Big Take

We're taking a break this week, so here's a favorite episode you might have missed. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back with new episodes next week. People around the world rely on satellites for their internet connections, credit card transactions–and even to keep track of time. Last year, a suspected Russian-led satellite hack exposed how vulnerable they are to security breaches, from in...

China’s economic slowdown is catching the attention of countries around the world as they brace for a possible hit to their own economies. Bloomberg’s Rebecca Choong Wilkins and Tom Hancock discuss why President Xi Jinping is avoiding a big stimulus package and instead allowing China’s economy to run “cold”—and how long it may take to turn things around. Read more: Run It Cold: Why Xi Jinping Is L...

About half of the enriched uranium that nations around the world use for nuclear power comes from Russia. It supplies almost a quarter of America’s 92 nuclear reactors and dozens of other plants across Europe and Asia. The US is now trying to change that with a big push to build up its own capabilities. Bloomberg’s Jonathan Tirone and Will Wade join this episode to talk about what it will take for...

Donald Trump says he’ll be a no-show tonight at the first Republican debate of the 2024 US presidential campaign. Still, at least one of his rivals for the party nomination is expected to take square aim at the former president: Chris Christie. The former New Jersey governor who once supported Trump is now his loudest Republican critic. So far, his low ranking in the polls suggests that attacking...

By now we’re familiar with the many ways hackers and scammers try to fool us into handing over our personal data–and our money. But the thieves keep getting more sophisticated. And now they have a powerful new tool at their disposal: artificial intelligence, which can mimic websites, financial documents and even our faces and voices. In this episode, Bloomberg’s Nabila Ahmed and Adam Haigh talk ab...

America’s first major offshore wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean is now under construction 15 miles south of Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. Once complete, the 800-megawatt project is expected to generate enough electricity to power 400,000 homes. But with inflation and rising interest rates stifling progress on some other wind projects, will the Biden administration reach its 2030 goal o...

The US and Iran recently announced a surprise agreement: Both nations will release prisoners, and the US will unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue. Bloomberg’s Courtney McBride joins this episode to discuss what we know about the terms of the deal, and what it suggests about the possibility of renewed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Plus, Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at...

The recent congressional hearing on unidentified aerial phenomenon–also known as UAPs– gave a high-profile platform to what we used to call UFOs. But why now–and was this a substantive government inquiry or a summertime Washington diversion?  Bloomberg’s Roxana Tiron and Megan Scully join this episode to make sense of the hearing and claims that UAPs may pose a threat to national security. And ast...

Donald Trump was indicted on Monday for the fourth time since he left office. But this sweeping case, which zeroes in on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, is different from the other criminal cases brought against him in New York, Florida and Washington, DC. Most notably: the former president has been charged under racketeering laws often associated with efforts to prosecut...

Taiwan’s current Vice President, ​​Lai Ching-te, leads the polls in the upcoming January presidential election. The winner will have a lot to contend with–and at the top of the list is how to keep the peace with China amid rising tensions. Bloomberg Businessweek editor Joel Weber sat down with Vice President Lai for several wide-ranging interviews in Taiwan.  Joel and Taipei deputy bureau chief Ci...

You might think America’s top 10 percent would consider themselves rich – but a new Bloomberg survey finds that many of them don’t feel that way. Bloomberg’s Craig Giammona and Claire Ballentine join this episode to share what they learned when they asked people across the country a simple but not-so-simple question: How rich or poor do you feel today?  Plus, Yale social psychologist Michael Kraus...

Catch up on some of the week’s biggest stories from the US and across the globe. Bloomberg’s Marc Champion , Courtney McBride and Jordan Fabian join this episode to discuss the latest on the US presidential race and the coming Republican debates; rising tensions in the Black Sea; and the uneven global economic recovery. Plus, the stories they’ll be keeping a close eye on in the weeks ahead. Listen...

Real estate planners often think about how to reduce a project’s carbon footprint. A new apartment complex under construction in Arizona is taking that idea one step further. Culdesac Tempe is designed to be entirely car-free. And not just for the good of the climate but as a lifestyle choice for people who want to get rid of the hassle and expense of a car-centric existence. But will large number...

When Tesla built the Model 3 — the first electric car for the masses — it was a breakthrough for the company and the start of a new chapter for the auto industry. A lot has changed since then, so Bloomberg rebooted a survey of 5,000 owners to ask how things held up. This time, their answers had a lot to do with the man behind the cars. Bloomberg’s Tom Randall shares some key takeaways from this ne...

The Inflation Reduction Act has given the US an edge in future manufacturing, with billions of dollars in incentives to lure battery plants and chip makers to the US. But it’s also led to tension with close allies that can’t match the amounts the US is offering companies. Bloomberg’s Brian Platt , Gabrielle Coppola and Enda Curran join this episode to talk about how this competition—and the race t...

Three months into the writers’ and actors’ strike, the role of artificial intelligence in Hollywood has emerged as a central issue in the dispute between studios and creatives. Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw joins this episode to discuss how studios are already using AI—and why writers and actors are so concerned about what it means for their livelihoods. Read more: AI in Hollywood Has Gone From Contract...

Despite global efforts to slow the effects of climate change, July was the hottest month on record in over 125,000 years. The good news is, powerful new technology not available just a few years ago can help turn things around, if we get serious about taking action. Bloomberg’s Eric Roston , Zahra Hirji and John Ainger join this episode to discuss what it will take—and how much it will cost—to sto...

Donald Trump is expected to appear today in federal court in Washington, DC, where he faces criminal conspiracy charges that allege he interfered with the 2020 presidential election. It’s the third criminal case against the former president. Bloomberg’s Sara Forden and Zoe Tillman discuss what they’ll be watching for in the courtroom, as well as how Trump’s legal peril will shape his campaign in t...

In early January, after a grueling 15 rounds of voting, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated some concessions with members of the far-right Freedom Caucus – more congressional power in exchange for their votes – to secure his speakership. McCarthy is now feeling the squeeze of their influence in several battles consuming the House. Bloomberg’s Megan Scully and Billy House join guest host Craig...

In what’s being hailed as a ‘Great Reset,' how the world does business looks very different now than it did before Covid. Bloomberg Markets magazine sent reporters all around the globe to see what the new order of global trade looks like on the ground. Bloomberg’s Brendan Murray , Malcolm Scott and Jenny Leonard join guest host Rosalind Mathieson to discuss what they found. Read more: War, AI and...

The European Union became one of the first in the world to take wide-reaching action to regulate artificial intelligence when it passed a draft law in June. The proposal would put new guardrails around the use and development of artificial intelligence, including curbing the use of facial recognition software and increasing ChatGPT’s transparency. Bloomberg’s Jillian Deutsch joins guest host Rosal...

The Biden administration is preparing a new plan to cancel debt for some student loan borrowers, after the Supreme Court struck down its original attempt last month. Guest host Nancy Cook sits down with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren to ask how she’s advocating for the Biden administration’s plan B for student loan debt and why the issue has become such a hot button topic in Washington. Bloom...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to power with a string of superlatives. She’s the country’s first female prime minister, and she’s brought in the most right-wing government in decades. Now, nine months into her term, she faces a series of tests: on China, the war in Ukraine and a looming EU recession. Bloomberg’s Chiara Albanese and Alessandra Migliaccio join guest host Rosalind Mathies...

The US Space Force, established in 2019, is the first new branch of the military to be created since 1947, and its mission is vast: defend US interests in space. But what exactly is the Space Force? And what does defending US interests in space mean or look like practically? As the nearly $900 billion defense spending bill winds its way through Congress, Wes went to the Pentagon to sit down with G...

American-made guns are pouring into countries all over the globe, even more so after the US made it easier to export guns in 2020. Even as America’s mass shootings horrify the world and gun-crime rates rise in many of the importing countries, the US government is playing a key role as the firearm industry’s booster and concierge. Bloomberg’s Michael Riley , David Kocieniewski and Patpicha Tanakase...