reporters Suzi Ring and Michelle Fay Cortez discuss how scientists are tracking the virus after lessons learned from Covid-19. Then, Dr. Richard Webby of the World Health Organization talks about how communities can respond to and prevent bird flu outbreaks. Read mo...

Bloomberg Businessweek contributor Mary Pilon joins this episode to talk about the promise–and challenges–of building a fanbase for the Women’s Football Alliance, an all-female, full-contact league that has 60 teams in four divisions across 32 states. And we head to a nighttime practice of the DC Divas, to hear from the players and coaches about why they love the game and what it means for women t...

Coming soon: When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes. But then his crypto exchange FTX collapsed Billions of dollars were missing, and Sam was in handcuffs. Those who knew him were left wondering — who was Sam really? A well-meaning billionaire who made a mistake? Or a calculating con man? From Wondery...

Bloomberg reporters Drake Bennett and Jordan Robertson join this episode to tell the wild, winding tale of Shannon You, a chemist once employed by Coca-Cola who was also in the business of stealing trade secrets–and attempting to take them to China. Read more: The Plot to Steal the Other Secret Inside a Can of Coca-Cola . Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily news...

The emergency restrictions on immigration that the Trump administration invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic expire tonight. The White House is now preparing for a surge of migrants crossing the Southern border seeking asylum. Bloomberg reporters Akayla Gardner and Justin Sink join this episode to talk about what the Biden administration is doing to avert turmoil. And immigration policy expert Dor...

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s failure to disclose lavish vacations paid for by a Texas billionaire have cast a harsh light on the High Court’s ethics rules—or lack of them. Bloomberg Supreme Court correspondent Greg Stohr   joins this episode to talk about the fallout and why the justices are pushing back against greater disclosure rules. And Northwestern University law professor Stev...

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power for two decades. But he now faces a challenge in the country’s May 14 elections from a candidate representing a coalition of opposition parties. Bloomberg journalists Beril Akman , Marc Champion and Sylvia Westall join this episode to talk about why this election matters not just for Turkey’s domestic future–but for the important role the n...

President Joe Biden surprised exactly no one when he announced he’s running for re-election. But with high inflation, an uncertain economy, turmoil on the Southern border, and roiling culture wars–along with persistent questions about his age–can Biden persuade voters he deserves a second term?  Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook , Jordan Fabian and Joshua Green join this episode to size up the early stages o...

On April 20, the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy rocket made its first test flight. And even though it exploded after just a few minutes in flight, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a failure. Bloomberg’s intrepid space reporter Loren Grush joins this episode to explain what’s ahead for SpaceX–and for NASA’s ambitious goal of getting people back to the moon this decade. Read more: Starship Explosio...

First Republic Bank is the latest financial institution to fail amid turmoil across the industry. Meanwhile, inflation is still high. Layoffs are rocking some industries. And labor shortages are throttling others. So… are we about to face the recession that economists have been predicting for months now? Today, Bloomberg reporter Reade Pickert and senior executive editor Chris Nagi read the tea le...

The tight US labor market has prompted several Republican-led states to roll back child labor laws, which are aimed at protecting teenagers by restricting where and how long they can work. Bloomberg Industry Group reporters Rebecca Rainey and Chris Marr join this episode to talk about where this is happening and who’s pressing for these changes. And labor historian Betsy Wood explains how today’s...

With the economy in flux and prices continuing to rise, more consumers are saying yes to buy now, pay later offers. And not just for instant gratification on big-ticket items like a couch or a laptop. Struggling families are using it to spread out payments for essentials like food. Bloomberg reporters Augusta Saraiva and Paulina Cachero join this episode to talk about the popularity of buy now, pa...

Europe’s ambitious climate targets are putting pressure on airlines and airplane makers to come up with sustainable alternatives to dirty jet fuel. Bloomberg reporters Siddharth Philip in London and William Wilkes in Frankfurt join this episode to talk about some ideas on the drawing table for cleaner jet engines–from battery powered concepts to aircraft that run on hydrogen. Read the story here:...

Pharmaceutical companies and insurance providers are at odds over a new class of drugs that have proven quite effective at helping people living with obesity lose weight. Bloomberg’s Robert Langreth and Emma Court join this episode to share their reporting on recent advancements in weight loss treatments–and the fight over who should pay for them. And Dr. Angela Fitch, a physician and president of...

Despite the rain-soaked year California has had, the ongoing issues of drought and limited water remain. Bloomberg reporters Peter Waldman, Mark Chediak , and Sinduja Rangarajan join this episode to talk about how farms that grow lucrative cash crops like almonds and pistachios are digging deeper and deeper wells to tap the state’s dwindling groundwater supply–leaving people in some communities wi...