Big Take

What is the best way to tell a climate story? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Booker Prize-winning novelist George Saunders. His new novel Vigil is an exploration of guilt, told on the deathbed of an oil executive haunted by ghosts. Rathi asks Saunders what he learned about climate change, his thoughts on whether AI complements or compromises human creativity, and why literature still matters in the era of TikTok.

Listen now, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or YouTube to get new episodes of Zero every Thursday.

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On today’s Big Take podcast, professional sports gambler Rufus Peabody discusses why he has shifted more of his betting to prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarke. And markets reporter Justina Lee and sports business reporter Ira Boudway sit down with host David Gura to discuss why these markets are drawing pros like Peabody — and the concerns the platforms raise for regulators and traditional sportsbooks.

Read more: How Polymarket and Kalshi Are Gamifying Truth

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Justina Lee and Ira Boudway; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Katie McMurran.

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

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Shares of Novo Nordisk were down Thursday morning after Hims & Hers introduced a compounded version of its Wegovy pill. The dip came two days after Novo predicted its sales could drop as much as 13% this year as the company factors in competition from generic drugs that could crop up as its patents expire around the world.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Naomi Kresge and Amber Tong talk to host David Gura about the year ahead for weight-loss drugs, from compounded products cutting into leading companies’ market share to generics that could upend the market globally.

Read more: Generic Ozempic Makers Are Coming to Upend the Obesity Market

Further listening: 

• Welcome To Ozempictown, USA (No, It’s Not Hollywood)
• Cheap Ozempic Copycats Are Everywhere. Are They Safe?

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Amber Tong and Naomi Kresge; Edited by Aaron Edwards.

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

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

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AI anxiety is coursing through the stock market right now. From Tuesday’s global selloff in software and technology stocks to last week’s $381 billion Microsoft rout, investors are skittish over any sign of an AI bubble.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Big Tech editor Sarah Frier joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the coming AI reckoning and why pressure is building on tech companies to prove all their AI investments will pay off big — and soon.  

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Sarah Frier; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Katie McMurran and Alex Sugiura.

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

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Four years after Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, its booming market is at a crossroads. Initial high hopes for a tourism surge and a billion-dollar industry have been replaced by an oversupply of shops and a fierce public backlash.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Patpicha Tanakasempipat about what went wrong and whether the industry can weather a political firestorm.

Read more: Weed Backlash Grows in Thailand as Kids Turn to Cannabis

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang, Naomi Ng; Reported by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Edited by Paddy Hirsch, Julia Weaver

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa

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

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We at the Big Take Podcast are sharing the audio of Bloomberg's interview with Disney Chairman James Gorman. Bloomberg's Ed Ludlow interviewed Gorman Tuesday morning to discuss the selection of Josh D’Amaro as the new chief executive officer of the entertainment giant and the future outlook for Disney in the market.

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The Department of Justice released another batch of documents from the so-called Epstein Files on Friday. It brings the total number of pages the DOJ has made public since December to nearly 3.5 million.

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura is joined by Bloomberg investigative reporter and podcast host Jason Leopold to discuss what was and wasn’t in the latest document release — and what we’ve learned about Epstein and his business connections.

Further listening: 

• Jason’s Disclosure podcast
• What to Expect in the DOJ Epstein Files Release

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Jason Leopold; Edited by Jeff Grocott.

Fact-checking by David Fox and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

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

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In the AI industry, there's always a hot new thing. First it was ChatGPT. Then it was the image generators. There was the DeepSeek moment. In the latter half of last year, everyone was excited about how good Google's Gemini was. In January 2026, the new hot thing everyone is talking about is Claude Code. But of course, the AI models have been able to generate lines of code for a long time now. So what is it about Claude Code that has people so excited? Why is it that people are asking: "Is this AGI?" On this episode of Bloomberg's Odd Lots, hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway speak with Noah Brier, the co-founder of Alpehic, a consultancy firm that helps large organizations implement AI technology. Noah has been using the Large Language Models for longer than just about anyone, since even before ChatGPT existed. He explains the evolution of AI-assisted coding, what Claude Code actually is, and why it is that traditional software firms have been getting destroyed in the stock market lately.

Read more:
Meta Begins Job Cuts as It Shifts From Metaverse to AI Devices
AI Coding Startup Replit Nears Funding at $9 Billion Valuation

Only http://Bloomberg.com subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

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Join the conversation: discord.gg/oddlots

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After months of speculation and a publicized selection process befitting The Apprentice, President Trump has announced his pick to lead the Federal Reserve: former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh.

Historically a monetary policy hawk, the now dovish Warsh is expected to align more closely with President Trump’s views on inflation and rate decisions.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder sits down with Bloomberg Fed reporters Amara Omeokwe and Saleha Mohsin to discuss Warsh’s nomination, the early reactions we’ve seen from Wall Street and Washington, and what his past record and recent evolution signal about how he may handle interest rates and an ongoing battle over Fed independence.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Amara Omeokwe, Saleha Mohsin; Edited by Naomi Shavin.

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

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

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The US Senate failed to advance a government spending package on Thursday, setting up for a partial government shutdown.

At the center of the debate is funding for the Department of Homeland Security. In the wake of federal agents killing two US citizens in Minnesota, the spending package has become the latest flashpoint in the fight over ICE’s deployment in American cities.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg reporters Steven Dennis and Alicia Diaz track the fight playing out in Washington as tensions continue to flare in Minnesota.

Read more: 

• Trump, Democrats Make Some Progress in Talks to Avert Shutdown
• Trump, Democrats Hurtle Toward Shutdown After Minnesota Killing
• Republicans Divided After Latest Shooting by Federal Agents
• Key Democrat Visits Minneapolis, Applauds ‘Courageous Movement’ 

Further listening: 

• Minnesota v. ICE
• Inside ICE’s Plan to Build Detention ‘Mega Centers’

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Steven Dennis and Alicia Diaz; Edited by Aaron Edwards; Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura; Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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