
How Trump Is Turning to Russia to End the War in Ukraine
Monday marks the three year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And over the last few days, Trump has revealed his approach to ending the conflict. It would reverse years of US foreign policy in the region and has, so far, left Ukraine out of direct conversations with Russia. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, Bloomberg reporter Iain Marlow takes us inside the historic US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and explains what Trump’s pivot in policy and alliances could mean for America’s role on the global stage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 Feb 13min

Undocumented Workers Helped Build Elon Musk’s Tesla Gigafactory
Over the last four-and-a-half years, the footprint of Elon Musk’s Texas business empire has undergone rapid expansion. It now includes SpaceX facilities and a sprawling Tesla gigafactory outside the state capital. New Bloomberg reporting shows that undocumented workers helped to build some facilities — even as Musk ratcheted up his anti-immigration rhetoric and advocated for a border crackdown.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Julia Love investigated how undocumented workers ended up at these sites — and the conditions they encountered — and joined host Sarah Holder to share what she found. Read more: The Undocumented Workers Who Helped Build Elon Musk’s Texas GigafactorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
19 Feb 19min

How Amazon Rival Temu Got Sucked Into Trump’s Trade War
Since its US launch in 2022, Chinese marketplace Temu has rapidly risen to become America’s biggest e-commerce platform after Amazon, thanks to ultra-low prices on almost every product imaginable. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Spencer Soper and Rachel Chang about Donald Trump’s order to close a tariff loophole and what it means for American shoppers and the giants supplying them with goods direct from China. Further listening: The Tariff Wars Are Here — And They’re MessySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18 Feb 16min

How a Libertarian Island Experiment Became an $11 Billion Nightmare
Prospera is a city-state operated by a private company on the Honduran island of Roatan. It offers businesses single-digit tax rates and the ability to choose their own regulations. Its proponents have touted it as a poverty relief initiative for the country and as the most ambitious experiment in self-governance ever undertaken.But that dream is now facing an existential crisis. A little more than a decade after Honduras changed its constitution to allow for places like Prospera, a new political party is in charge — and they’re looking to shut the whole thing down. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Industry Group’s Umar Farooq and Bloomberg’s Michael McDonald join host Sarah Holder to break down the $11 billion battle over the fate of a special economic zone in the Caribbean. Read more: A Libertarian Island Dream in Honduras Is Now an $11 Billion NightmareSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 Feb 19min

It’s Not You. There’s a Dating Recession Happening Right Now
This Valentine’s Day, as many as 13 million more Americans are single than before the pandemic. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Ben Steverman shares what he’s learned about the cause of this love slump and how it’s taking a toll on Americans’ hearts and on the US economy. And host Sarah Holder meets a group of singles taking matters into their own hands. Read more: The Covid Pandemic Left an Extra 13 Million Americans SingleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
14 Feb 15min

The Battle Over USAID Is Heating Up
President Trump’s attacks on a key international aid agency, USAID, has left its work frozen and kicked off a fierce legal battle between his administration and US courts over its future. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, we hear from Bloomberg’s Simon Marks and health care workers on the ground in Nairobi about how the fight playing out more than 7,000 miles away is affecting HIV treatment there. And national security editor Nick Wadhams explains why Trump has taken aim at USAID and what a gutting of the agency could mean for US soft power. Read more: USAID Cuts in Kenya Reveal Risks to Lives and American Influence Worldwide After DOGE's Chaotic USAID Shutdown: Wasted Supplies, Layoffs and Lawsuits See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
13 Feb 17min

How Intel Lost Its Edge
Intel invented computer processors and was a dominant supplier of chips for decades. Now AI is fuelling record demand for next-generation chips. But Bloomberg’s Ian King says Intel is no longer the go-to partner for the global tech industry, and the company is at risk of disappearing. What went wrong? Today on the show: The rise and fall of Intel, and where it could go from here. Read Ian King’s coverage of Intel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12 Feb 17min

China’s New Game Plan for Dealing With Trump Tariffs
As US President Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on China, Xi Jinping's government has had a far more muted response than it did during the trade war in Trump’s first term. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha is joined by Bloomberg editor Jenni Marsh and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Shuli Ren to unpack China’s response to Trump’s barrage of tariffs and discuss what’s at risk for both countries if they find themselves in another trade war. Read more: China’s Mr. Big Won’t Cave In to Trump for NothingFurther listening: The Tariff Wars Are Here — And They’re MessySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11 Feb 18min