Big Take

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

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Where Does the Israel-Iran Conflict Go From Here? Monday, June 16, 2025

Conflict between Iran and Israel has been simmering for decades — but escalated rapidly in the last few days after Israel bombed key nuclear facilities in Iran. As world leaders convene for the G-7 in Canada this week — many are concerned about the prospect of continued fighting and a broader regional conflict. Today on the Big Take podcast, Golnar Motevalli, who covers Iran for Bloomberg, joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the on-the-ground reality in both countries, the choices facing their heads of state and what other world leaders might do to encourage a deescalation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Live from Hong Kong: Why China Can Afford to Wait for a Deal, and the US Can’t Sunday, June 15, 2025

Today on the Big Take, we bring you a new episode of Trumponomics, straight from the live stage at Bloomberg’s Hong Kong Invest conference. Stephanie Flanders leads a panel from the Hong Kong Invest conference to unpack the latest round of high-stakes trade talks between the US and China, exploring why Beijing may still have the upper hand and how far any decoupling of the two economies will go. She's joined by Robin Xing, Chief China Economist at Morgan Stanley, Lotus Asset Management Chief Investment Officer Hao Hong, and Bloomberg reporter Rebecca Choong Wilkins. Further reading: Why China Can Afford to Wait for a Deal, and the US Can’tSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bloomberg’s Interview With UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Friday, June 13, 2025

Ahead of next week’s G-7 Summit in Calgary, Canada, Bloomberg Weekend Editor-at-Large Mishal Husain sat down for an exclusive interview with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The wide-ranging conversation touched on Israel’s ongoing strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the US-UK trade agreement, defense spending and more. Read more: Starmer Says UK Has ‘Grave Concerns’ on Iran Nuclear Program Starmer Signals Support for 3.5% NATO Aim With Talks on Date Update on June 16: Corrects spelling of Keir Starmer in episode descriptionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Everything We Know About the Air India Crash Thursday, June 12, 2025

Moments after taking off, an Air India flight bound for London from an airport in Western India crashed with over 200 passengers on board. Hundreds have died and a search for survivors is ongoing. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Benedikt Kammel joins host Sarah Holder on what the crash of Boeing’s marquee 787 Dreamliner means for the company and the commercial aviation industry at large.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Fed Chair Scott Bessent? The Race to Replace Jay Powell Wednesday, June 11, 2025

President Trump says his decision on who will succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell “is coming out very soon.” And according to new reporting from Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook and Saleha Mohsin, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is a contender for the job. On today’s Big Take podcast, Nancy and Saleha join host David Gura to discuss the president’s Apprentice-style approach to selecting a Fed Chair, what he wants in Powell’s replacement and how that might impact Fed independence. Read more: Bessent Emerging as a Contender to Succeed Fed’s PowellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The US and China’s High-Stakes Diplomacy Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Representatives for the US and China are in London this week trying to hammer out a potential trade deal. But with US access to China’s rare-earth minerals and China’s access to US semiconductor chips on the table, common ground has been hard to come by. On today’s episode, Big Take host Sarah Holder speaks to Bloomberg’s Brendan Murray, who’s on the ground in London. And Big Take Asia host K Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s John Liu about China’s thinking and what a deal could mean for both countries. Read more: China, US Haggle Over Details as Trade Talks Stretch OnSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What Happens Next in Los Angeles? Monday, June 9, 2025

Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg national immigration reporter Alicia Caldwell joins host David Gura from Los Angeles to discuss the protests over ICE immigration raids, the clash between California and the federal government and how this fight could play out in other cities and in the courts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The New Economics of Broadway Friday, June 6, 2025

Broadway has always been a high-risk, high-reward kind of business — but with costs to mount a production higher than ever, producers are leaning into new strategies to try to recoup investments. Now, as Broadway wraps its highest-grossing season on record, the hottest tickets to celebrity-studded shows are going for upwards of $800. On today’s Big Take podcast, we speak with two Tony Award-winning producers, Daryl Roth and Lucas Katler, about what it takes to succeed these days in show business, and we hear from Bloomberg Pursuits’ Chris Rovzar about what Broadway’s new economic reality means for tourism, for art and for what audiences pay at the box office.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Looking for a Job? The World Desperately Needs Engineers Thursday, June 5, 2025

There's a vital puzzle piece missing as rich nations aim to transform their electricity grids for the AI age: millions of skilled engineers.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi joins host Sarah Holder to break down how labor shortages in the electrification industry are slowing down the green energy transition and what it would take to turn things around. Plus, the one country bucking the trend.Read more: The Missing EngineersListen more: A skilled worker shortage is becoming an ‘existential’ problem for the energy transition: Bottleneck SeriesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What’s Driving Europe’s Political Shift to the Right? Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Poland’s election of a Trump-backed conservative nationalist president early this week is part of a larger shift to the right across the European continent: Much like in the US, conservative, nationalist and right-wing parties are gaining traction. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Rodney Jefferson and David Gura discuss the growing cultural divide behind Europe’s rising conservative movements and what their growth could mean for migration, climate policy and the future of the EU.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Nintendo's Big Bet on Switch 2 Tuesday, June 3, 2025

The Nintendo Switch has generated some $100 billion in sales for the Japanese gaming giant since its launch in 2017, propelling the company’s shares to record highs. Now the game-maker is under pressure to do even better with the new Switch 2, out this week. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg Opinion’s Gearoid Reidy joins host K. Oanh Ha to talk about why the Switch 2 is so important to Nintendo’s business and whether it can live up to the hype. Read more: If the Switch 2 Stumbles, Nintendo Has No Plan BWatch, from Originals: Nintendo’s High-Stakes Bet on the Switch 2Further listening: A Turning Point in Trump’s Trade WarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A Turning Point in Trump’s Trade War Monday, June 2, 2025

We’re more than halfway through the 90-day pause on President Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs. That three-month delay was supposed to give the US time to negotiate trade deals with countries around the world. And while talks are ongoing, many deals still seem out of reach. Now, legal challenges to Trump’s tariff strategy have thrown another wrench in the administration’s plans. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder sits down with Bloomberg’s Brendan Murray to hear a status report on the latest steel tariff hikes and trade negotiations, and with legal reporter Erik Larson to explore how the courts could upend Trump’s agenda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Dollar’s Dominance is Unwinding in Asia Friday, May 30, 2025

As Donald Trump tries to remake global trade, the dollar’s historic dominance in Asia is under pressure. After Taiwan’s currency saw the biggest surge against the dollar in almost 40 years in early May, some money managers are saying the spike signals the acceleration of a bigger trend of moving investments back home. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Ruth Carson about what’s driving Asia’s shift away from the greenback and what a rewiring of global financial ties means for the region’s biggest economies. Further listening: Carry Trades, ExplainedCould the Chinese Yuan Ever Replace the US Dollar? Watch, from Originals: Why the US Is Getting DowngradedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Where to Go If You Need a CEO Thursday, May 29, 2025

For decades, General Electric — the conglomerate known for making everything from trains to microwaves — was also known for churning out executives. Time spent at the company’s Crotonville campus was seen as the gold standard for leadership training in Corporate America. But as GE has lost its luster, a new CEO pipeline has emerged.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg work and management reporter Matt Boyle joins host David Gura to share what he’s discovered about where tomorrow's CEOs are learning to lead — and what it means for global business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Financial Stakes of Trump’s Attacks on Harvard Wednesday, May 28, 2025

The Trump administration has ramped up its attacks on Harvard University — threatening its tax-exempt status, federal funding and its ability to enroll international students. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Brooke Sutherland and Francesca Maglione join host David Gura to unpack the latest developments and how they could ripple beyond the bounds of Harvard’s campus. Read more: Here Are the Many Ways Trump Is Attacking HarvardSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The MAGA-ification of Mark Zuckerberg Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been going through a bit of a MAGA rebrand, complete with a new look — gold chains, grown-out hair, custom boxy, black T-shirts — and appearances on so-called manosphere podcasts hosted by MAGA-friendly comedians like Theo Von and Joe Rogan.Those changes have translated to his company, too. Since January, Meta has rolled back diversity efforts, weakened hate speech policies, disbanded its civil-rights team, eliminated its outside fact-checking system and added a prominent Trump ally to its board of directors. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Riley Griffin joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the political evolution of Mark Zuckerberg: What he hopes to gain from getting closer to Trump and what he has to show for it. Read more: Mark Zuckerberg Loves MAGA Now. Will MAGA Ever Love Him Back?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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They Bought Dream Homes in Tulum. Then Came the Nightmare Monday, May 26, 2025

Tulum, Mexico has exploded in popularity since the early years of the pandemic. The area’s few Covid restrictions, picturesque beaches and laidback vibes attracted lockdown-weary travelers and helped trigger a real estate boom. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Andrea Navarro and Tanaz Meghjani join host Sarah Holder to discuss the dark side of a pandemic-era development spree in Tulum that has left a trail of ripped off investors, millions of dollars in missing cash and even two bodies in its wake.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Are Current Beauty Trends Recession Indicators? It’s Complicated. Friday, May 23, 2025

In 2001, it was lipstick. After the 2008 financial crisis, it was DIY haircuts. In times of economic turmoil, consumers tend to change the way they spend on makeup and beauty. So what is the beauty industry telling us now about the state of the US economy? On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Ben Steverman visits a beauty convention and talks to masseuses and hair stylists about the trends they’re seeing in their salons, and cosmetics reporter Jeannette Neumann crunches the numbers on how these consumer behaviors are hitting companies’ bottom lines. Read more: The Beauty Salon Recession Indicator Estée Lauder Forecasts Return to Sales Growth in 2026 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Who Is the Mysterious Founder of China’s DeepSeek? Thursday, May 22, 2025

Despite the global hype around China’s DeepSeek, very little is known about the man behind it – Liang Wenfeng. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Saritha Rai about the tech founder who led DeepSeek to the frontline of AI advances and what the company’s rise tells us about the battle for AI dominance. Further listening: Why DeepSeek Sent Nvidia, Other Tech Stocks Tumbling Watch, from Originals: How China’s DeepSeek Came for Big AISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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At 83, Media Mogul Barry Diller Is Ready to Tell His Story Wednesday, May 21, 2025

After decades in the public eye, 83-year-old media mogul and Fox co-founder Barry Diller is finally ready to tell his story. On today’s Big Take podcast, Diller joins host David Gura to talk about his new memoir, Who Knew, his storied career as an entertainment executive and his decision to speak publicly about his sexuality for the first time. Plus, how he’s navigating President Trump’s shifting trade and regulatory policies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.