There’s A Lot You Don’t Know About The US Space Force
The US Space Force, established in 2019, is the first new branch of the military to be created since 1947, and its mission is vast: defend US interests in space. But what exactly is the Space Force? And what does defending US interests in space mean or look like practically? As the nearly $900 billion defense spending bill winds its way through Congress, Wes went to the Pentagon to sit down with General David Thompson, the Vice Chief of Space Operations to learn what US interests in space are, and how the branch is developing. Bloomberg cybersecurity reporter Katrina Manson joins later to describe her visit to Space Command in Colorado and the importance of the US keeping a watch on its adversaries in zero gravity. 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.
26 Juli 202338min
US-Made Guns Are Fueling Global Shootings
American-made guns are pouring into countries all over the globe, even more so after the US made it easier to export guns in 2020. Even as America’s mass shootings horrify the world and gun-crime rates rise in many of the importing countries, the US government is playing a key role as the firearm industry’s booster and concierge. Bloomberg’s Michael Riley, David Kocieniewski and Patpicha Tanakasempipat join this episode to talk about one gunmaker, Sig Sauer. It has benefited the most from the push for more gun exports and has found a large customer base in Thailand. Read more: How the US Drives Gun Exports and Fuels Violence Around the World 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. Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates gun-safety measures, is backed by Michael Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25 Juli 202333min
Rhino Horn Poachers Are Forcing Rangers To Innovate
For years, park rangers in South Africa have tried to stop poachers who kill rhinos for their valuable horns. But it’s impossible to keep up–and rhinoceros populations have continued to fall. Bloomberg Businessweek contributor Jonathan Franklin reports that now, the rangers are taking a creative new approach to outmaneuver the poachers—and protect the animals. Read more: A Rhino Is Worth More Dead Than Alive 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.
24 Juli 202323min
Big Take News Wrap: Biden. Trump. Ukraine. China
We’re trying something new today. Instead of bringing you just one important story, we’re rounding up some of the week’s biggest news from the US and across the globe. Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook, Craig Gordon and Rosalind Mathieson join this episode to discuss the latest from the 2024 campaign trail, the war in Ukraine and the high stakes talks between the US and China. Plus, they tell us what stories they’ll be keeping a close eye on in the weeks ahead. 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.
21 Juli 202329min
Have We Hit Peak Social Media?
Meta’s new Twitter-like social media platform called Threads is signing up users at a record pace. But will it last–and will it be a “Twitter killer”? Bloomberg Businessweek writer Max Chafkin is…skeptical. He says that after years of explosive growth, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are facing big challenges. Many longtime users are spending less time each day scrolling through their feeds. Max joins this episode to talk about why people are putting down their phones and choosing to spend more time IRL. Read more: Threads, Twitter and the No-Attention Economy 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.
20 Juli 202332min
Millions Of Americans Still Don’t Have Broadband. That’s About To Change
Seven percent of US households and businesses lack basic broadband internet. The Biden administration plans to remedy that with $42 billion in federal broadband infrastructure grants that will be split up among the fifty states and US territories. Bloomberg telecommunications reporter Todd Shields joins this episode to discuss how local governments will spend this money, and what it will take to bridge the so-called digital divide. And Christine Hallquist, executive director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, describes the challenges of bringing broadband to rural America. Read more: Biden Touts Billions for Broadband in Economic Pitch to Voters Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
19 Juli 202328min
‘Battery Belt’ Factories Promise A Bright Future. Workers Need Convincing
The US Battery Belt, which stretches from Michigan to Georgia, has emerged as a regional hub for building electric vehicle batteries and other components critical to emerging technologies. But the push to bolster US manufacturing—soon to be flush with billions of dollars from Washington—is rubbing up against a shortage of skilled workers. Bloomberg reporters Mackenzie Hawkins and Reade Pickert join this episode to talk about Tennessee, a key Battery Belt state, where an education-focused plan is underway to recruit and train tomorrow’s workforce. Read more: The US is Building Factories Again, But Who Will Work There? 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.
18 Juli 202330min
You Never Think About Your Car’s Catalytic Converter—Until Thieves Saw It Off
Catalytic converters are a vital part of emissions reduction in gas-powered vehicles. But that’s not why they’ve been making headlines. Thieves across the US have been sawing them off cars because they contain precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium. Bloomberg Businessweek contributor Evan Ratliff is here to tell the tale of a $500 million catalytic converter theft ring—and how local police departments and federal law enforcement brought it down. Read more: How Cops Cracked a $500 Million Catalytic Converter Crime Ring 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.
17 Juli 202332min
