The latest jobs report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is a mixed bag. January’s numbers came in much stronger than expected — but revisions on 2025 data showed a weaker year than previously realized. The report comes on the heels of a number of high-profile job cut announcements, including at Amazon, the Washington Post and Nike. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg US economy editor Molly Smith sift through the numbers and discuss the state of the labor market. H...
Feb 11, 2026•18 min
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic election win, positioning her as the nation’s strongest leader in the postwar era. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Sakura Murakami to discuss the reaction to Takaichi’s election gamble, her vision for a more assertive Japan and the uphill battle she faces to deliver her ambitious agenda. Read more: Takaichi Triumphs With Japan's Biggest Post-War Election Victory Further listening: All Eyes on Japa...
Feb 10, 2026•18 min
The prospect of US military action in Iran and the possibility of regional war continue to loom over indirect talks between the two countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the situation. On today’s Big Take Podcast, Iran reporter Golnar Motevalli joins host David Gura to lay out what the US and Iran each hope to achieve and what’s at stake if these negotiations fall apart. Read more: Iran Hardens Crackdown o...
Feb 09, 2026•16 min
What is the best way to tell a climate story? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Booker Prize-winning novelist George Saunders. His new novel Vigil is an exploration of guilt, told on the deathbed of an oil executive haunted by ghosts. Rathi asks Saunders what he learned about climate change, his thoughts on whether AI complements or compromises human creativity, and why literature still matters in the era of TikTok. Listen now, and subscribe on Apple , Spotify or YouTube to get new epi...
Feb 08, 2026•43 min
On today’s Big Take podcast, professional sports gambler Rufus Peabody discusses why he has shifted more of his betting to prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarke. And markets reporter Justina Lee and sports business reporter Ira Boudway sit down with host David Gura to discuss why these markets are drawing pros like Peabody — and the concerns the platforms raise for regulators and traditional sportsbooks. Read more: How Polymarket and Kalshi Are Gamifying Truth Hosted by David Gura; Produc...
Feb 06, 2026•19 min
Shares of Novo Nordisk were down Thursday morning after Hims & Hers introduced a compounded version of its Wegovy pill. The dip came two days after Novo predicted its sales could drop as much as 13% this year as the company factors in competition from generic drugs that could crop up as its patents expire around the world. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Naomi Kresge and Amber Tong talk to host David Gura about the year ahead for weight-loss drugs, from compounded products c...
Feb 05, 2026•18 min
AI anxiety is coursing through the stock market right now. From Tuesday’s global selloff in software and technology stocks to last week’s $381 billion Microsoft rout, investors are skittish over any sign of an AI bubble. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Big Tech editor Sarah Frier joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the coming AI reckoning and why pressure is building on tech companies to prove all their AI investments will pay off big — and soon. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David F...
Feb 04, 2026•19 min
Four years after Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, its booming market is at a crossroads. Initial high hopes for a tourism surge and a billion-dollar industry have been replaced by an oversupply of shops and a fierce public backlash. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Patpicha Tanakasempipat about what went wrong and whether the industry can weather a political firestorm. Read more: Weed Backlash Grows in Thailand as Kids Tur...
Feb 03, 2026•19 min
The Department of Justice released another batch of documents from the so-called Epstein Files on Friday. It brings the total number of pages the DOJ has made public since December to nearly 3.5 million. On today’s Big Take, host David Gura is joined by Bloomberg investigative reporter and podcast host Jason Leopold to discuss what was and wasn’t in the latest document release — and what we’ve learned about Epstein and his business connections. Further listening: Jason’s Disclosure podcast What ...
Feb 02, 2026•18 min
In the AI industry, there's always a hot new thing. First it was ChatGPT. Then it was the image generators. There was the DeepSeek moment. In the latter half of last year, everyone was excited about how good Google's Gemini was. In January 2026, the new hot thing everyone is talking about is Claude Code. But of course, the AI models have been able to generate lines of code for a long time now. So what is it about Claude Code that has people so excited? Why is it that people are asking: "Is this ...
Feb 01, 2026•55 min
After months of speculation and a publicized selection process befitting The Apprentice , President Trump has announced his pick to lead the Federal Reserve: former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh. Historically a monetary policy hawk, the now dovish Warsh is expected to align more closely with President Trump’s views on inflation and rate decisions. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder sits down with Bloomberg Fed reporters Amara Omeokwe and Saleha Mohsin to discuss Warsh’s nomination, the ea...
Jan 30, 2026•18 min
The US Senate failed to advance a government spending package on Thursday, setting up for a partial government shutdown. At the center of the debate is funding for the Department of Homeland Security. In the wake of federal agents killing two US citizens in Minnesota, the spending package has become the latest flashpoint in the fight over ICE’s deployment in American cities. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg reporters Steven Dennis and Alicia Diaz track the fight playi...
Jan 29, 2026•19 min
Not long ago, markets would have lurched if a president threatened to impose tariffs, attack a foreign nation or compromise Federal Reserve independence. Since Donald Trump’s return to office, though, traders have been buying on these threats and cashing in when they don’t come to pass. On today’s episode of the Big Take, Bloomberg Opinion’s John Authers and columnist Robert Armstrong of the Financial Times – who coined ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’ – join host David Gura to discuss the latest TAC...
Jan 28, 2026•21 min
From sinking Treasuries to global selloffs, the turmoil in Japan’s bond market is being felt far beyond its borders. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Ruth Carson to unpack what’s rattled international investors and why markets are still on tenterhooks. Read more: Japan Bond Crash Unleashes a $7 Trillion Risk for Global Markets Further listening: The Dollar’s Dominance Is Unwinding in Asia Carry Trades, Explained Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by: Naomi...
Jan 27, 2026•19 min
From his ambitions to acquire Greenland to his retracted (for now) threats of tariffs on European countries that oppose him, President Donald Trump continues to alienate the EU’s member states. But they’re aligned on one thing: The continent needs to be ready to stand on its own, and fast. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg Brussels bureau chief Suzanne Lynch recap the outcomes of an emergency summit of EU leaders last Thursday, the toolkit at their disposal to push back ...
Jan 26, 2026•18 min
Japan is home to the world’s oldest population and a growing share of the country’s financial assets – about $2 trillion – are controlled by seniors who are showing signs of cognitive decline. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg’s Alice French about the staggering “dementia money” at risk, the toll of frozen accounts and the haphazard solutions that serve as a stark warning to the rest of the world. Read more: Japan's 'Dementia Money' Problem Puts Trillions at ...
Jan 25, 2026•18 min
President Trump has revived a campaign pledge to cap credit card interest rates at 10%. It’s an effort to address affordability concerns among American consumers and help borrowers. But the banking industry is not thrilled about the idea – and says the proposal could block some people from accessing credit at all. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg finance reporter Claire Ballentine joins host Sarah Holder to break down the arguments and talk through what it would take to make the proposal a...
Jan 23, 2026•12 min
Across the ideological spectrum, Supreme Court justices appeared wary of President Trump’s attempts to fire Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook in a hearing on Wednesday. Their ruling, which is set to come by July, could set a crucial precedent for the executive branch’s influence over the central bank. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Amara Omeokwe and Greg Stohr break down arguments from both sides of the case, analyze key reactions from justices on the bench and make sens...
Jan 22, 2026•20 min
In an unprecedented speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump ruled out taking Greenland by military force, but made his case for the US purchasing what he described as a “large piece of ice” — and vowed to “remember” if he didn’t get his way. On today’s Big Take podcast, executive editor Flavia Krause-Jackson joins host David Gura to recap Trump’s stunning speech, the swift reaction from his peers and NATO allies and what, ultimately, could come next. Host...
Jan 21, 2026•19 min
ICE has been open about its aggressive detention and deportation targets. And now, the agency has its sights set on a new kind of facility to house the people it arrests: converted warehouses that could detain 5,000 or more people. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Fola Akinnibi and Sophie Alexander take host Sarah Holder inside their team’s reporting on the agency’s latest push to expand its detention capacity, the lucrative government contracts that companies are vying for and m...
Jan 20, 2026•19 min
This week marks the end of President Trump’s first year back in office. His busy economic agenda included global tariffs, deregulation, tax cuts and so much more. The deep and dramatic changes the Trump administration proposed and imposed have fundamentally changed the way the US does business. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook and Mark Niquette discuss which initiatives have had the biggest impact so far and which are likely to last. Hosted by David Gura; P...
Jan 19, 2026•18 min
For Beijing, the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a mixed bag -- an embarrassing surprise, a wake-up call over its alliances in Latin America and an opening to step up on the world stage, according to Nicholas Burns, the former US ambassador to China. On today’s Big Take, host David Gura and Ambassador Burns discuss how President Donald Trump’s military actions and threats are reshaping China’s relationships across the Pacific and the Taiwan Strait—and how the so-called “Don...
Jan 16, 2026•20 min
Since the 2008 financial crisis, private equity firms and other large investors have bought hundreds of thousands of homes across the US, expanding their footprint in the American real estate market. But President Trump blindsided the industry with a Truth Social post last week, announcing he would push for a ban on Wall Street investors scooping up single-family homes. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg real estate reporter Patrick Clark and Bloomberg CityLab reporter Kriston Capps join hos...
Jan 15, 2026•19 min
Weeks of protests in Iran started over the high price of food and essential goods. They quickly engulfed the nation and, before long, were met with deadly force by the Iranian regime’s security forces. The violent crackdown has drawn international condemnation and President Trump has offered protestors his support. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and International Crisis Group’s Iran Project Director Ali Vaez discuss how we got here, the existential threats facing the Iranian regime...
Jan 14, 2026•19 min
This week, following the deadly shooting of Renée Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, the state of Minnesota sued the federal government in a bid to kick out thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. On today’s Big Take podcast, Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg immigration reporter Alicia Caldwell and the National Immigration Law Center’s Efrén Olivares to discuss how a rapid evolution under President Trump has reshaped ICE — and how states are responding to unprecedented wave...
Jan 14, 2026•17 min
On Sunday night, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that the US Department of Justice had served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas threatening a criminal indictment over a costly renovation of the central bank’s building. It was a watershed moment in the escalating tension between the Trump administration and the US central bank. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura sits down with Fed reporters Amara Omeokwe and Enda Curran to discuss what this means for one of the most import...
Jan 12, 2026•17 min
After the Trump Administration’s strike on Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, there’s one word on everyone’s mind: oil. President Trump has big plans for the country’s vast reserves, which today account for just 1% percent of global production. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg Opinion’s Javier Blas talk through the Trump Administration’s gamble on Venezuela’s oil, how the president plans to convince the energy industry to invest in the country’s aging...
Jan 09, 2026•19 min
Within days of the US raid on Venezuela, President Donald Trump and his administration turned their attention to Greenland, renewing European fears that the US would try to take territory belonging to its longtime NATO ally, Denmark. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Sanne Wass in Denmark and Joe Deaux, who covers Greenland, join host Sarah Holder to discuss what days of escalating rhetoric around the strategically located Arctic island could mean for Denmark, Russia and the future of NAT...
Jan 08, 2026•19 min
The US House of Representatives will vote today on whether to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act that bring down health care costs for millions of Americans. The subsidies expired at the end of December, and lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill after their winter break just as divided over the issue as they were before the holidays. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Congress reporter Caitlin Reilly joins host David Gura to discuss the sticking points between Republicans and Democrat...
Jan 07, 2026•14 min
The US strike on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro sent shockwaves across the globe — particularly in China, Venezuela’s top crude buyer and creditor. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg’s Jenni Marsh and host K. Oanh Ha talk through what the intervention means for China’s strategic ties and oil supplies and how the military strike could change Beijing’s stance toward Taiwan. Read more: Xi Faces Higher Costs in Taiwan Than Trump Does in Venezuela Further listening: How th...
Jan 06, 2026•19 min
