The US Citizens Recruited to Smuggle Migrants

All year, the jobs market, consumer sentiment, AI and inflation flashed warning signs about the economy — but 2025 managed to avoid a recession. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks with Bloomberg’s Stacey Vanek Smith and Moody’s Analytics Mark Zandi to understand what this year’s wonky economy can tell us as we head into 2026 and what to watch for in the new year. Read more: US Recession Risk Is Receding as We Move Into 2026See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Dec 18min

Depending on who you talk to, AI is the key to remaking industries and jobs – or a bubble ripe to pop. And if you’re an investor, you’re already exposed. So what’s the best strategy for investing in AI now? On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg personal finance reporter Suzanne Woolley talk to experts – ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood, Fidelity International’s Taosha Wang, Allspring Global Investments’ Michael Smith and Janus Henderson Investors’ Denny Fish – about coming AI investment waves and potential warning signs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Dec 16min

From rising costs to shifting markets, American farmers are struggling to make ends meet. Now, the White House is stepping in. On today’s Big Take podcast, David Gura sits down with Bloomberg agriculture Reporter Erin Ailworth and a fifth-generation farmer to discuss President Trump’s $12 billion farm aid plan. What prompted the move, which sectors will be eligible and how ongoing tensions between the US and China have upended the market for certain crops and shifted how the US exerts its influence overseas. Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-08/us-farmers-say-12-billion-bailout-won-t-end-industry-slump See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Dec 19min

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee cut rates by 25-basis points. It was the scenario a lot of close watchers of the Federal Reserve expected — but what comes after this Fed Meeting is an open question. With President Trump poised to name Chair Jerome Powell’s replacement by early 2026, both markets and the Federal Reserve itself could start to look to Trump’s nominee for guidance. Kevin Hassett has emerged as the front-runner for the role, who currently serves as director on Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers. On Today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Economics’ Chief US Economist Anna Wong joins host Sarah Holder to break down the economic impact of the latest rate cut and what the Federal Reserve could look like next year if Hassett is nominated to succeed Powell. Read more: Fed Cuts Rates With Three Dissents, Projects One Cut in 2026See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Dec 21min

The US tariff war with China sent American companies scrambling to find alternative manufacturing hubs. India looked promising until the White House upended everything. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha heads to India, where she goes inside two toy factories scrambling to adapt to Washington’s shifting trade policies. How sky-high tariffs are undercutting India’s ambitions to take China’s crown as the world’s factory floor and forcing American manufacturers to make a tough choice. Read more: Cutting Ties With China Is Harder Than Companies Expected Further listening: An American Toymaker Struggles to Break Up With ChinaThe American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive TariffsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Dec 22min

After last month’s passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the US Department of Justice is on the clock to release an enormous cache of documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. So what could be in the files? And what might the government hold back? On today’s Big Take, host David Gura is joined by Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold, who specializes in making government documents public and co-hosts Bloomberg’s Disclosure podcast. They talk through how the release could play out and how to parse the files once they’re available. Subscribe to Jason’s FOIA Files newsletter and Disclosure podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Dec 20min

News broke overnight that Netflix is acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $82.7 billion. It’s a deal raising eyebrows in the entertainment industry, from Netflix competitors including Paramount — and reportedly even the White House. On today’s Big Take, host David Gura sits down with Screentime writer and entertainment reporter Lucas Shaw to discuss the ins and outs of the deal, what we know about how it would impact viewers at home, and the regulatory challenges moving forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Dec 16min

Excel. If you work in corporate America, that word either inspires laser-focused productivity or pure dread. Over the last 40 years, the spreadsheet software has become synonymous with the best — and worst — of late-stage capitalism. It’s seeped into popular culture and, along the way, made Microsoft one of the world’s most valuable companies.But in a world of AI and new competition where Excel=Sum(39+1), can it stay on top? On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Dina Bass and Businessweek’s Max Chafkin join host Sarah Holder to track the rise and challenges ahead for one of the most ubiquitous programs around.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Dec 18min