Big Take

The Trump Administration wants to “make America healthy again” and one of its top priorities is removing artificial dyes from food. The company behind Welch’s Fruit Snacks has spent the past ten years doing just that. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Will Kubzansky takes us inside the Welch’s factory and explores the challenges America’s other food and drink companies could face as they try to meet the MAHA moment and make a similar change under a much faster timeline. Read more: Making Fruit Snacks Without Synthetic Dye See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Starbucks and Intel to Petco and Astronomer: top CEOs are getting replaced at record rates. And the costs of these ousters can spiral quickly, dinging a company’s stock price and costing us all in surprising ways in the process. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s management and work reporter Matthew Boyle joins host Sarah Holder to dig into the often murky, always steep cost of a CEO ouster. Read more: The True Cost of Firing a CEO See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After meeting with President Trump separately, Presidents Putin and Zelenskiy could be headed toward a pivotal face-to-face meeting to begin peace talks. But what each side is willing to give up to end the Russia-Ukraine war remains to be seen. On today’s Big Take podcast, David Gura sits down with Bloomberg’s White House correspondent Justin Sink and Europe government editor Piotr Skolimowski to discuss Russia and Ukraine’s red lines and the role the US and Europe could play in guaranteeing a ceasefire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this point in the war between Israel and Hamas, it’s difficult to get more than anecdotal evidence out of Gaza. Almost every organization that once provided aid and monitored civilian welfare is no longer allowed in — or has ceased operations. Very few journalists are left there. But reports of a civilian population facing a hunger crisis are widespread. To understand the reality on the ground, host David Gura talked to Bloomberg’s Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner, UN reporter Magdalena Del Valle and Gaza reporter Fares Alghoul to understand how a hunger crisis unfolded there despite months of warnings. Read more: How Gaza Descended Into a Hunger Crisis, Explained Israel Intends to Fully Take Over Gaza Despite Global Isolation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a shortage of brand-name weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy cleared the way for companies like Hims to fill the gap with cheaper, compounded versions, customers came flocking. But in February, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the shortage was over, leaving the company's strategy in flux and some investors worried. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg healthcare reporter Madison Muller track how Hims became the king of copycat weight-loss drugs and what’s next for the company as it fights to hold onto the crown. Read more: How Hims Became the King of Knockoff Weight-Loss Drugs Cheap Ozempic Knockoffs Are Suddenly Everywhere. Are They Safe? The Weight-Loss Drug Boom’s Prescription Problem Listen and follow The Big Take on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an unusual deal, Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have agreed to pay the US government 15% of their revenue from AI chips they sell to China. The US has blocked the sale of other, more powerful chips to China on the basis of national security, but the exception underscores the Trump administration’s openness to make exceptions… if the price is right. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg economic statecraft reporter Joe Deaux joins host Sarah Holder to explain the unprecedented nature of the deal, concerns about its legality and how it fits into Trump’s approach to trade with global competitors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump is heading to Alaska to host a face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin to talk about finally, maybe, putting an end to Russia’s war with Ukraine. Notably not invited? Ukraine — or any other European leaders. Today on the show, Bloomberg editor Flavia Krause-Jackson joins host David Gura to talk about why Russia has finally agreed to talk, what’s likely to be on the table in Anchorage and how significant this summit might be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a years-long slump, Hong Kong’s IPO market is roaring back to life, thanks to a growing number of Chinese companies that are raising billions of dollars in the city. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Dave Sebastian explore how China is transforming the financial hub into a key funding engine for mainland firms— and the risks this poses for banks on Wall Street and beyond. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs have pushed the average US tariff rate to 15%, up from just over 2% last year. But who’s actually footing the bill so far? On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Everybody’s Business” host Stacey Vanek Smith takes Sarah Holder through Tariff 101: How is that money being collected and where is it going? Read more: It’s Only a Matter of Time Until Americans Pay for Trump’s Tariffs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, President Donald Trump has voiced his ambitions to expand the US presence in Greenland. But making that happen is easier said than done. Bloomberg’s Joe Deaux traveled to the remote island this spring, alongside a former Trump administration official who’s hoping to build a rare-earths mine there — with the federal government’s investment. On today’s Big Take podcast, Joe walks host David Gura through what he saw on the ground, what Greenlanders have to say about Trump’s rhetoric and what it would really take to establish a mines-to-magnets pipeline in Greenland. Read more: Greenland’s Rare-Earth Dreams Are Luring Trump Allies See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump just signed an executive order that aims to allow private equity into a $12 trillion piece of America’s retirement market — 401(k)s. On today’s Big Take podcast, private equity reporter Allison McNeely joins host Sarah Holder to explain what this could mean for the average American’s retirement savings. Read more: Trump Signs Order Easing Path for Private Assets in 401(k)s See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since President Trump kicked off his reelection campaign in November 2022, his net worth has more than doubled — to roughly $6.4 billion. No modern American president has positioned his family to make so much money while in the White House. Today on the show, Bloomberg reporters Max Abelson and Annie Massa join host David Gura to discuss the sources of the Trump family’s wealth — from cryptocurrencies and sneakers to Trump-branded towers in the Middle East. Read more: The Trump Family’s Money-Making Machine See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump has been cranking up the pressure on India, a country the US has courted as a strategic counterweight against China. Last week, Trump announced a 25% tariff on the country, a higher rate than many other major economies in Asia. But he didn’t stop there. This week, he’s threatened to raise the levy even higher. His message to India is clear: Stop buying Russian oil. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg’s Sudhi Ranjan Sen joins K. Oanh Ha to unpack the historical and economic ties that have kept Russia and India close and discuss why that relationship is now being tested on the world stage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the data collected by the apolitical Bureau of Labor Statistics was seen as a gold standard — informing decisions made by the Federal Reserve, global business leaders and even presidents. But now, after President Trump’s firing of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a disappointing July jobs report — that could change. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Molly Smith joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the potentially sweeping policy ramifications of a shake-up at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As President Donald Trump’s goalposts for his trade war continue to shift, Big Take host Sarah Holder sits down with Bloomberg’s global trade editor Brendan Murray to discuss where things stand and how Trump has dramatically shifted America’s approach to international trade deals. Read more: How Trump Let $1 Trillion Worth of Imports Escape His Tariff Hammer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US housing market just posted its slowest spring season in more than a dozen years. Experts are pointing to a combination of factors: high prices, elevated mortgage rates and economic uncertainty in America. So what would it take to turn things around? Big Take host Sarah Holder spoke with Bloomberg housing reporter Prashant Gopal and real estate agents in major markets about the challenges for buyers and sellers. Read more: US Housing Market Posts Worst Spring Selling Season in 13 Years See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump signed the Genius Act, the US’s first major federal cryptocurrency legislation, earlier this month. The law focuses on one type of cryptocurrency: stablecoins. So, what exactly is a stablecoin? On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Emily Mason joins host Sarah Holder to break down what stablecoins are, how they work and what their wider adoption could mean for the crypto industry, banks and consumers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is building the largest power plant the world has ever seen, in a very remote corner of Tibet. But the $167 billion hydropower dam has environmentalists and neighboring countries concerned. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Menaka Doshi speaks to Bloomberg’s Dan Murtaugh about the engineering and geopolitical challenges, and the impact construction will have on the country’s economy. Further listening: China's Plans to Make AI a Utility See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For months, the impact of President Trump’s aggressive trade policy has largely felt theoretical. But with an Aug. 1 tariff extension on the horizon and a consequential week ahead for the president’s broader economic agenda, the cracks are beginning to show. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior economic writer Shawn Donnan joins David Gura to break down the tariff fallout hiding in plain sight, and which sectors and countries are being hit the hardest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura sits down with former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss Sullivan’s tenure in the Biden White House, the consequences of President Trump’s cuts to foreign assistance and government staff, and what Sullivan sees as the most pressing foreign policy challenges facing the current administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.