Big Take

When President Trump took office in January, he made it clear that retribution against his perceived political enemies was a key part of his second-term agenda.He’s used a variety of tools at his disposal — and with his encouragement, the Department of Justice has indicted former FBI Director James Comey, New York State Attorney General Letitia James and former National Security Advisor John Bolton.On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg senior national political reporter Nancy Cook and Department of Justice reporter Chris Strohm to talk about how these cases are playing out and the new precedent they could set for future administrations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Nov 18min

Wall Street banks are on a hiring spree across India, recruiting workers for everything from software engineering to risk management as part of a decades-long shift away from support roles toward high-skill positions. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host David Gura sits down with Bloomberg’s Siddhi Nayak to look at India’s changing job landscape. What to expect as Wall Street continues to expand into its tech hubs – and how Donald Trump’s H1-B visa crackdown could accelerate that push. Further listening: Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Dashes Indian Workers’ American DreamsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Nov 18min

The US economy appears remarkably resilient right now, but if you look closer, you’ll see a different picture emerge: a growing divide between America’s wealthiest consumers and everyone else. Economists call this kind of bifurcated economy “K-shaped.” And as the top and bottom of the K have diverged, the overall economy has also become more top-heavy and more fragile. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder is joined by Peter Atwater – the economist who popularized the idea of a “K-shaped economy” during the pandemic – and Bloomberg reporter Catarina Saraiva, who covers the federal reserve and labor market. They examine why this gap is widening, how it’s showing up in company earnings reports and what it means for the country’s overall financial health. Read more: ‘Jenga Tower’ US Economy Teeters as Middle Class Pulls Back SpendingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Nov 14min

How do you tell the history of a whole country through its women? And what can it tell us about the world today? These are the questions Russian-American journalist Julia Ioffe has set out to answer in her new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy.Having reported from, and on, Russia for publications including The New Yorker and Foreign Policy for more than a decade, Ioffe says she has repeatedly been asked to explain the actions and motivations of one man: Vladimir Putin.Motherland is, she says, partly a response to Putin, through her desire to show that Russia is much more than one person, let alone one man.In this conversation Ioffe talks to Mishal about reclaiming Russia’s women, about Donald Trump’s hollowing out of American institutions and why Putinism will endure. (Note: This podcast contains a discussion of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing.)02:30 - “I was born in a country that no longer exists”03:55 - The anti-feminist at Lenin’s side during the Revolution06:55 - Reluctancy to write about Russian women12:55 - What a “horrible boyfriend” Vladimir Putin was16:50 - Return to Russia, oligarch hunters and ‘trad wives’22:13 - Alexei Navalny, “the last shred of hope”29:20 - Can Russia sustain the war in Ukraine?32:32 - Trump’s assault on US institutions, faster than Putin34:30 - American authoritarianism, risk of “one party state”Watch this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYSYou can find the written version of this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interviewContact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.netSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Nov 39min

The United States has struck more than a dozen boats off the coast of Venezuela over the last two months, killing more than 60 people.The Trump administration says it’s targeting narco-traffickers. But critics at home and abroad have decried the attacks and challenged their legal basis. Meanwhile, President Trump has overseen a buildup of force in the region.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg National Security Reporter Nick Wadhams, Bloomberg Economics Defense Lead Becca Wasser and host David Gura take stock of the concentration of American military force in the Caribbean. They break down why President Trump is taking aim at Venezuela right now — and discuss what could happen next. Read more: Nobel Peace Prize Winner: US Escalation Is ‘Only Way’ to Free VenezuelaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Nov 14min

The ongoing US government shutdown has broken historic records — and its economic consequences could prove even longer-lasting. Today on the Big Take, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg’s Gregory Korte and Megan Scully, who cover the White House and Congress, to talk about the shutdown’s impacts across sectors — and what it could take to break the logjam. Read more: The US Government Shutdown Is the Longest Ever. Why Does This Keep Happening?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Nov 17min

Zohran Mamdani clinched New York City’s mayoral race by campaigning against wealth inequality and promoting affordability. Now, he faces the challenge of delivering on the promises that got him elected while coming to the table with the city’s wealthiest residents, who have an outsized influence on the city’s politics, economy and revenue. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg reporters Emily Flitter and Fola Akinnibi and speaks with Kathryn Wylde, the CEO of the Partnership for New York City, which represents the interests of the city’s business community. They discuss what Mamdani’s victory means for Wall Street and how he plans to win over the 1 percent. Read more: Wall Street Drops Fear of ‘Hot Commie Summer’ in Overture to Mamdani Allow Zohran Mamdani to Reintroduce Himself New York’s Golden Handcuffs: Why the City Has a Special Hold on the Rich See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Nov 19min

Asian nations are walking a tightrope between Washington and Beijing – juggling trade, tech and security pressures as the heavyweights vie for influence. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Adam Farrar, Bloomberg’s senior geoeconomics analyst for Asia Pacific, to unpack what may have been overlooked at the APEC summit as the Xi-Trump show came to town. Read more: Xi Calls for Stable Supply Chains After Sealing Trump Truce Further listening: Trump Got an ‘Amazing’ Meeting. China Got Much-Needed Time Listen and follow The Big Take Asia on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Nov 19min