Big Take

In Episode 3 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take, we follow a spy from China’s Ministry of State Security to the Paris Air Show, and then watch him develop a valuable source, despite his bosses constantly getting in his way.

The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg News follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to acquire the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. That is, until his sloppiness — and a cunning FBI sting — led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil.

The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught. Listen to Episode 1 and 2 here. 

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The Department of Education has been a target of critics for decades. Republicans in the Oval Office have repeatedly tried to shrink the agency, and in his second term, President Trump has vowed to eliminate it altogether.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg education reporter Liam Knox and host David Gura talk through what it takes to gut a congressionally approved federal agency: what’s behind the Trump administration’s ‘creative’ efforts to scale back or move some of the Education Department’s trademark programs and what the shift could mean for students, lawmakers and other federal agencies in the administration’s crosshairs. 

Read more: How to Shred a Federal Agency

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Liam Knox; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Editorial team; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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For the first time in history, Saudi Arabia is allowing international buyers to purchase property in Mecca. This regulatory shift has ignited a building boom, raising concerns over affordability and overdevelopment. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Zainab Fattah joins Sarah Holder to discuss what this property gold rush means for the city’s future and Saudi Arabia’s move away from oil.

Read more: Saudi Arabia's MBS Opens Mecca Property Market in Investment Push

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Zainab Fattah; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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Inflation in the US has cooled from pandemic peaks, but there’s a grocery product telling a different story: beef. The price of uncooked ground beef soared by the most since June 2020 in government data released Friday. The broad beef and veal category is up 15% over the past year as of January.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Enda Curran  takes a peek into the American consumer’s grocery basket with host David Gura to understand the perfect storm of factors that’s setting beef apart. And a fifth-generation Oklahoma rancher reflects on the impact that a fragile market has had on her family business.

Read more:

• America’s Vanishing Cattle Herd Drives 15% Price Hikes for Beef
• US Cattle Herd Stays at 75-Year Low, Keeping Beef Prices High
• A Deadly Parasite’s Return Threatens US Ranchers Too Young to Remember It

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and David Fox; Reported by Enda Curran, Ilena Peng; Edited by Aaron Edwards;

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura;

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 2 of The Sixth Bureau, a limited-run series from The Big Take, we learn how China’s Ministry of State Security recruits experts in the West — and why intelligence officers shouldn’t keep their secrets backed up to the cloud.

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It’s an open secret that the Chinese government has engaged in a global campaign to acquire intellectual property from foreign rivals. At the center of that campaign is the Ministry of State Security, China’s elusive intelligence agency. The US has apprehended hundreds of people accused of giving information to the MSS, but the agency’s inner workings have been a mystery — until now.

Today, we’re bringing you Episode 1 of The Sixth Bureau, a limited-run series from The Big Take. The series follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to acquire the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. That is, until his sloppiness — and a cunning FBI sting — led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil.

The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught. The limited-run series will publish on Fridays in The Big Take. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In July, American parents will be eligible to open Trump Accounts on behalf of their children. The administration touts these investment accounts as a way to help the next generation achieve the American dream. But are they the best way to save for college, home-ownership or retirement? And who stands to benefit most?

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Ben Steverman walks host Sarah Holder through the advantages — and criticisms — of this new program. Plus, economist Darrick Hamilton, whose federal “baby bonds” proposal inspired the Trump Accounts, weighs in on the immediate and long-term impacts the accounts could have on families and on the US economy.

Read more: ‘Trump Accounts’ for Kids Get Another Billionaire Boost. What to Know.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Ben Steverman; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest jobs report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is a mixed bag. January’s numbers came in much stronger than expected — but revisions on 2025 data showed a weaker year than previously realized.

The report comes on the heels of a number of high-profile job cut announcements, including at Amazon, the Washington Post and Nike.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg US economy editor Molly Smith sift through the numbers and discuss the state of the labor market.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox and Julia Press; Reported by Molly Smith Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Denate, Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Katie McMurran.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic election win, positioning her as the nation’s strongest leader in the postwar era.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Sakura Murakami to discuss the reaction to Takaichi’s election gamble, her vision for a more assertive Japan and the uphill battle she faces to deliver her ambitious agenda.

Read more: Takaichi Triumphs With Japan's Biggest Post-War Election Victory

Further listening: All Eyes on Japan and China Tensions After Taiwan

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and Yang Yang; Reported by Sakura Murakami; Edited by Paddy Hirsch;
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The prospect of US military action in Iran and the possibility of regional war continue to loom over indirect talks between the two countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the situation.

On today’s Big Take Podcast, Iran reporter Golnar Motevalli joins host David Gura to lay out what the US and Iran each hope to achieve and what’s at stake if these negotiations fall apart.

Read more: Iran Hardens Crackdown on Political Dissidents After US Talks

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Reported by Golnar Motevalli; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by David Fox; Engineering by Katie McMurran.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.