Big Take

LIV Golf’s $5 Billion Path to Bankruptcy

LIV Golf split the professional circuit early this decade with its flashy tournaments and payouts that outstripped what golfers were earning on PGA tours. Now, after five years — and more than $5 billion in investments from the Saudi Public Investment Fund — LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On today’s Big Take podcast, Golf.com’s Sean Zak joins host David Gura to explore why LIV wasn’t able to convert lavish spending and an attention-grabbing feud with the PGA into big audience numbers. Zak explores the prospect for a player-owned LIV 2.0 and looks at whether the upstart tour was ultimately good for professional golf. Read more: LIV’s Great Saudi-Backed Assault on Golf Ends With Whimper LIV Golf Files Bankruptcy With Post-Saudi Future Uncertain LIV Golf Shows Money Can Buy Stars — But Not Fans We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Guest: Sean Zak; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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How India Is Training the Robots of the Future

Tens of thousands of workers in India are wearing head-mounted cameras to record their every move, helping train humanoid robots to perform everyday human tasks. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Saritha Rai joins host Rebecca Choong Wilkins for an inside look at how vast troves of data are gathered by the very people who may eventually be replaced and what it all means for the US-China race for AI dominance. Read more: Workers Are Teaching AI-Powered Robots to Take Over Their Jobs 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 Saritha Rai; Edited by Crispina Robert, Patrick Hirsch. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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So Could AI 'Kill Us All'?

"The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." An X post by a former employee of both OpenAI and Anthropic went viral and is prompting big questions. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg’s Mike Shepard talk through what an AI safety reckoning could look like — and whether an industry in the midst of intense competition can slow down. Read more: Anthropic Worker Quits Over AI Firms ‘Gambling With Our Lives’ Moonshot Secretly Routed User Requests Through Claude, Anthropic Says We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guest: Mike Shepard; Edited by Naomi Shavin and Aaron Edwards. 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.

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Trump Needs a Win. Enter His Venezuela Oil Deal

Oil prices topped $100 per barrel on Wednesday, keeping gas prices and the Iran war at the center of the US midterms conversation. Can President Trump burnish his affordability credentials with what he’s calling “the biggest oil deal in world history”? On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Opinion Energy columnist Liam Denning and Andes Bureau Chief Patricia Laya join David Gura to discuss what we know so far about the administration’s plan to take a stake in Venezuelan oil producer North American Blue Energy Partners — and what obstacles the deal could face. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Why the Bond Market Has Everyone On Edge

The bond market has been grabbing headlines and roiling global markets, particularly in the US and in Japan, where yields are surging and buyer interest remains low. That matters, because as Bloomberg Opinion’s John Authers says, the yield on the 10-year treasury note is the most important number in world finance. On today’s Big Take podcast, John Authers joins Stacey Vanek Smith to explain what surging bond yields mean for interest rates and why we could be seeing a correction, not a crisis. Read more: It’s Still Endless Summer for Bond Yields Volatility Limits Post-Labor Day US Bond Rush to Six-Year Low We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Stacey Vanek Smith; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guest: John Authers; Edited by Naomi Shavin. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Sean Carter. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Americans Are Spending Billions to Help Their Pets Live Longer

The wellness and longevity boom has come for a new kind of consumer: your pet. But with clinical trials still underway and questions lingering about the safety and efficacy of off-label drugs and treatments, how are owners navigating the growing industry? On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Annika Inampudi and host Sarah Holder dig into the latest frontier in the predicted $165 billion market for pet spending in the US. Plus, we meet a Manhattan dog owner who’s trying just about everything to keep his furry friends healthy. Read more: Can Your Dog Live Forever? Pet Owners Are Trying Everything Further listening: The Underground Peptide Market Is Getting Ready to Go Mainstream We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press and Victor Swezey; Reported by Annika Inampudi and Anna Edney; Edited by Aaron Edwards and Tracey Samuelson. Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Hottest New Trade Is Your Own Electricity

Energy consumers are used to a pretty simple transaction with utility companies: get electricity to power your home, pay up every month. Now, more consumers are stockpiling their own energy using solar panels and batteries. And some are even making money by selling that energy back to the grid. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to Zero host Akshat Rathi about a new class of at-home energy trader that’s vibe coding its way to daily energy savings and big profits. Read more: Almost Anyone Can Make Money Selling Electricity With AI and Batteries We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Akshat Rathi and Olivia Rudgard; Edited by Aaron Edwards. Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky, 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.

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Deadly Flooding in Nepal Highlights Asia’s Climate Vulnerability

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.

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CIA Director Visits Moscow As Ukraine Stares Down a Dangerous Winter

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.

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TikTok Experimented With Users’ Algorithms. One Died By Suicide

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.

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Our Town Chapter 4: All Metal Mode

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.

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US Fed Chair Warsh Takes the Mic

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.

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How Two-Minute Microdramas Became a Billion-Dollar Industry

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.

The Mormon Church’s Real Estate Empire

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.

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Why Big Donors Aren’t Translating to Big Success in the US Midterms

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.

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Our Town Chapter 3: One Little Bacon-Wrapped Sausage

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.

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What Trump’s Tariffs Mean for Canned Soup

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.

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What's Behind the Bond Market Rollercoaster

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.

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The Unexpected Rise of North Korea’s Economy

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.

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How Amazon Landed on Mamdani’s Labor Agenda

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.

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