Big Take

After steering one of Wall Street’s iconic investment banks through the financial crisis, former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is investing his own money and, with the publication of a new memoir, reflecting on his time at the firm.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Blankfein tells host David Gura how he uses AI, what he sees as a worrying expansion of opaque investment products and what happens when public companies respond to political pressures. And David asks him about the resignation of Goldman’s top lawyer following the release of the latest Epstein files.
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
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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President Donald Trump says the US has begun major combat operations against Iran. Airstrikes have been carried out by Israel and the US, with multiple provinces hit. Iran in turn has fired back at Israel and targeted US bases and assets in the region, including Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq.

This comes after weeks of talks failed to produce a fresh agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. OPEC+ will consider the option of a larger supply increase when key members meet on Sunday.
This is a developing story. We are live blogging at Bloomberg.com with the latest from across the globe. You can also listen at Bloomberg News Now.

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In Episode 4 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take, we follow a spy from China’s Ministry of State Security as he tries to plan a delicate overseas meeting with a valuable source. But the person he’s talking to isn’t working alone.
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 - 3 here.
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After US forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, President Donald Trump said the US would “run” the South American country. What’s actually happened since?
On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura has a sweeping conversation with International Crisis Group senior analyst Phil Gunson, who’s based in Caracas and has tracked Latin American politics for decades.
Further listening:
Why Trump Wants Venezuela’s Oil
How Venezuela Shifts China’s Calculus
The Domino Effect of the ‘Donroe Doctrine’
Hosted by David Gura and Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Edited by Aaron Edwards.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Katie McMurran.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the “AI scare trade” jolts companies large and small, Apple shares keep doing their own thing. The company has “decoupled” to the greatest degree in 20 years from forces moving the rest of the Nasdaq 100.
Why — and how? On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg’s equities reporter Ryan Vlastelica and Chief Apple Correspondent Mark Gurman about how the company became a hedge against fears of AI disruption — and why that may not be a good thing.
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Ryan Vlastelica and Mark Gurman; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
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.