Big Take DC

The long tail of the Great Recession and the aftermath of the pandemic have resulted in a major housing affordability crisis in the US — and it’s hitting everyone from homeowners to renters. Today, Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin digs into how we got here and whose problem it is to fix. She’s joined by Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, and by Daryl Fairweather, a chief economist at Redfin. Read more: Mortgages Stuck Around 7% Force Rapid Rethink of American DreamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US politicians just can’t seem to stay out of court. New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is standing trial for charges that sound like a TV crime drama: alleged bribery, hidden gold bars and a secret FBI recording at a Washington steakhouse. But these allegations don’t just impact Menendez’s career–they could hurt Democrats as they fight an uphill battle to hold onto the Senate. Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin talks with Bloomberg legal reporter Patricia Hurtado and Congress editor Megan Scully about the trial’s intrigue and how it could harm the Democratic party’s image.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While President Biden meets with Europe's leaders this week, he is continuing to push for Israel and Hamas to support a cease-fire proposal. But violence is continuing to escalate on the ground in Gaza, raising questions about what it would take to end the conflict. Today on the Big Take DC, host Saleha Mohsin speaks with Bloomberg White House correspondent Justin Sink and Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner about the hurdles facing the proposal and what Biden and Netanyahu might do next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a felony. Bloomberg legal reporter David Voreacos, who has been following the case from inside the courthouse, and Washington Bureau senior editor Wendy Benjaminson join host David Gura to discuss the trial, its historic outcome and how this could shape the rest of the 2024 election cycle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US government was built on a system of checks and balances. But there’s always been a tug of war over just how much power the president has — on paper and in practice. Law professor and author Dan Farber joins Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin on the powers and limits of the US president, how they’ve evolved since the country’s founding, and what’s at stake if a Commander-in-Chief ignores the office’s unwritten rules and precedents. Read more: A Hidden Variable in the Presidential Race: Fears of ‘Trump Forever’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump’s 2017 tax cuts were 30 years in the making. Some expire next year, and a nasty battle is brewing over whether to renew them. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg politics editor Laura Davison and Bipartisan Policy Center senior vice president Bill Hoagland join DC host Saleha Mohsin to break down the 2017 tax cuts, what they’ve meant for taxpayers and the US economy, and how a Biden or Trump win could affect their future. Read more: Ultra-Rich Should Pay to Save Social Security, Swing-State Voter Poll ShowsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Team Trump is up against historic criminal trials and a failed reelection bid in 2020. Despite this, his 2024 campaign is organized, frugal – and getting results. On today’s Big Take podcast, DC host Saleha Mohsin takes stock of the 2024 Trump campaign through the lens of his past two runs, speaking with former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci and Bloomberg politics reporter Nancy Cook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Weather Service is predicting that vast swaths of the US will see above-average temperatures this summer. That’s weighing on the wallets of small businesses across the country, who already operate on thin profit margins. On today’s Big Take podcast, DC host Saleha Mohsin does the math on this economic hit, hears from business owners trying to weather it, and unpacks what the government could do about it with Bloomberg economics reporter Catarina Saraiva.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omaha, Nebraska, is billionaire Warren Buffett’s hometown. A quirk in the state’s election law also means it could wind up deciding the 2024 presidential election. On this episode, Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin talks to Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb and Bloomberg White House reporter Josh Wingrove, who traveled to Nebraska, to understand the fight to secure Omaha’s vote and the possibility of Warren Buffett entering the fray.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US public’s trust in the media, and the government, is markedly low. A recent Gallup poll found only about 30 percent of Americans trust the media — and Pew Research found only 16 percent trust their government. Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold is using records to try to change that. He’s filed over 9,000 requests through the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA — a Cold War era law meant to ensure the right to transparency from the US government. On this week’s Big Take DC, host Saleha Mohsin and Jason dissect the FOIA process, the challenges of sifting through redacted documents from secretive government entities and the stories FOIA records have brought to light. Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-filesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.