China’s Economic Crackdowns Are Crushing the Dreams of a Generation

We’re on the cusp of a natural – but significant – shift from a cooling weather phase known as La Niña to its considerable opposite–El Niño. This change will bring warming trends globally, and many unwelcome consequences. In some parts of the world, past El Niño events brought drought that destroyed crops and added to fire risks. In other regions, it led to flooding that destroyed homes. El Niños have caused inflation spikes, sapped economic productivity, strained power grids, and driven up food prices. And the extreme heat can also create public health emergencies. Bloomberg’s Ben Sharples and Brian K Sullivan tell us what to expect from this El Niño, and how it will impact our lives.   Read more: This El Niño Threatens New Levels of Global Economic Destruction 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.This episode was produced by: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producer: Federica Romaniello, Associate Producer: Zaynab Siddiqui. Sound Design/Engineer: Gilda Garcia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Jun 202322min

America’s affordable housing shortage has been getting worse for decades. Now, some states are trying to ease this crisis by enacting what's been called a “builder's remedy.” These are rules that override local zoning laws and allow developers to build housing in cities that fail to meet state targets.  It’s one of several carrots and sticks governors are wielding to pressure cities into freeing up land for development. What will it take to build enough affordable places to live across the US? Bloomberg CityLab writers  Kriston Capps and Sarah Holder highlight the pitfalls of the current housing shortage, and how states are getting creative to force change.   Read more: Housing-Strapped States Reach for a Fraught Fix: the ‘Builder’s Remedy’ 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. This episode was produced by: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producers: Mo Barrow, Michael Falero. Sound Design/Engineer: Gilda Garcia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Jun 202327min

As pressure mounts on lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence, another problem area of the technology is emerging: AI-generated images. Early research shows these images can be biased and perpetuate stereotypes. Bloomberg reporters Dina Bass and Leonardo Nicoletti dug deep into the data that powers this technology, and they join this episode to talk about how AI image generation works—and whether it’s possible to train the models to produce better results. Read more: Humans Are Biased. Generative AI Is Even Worse 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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Jun 202324min

Donald Trump enters a Miami courtroom today to hear federal criminal charges related to his handling of classified documents that he took with him when he left the White House. The former president also faces investigations into his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and whether he bears some responsibility for the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.  Bloomberg’s Sara Forden and Zoe Tillman dive into the details of the charges against Trump—and what happens next. Read more: Trump Indictment Highlights the Perils of Being His Lawyer 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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Jun 202329min

South Korea’s stock market is one of the largest in Asia. The nation is home to huge conglomerates including Samsung and Hyundai. And yet Korea is still listed as an emerging market — not a developed one — by MSCI, the investment research firm that provides influential market indexes. Korea argues it should be elevated to MSCI’s World Index, where it would sit alongside the US, UK, Germany and other developed economic powers. The company is expected to decide this month. Bloomberg’s Youkyung Lee and Henry Ren join this episode to talk about why this move matters so much to South Korea — and why some companies and market watchers are having second thoughts about whether such a move is a good idea — or even worth it.  Read more: Why Bringing a $1.8 Trillion Stock Market to the Big Leagues Could Backfire 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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Jun 202326min

Cities up and down the eastern coast of the US are experiencing record levels of air pollution from the recent Canadian wildfire smoke. The worsening air quality and associated health risks recall another major set of wildfires in recent years: the Black Summer bushfires that devastated many parts of Australia in 2019 and 2020. We're bringing you this recent episode about the bushfires, as wildfires and their health consequences 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 Leaves Children Gasping for Air Years LaterListen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAKHave questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Jun 202326min

For decades, African American activists, scholars, and elected officials have called for reparations to address the long legacy of slavery and racism in the US. Now, California is beginning to take action. The state has put together a reparations task force to make recommendations to lawmakers in this first attempt of its kind, which also hopes to serve as a template for other states. Who would be compensated, and how much would they receive? Bloomberg’s California Bureau Chief Karen Breslau joins this episode to share her reporting on the draft details of the plan. And Kamilah Moore, who chairs California’s Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, talks about their efforts to put numbers on injustice. Read more: California Puts a Price on Slavery’s Legacy and Draws a Blueprint for Reparations. 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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Jun 202334min

European football is one of the world’s most popular sports, and billionaires, hedge funds, and sovereign wealth funds want a piece of it. They’re purchasing clubs, or stakes in them. But whether it’s for money, the love of the game, or positive PR—that depends on the owner. Bloomberg’s Giles Turner and Irene Garcia Perez join this episode to talk about the patchwork of club owners, and whether football is actually a winning investment. 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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Jun 202323min