Big Take

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Latest Episodes:

How the ‘Power Game’ Is Reshaping Venezuela Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

After US forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, President Donald Trump said the US would “run” the South American country. What’s actually happened since?

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura has a sweeping conversation with International Crisis Group senior analyst Phil Gunson, who’s based in Caracas and has tracked Latin American politics for decades.

Further listening:

Hosted by David Gura and Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Edited by Aaron Edwards.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Katie McMurran.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Apple Winning the ‘AI Scare Trade’? Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

As the “AI scare trade” jolts companies large and small, Apple shares keep doing their own thing. The company has “decoupled” to the greatest degree in 20 years from forces moving the rest of the Nasdaq 100.

Why — and how? On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg’s equities reporter Ryan Vlastelica and Chief Apple Correspondent Mark Gurman about how the company became a hedge against fears of AI disruption — and why that may not be a good thing.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Ryan Vlastelica and Mark Gurman; 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.

A Guide to the State of Trump and the Union Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

President Trump heads into Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address with sagging poll numbers just days after his signature tariff strategy was struck down by the Supreme Court. As a speaker with a history of diverging from script, Trump is expected to defend everything from his record on affordability to his approach to Iran in order to rally his base ahead of midterm elections.

On today’s Big Take Podcast, White House reporter Josh Wingrove joins host David Gura to discuss what this year-one milestone means for Trump amid tensions in the US and around the world.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Josh Wingrove; Edited by Naomi Shavin.

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.

After Trump's Major Tariff Setback, The World Asks: What Now? Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

From Brussels to Beijing, the United States’ largest trading partners are digesting the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn President Trump’s signature tariffs — along with his threats to impose new, potentially stickier levies by other means.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Big Take Asia host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg China economy and government editor Jenni Marsh and Bloomberg’s top trade editor Brendan Murray to discuss the global reaction to Trump’s tariff setback: how countries like China are pushing for more favorable terms, the additional levers Trump is using to build a “tariff wall” around the US and what this could mean for the future of global trade.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha and Sarah Holder; Produced by Naomi Ng and Julia Press; Reported by Jenni Marsh and Brendan Murray; Edited by Paddy Hirsch;

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Katie McMurran

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SCOTUS Strikes Down Trump’s Tariffs Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

The US Supreme Court on Friday handed President Donald Trump one of the biggest losses of his second term, striking down his signature tariff plan. On today’s Big Take podcast, Sarah Holder talks to one of the people at the heart of the drama: Rick Woldenberg, the CEO of Learning Resources, a toy company that was a lead plaintiff in the case. And she unpacks the decision and its implications with Supreme Court reporter Greg Stohr and global trade editor Brendan Murray.

The Big Take Asia followed Learning Resources throughout 2025 as it formulated its legal response to the new US tariffs and grappled with the challenges of shifting its supply chain from China to some lower-tariff neighbors.

To hear more, listen to these Big Take Asia episodes:

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press and David Fox; Reported by Greg Stohr and Brendan Murray; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sixth Bureau Episode 3: Suck, Squeeze, Burn, Blow Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In Episode 3 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take, we follow a spy from China’s Ministry of State Security to the Paris Air Show, and then watch him develop a valuable source, despite his bosses constantly getting in his way.

The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg Newsfollows 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 Episode 1 and 2 here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump’s Plan to Dismantle the Department of Education Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

The Department of Education has been a target of critics for decades. Republicans in the Oval Office have repeatedly tried to shrink the agency, and in his second term, President Trump has vowed to eliminate it altogether.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg education reporter Liam Knox and host David Gura talk through what it takes to gut a congressionally approved federal agency: what’s behind the Trump administration’s ‘creative’ efforts to scale back or move some of the Education Department’s trademark programs and what the shift could mean for students, lawmakers and other federal agencies in the administration’s crosshairs.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Liam Knox; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Editorial team; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Race to Buy Real Estate in Mecca Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

For the first time in history, Saudi Arabia is allowing international buyers to purchase property in Mecca. This regulatory shift has ignited a building boom, raising concerns over affordability and overdevelopment.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Zainab Fattah joins Sarah Holder to discuss what this property gold rush means for the city’s future and Saudi Arabia’s move away from oil.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Zainab Fattah; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where’s the Beef? Inside the Fragile Cattle Market Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Inflation in the US has cooled from pandemic peaks, but there’s a grocery product telling a different story: beef. The price of uncooked ground beef soared by the most since June 2020 in government data released Friday. The broad beef and veal category is up 15% over the past year as of January.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Enda Curran takes a peek into the American consumer’s grocery basket with host David Gura to understand the perfect storm of factors that’s setting beef apart. And a fifth-generation Oklahoma rancher reflects on the impact that a fragile market has had on her family business.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and David Fox; Reported by Enda Curran, Ilena Peng; Edited by Aaron Edwards;

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura;

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sixth Bureau, Episode 1: Your Friend From Nanjing Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

It’s an open secret that the Chinese government has engaged in a global campaign to acquire intellectual property from foreign rivals. At the center of that campaign is the Ministry of State Security, China’s elusive intelligence agency. The US has apprehended hundreds of people accused of giving information to the MSS, but the agency’s inner workings have been a mystery — until now.

Today, we’re bringing you Episode 1 of The Sixth Bureau, a limited-run series from The Big Take. The series 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. The limited-run series will publish on Fridays in The Big Take.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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