Big Take

Will we know the result of the 2024 US Presidential election on election night? Or will the new normal look like 2020, when Americans had to wait days for the final call? Bloomberg politics reporter Gregory Korte joins Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin to break down what’s changed since former President Donald Trump began contesting the results of his 2020 loss, and what could happen if a drawn-out election call stokes uncertainty in the electoral process. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perrier, the popular French bottled water brand, has long been a symbol of luxury. But it’s now under scrutiny after regulators found trace amounts of fecal matter and pesticides where its water is sourced. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg consumer goods reporter Dasha Afanasieva joins host David Gura to talk about how Perrier and its parent company, Nestlé, have responded — and ask bigger questions about sustainability in the global water business. Read more: Perrier Well Contamination Sparks Scrutiny for Luxe Water Brand See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adrian Cheng, the third-generation scion of property dynasty New World Development, seemed poised to take over his family’s $20 billion empire. But last month, in a surprising twist, he was replaced as CEO by someone outside of his family. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Shawna Kwan about the succession drama at New World, the possible ripple effects on other family dynasties in the region, and what it all could mean for the future of one of Hong Kong’s major property developers. Read more: New World Scion’s Fall Upends Succession at $23 Billion Dynasty Further listening: $200 Billion, Four Heirs and One Might Indian Empire See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel and Israel responded by declaring war. One year later, that war rages on, conflict has spread through the region, and activists around the world are calling for peace. Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner joins host David Gura to reflect on how the October 7 attacks have transformed the region and what comes next. Further listening: The Escalating Conflict in the Middle East See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shipping ports all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast shut down earlier this week, as the 47,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike. Their demands: A pay raise of nearly 80% over 6 years and strict limits on the use of automation in the nation’s ports. Shipping companies refused and worries mounted that the strike could drag on for weeks, creating gridlock at the ports, and recreating some of the pandemic-era supply chain snarls. But dockworkers and shipping companies struck a temporary deal late Thursday. Today on the Big Take, Sarah Holder and reporter Laura Curtis talk through the details of the deal, why the White House got involved and who the winners and losers are. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a Russian missile hit the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Ukrainian investigators found the navigation system had components made by four Western companies, including two in the US. Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg reporter Stephanie Baker talks to host David Gura about how these components are making their way to the battlefield and what steps the US government is taking to try to prevent that from happening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 US election cycle, Tim Walz and JD Vance had two objectives: Keep the momentum going for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, and do no harm. But one of the most surprising takeaways of the policy-forward debate was just how respectful the conversation was. Bloomberg senior editor Wendy Benjaminson joins host Sarah Holder to break down key moments – from the cordial to the confrontational – and what Vance and Walz’s performances mean for their tickets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran attacked Israel for the second time in five months Tuesday, with a volley of missiles coming hours after Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon. Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg’s Dan Williams, a reporter in Bloomberg’s Jerusalem bureau, and Joumanna Bercetche in Dubai join host David Gura to talk about the latest on the Middle East and what that means for the region – and the US. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harvard University’s endowment fund is larger than the endowment of any other university on the planet. That’s, in part, because of a pioneering investment strategy. But in recent years, the returns haven’t measured up to rival universities like Yale or Brown. Bloomberg’s Janet Lorin joins host David Gura to talk about how Harvard University’s early edge seems to have waned in the midst of changing leadership and strategies. Read more: Harvard’s Not-So-Smart Money: Two Decades of Poor Returns and Rich Pay Further Listening: Facing Huge Challenges, One College Tries to Be Too Big to FailIf College Is an Investment, These Offer the Best ROISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, China’s central bank announced a stimulus package designed to revive the economy, cutting an interest rate and reducing the amount of money banks need to hold in reserve. But the country’s ongoing drive to upgrade its struggling economy has left millions of people facing job losses or pay cuts, fueling an existential crisis among some of its best and brightest workers. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Lulu Chen about the impact Xi Jinping’s push is having on professionals, from banking to tech, and what this anxiety could mean for the outlook of the world’s second-largest economy. Read more: Web Hed for original article + Link China’s CICC Demotes Senior Bankers, Cuts Pay to Slash Costs China Unleashes Stimulus Package to Revive Economy, Markets Further listening: Why China’s Investment Bankers Are Breaking Up With Capitalism What Does China’s Economic Slowdown Mean For the Communist Party? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past year, Bloomberg News and Morning Consult have been polling voters in swing states. Former President Donald Trump has had a consistent lead when it comes to the question of who voters trust on the economy. But a new poll of likely voters shows Vice President Kamala Harris closing that gap in key states. Today, senior editor Wendy Benjaminson joins the Big Take DC to dig into how this polling works and what we can learn from the results. Read more: Kamala Harris Holds Razor-Thin Lead Across Swing States in Tight 2024 Race See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skyrocketing tuition costs, COVID and fewer high school graduates have been straining the survival of smaller American colleges, leading many to shut down. Now, some are joining a surprising new path: mergers and acquisitions. Bloomberg reporter Francesca Maglione sits down with Big Take host David Gura to discuss why some colleges are eager to merge with others, and what this new dynamic might mean for the future of higher education. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talk of de-dollarization has been gaining momentum among China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa in the wake of significant US led sanctions on Russia. Former US President and candidate Donald Trump has said the currency is under attack — and that any country that shuns it would face new tariffs on imports if he is elected. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin about the unique role the dollar plays in the world economy — and what, if anything, could replace it. Read more: The Dollar’s Dominance, Explained Further listening: Odd Lots Podcast – How the US Dollar Became an International Weapon of War See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fighting has escalated in the Middle East after thousands of pagers and walkie talkies held by Hezbollah operatives exploded across Lebanon last week. That attack is the most recent example of supply chain interference — a global problem that national security officials say is now “rampant.” Bloomberg cybersecurity reporter Katrina Manson and defense and intelligence reporter Peter Martin sit down with Big Take host Sarah Holder to break down what we know about how and when the Hezbollah pagers were turned into bombs — and what countries like the US and China are doing to protect their supply chains from foreign infiltration. Read more: Exploding Pagers Raise Global Supply-Chain Security Concern See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Computers have outplayed humans in chess and Go for decades. But poker was long considered unhackable. The game requires not just crunching numbers, but creativity and complex strategy. That only started to change about 10 years ago, when a new generation of unbeatable poker bots began to appear online. The makers of the technology remained in the shadows, so Bloomberg’s Kit Chellel set out to find them. On today’s Big Take podcast, he joins David Gura to share the story of how a group of Russian students invented the world’s best online poker bots and what that means for the multi-billion-dollar industry. Read more: The Russian Bot Army That Conquered Online Poker See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris took over the Democratic presidential ticket, she’s faced criticism from voters who say they don’t know what she stands for. But we know two Bloomberg reporters who do: California bureau chief Karen Breslau, who’s been following Harris’ career for two decades, and Josh Wingrove, who covers her campaign. Today on the show, they join host Sarah Holder to discuss what we know about Harris’ economic message and what a Harris presidency could mean for everything from domestic taxes to global trade. Read more: Understanding Kamala Harris Further listening: Donald Trump Sits Down With Bloomberg Businessweek See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Reserve announced a highly anticipated rate cut of half a percentage point today — larger than many watchers anticipated. Which industries and companies will feel this interest rate cut the most, and what will it mean for everyday consumers? Bloomberg’s Enda Curran joins host Sarah Holder to talk about what effects we can expect to see as the rate cut ripples through the US economy and the world — and hits our wallets. Read more: Rent Is the Stubborn Part of the Inflation Story See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They caused global markets to seize up – and raised serious questions about just how much money was at stake. No, we’re not talking about the last Fed meeting, or the US jobs report. We’re talking about carry trades – an obscure part of international markets that this summer suddenly became less obscure. On today’s Big Take podcast, our Bloomberg Explains series continues with Bloomberg Opinion columnist Shuli Ren. She tells hosts K. Oanh Ha and David Gura when the yen carry trade began and what went wrong, and we look at what this week's expected interest rate cut in the US could mean for the practice. Read more: How Big Is the Yen Carry Trade, Really? Further listening: Odd Lots Podcast - Bloomberg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in over four years. And there’s debate over how big the cut will be and how soon it will impact the economy. Bloomberg’s Kate Davidson joins host David Gura to discuss this turning point for the economy, and what else Fed policymakers have in store for the future. Read more: Fed Ready to Unshackle US Economy With Soft Landing at Stake Further listening: What a September Cut Could Mean for the Economy and the Election See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A controversial AI safety bill was just passed by California’s legislature. It’s been spurned by OpenAI and Nancy Pelosi, championed by Elon Musk – and could radically reshape the future of the technology’s development not just in the state, but globally. On today’s podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks with California State Senator Scott Wiener, the author of SB 1047, about why he thinks California needs to take a lead in regulating AI. And Bloomberg tech reporter Shirin Ghaffary explains why even if the bill is vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the questions it has raised about AI regulation could be long-lasting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.