Big Take

The government of French President Emmanuel Macron collapsed Wednesday after losing a no-confidence vote. The outcome brings the country one step closer to a far-right government — the one thing President Macron has sought to avoid at all costs.

Bloomberg’s Stephen Carroll and Big Take co-host David Gura break down the current pressures on France’s government, what led to the vote and what we know about what comes next. 

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For companies with extra cash, it's a popular season for buying back their own shares. In the past few years alone, publicly traded companies in the US executed hundreds of billions worth of stock buybacks. And 2024 is on track to be the biggest year in buybacks ever.

So how do they work? And what’s behind their rise in popularity? Bloomberg reporter Lu Wang joins Big Take co-hosts David Gura and Sarah Holder to explain the logic behind buybacks, and unpack who wins and who loses when companies turn to them.

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Power brokers, administration nominees and even the prime minister of Canada have travelled to Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his resort, making it a new center of political power.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg wealth reporter Amanda Gordon joins host David Gura to discuss Trump’s use of Mar-a-Lago in the lead-up to his inauguration, the impact he’s had on the surrounding area and South Florida’s growing influence on national politics.

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If you’ve bought an airplane ticket recently, you may have noticed that there are a lot more options to choose from — and a lot more line items to pay for. It’s all part of airlines’ strategy of “premiumization.” And it’s why the front of the plane is getting cushier, while coach can feel like a low-cost shakedown. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Businessweek senior reporter Amanda Mull joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how airlines are rethinking their pricing — and what it means for airline revenue and your flight experience.

Read more: Why the Flying Experience Feels So Much Worse

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What can the humble chicken reveal about the economic conditions shaping our lives? Turns out, a lot. 

Understanding the chicken industry can help explain some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy. In “Beak Capitalism,” a new three-part series, Odd Lots hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway trace chicken from the farm to the factory to the table.

In the first episode, they examine the consumer side of the industry – including the chicken sandwiches war back in 2019 and the rising cost of eggs.

Further listening: Beak Capitalism, Part 2: The Chickenization of Everything

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Gambling on sports is now legal in almost 40 states in the US, and pro-football is at the center of the rapidly growing, multibillion dollar industry that’s cropped up since the Supreme Court paved the way for it in 2018.

Big Take host David Gura joins Bloomberg’s Jason Kelly, who co-hosts The Deal podcast with Alex Rodriguez, to discuss the ways that the normalization of betting culture is impacting the NFL, its athletes and its fans.

Read more: ‘I’m So Scared’: NFL Players on How Betting Changes the Sport

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India’s Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest men, was charged last week by US prosecutors over his alleged involvement in a $250 million bribery scheme. The indictment sent the stocks and bonds of Adani’s vast conglomerate tumbling and is the second governance crisis to hit the group in two years. 

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Menaka Doshi discuss what the charges mean for Adani’s empire and corporate India, and the implications for US-India relations.

Read more: Gautam Adani Bribery Charges Impact His Net Worth, Markets Beyond India

Further listening: $200 Billion, Four Heirs And One Mighty Empire

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After a messy, public competition between hopefuls, President-elect Donald Trump nominated hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to be the next Treasury secretary. 

On today’s Big Take DC podcast, hosts Saleha Mohsin and David Gura discuss why Trump chose Bessent, and how Bessent might approach the job.

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New York City has some of the highest housing costs in the US. In addition to sky-high rents, tenants often have to pay a fee to a real estate broker when they sign a new lease — whether they hire them or not. But that’s about to change.

Today on the show, host Sarah Holder speaks with City Councilmember Chi Ossé about the passage of his bill that will eliminate upfront broker fees for most renters, and hears from supporters and opponents of the legislation. And Bloomberg reporter Paulina Cachero unpacks what the effort could mean for New York’s renters.

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A record number of Pakistanis are leaving at a rapid speed. Among them are some of the country’s top talent including doctors, engineers, accountants and managers. Over the last three years, one million skilled workers like them have left Pakistan.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Pakistan Bureau Chief Faseeh Mangi about what’s behind the severe brain drain in one of the world’s most populous nations, where the immigrants are going, and what it means for the country’s already fragile economy that depends on loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Read more: Pakistan’s Top Talent Is Leaving the Country in Record Numbers

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