Big Take

Not long ago, markets would have lurched if a president threatened to impose tariffs, attack a foreign nation or compromise Federal Reserve independence. Since Donald Trump’s return to office, though, traders have been buying on these threats and cashing in when they don’t come to pass.

On today’s episode of the Big Take, Bloomberg Opinion’s John Authers and columnist Robert Armstrong of the Financial Times – who coined ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’ – join host David Gura to discuss the latest TACO trading statistics and what happens when financial markets have muted reactions to White House headlines.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox; Reported by John Authers and Robert Armstrong; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

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

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

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From sinking Treasuries to global selloffs, the turmoil in Japan’s bond market is being felt far beyond its borders. 

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Ruth Carson to unpack what’s rattled international investors and why markets are still on tenterhooks.

Read more: Japan Bond Crash Unleashes a $7 Trillion Risk for Global Markets

Further listening: The Dollar’s Dominance Is Unwinding in Asia

Carry Trades, Explained

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by: Naomi Ng, Yang Yang; Reported by Ruth Carson; 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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From his ambitions to acquire Greenland to his retracted (for now) threats of tariffs on European countries that oppose him, President Donald Trump continues to alienate the EU’s member states. But they’re aligned on one thing: The continent needs to be ready to stand on its own, and fast.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg Brussels bureau chief Suzanne Lynch recap the outcomes of an emergency summit of EU leaders last Thursday, the toolkit at their disposal to push back and the routes ahead for Europe in a shifting world order.

Read more: Shellshocked EU Rethinks US Relationship After Trump Threat

Further listening: Trump Takes Europe to the Brink on Greenland

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Suzanne Lynch; 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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Japan is home to the world’s oldest population and a growing share of the country’s financial assets – about $2 trillion – are controlled by seniors who are showing signs of cognitive decline.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg’s Alice French about the staggering “dementia money” at risk, the toll of frozen accounts and the haphazard solutions that serve as a stark warning to the rest of the world. 

Read more: Japan's 'Dementia Money' Problem Puts Trillions at Risk - Bloomberg

Further listening:
The Rise of Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ and Its Political Shift to the Right

Hosted by Produced by Naomi Ng, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Reported by Alice French, Kentaro Tsutsumi; Edited by Patrich Hirsch, Emma O’Brien; Fact-checking by Yang Yang, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer

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President Trump has revived a campaign pledge to cap credit card interest rates at 10%. It’s an effort to address affordability concerns among American consumers and help borrowers. But the banking industry is not thrilled about the idea – and says the proposal could block some people from accessing credit at all.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg finance reporter Claire Ballentine joins host Sarah Holder to break down the arguments and talk through what it would take to make the proposal a reality.

Read more: Trump’s Call for 10% Credit-Card Cap Aims at Banks’ Crown Jewels

Further listening: How World Leaders – and Markets – Are Reacting to Trump’s Davos Speech 

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Claire Ballentine; Edited by Tracey Samuelson; Fact-checking by David Fox and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Katie McMurran; Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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Across the ideological spectrum, Supreme Court justices appeared wary of President Trump’s attempts to fire Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook in a hearing on Wednesday. Their ruling, which is set to come by July, could set a crucial precedent for the executive branch’s influence over the central bank.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Amara Omeokwe and Greg Stohr break down arguments from both sides of the case, analyze key reactions from justices on the bench and make sense of how the outcome could impact the economy and public confidence in the Fed.

Read more: Supreme Court Appears Wary of Trump Bid to Fire Fed’s Lisa Cook

Further listening: Why Trump Is Trying to Fire Lisa Cook

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Amara Omeokwe and Greg Stohr; 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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In an unprecedented speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump ruled out taking Greenland by military force, but made his case for the US purchasing what he described as a “large piece of ice” — and vowed to “remember” if he didn’t get his way.

On today’s Big Take podcast, executive editor Flavia Krause-Jackson joins host David Gura to recap Trump’s stunning speech, the swift reaction from his peers and NATO allies and what, ultimately, could come next.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Flavia Krause-Jackson; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Alex Sigura.

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

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ICE has been open about its aggressive detention and deportation targets. And now, the agency has its sights set on a new kind of facility to house the people it arrests: converted warehouses that could detain 5,000 or more people.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporters Fola Akinnibi and Sophie Alexander take host Sarah Holder inside their team’s reporting on the agency’s latest push to expand its detention capacity, the lucrative government contracts that companies are vying for and mounting concerns around safety for detainees.

Read more: 

• ICE Plans Detention Expansion With Deal to Design ‘Mega Centers’
• Companies With No Detention Experience Want to Run Trump’s ICE Camps

Further listening: Why Small Towns Are Hooked on ICE Detention

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Sophie Alexander and Fola Akinnibi; Edited by Aaron Edwards; Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and David Fox; Engineering by Katie McMurran; Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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This week marks the end of President Trump’s first year back in office. His busy economic agenda included global tariffs, deregulation, tax cuts and so much more.

The deep and dramatic changes the Trump administration proposed and imposed have fundamentally changed the way the US does business. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook and Mark Niquette discuss which initiatives have had the biggest impact so far and which are likely to last.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Nancy Cook and Mark Niquette; Edited by Tracey Samuelson and Patrick Hirsch; 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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For Beijing, the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a mixed bag -- an embarrassing surprise, a wake-up call over its alliances in Latin America and an opening to step up on the world stage, according to Nicholas Burns, the former US ambassador to China.

On today’s Big Take, host David Gura and Ambassador Burns discuss how President Donald Trump’s military actions and threats are reshaping China’s relationships across the Pacific and the Taiwan Strait—and how the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” could ultimately hand China a global edge.

Read more: How Maduro’s Removal Could Help China in Venezuela and Latin America

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Yang Yang and Naomi Ng; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

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

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