Republicans are back in charge of the US House of Representatives after winning a narrow majority in November’s midterm elections. They’ve got a long list of things they want to accomplish: spending cuts are near the top, as well as investigating Joe Biden and his administration. The hitch? The Senate is still in Democratic hands, which means they can block just about any legislation the House passes. And Republican leaders often have a difficult time keeping their own fractious members in line (just look at how hard some Republicans fought to keep Kevin McCarthy from becoming House speaker). Bloomberg congressional reporter Steven Dennis joins this episode to talk about what’s ahead this year in congress–and how to sort out what to pay attention to, and what’s just noise. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.This podcast is produced by the Big Take Podcast team: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producers: Mo Barrow, Rebecca Chaisson, Michael Falero and Federica Romaniello, Associate Producers: Sam Gebauer and Zaynab Siddiqui. Sound Design/Engineers: Raphael Amsili and Gilda Garcia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though Americans are driving more than ever before, they’re using less fuel to do it. Gasoline demand in the US hasn’t bounced back to pre-Covid levels, and for all kinds of reasons, it likely never will. In the long run, that will mean relief from high gas prices. But the decline of fossil fuels won’t be quick — or painless. As the oil industry recalibrates to meet the new reality and seeks to maximize profits, we could see price spikes and periodic supply crunches. Bloomberg journalists Lynn Doan, Chunzi Xu and Millie Munshi join this episode to talk about why gasoline use is trending lower, even as Americans pile on more miles in their cars. And energy analyst Mark Finley of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy explains how diminishing gasoline use could impact not just consumers and companies, but US national security, and America’s relationship with China and the rest of the world.  Learn more about this story: https://bloom.bg/3J8TBQt  Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.This podcast is produced by the Big Take Podcast team: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producers: Mo Barrow, Rebecca Chaisson, Michael Falero and Federica Romaniello, Associate Producers: Sam Gebauer and Zaynab Siddiqui. Sound Design/Engineers: Raphael Amsili and Gilda Garcia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The price of everything is going up, but few things have risen as fast as rent. The rule of thumb used to be that housing shouldn’t eat up more than a third of your paycheck. But these days, a lot of people are handing over half or more of their income to the landlord. Why has rent climbed so high so fast–and is there any end in sight? Real estate reporter Prashant Gopal joins this episode to explain how we got here–and offers a dose of cautious optimism for renters. And Neil Callanan, who covers corporate finance, gives a broader view of the consequences of turmoil in commercial and housing markets around the world. Learn more about the story here: https://bloom.bg/3whXo66 Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies around the world are competing to produce what’s often called lab-grown meat. It begins with the cells of cows, chickens, fish, or whatever protein you’re trying to recreate–and like the name says, it’s grown in a lab into food-sized portions.How is it made, how long until it appears in your local supermarket, and how…does it taste? Bloomberg reporters Deena Shanker and Priya Anand join this episode with answers. Learn more here: https://bloom.bg/3WgTl4I  Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December, we told the wild story of drug smugglers who hide tons of cocaine aboard huge container ships bound for Europe from South America. Today, we pick up the saga from there. What happens to all that cocaine once it reaches port?Bloomberg investigative reporters Lauren Etter and Vernon Silver join this episode to talk about how a sophisticated network of drug cartels and traffickers recruit young people to sneak the cocaine off the ships and coerce dockworkers to look the other way. And how law enforcement is trying to stop cheap cocaine from flooding the streets of Europe–without grinding global trade to a halt. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tough economic sanctions the US and European Union imposed on Russia and Iran have succeeded in cutting off those nations from much of the world economy. But they’ve also had an unintended effect: Moscow and Tehran are now joining forces to evade some of the crippling trade restrictions.  They’re investing billions of dollars on an 1,800-mile trade route that enables them to move products of all kinds over land and water that’s beyond the reach of the West–to buyers in the fast-growing economies of Asia. Bloomberg journalists Golnar Motevalli in London and Jonathan Tirone in Vienna join this episode to describe how this new trade route operates. And Dr. Maria Shagina, an expert in sanctions, explains how sanctions work–and whether Iran and Russia can ultimately succeed in outmaneuvering the West. Learn more about the story HERE. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember when everyone loved to complain how there were 150 channels on TV and nothing good to watch? It’s pretty hard to say that now. There are so many good shows being made. Our new complaint: how hard it is to watch all those great shows, especially when they’re spread across so many streaming services—and most of them you have to pay for. How did we get here?  Bloomberg media reporter Felix Gillette has answers.  He’s the co-author of the book It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO. Felix joins this episode to break down why TV has never been better–and yet has never been more frustrating to watch.  Bloomberg’s entertainment reporter Lucas Shaw also stops in to explain how this shift has changed the way Hollywood decides which shows get made--and which ones don't. This episode originally aired in October of 2022.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 isn’t quite done with us yet, but virologists are urging governments around the world to start preparing for the next pandemic. They warn it’s just a matter of time before it happens, and with good planning lessons learned from the current response can keep us from getting caught flat-footed again. So far, though, such calls haven’t been met with much enthusiasm by politicians who have more immediate concerns in front of them.  Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, joins this episode to explain where the next virus is likely to come from, and how to get in front of it. And Bloomberg reporters Riley Griffin and Josh Wingrove talk about what governments learned from covid pandemic–and what if anything they’re doing to brace for what’s to come. Read more about this story HERE. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a new way for some countries struggling under piles of debt to get relief: by agreeing to spend part of the difference on the environment. The Nature Conservancy, the US-based environmental group, is teaming up with big financial institutions to offer what’s called Blue Bonds, or debt-for-nature swaps. The bank alleviates some of the country’s debt burden, and the government puts the savings toward restoring coral reefs and other environmental projects. Belize and the Seychelles are among a handful of nations that have taken the offer so far, and many more are in the works. Bloomberg journalists Sydney Maki and Natasha White join this episode to explain how these complex deals work–and who’s profiting from the bargain.Learn more about this story here: https://bloom.bg/3ZwzcdC Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been nothing but mayhem at Twitter since Elon Musk took the helm of the social media company late last year and began shaking things up in ways that don’t always seem to make much sense, especially from the outside. Many users are furious and advertisers are fleeing. Musk’s preoccupation with Twitter is also fueling concerns that he’s not paying enough attention to Tesla, his once-invincible electric car company that’s lost hundreds of billions of dollars in value. Bloomberg journalists Brad Stone, Sarah Frier and Kurt Wagner join this episode to explain Musk’s chaotic moves and where he goes from here. Read more about this story here: https://bloom.bg/3ivqHig  Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.