Big Take

President Donald Trump says he believes he’ll have the “honor of taking Cuba.” As the island nation suffers from major blackouts and a US squeeze on its oil supply, its regime’s survival — and the country’s future broadly — is in question.
On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg reporters Eric Martin and Jim Wyss about the dire situation on the ground in Cuba, ongoing talks between the country’s leadership and the US and what could come next.
Read more:
Cuba Is Struggling to Keep Lights On Amid Trump’s Oil Blockade
Can Cuba’s Regime Survive as US Chokes Oil Supplies?
Trump’s Plan for Cuba Would Make the US the Island’s Patron
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Eric Martin, Jim Wyss; 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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As the war with Iran drags out and oil prices remain turbulent, it raises the question of whether — and how — prolonged conflict in the Middle East might impact global fossil fuel dependence and the future of renewable energy.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Todd Woody and Zero podcast host Akshat Rathi join Sarah Holder to discuss early signs that the high cost of oil is reigniting consumer interest in electronic vehicles and other clean energy technologies, and how companies and countries are beginning to respond.
Read more: Surging Gas Prices Reignite EV Interest
Listen more:
What a $100-Per-Barrel Oil Spike Does to the Global Economy
Zero Podcast: War with Iran is a nightmare for oil and gas. What does it mean for clean energy?
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Todd Woody and Akshat Rathi; 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.
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In Episode 6 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take, with spy Xu Yanjun in prison, the US government pursues some of his collaborators. Plus, host Jordan Robertson gets an unexpected call which leads to a big discovery.
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 Episodes 1 - 5 here.
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Has Iran laid mines across the Strait of Hormuz? With attacks on gas and oil facilities across the Middle East sending energy prices soaring, a key to restoring global oil supplies is ensuring the Strait of Hormuz is safe for tanker traffic. However, even the possibility that the area has been mined suggests that a recovery could be slow.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s global defense editor, Gerry Doyle, tells David Gura about the challenges of clearing mines — especially before the shooting stops.
Read more:
Mines, Missiles, and the Strait of Hormuz
Mine-Sweeping Drones Don’t Eliminate The Risks For Clearing Hormuz
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Gerry Doyle; 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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The Federal Open Market Committee announced this afternoon that it would hold interest rates steady. The decision comes in spite of spiking oil prices and new market uncertainty driven by the Iran War.
On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura sits down with Bloomberg Federal Reserve reporter Amara Omeokwe and Wharton professor and historian Peter Conti-Brown to discuss how the Fed is thinking about the Iran War and its impacts on the US economy — and what could shift its calculus in the months ahead.
Read more: Fed to Hold Interest Rates Steady as Iran War Scrambles the Economic Outlook
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Amara Omeokwe; 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.