Big Take

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Latest Episodes:

Indonesia Is Building a New Capital. It’s Not Going Well Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

Indonesia has embarked on an ambitious project to build a new capital city from scratch because Jakarta is overcrowded, polluted and sinking, fast.

But the multibillion dollar new city, Nusantara, was plagued with problems from the very start. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Faris Mokhtar about what went wrong, and what’s at stake for Southeast Asia’s largest economy if it fails.

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Why Are Airline Rewards So Complicated? Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

Frequent flyer programs began as a way for airlines to build loyalty and fill empty seats. They’ve since morphed into a complex financial ecosystem that’s drawn the ire of even the most savvy consumers and the scrutiny of the US Department of Transportation.

Bloomberg’s global aviation editor Benedikt Kammel joins David Gura to talk about points, miles, qualifying trips — and how we got here in the first place.

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Market-Moving US Economic Data Is Under Threat Dec 26, 2024

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From inflation data to unemployment rates, the US government releases numbers every month that move markets and shape policies. But the agencies responsible for gathering that data are struggling — and President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to find cuts across agencies could further strain their resources.

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, Bloomberg economics editor Molly Smith joins host Saleha Mohsin to dig into what’s at stake if the federal government scales back on its investment in economic data.

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Netflix’s Big Bet On ‘Squid Game’ Dec 24, 2024

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The gory, dystopian South Korean thriller Squid Game is the most popular series Netflix has ever released. This week, it drops season two — in the midst of the company’s efforts to grow the show beyond the screen.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Sohee Kim and Lucas Shaw about the new season, the story of how the show was nearly never made and all the ways Netflix is trying to expand Squid Game into a global franchise — from reality TV and video games to in-person fan experiences.

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The Weight-Loss Drug Boom’s Prescription Problem Dec 23, 2024

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Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. To capitalize on that demand, telehealth companies started offering compounded versions of those drugs. That’s made them easier to access, but it’s also introduced new potential risks for people recovering from eating disorders like anorexia.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Madison Muller joins host Sarah Holder to share what she’s learned about the ways telehealth can make it easier for people to get prescriptions that could harm them.

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The Human Egg Trade: Episode 2 - The Theft Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg’s Vernon Silver focus on one fertility clinic in Greece that police say stole the eggs of as many as 75 women. It’s a story that shows how the actions of one clinic can have ripple effects around the world and reveals the unique ways that the fertility industry runs not only on capital, but on trust.

Read more from Bloomberg Businessweek: The Egg

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The Race for Asylum Before Trump Takes Office Dec 18, 2024

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Tens of thousands of migrants in Mexico are currently in limbo after new policies put in place there and in the US changed the process for how people seek asylum. Now, with President-elect Trump promising an immigration crackdown as soon as he takes office, some asylum-seekers are anxious to make it into the US before Inauguration Day.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Alex Vasquez joins host Sarah Holder to explain the complex intersection of these policies and to share the story of one family navigating that system.

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China Had a Plan to Rescue Its Housing Market. It’s Not Working Dec 17, 2024

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China’s property crisis has become a massive headache for the world’s second-largest economy. Tens of millions of newly built apartments lie vacant, home prices have tumbled and cash-strapped developers are struggling to finish construction.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Lulu Chen about what China is doing to try and solve its housing crisis. We go to Zhengzhou, home to the world’s biggest iPhone factory and the city where the housing market first imploded. It's now become a testing ground for government efforts to revive the ailing property sector. We look at whether they’re working, and what it will mean for China’s economy if the big push fails.

Further listening: What Comes Next in China’s Property Crisis

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Germany’s Economy Is Facing a Slow-Moving Disaster Dec 16, 2024

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Germany’s economy is stagnating; households have less disposable income, and businesses report having less faith in the future. Once the growth engine of Europe, the country has gradually been losing its competitive edge. Now, economic anxieties have fuelled a political crisis that led to Monday’s no confidence vote in the German government.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Chris Reiter talks to host Sarah Holder about the consequences of Germany’s economic troubles — for the country and for Europe — and what it could take to turn things around.

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The Human Egg Trade: Episode 1 - The Lie Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

A new series from the Big Take podcast investigates the booming market for human eggs. It’s a global and opaque market where demand is so great, that even where regulations are in place, there are powerful incentives to evade them.
In this episode, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg’s Natalie Obiko Pearson to unpack an investigation in India that revealed how far some people will go to get a cut of this trade, even if it means exploiting a child.
Read more from Bloomberg Businessweek: The Egg
Plus, watch the documentary from Bloomberg Originals: Inside India's Fertility Underworld

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