Big Take

Every year, senior markets editor Sam Potter reads predictions for the year ahead from leading financial institutions around the world. The theme of this year’s predictions: uncertainty.One event on the horizon has contributed to both their predictions for 2025 and the uncertainty in a unique way: Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Potter joins host David Gura to unpack what financial institutions are expecting for this year, given what they know and what they don’t.   Read more: Here’s (Almost) Everything Wall Street Expects in 2025  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 was the year AI broke into the music industry. Record labels that had fought AI-generated songs at every turn started to consider how they might want to use AI tools. But as the technology creeps into more parts of the music production process, not everyone agrees on where to draw ethical and legal lines. On today’s Big Take podcast, Grammy Award-winning producer Timbaland, Universal Music Group executive Michael Nash, Bloomberg audio reporter Ashley Carman and host Sarah Holder examine who stands to benefit from the AI-music boom — and who has the most to lose. Read more: Ashley Carman’s Soundbite newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Read more: The Airline Rewards Game Is Getting Tougher to Win  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Read more:  Market-Moving Data Under Threat as Trump Returns to Washington BLS Needs Culture Revamp After Botched US Releases, Review Finds See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  Read more: ‘Squid Game’ Returns in Test of Netflix Global Marketing MuscleFurther listening: K-Pop’s Big Bet on Becoming Less Korean  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Read more: The Weight-Loss Drug Gold Rush Has a Dangerous Prescription ProblemSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  Read more: Stranded in Mexico: Trump’s Looming Crackdown Scares MigrantsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  Read more: China’s Housing Rescue Falls Short in City That Signaled the Crisis Further listening: What Comes Next in China’s Property CrisisSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  Read more: Germany Is Unraveling Just When Europe Needs It Most  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 EggPlus, watch the documentary from Bloomberg Originals: Inside India's Fertility UnderworldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 RevoltFurther listening: The Six Hours of Martial Law That Stunned South KoreaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Read more: Why the Flying Experience Feels So Much Worse See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest men, was charged last week by US prosecutors over his alleged involvement in a $250 million bribery scheme. The indictment sent the stocks and bonds of Adani’s vast conglomerate tumbling and is the second governance crisis to hit the group in two years. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Menaka Doshi discuss what the charges mean for Adani’s empire and corporate India, and the implications for US-India relations. Read more: Gautam Adani Bribery Charges Impact His Net Worth, Markets Beyond IndiaFurther listening: $200 Billion, Four Heirs And One Mighty EmpireSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York City has some of the highest housing costs in the US. In addition to sky-high rents, tenants often have to pay a fee to a real estate broker when they sign a new lease — whether they hire them or not. But that’s about to change. Today on the show, host Sarah Holder speaks with City Councilmember Chi Ossé about the passage of his bill that will eliminate upfront broker fees for most renters, and hears from supporters and opponents of the legislation. And Bloomberg reporter Paulina Cachero unpacks what the effort could mean for New York’s renters. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A record number of Pakistanis are leaving at a rapid speed. Among them are some of the country’s top talent including doctors, engineers, accountants and managers. Over the last three years, one million skilled workers like them have left Pakistan.On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Pakistan Bureau Chief Faseeh Mangi about what’s behind the severe brain drain in one of the world’s most populous nations, where the immigrants are going, and what it means for the country’s already fragile economy that depends on loans from the International Monetary Fund. Read more: Pakistan’s Top Talent Is Leaving the Country in Record Numbers See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year’s G-20 summit in Brazil revealed a new reality: The world order is shifting as President Joe Biden wraps up his final months in office and President-elect Donald Trump returns to power. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Flavia Krause-Jackson and host David Gura join the show from Rio de Janeiro to talk through the gathering of the world’s largest economies and how they’re preparing for a new geopolitical era.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil finds its way to China, even though on paper the country hasn’t imported a single drop in more than two years. How? On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Serene Cheong on her team’s investigation into a clandestine shipping hub off the coast of Malaysia that funnels Iranian crude to China. Read more: The Clandestine Oil Shipping Hub Funneling Iranian Crude to ChinaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg reporter Leslie Patton has noticed a pattern looking at the earnings of mid-priced, brand name companies like Kraft and Luvs. Their sales are down, while the sales of similar products on either end of the price spectrum — cheaper generics and high-end premium goods — are up. On today’s Big Take podcast, Leslie joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how this “middle brand squeeze” is playing out on grocery store shelves. Read more: Shoppers Are Ditching Classic Brands They Once Loved Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate leaders from around the world have convened in Baku, Azerbaijan for the UN’s biggest annual climate conference, COP29. And this year, it’s all about money. Member nations are negotiating over how much responsibility rich countries have to finance the energy transitions of smaller economies. But larger global tensions loom over the proceedings — including the reelection of Donald Trump. In today’s episode, Bloomberg’s senior climate reporter and host of Zero Akshat Rathi calls in from COP29 to update host Sarah Holder on the unfolding negotiations and how America’s new president-elect changes the conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Higher tariffs. Geopolitical flare-ups. Inflammatory comments. All across Asia, countries are bracing for the return of Donald Trump. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, we unpack what a second Trump term means for China, India and other Asian economies – who are the potential winners and losers and what’s ahead. Host K. Oanh Ha is joined by Daniel Ten Kate, Bloomberg’s executive editor for Asia economy and government, Chan Heng Chee, the ambassador-at-large with the Singapore Foreign Ministry, and Erin Murphy, deputy director of Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read more: Trump Is Set to Elevate China Hawks, Deepening Beijing RiftFurther listening: The Economic Impact of Trump’s PromisesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Donald Trump’s reelection, Bitcoin has surged to its highest value ever, surpassing $89k per coin on Tuesday. It’s a trend playing out across cryptocurrency, an industry that could benefit from deregulation under President Trump. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s stacy-marie ishmael and David Gura break down whether the recent “melt up” in crypto prices is part another of boom-bust cycle or if the US’s first crypto-friendly president is likely to usher in a new era in digital assets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President-elect Trump ran on a promise to help American consumers. As he prepares to take office, the question becomes whether his policies will play out the way he sold them — and how they could evolve as he tries to put them into practice. Bloomberg Economics has done the math on Trump’s plans, and chief economist Tom Orlik joined host Sarah Holder to look at what Trump’s agenda could mean for inflation, GDP and US taxpayers. Read more: Your Guide to Trump’s Day-One Agenda — From Taxes to Tariffs Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President-elect Donald Trump’s business ventures, from Truth Social to crypto, stand to benefit from his return to power. But just how much? Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Tom Maloney joins host David Gura to break down Trump’s business interests and assets, and explore how he could cash in on his second term in office. Read more: Donald Trump’s Billion-Dollar Windfall After Election Is Just the StartSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a stunning political comeback, Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States. Just before 2:30 on Wednesday morning, he took the stage at his campaign headquarters in Mar-a-Lago, heralding the “greatest political movement of all time” after Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to the Oval Office had all but evaporated. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Wendy Benjaminson joins host Sarah Holder to break down how Election Day played out, the surge of the so-called Trump Trade, and what we can expect from a second Trump term.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Be in the know this election with Bloomberg Podcasts. Follow Bloomberg News Now for up-to-the minute election results, all night long. And go deeper with The Big Take podcast, featuring in-depth global analysis of the US election every day this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, to global issues like trade and migration, whoever becomes the next president of the United States will have a huge impact on the rest of the world. Bloomberg’s Flavia Krause-Jackson and a team of reporters around the world asked government officials one question: How are you preparing for what happens next? Today on the Big Take podcast, she joins host David Gura to share what they found.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk has become one of Donald Trump’s most formidable — and vocal — allies. He’s spoken at Trump rallies, formed a pro-Trump PAC, and funneled more than $100 million into Trump and his allies’ campaigns. This political pivot stunned people who long thought of Musk as a hero of the green energy transition. So how did this happen? In the first episode of Citizen Elon, host Max Chafkin explains the grievances, grudges and online influences that have shaped Elon Musk’s political ideology — and the ways his money and megaphone are shaping the race. Read More: When Elon Musk Got PoliticalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s real: Venture capitalists, startup founders, and Silicon Valley elites are pouring money into a controversial technology called solar radiation modification that could cool the planet by blocking the sun.Today on the show, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg reporter Sophie Alexander about the international coordination needed for something like this to work, and why funding for it is ramping up even as researchers express concerns about the possible consequences. Read more: Silicon Valley’s Elite Pour Money Into Blotting Out the SunBloomberg wants to hear from you! Help make shows like ours even better by taking the Bloomberg audience survey and have a coffee on Bloomberg for doing so. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is making steady progress in its quest to dominate key industries of the future, despite years of US tariffs, export controls and sanctions. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Rebecca Choong Wilkins about how the US is struggling to curb Beijing’s technological advances, and whether the upcoming election could change the dynamic. Read more: US Efforts to Contain Xi’s Push for Tech Supremacy Are Faltering Further listening: How China’s BYD Became King of the Affordable EV On Thursday, Odd Lots will dig into Bloomberg’s research on the Made in China plan, and why it largely succeeded in spite of US efforts. Subscribe here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the US presidential election just over a week away, most major polls, including the latest Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll, show Vice President Harris and former President Trump in a dead heat. But Wall Street seems increasingly convinced Trump is going to win. And that is manifesting in what's come to be called “The Trump Trade.”Today on the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Opinion’s John Authers sits down with host David Gura to break down what the trade is, and what it reveals about how Wall Street sees this election and the future of the economy. Read more: Prediction Markets Reflect That the Clock Favors TrumpSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a small business, going viral might sound like a good thing. But when a TikTok video turns a shop into an overnight success, that attention can come with major challenges. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder visits small business owners riding the wave of overnight success, and explores the economics of virality with Amanda Mull. Read more: How Online Influencers Got Addicted to Swedish Candy Amanda Mull’s “Buying Power” column Bloomberg wants to hear from you! Help make shows like ours even better by taking the Bloomberg audience survey and have a coffee on Bloomberg for doing so. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Decades-long efforts to save Brazil’s Amazon have hit a brutal reality. Impoverished local communities often turn to agribusiness and other industries that drive deforestation. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Brazil bureau chief Vanessa Dezem joins host Sarah Holder to talk through the link between poverty and deforestation and the country’s new efforts to save its rainforest by building up local economies. Read more: The Amazon’s Relentless Poverty CycleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Started as a battery company in the 1990s in Shenzhen, BYD is now one of the best-selling EV brands in the world. Once mocked by Elon Musk, the company’s startling growth made it a global player and has sparked tariffs in the US and EU. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Gabrielle Coppola and Danny Lee about the company’s aggressive expansion and what it means for the global auto market. Read more: BYD Is Winning the Global Race to Make Cheaper EVsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, investors of all kinds bet big on the future of the so-called Green Economy. But now, some hedge funds are shorting green stocks — a sign that investor enthusiasm may be waning. A new Bloomberg analysis examines the positions that more than 500 hedge funds have taken on the green economy. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg ESG reporter Sheryl Lee joins host David Gura to discuss the findings, and why some investors who had bet on a sustainable future are now betting against it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The education system has an AI problem. As students have started using tools like ChatGPT to do their homework, educators have deployed their own AI tools to determine if students are using AI to cheat. But the detection tools, which are largely effective, do flag false positives roughly 2% of the time. For students who are falsely accused, the consequences can be devastating. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks to Bloomberg’s tech reporter Jackie Davalos about how students and educators are responding to the emergence of generative AI and what happens when efforts to crack down on its use backfire. Read more: AI Detectors Falsely Accuse Students of Cheating—With Big ConsequencesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the US presidential election less than a month away, and the economy top of mind for many voters, former President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura highlights the key takeaways from the interview. From Trump’s defense of tariffs, to his plans for the Federal Reserve and immigration, the interview offers a view of what a second Trump term could mean for the global economy.Read more: Trump Says Growth to Outpace Feared Debt, Inflation From AgendaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vietnamese real estate tycoon Truong My Lan was convicted in April of orchestrating a $12.3 billion fraud. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection, which she is appealing. And this week, the court is expected to hand down another verdict on additional charges. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s John Boudreau about how Lan was able to embezzle so much money for so long, how she went from riches to death row and what her multibillion fraud case means for one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent weeks, two monster storms have pummeled the US. Hurricanes Helene and Milton left more than 200 dead — and early estimates suggest the recovery could cost more than $100 billion. It’s a huge strain on affected homeowners and the insurance industry that’s meant to shoulder some of that burden. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Leslie Kaufman joins host David Gura to talk about the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events, and how the new normal is changing the calculus for insurers. Read more: Federal Flood Maps Are No Match for Florida’s Double HurricaneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uber and Lyft promised to give drivers independence and the flexibility to work whenever they wanted. But this summer in New York City, these ride share companies started restricting when their drivers could go online. A new Bloomberg investigation found that driver lockouts were designed to save the companies millions in minimum wage payments — and ultimately cost drivers in the process.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg tech reporter Natalie Lung joins host Sarah Holder to talk about the strategy behind the lockouts, and how she and her team crowd-sourced stories from hundreds of drivers to understand the impact. Read more: How Uber and Lyft Used a Loophole to Deny NYC Drivers Millions in PaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perrier, the popular French bottled water brand, has long been a symbol of luxury. But it’s now under scrutiny after regulators found trace amounts of fecal matter and pesticides where its water is sourced. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg consumer goods reporter Dasha Afanasieva joins host David Gura to talk about how Perrier and its parent company, Nestlé, have responded — and ask bigger questions about sustainability in the global water business. Read more: Perrier Well Contamination Sparks Scrutiny for Luxe Water BrandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.