Big Take

For the past year, Bloomberg News and Morning Consult have been polling voters in swing states. Former President Donald Trump has had a consistent lead when it comes to the question of who voters trust on the economy. But a new poll of likely voters shows Vice President Kamala Harris closing that gap in key states.

Today, senior editor Wendy Benjaminson joins the Big Take DC to dig into how this polling works and what we can learn from the results.

Read more:  Kamala Harris Holds Razor-Thin Lead Across Swing States in Tight 2024 Race

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skyrocketing tuition costs, COVID and fewer high school graduates have been straining the survival of smaller American colleges, leading many to shut down. Now, some are joining a surprising new path: mergers and acquisitions.

Bloomberg reporter Francesca Maglione sits down with Big Take host David Gura to discuss why some colleges are eager to merge with others, and what this new dynamic might mean for the future of higher education. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talk of de-dollarization has been gaining momentum among China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa in the wake of significant US led sanctions on Russia. Former US President and candidate Donald Trump has said the currency is under attack — and that any country that shuns it would face new tariffs on imports if he is elected.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin about the unique role the dollar plays in the world economy — and what, if anything, could replace it.

Read more: The Dollar’s Dominance, Explained

Further listening: Odd Lots Podcast – How the US Dollar Became an International Weapon of War

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fighting has escalated in the Middle East after thousands of pagers and walkie talkies held by Hezbollah operatives exploded across Lebanon last week. That attack is the most recent example of supply chain interference — a global problem that national security officials say is now “rampant.” 

Bloomberg cybersecurity reporter Katrina Manson and defense and intelligence reporter Peter Martin sit down with Big Take host Sarah Holder to break down what we know about how and when the Hezbollah pagers were turned into bombs — and what countries like the US and China are doing to protect their supply chains from foreign infiltration. 

Read more: Exploding Pagers Raise Global Supply-Chain Security Concern

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Computers have outplayed humans in chess and Go for decades. But poker was long considered unhackable. The game requires not just crunching numbers, but creativity and complex strategy. That only started to change about 10 years ago, when a new generation of unbeatable poker bots began to appear online. 

The makers of the technology remained in the shadows, so Bloomberg’s Kit Chellel set out to find them. On today’s Big Take podcast, he joins David Gura to share the story of how a group of Russian students invented the world’s best online poker bots and what that means for the multi-billion-dollar industry.

Read more: The Russian Bot Army That Conquered Online Poker

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris took over the Democratic presidential ticket, she’s faced criticism from voters who say they don’t know what she stands for. But we know two Bloomberg reporters who do: California bureau chief Karen Breslau, who’s been following Harris’ career for two decades, and Josh Wingrove, who covers her campaign. 

Today on the show, they join host Sarah Holder to discuss what we know about Harris’ economic message and what a Harris presidency could mean for everything from domestic taxes to global trade.

Read more: Understanding Kamala Harris

Further listening: Donald Trump Sits Down With Bloomberg Businessweek

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Reserve announced a highly anticipated rate cut of half a percentage point today — larger than many watchers anticipated. Which industries and companies will feel this interest rate cut the most, and what will it mean for everyday consumers?

Bloomberg’s Enda Curran joins host Sarah Holder to talk about what effects we can expect to see as the rate cut ripples through the US economy and the world — and hits our wallets.

Read more: Rent Is the Stubborn Part of the Inflation Story

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in over four years. And there’s debate over how big the cut will be and how soon it will impact the economy.

Bloomberg’s Kate Davidson joins host David Gura to discuss this turning point for the economy, and what else Fed policymakers have in store for the future.  

Read more: Fed Ready to Unshackle US Economy With Soft Landing at Stake

Further listening: What a September Cut Could Mean for the Economy and the Election

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A controversial AI safety bill was just passed by California’s legislature. It’s been spurned by OpenAI and Nancy Pelosi, championed by Elon Musk – and could radically reshape the future of the technology’s development not just in the state, but globally.

On today’s podcast, host Sarah Holder speaks with California State Senator Scott Wiener, the author of SB 1047, about why he thinks California needs to take a lead in regulating AI. And Bloomberg tech reporter Shirin Ghaffary explains why even if the bill is vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the questions it has raised about AI regulation could be long-lasting.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The year started with the door of an airplane falling off mid-flight. Frustrations with air travel have mounted since then. It’s up to Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary, to address those problems — which include everything from Boeing’s woes to the shrinking value of airline loyalty points.

Buttigieg joined the Big Take DC podcast in an exclusive interview to talk about the future of air travel, and his political future after his tenure in the Biden administration ends.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.