Big Take

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Latest Episodes:

Janet Yellen: The Exit Interview Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been a fixture in the economic policy world for decades. She was President Clinton’s chief economic adviser, a Federal Reserve governor and served as Fed Chair under President Obama.

As her tenure at Treasury comes to an end, Yellen sits down with host David Gura to discuss the possibility of additional sanctions on Russian oil and communication between the US and China, and she reflects on her long career as a pioneering economic policymaker.

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The Most Powerful Families in South Korea Brace for the Next Revolt Dec 11, 2024

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South Korea’s family-run conglomerates – or chaebols – have been big drivers of economic growth, and because of that they’ve largely been seen as untouchable. Until now. The chaebols are being challenged, at a time when the stakes have potentially never been higher, with the country mired in political turmoil.
On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg reporter Youkyung Lee about how a surprise takeover bid for one of the world’s biggest refined metal producers, Korea Zinc, is sending a chill through the chaebol world.
Read more: Powerful Families Who Dominate South Korea Face an Investor Revolt
Further listening: The Six Hours of Martial Law That Stunned South Korea

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Inside UnitedHealthcare in the Days After CEO Shooting Dec 10, 2024

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Since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed last week, there’s been a deluge of posts on social media expressing rage at the insurance industry and solidarity with the shooter.

Bloomberg reporter Riley Griffin joins Big Take host David Gura to discuss what the shooting revealed about public sentiment toward American health care, and how United and its peers are responding to the attack and its aftermath.

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The Middle East After Assad Dec 09, 2024

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After rebels took Syria’s capital, President Bashar Al-Assad fled Damascus for Russia, ending his brutal 24-year reign. His ouster marks the beginning of a new, uncertain phase for a country that’s been ravaged by 13 years of civil war.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Paul Wallace joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how Assad’s toppling has opened up a power vacuum in Syria — and what it means for the Middle East, the Syrian people and the world.

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The Six Hours of Martial Law That Stunned South Korea Dec 05, 2024

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In an address broadcast live on Tuesday night, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a move that shocked the nation – and the world. But within hours, after lawmakers unanimously rejected the move and protesters converged on parliament, Yoon went on live television again and backed down, promising to lift the emergency measure.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Sam Kim in Seoul to break down the stunning turn of events. They talk about what happened on the ground during the brief period of martial law, and what the political chaos means for an emerging democracy that remains a key military ally and trading partner of the US.

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After No-Confidence Vote, France Faces Tumult and Uncertainty Dec 05, 2024

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The government of French President Emmanuel Macron collapsed Wednesday after losing a no-confidence vote. The outcome brings the country one step closer to a far-right government — the one thing President Macron has sought to avoid at all costs.

Bloomberg’s Stephen Carroll and Big Take co-host David Gura break down the current pressures on France’s government, what led to the vote and what we know about what comes next.

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A Holiday Splurge for Companies? Their Own Shares Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

For companies with extra cash, it's a popular season for buying back their own shares. In the past few years alone, publicly traded companies in the US executed hundreds of billions worth of stock buybacks. And 2024 is on track to be the biggest year in buybacks ever.

So how do they work? And what’s behind their rise in popularity? Bloomberg reporter Lu Wang joins Big Take co-hosts David Gura and Sarah Holder to explain the logic behind buybacks, and unpack who wins and who loses when companies turn to them.

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Airlines Are Cashing in on ‘Premiumization’ Nov 29, 2024

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If you’ve bought an airplane ticket recently, you may have noticed that there are a lot more options to choose from — and a lot more line items to pay for. It’s all part of airlines’ strategy of “premiumization.” And it’s why the front of the plane is getting cushier, while coach can feel like a low-cost shakedown.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Amanda Mull joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how airlines are rethinking their pricing — and what it means for airline revenue and your flight experience.

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Beak Capitalism: What Chicken Tells Us About Inflation Nov 28, 2024

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What can the humble chicken reveal about the economic conditions shaping our lives? Turns out, a lot.

Understanding the chicken industry can help explain some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy. In “Beak Capitalism,” a new three-part series, Odd Lots hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway trace chicken from the farm to the factory to the table.

In the first episode, they examine the consumer side of the industry – including the chicken sandwiches war back in 2019 and the rising cost of eggs.

Further listening: Beak Capitalism, Part 2: The Chickenization of Everything

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How Sports Betting Is Changing the NFL for Fans and Players Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

Gambling on sports is now legal in almost 40 states in the US, and pro-football is at the center of the rapidly growing, multibillion dollar industry that’s cropped up since the Supreme Court paved the way for it in 2018.

Big Take host David Gura joins Bloomberg’s Jason Kelly, who co-hosts The Deal podcast with Alex Rodriguez, to discuss the ways that the normalization of betting culture is impacting the NFL, its athletes and its fans.
Read more: ‘I’m So Scared’: NFL Players on How Betting Changes the Sport

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