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The Fed Just Cut Rates Again. Here’s What’s Ahead for 2026 Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee cut rates by 25-basis points. It was the scenario a lot of close watchers of the Federal Reserve expected — but what comes after this Fed Meeting is an open question.

With President Trump poised to name Chair Jerome Powell’s replacement by early 2026, both markets and the Federal Reserve itself could start to look to Trump’s nominee for guidance. Kevin Hassett has emerged as the front-runner for the role, who currently serves as director on Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers.

On Today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Economics’ Chief US Economist Anna Wong joins host Sarah Holder to break down the economic impact of the latest rate cut and what the Federal Reserve could look like next year if Hassett is nominated to succeed Powell.

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Tariffed: The Toymaker That Took on Trump Part Two Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

The US tariff war with China sent American companies scrambling to find alternative manufacturing hubs. India looked promising until the White House upended everything.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha heads to India, where she goes inside two toy factories scrambling to adapt to Washington’s shifting trade policies. How sky-high tariffs are undercutting India’s ambitions to take China’s crown as the world’s factory floor and forcing American manufacturers to make a tough choice.

Further listening: An American Toymaker Struggles to Break Up With China
The American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive Tariffs

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What to Expect in the DOJ Epstein Files Release Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

After last month’s passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the US Department of Justice is on the clock to release an enormous cache of documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

So what could be in the files? And what might the government hold back?

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura is joined by Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold, who specializes in making government documents public and co-hosts Bloomberg’s Disclosure podcast. They talk through how the release could play out and how to parse the files once they’re available.

Subscribe to Jason’s FOIA Files newsletter and Disclosure podcast

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Netflix’s $82 Billion Power Play for Warner Bros. Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

News broke overnight that Netflix is acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $82.7 billion.

It’s a deal raising eyebrows in the entertainment industry, from Netflix competitors including Paramount — and reportedly even the White House.

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura sits down with Screentime writer and entertainment reporter Lucas Shaw to discuss the ins and outs of the deal, what we know about how it would impact viewers at home, and the regulatory challenges moving forward.

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Why We Can’t Quit Microsoft Excel Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

Excel. Ifyou work in corporate America, that word either inspires laser-focused productivity or pure dread. Over the last 40 years, the spreadsheet software has become synonymous with the best — and worst — of late-stage capitalism. It’s seeped into popular culture and, along the way, made Microsoft one of the world’s most valuable companies.
But in a world of AI and new competition where Excel=Sum(39+1), can it stay on top?On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Dina Bass and Businessweek’s Max Chafkin join host Sarah Holder to track the rise and challenges ahead for one of the most ubiquitous programs around.

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Are We Headed For Another ‘Crypto Winter’? Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Back in October, Bitcoin reached a record high. Just a few weeks later, its price had plunged, taking out over $1 trillion dollars in assets along with it. On Tuesday, it rallied. But dips across the crypto market have left investors and analysts wondering what to make of the swings.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg executive editor stacy-marie ishmael and host David Gura take the temperature of crypto’s dramatic ebbs and flows over the past few months, from President Trump’s second-term moves to bolster the market to fears of another “crypto winter.”

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Hong Kong's Catastrophic Fire Provokes Questions and Fury Dec 02, 2025

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Hong Kong’s worst fire disaster in decades has stirred up public anger over negligence, safety standards and official accountability.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Shawna Kwan and Jenni Marsh about the devastation, the political fallout and how the public outcry is causing unease in Beijing.

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Where US-Russia Talks Leave Ukraine Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

On Monday, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff flew to Moscow, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited France.
Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try and sell him on the latest version of a peace deal, which has Ukrainian input. But after a phone call between Witkoff and a Russian counterpart, Zelenskiy is trying to shore up support among European allies — both to increase pressure on Trump to align with Ukraine and to garner more military support.

On today’s Big Take podcast, national security team leader Nick Wadhams unpacks the state of play between Russia and Ukraine, the developments of the last few days and whether an end to the war could be in sight.

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The Big Business of the Doodle Boom Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

Goldendoodles, bernedoodles, labradoodles, cockapoos, everywhere you look, it seems like doodles — those fluffy, adorable poodle mixes — are taking over sidewalks, cafes and TikTok feeds. But the ubiquity of the muppet-like canines has also come with some doggy drama.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and producer David Fox head to New Jersey to meet a breeder who’s been navigating the doodle’s rise to fame. And writer Allie Conti examines the discourse around the industry: from its loudest critics to its devoted diehards.

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Wanted: Fed Chair. Must Run World’s Largest Economy, Manage Up Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Weeks before the Trump administration is expected to name its pick for the next US Federal Reserve chair, current White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett leads a group of five finalists. Whoever prevails will have the significant job of guiding the US through challenging economic times, while balancing the Fed’s long-standing independence against a hands-on president.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Fed reporters Amara Omeokwe and Enda Curran join David Gura to discuss what the leading candidates bring to the job.

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