Big Take

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Latest Episodes:

The $240 Million Ad Campaign That Helped Get Kristi Noem Fired Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

President Donald Trump fired Kristi Noem from her role as head of the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday. One of the reasons for Noem’s removal involved her oversight of a $240 million DHS ad campaign, starring herself.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporters Irene Casado Sanchez and Eric Fan join host Sarah Holder to reveal the inside story of that ad blitz — and the ties between people in Trump’s orbit and the companies that were given millions to spend on it.

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The Sixth Bureau Episode 5: One Way In, One Way Out Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

In Episode 5 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take,a spy from China’s Ministry of State Security travels to an overseas meeting with a valuable source. He has no idea he is walking into a trap that the FBI has been setting up for months.
The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg News follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to acquire the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. That is, until his sloppiness — and a cunning FBI sting — led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil.
The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught. Listen to Episodes 1 - 4 here.

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War in Iran Is Exposing Oil Risks Across Asia Mar 05, 2026

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The war in the Middle East is rattling global oil markets, raising the risk of supply disruptions and price shocks for energy‑hungry Asian economies.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Daniel Ten Kate and Fereidun Fesharaki, founder and chairman of FGE, about how tensions involving Iran are being watched by energy markets — and which Asian economies are most exposed if the crisis escalates.

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Former Secretary of State on the Two Keys to Ending War in Iran Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

How long will hostilities in Iran last? Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken says it will likely depend on “markets and munitions.”

In an interview with the Big Take podcast, Blinken and host David Gura discuss the Obama and Biden administrations’ efforts to avoid conflict with Iran, the unanticipated ways this war puts the US at risk and how the strikes could reshape the region.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Julia Press; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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The White House’s Shifting Explanations for the Iran War Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

As the war with Iran widens in the Middle East, legislators on both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration with a lack of advance notice of the strikes and the inconsistencies in the administration’s justifications and goals for the military action.

On today’s Big Take, Bloomberg national political correspondent Nancy Cook and national security reporter Jamie Tarabay join the show to discuss what Trump is trying to accomplish in Iran, what powers Congress has to shape US involvement and whether legislators will support what Trump tries to do next.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Nancy Cook and Jamie Tarabay; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by David Fox, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and Julia Press; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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After Months of Succession Planning, Who’s Leading Iran? Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

The US and Israel’s attacks on Iran have entered their third day — and President Donald Trump said Monday that the US military operation could continue for weeks, or more.

On today’s Big Take podcast, reporter Golnar Motevalli talks to host Sarah Holder about the widening regional conflict, Iran’s succession plans and what we know about the end game for the US as President Trump vows to do “whatever it takes.”

Follow Bloomberg’s live coverage here.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Reported by Golnar Motevalli; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by David Fox and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Katie McMurran.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Escalating Conflict With Iran Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

Targets in Iran, Israel and in the Middle East are under attack in an unprecedented escalation in the conflict between the US and Iran. The combat operations come after weeks of negotiations between the US and Iran over what remains of its nuclear program.

On today’s Big Take, Bloomberg’s Jeff Mason and Joumanna Bercetche join host David Gura to discuss the timing and goals of this weekend’s strikes — and the risk of a widening, regional conflict.

This is a developing story. We are live blogging at Bloomberg.com with the latest from across the globe.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Jeff Mason and Joumanna Bercetche; Edited by Naomi Shavin.

Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein Says the Market Is Due For a Reckoning Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

After steering one of Wall Street’s iconic investment banks through the financial crisis, former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is investing his own money and, with the publication of a new memoir, reflecting on his time at the firm.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Blankfein tells host David Gura how he uses AI, what he sees as a worrying expansion of opaque investment products and what happens when public companies respond to political pressures. And David asks him about the resignation of Goldman’s top lawyer following the release of the latest Epstein files.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special Report: US and Israel Strike Iran Feb 28, 2026

Show notes

President Donald Trump says the US has begun major combat operations against Iran. Airstrikes have been carried out by Israel and the US, with multiple provinces hit. Iran in turn has fired back at Israel and targeted US bases and assets in the region, including Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq.
This comes after weeks of talks failed to produce a fresh agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. OPEC+ will consider the option of a larger supply increase when key members meet on Sunday.

This is a developing story. We are live blogging at Bloomberg.com with the latest from across the globe. You can also listen at Bloomberg News Now.
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

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The Sixth Bureau Episode 4: The Duck Analogy Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

In Episode 4 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take,we follow a spy from China’s Ministry of State Security as he tries to plan a delicate overseas meeting with a valuable source. But the person he’s talking to isn’t working alone.

The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg News follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to acquire the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. That is, until his sloppiness — and a cunning FBI sting — led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil.

The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught. Listen to Episodes 1 - 3 here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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