Big Take

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Latest Episodes:

Inside Southeast Asia’s Most Notorious Crime Hub Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

A Chinese businessman persuaded officials to establish a special economic zone in a remote part of Laos. The gamblers arrived first. Then came the drug runners, human traffickers and scammers.
On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Matt Campbell about his investigation into the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone and how it became a criminal’s paradise.

Read more: Dodge City

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Has Burning Man Burned Out? Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

For the first time in more than a decade, Burning Man has not sold out.

The gathering prides itself on its counter-cultural roots, and draws tens of thousands of people to the Nevada desert every year for a week of art, music and adventure. But it’s also gradually moved further into the mainstream, becoming a rite of passage for a certain set of Silicon Valley elites. Whether it’s because of last year’s rain, economic strains, or something deeper, one thing is clear: this year, demand for Burning Man tickets is down.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg technology reporter Ellen Huet joins host Sarah Holder to grapple with a burning question: has Burning Man peaked?
Read more: Has Burning Man Peaked?

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80% of What We Buy Goes Through Ports. They’re Changing, Fast Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

Ports often make the news when they break: like the bridge collapse that shut down Baltimore's port earlier this year. But every day, ports in cities around the world keep supply chains humming and feed local economies; every year, they help move 80% of the things we buy.

As conflicts between world powers intensify, ports are also the latest battlefields where geopolitical power is won and lost. On today’s episode, Bloomberg’s Brendan Murray tells host Sarah Holder how ports, from Belgium to Peru, are becoming strategic sites for countries to defend their interests. And why trillions of dollars are on the line in order to make these ambitions happen on time.

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What Would It Take to Rebuild Gaza? Aug 19, 2024

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After ten months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Israel and Hamas could be close to a cease-fire deal. As of Monday afternoon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel had agreed to a cease-fire proposal. Hamas had yet to officially respond.

If an eventual deal is achieved… the question becomes: How could the Gaza Strip rebuild?

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Fares Alghoul, Fadwa Hodali, and Dan Williams take stock of the international cooperation — and money — it would take to reconstruct Gaza and how the future leadership of the Strip could complicate this already monumental task.

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ETFs, Explained Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

There is nearly $13 trillion invested in exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. ETFs that mirror the S&P 500. ETFs for gold. ETFs for bitcoin. There’s even a Vegan ETF. How did this market get so big and varied? And just what goes into one?

On today’s podcast, our Bloomberg Explains series continues with Bloomberg Intelligence senior ETF analyst and co-host of the Trillions podcast Eric Balchunas. He tells host David Gura about the unlikely duo who created the first-ever ETF in a last-ditch bid to save a struggling exchange. And Bloomberg ETF IQ and Money Stuff co-host Katie Greifeld breaks down the current booming market, and outlines which ETFs are safe investments – and which are better left alone.

Further listening: Trillions Podcast - Bloomberg, Money Stuff - Bloomberg

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Goodbye Sicily, Hello Sarasota. The Post-Pandemic Travel Boom Is Over Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

That White Lotus-inspired trip to Sicily. The Instagram-perfect Joshua Tree glamping holiday. A party weekend in Miami. Ever since the first lockdown restrictions were lifted in 2021, Americans have been spending big on travel. But a recent slew of weak earnings from companies like Delta and Expedia suggest that the post-pandemic travel boom is finally over.

In today’s episode, Bloomberg tech reporter Natalie Lung tells host Sarah Holder that from airlines to Airbnb, companies are reporting weaker-than-expected demand for summer travel. So does that mean now is the perfect time to book a last-minute vacation? Depends on where you’re game to go.
Read more: Flights, Hotels and Parks Are All Flashing Travel Warning Signs

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After a Deadly Student Uprising, Bangladesh Starts Over, Again Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

After weeks of protests and a brutal crackdown that led to several hundred deaths, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down and flee the country, putting an abrupt end to her more than 15 years in power. Stepping into the leadership vacuum is Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who we spoke to last month -- when he was facing charges that his supporters said were trumped up by Hasina.

Today on The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Kai Schultz about what drove the student-led uprising and Hasina’s downfall, Yunus’s surprising turn to politics, and what’s at stake for one of Asia’s most promising economies.

Yunus Cleared in Graft Case After Becoming Bangladesh Leader

Further listening:

Why This Nobel Prize Winner Faces Life Imprisonment in Bangladesh

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Want Money From the Middle East? There Are New Strings Attached Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

The sovereign wealth funds of the Persian Gulf used to be relatively easy places for US firms like Blackstone and Goldman Sachs to raise money. But recently, the power dynamics between Wall Street and Middle Eastern wealth fund managers have been shifting.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Heather Perlberg breaks down for host David Gura why Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds are asking for more in return for access to their trillions — and what that means not only for investors but also the future of the region.
Read more: Middle East Trillions Force New Concessions From Wall Street

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Why Is Everybody Still Getting Sick All The Time? Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

Have you had the flu recently? Or RSV? Or just... some bug that you can’t quite shake? If so, you’re not alone. Bloomberg’s data team recently decided to investigate whether or not the perception that we’re all getting sick all the time is actually backed up by numbers. And what they found was truly surprising: in countries around the world, people are getting much sicker, much more often in the wake of the pandemic.

We’re re-upping this episode, which originally aired on June 14, because – surprise – everyone’s still getting sick. Listen as host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg data reporter Jinshan Hong try to solve the global health mystery – including the potential culprits behind the surge in sickness and what we can do to avoid getting ill so often.

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Are We in a Recession? The Sahm Rule Says Yes. Its Creator Says Not So Fast Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

On today’s Big Take podcast, economist Claudia Sahm explains the Sahm rule: how she came up with the idea, whether or not we’re in a recession, and why she wishes it was called something else.

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