Big Take

Hundreds of hydropower workers remain missing in Nepal after a glacial collapse caused catastrophic flooding. The disaster laid bare the rising climate risks across Asia and the danger of building in an increasingly volatile environment. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, guest host Rebecca Choong Wilkins sits down with Bloomberg’s Clara Ferreira Marques and Bloomberg Opinion’s David Fickling to talk about the human and economic toll of the disaster, why the catastrophe is a warning for the rest of the world and how Nepal’s big bet on clean energy may now be at risk. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Rebecca Choong Wilkins; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Clara Ferreira Marques, David Fickling; Edited by Paddy Hirsch, Crispina Robert and Tracey Samuelson. Fact-checking by Naomi Ng; Engineering by Alex Sugiura Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia escalated attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv this past weekend. It’s the latest signal that Ukraine could face a brutal, decisive winter in this conflict. Meanwhile, the CIA director paid Moscow a visit last week, and “hybrid” attacks in Europe that have been linked to Russia are heightening concern among NATO countries that the conflict could widen as Russia takes the upper hand. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg Opinion’s Marc Champion unpack the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, the state of European and American involvement and why the next few months could be so crucial. Read more: Russia’s Escalating Hybrid Attacks Put Europeans in a Bind Ukraine Is In More Danger Than It Seems We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guest: Marc Champion; Edited by Naomi Shavin. Fact-checking by Big Take team; Engineering by Sean Carter. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta has agreed to pay a $17 billion settlement over a range of claims related to the safety and privacy of its platforms, including youth use of social media. The outcome, announced last week, could have implications for other companies, too. On today’s Big Take Podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporter Olivia Carville talks to host Sarah Holder about the landmark case, and how new information about the death of a teenage TikTok user in 2022 could shape the debate around child safety online. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, a global list of helplines is available at blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines . Read more: TikTok Withheld a Safety Feature From Millions. One Died by Suicide We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Olivia Carville; Edited by Aaron Edwards and Julia Weaver. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 12-foot grim reaper becomes a neighborhood war cry, and the preacher-podcaster crosses the street. Today on The Big Take: Chapter 4 of Our Town , a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take , hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg’s Susan Berfield. Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town’s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs. New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks and David Fox with Julia Weaver and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Rebecca Laks and Ken Armstrong Original Score and Mixing by: Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins and Rachael Lewis-Krisky Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh set to deliver the biggest speech of his tenure on Friday, anticipation is spreading well beyond bankers and traders. Bond yields are rising, as global economies send up inflationary signals. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s efforts to tamp down rates by buying bonds may complicate the Fed’s approach. And the keynote speaker himself has suggested that he’s not comfortable sending messages about Fed intentions. So what can he say? On today’s Big Take podcast, Odd Lots co-host Joe Weisenthal joins Sarah Holder to tee up Warsh’s speech at the Kansas City Fed’s symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the challenges facing Warsh and other global central bankers. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Guest: Joe Weisenthal; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Engineering by Emma Munger. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microdramas — mini soap operas designed to be watched on your phone — have become one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Yang Yang and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Christopher Beam about how millions got hooked on the medium, the challenges studios face as they try to reach new audiences and how AI could transform it all. Read more: China Has the World Hooked on Two-Minute Microdramas China Brought 90-Second Microdramas to the US. Now Hollywood Wants In We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and Victor Swezey; Reported by Yang Yang and Christopher Beam; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert. Fact-checking by Victor Swezey; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After amassing US land for more than a century, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has recently started turning unused tracts into big suburban housing developments. On today’s Big Take podcast, commercial real estate reporter Natalie Wong and data journalist Ann Choi tell host Sarah Holder about the development plans of the church’s real estate arm, Property Reserve. They also introduce their exclusive tally of the church’s holdings — at least 2.4 million acres across the US, according to a Bloomberg News review of property records compiled by real estate data provider Reonomy. Read more: The Mormon Church Is Quietly Expanding Its Real Estate Empire Across the US We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Natalie Wong and Ann Choi; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Amanda Gordon and Emily Birnbaum join host Sarah Holder to discuss how political spending is shaping the US midterm elections, who is funding candidates behind the scenes and what’s at stake for both Republicans and Democrats. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guests: Amanda Gordon and Emily Birnbaum; Edited by Nicole Beemsterboer. Fact-checking by Big Take team; Engineering by Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backers of the venture are big fans of a town in Idaho where a preacher with a flamethrower tells our reporters how much he hates feminism. Today on The Big Take: Chapter 3 of Our Town , a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take , hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg’s Susan Berfield. Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town’s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs. New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks with Julia Weaver and David Fox and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Ken Armstrong with Rebecca Laks Original Score and Mixing by : Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Big Take podcast, economy reporter Shawn Donnan walks David Gura through what eight years of tariffs have meant for steel mills, can manufacturers, food growers and consumers. And as the second Trump administration continues to pursue tariffs – see this week’s 11th-hour negotiations with Canada over the US’s latest proposed duties – Donnan looks at how manufacturers have tried to adapt. Read more: What the American Tin Can Reveals About Trump’s Volatile Tariff Policy We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Shawn Donnan; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Stacey Vanek Smith and Bloomberg Opinion’s John Authers unpack the bond market rollercoaster: a sell-off, the highest US 30-year bond yields since the financial crisis — and a sudden intervention. Read more: The 30-Year Itch Comes for Bonds — and Brazi Further listening: What Higher Bond Yields Mean for Markets and Everyday Borrowers (Big Take Podcast) We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Stacey Vanek Smith; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Victor Swezey; Guest: John Authers; Fact-checking by the Big Take team; Engineering by Zoltan Sindhu and Alex Sugiura. Senior Producer and editor: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Korea was supposed to be broke and isolated. Now, it’s enjoying an unexpected economic boom. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Cat Barton and host K. Oanh Ha unpack North Korea’s shift from pandemic-era hardship to a multibillion-dollar windfall, and discuss how the country’s newfound wealth is reshaping geopolitical alliances. Read more: Kim Jong Un Flouted Sanctions to Amass $22 Billion Windfall Further listening: North Korea’s Nuclear Program Reaches Tipping Point for the US Watch, from Originals: Why Sanctions Aren’t Stopping North Korea See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a bill that would challenge the subcontractor model Amazon relies on for last-mile deliveries, and the company is spending millions to fight it. On today’s Big Take podcast, reporters Spencer Soper and Josh Eidelson unpack what this bill could mean for the delivery drivers — and corporate America’s reliance on subcontractors more broadly. Read more: Amazon Is in the Crosshairs of Mamdani’s Worker Agenda What Trump Delivered for Amazon We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Julia Press; Reported by Josh Eidelson and Spencer Soper; Edited by Naomi Shavin and Julia Weaver. Fact-checking by Victor Swezey and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diana looks into the town’s newest arrivals: What’s their deal — and who are their friends? Today on The Big Take: Chapter 2 of Our Town , a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take , hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg’s Susan Berfield. Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town’s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs. New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks with Julia Weaver and David Fox and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Ken Armstrong with Rebecca Laks Original Score and Mixing by : Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that devastated Colombia this week was also an immediate test for the country’s new Trump-aligned president. Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on slashing Colombia's deficit and cracking down on armed rebel groups, now faces the prospect of stalling coffee shipments and a costly relief effort, in his first week in office. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg’s Oscar Medina in Bogotá, Colombia, and Travis Waldron in Brasília, Brazil, about what this moment could mean for a divided Colombia — and for Latin America’s tilt to the right. Read more: ‘Waiting for Any Sign of Life’: Colombia Reels After Quake Colombia Quake Toll Tops 260, Prompting Economic Emergency Colombia Earthquake Pressures President Right From the Get-Go We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Victor Swezey; Reported by Travis Waldron and Oscar Medina; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The launch of Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 model has taken the tech world — and Washington — by storm, raising urgent questions about how a Chinese startup can suddenly rival the world's most powerful AI systems. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Mark Anderson about the distillation method behind Moonshot’s breakthrough and what it means for the high-stakes AI race between the US and China. Read more: Moonshot Plans IPO in Six Months After China AI Breakthrough See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The online shopping app Phia raised over $43 million and captured media attention for its A-list investors and its high-profile co-founders — Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill Gates, and her college roommate and podcast co-host Sophia Kianni. But Bloomberg reporting suggests that Phia was pushing features that took credit for sales it didn’t drive. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg technology editor Olivia Solon shares her reporting on Phia and what the startup’s founders may have known about those features. Read more: Gates Heir’s Shopping App Claimed Sales It Didn’t Drive Phoebe Gates Knew Phia Shopping App Took Credit for Sales It Didn’t Drive We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Olivia Solon. Fact-checking by Victor Swezey and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Emma Munger. Senior Producer and Editor: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s move to prop up the yen was as surprising as its impact was fleeting. By Monday, the yen lost half of its gains since last month’s intervention, raising questions about what comes next. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Daniel Flatley and Chris Anstey join David Gura to break down Bessent’s unorthodox currency strategy and to explore how far Bessent might be willing to go to support another country’s currency. Read more: How Bessent Brings a ‘Buy-Side’ Mindset to Economic Statecraft Behind Bessent Moves, Wall Street Sees a Bond-Market Angst Listen More: Why a Weak Yen Is America’s Problem Carry Trades, Explained Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Laura Newcombe and David Fox; Reported by Daniel Flatley and Chris Anstey; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Victor Swezey and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh, the things you can find with an inquisitive mind – and a metal detector. Today we’re bringing you Chapter 1 of Our Town, a limited-run series from The Big Take , hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg’s Susan Berfield. The series tells the story of a battle over identity fought on small town soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs. The limited-run series will publish on Fridays in The Big Take. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks with Julia Weaver and David Fox and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Ken Armstrong with Rebecca Laks Original Score and Mixing by: Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Situational Awareness, a hedge fund run by a 24-year-old hailed as “Nostradamus of AI”, swelled to $45 billion in assets until a mix of highly leveraged bets, short sellers and a market swoon threw it into crisis. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Katherine Burton and Hema Parmar join Sarah Holder to discuss how risky bets led the fund to the brink and whether the episode speaks to broader vulnerabilities among hedge funds investing in AI. Read more: The 24-Hour Race to Salvage Situational Awareness’ AI Bets Bloomberg Opinion: Hedge Fund’s 439% Return Should Have Been the Warning Situational Awareness Returns to Investing With $400 Million Bet Listen to Money Stuff Podcast: No Kiddie Pool We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Katherine Burton and Hema Parmar; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Victor Swezey and Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.