Big Take

Akshat Rathi, energy policy reporter who tracks global markets, and Todd Woody, Bloomberg energy and clean-tech reporter, discuss rising gas prices sparking renewed interest in EVs and hybrids. They talk about regional EV adoption patterns, automakers’ limited short-term pivots, growing demand for home electrification like solar and heat pumps, and how crises reshape energy policy and industry strategy.

A tense hunt for collaborators tied to a jailed Chinese intelligence officer. An eerie phone call sparks a major discovery. How arrests, prosecutions and a prisoner swap reshaped spy operations. Debates over the China Initiative and whether the rules of industrial espionage are changing.

Gerry Doyle, Bloomberg’s global defense editor who specializes in naval and military affairs, breaks down the Iran mine threat. He explains how mines, small boats, missiles and insurance fears can paralyze the Strait of Hormuz. He covers mine-detection and clearing tools, the risks of clearing under fire, and how long reopening shipping lanes might take.

Peter Conti-Brown, Wharton professor and Fed historian, and Amara Omeokwe, Bloomberg Fed reporter, discuss how the Iran war muddies Fed decisions. They cover stagflation risk, historical parallels to past oil shocks, whether to 'look through' energy shocks, bond market credibility, and how internal Fed divisions and probes could affect future policy.

From soaring fuel prices in Pakistan to a shortage of cooking gas in India, Asia is bearing the brunt of the energy crunch sparked by the Iran War. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast we look at how war in the Middle East has pushed Asia to the forefront of a global crisis. Host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Faseeh Mangi about the impact of soaring fuel prices in Pakistan and Clara Ferreira Marques about how the least economically resilient countries are feeling the most pain.  Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang, Naomi Ng;  Reported by Faseeh Mangi, Clara Ferreira Marques;  Edited by Paddy Hirsch. Fact-checking by Naomi Ng, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate;  Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the war in Iran draws in more countries, it’s had unlikely benefits for one of Iran’s key allies: Russia. President Trump has eased some sanctions on Russian oil in his efforts to alleviate the oil squeeze created by the conflict. Meanwhile, the allyship between Russia and Iran has deepened as both countries have shared battlefield intelligence. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks with US defense and intelligence reporter Natalia Drozdiak about how Russia could benefit from the Iran War — and what it could ultimately mean for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Read more: Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ Guides Iran’s Strikes in Widening War Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Natalia Drozdiak; Edited by Naomi Shavin. Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Katie McMurran. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Ramli, Bloomberg investing reporter in Singapore, offers investigative reporting on regional business scandals. He walks through dramatic arrest footage and allegations of scams, trafficking and money laundering. He outlines how political ties, casinos and banks fed a sprawling empire. He describes scam hubs, lucrative operations and the international pressure that led to its collapse.

Brendan Murray, Bloomberg’s global trade editor who covers international trade policy and digital services, breaks down why digital services are the next big trade battleground. He explains the looming WTO decision on e-transmissions, why countries want digital taxes, the U.S.-EU clash over internet rules, and how AI and data sovereignty are reshaping global tariffs and enforcement.

Mike Shepard, Bloomberg senior editor reporting on the Pentagon-AI split; Katrina Manson, national security reporter and author of Project Maven. They unpack the Anthropic-Pentagon breakup, the rapid push to embed commercial AI in warfighting, ethics and shrinking human oversight in targeting, autonomy test failures, and congressional moves to set limits.

Brian Chappatta, a Bloomberg editor on leveraged finance and distressed debt, and Olivia Fishlow, a Bloomberg reporter on private credit, unpack turmoil in the $1.8 trillion private credit market. They trace its rise, explain why firms borrow privately, highlight opaque risks and concentration in software/AI, and reveal how big redemptions forced dramatic asset sales and executive interventions.