Big Take

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.
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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.
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President Trump heads into Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address with sagging poll numbers just days after his signature tariff strategy was struck down by the Supreme Court. As a speaker with a history of diverging from script, Trump is expected to defend everything from his record on affordability to his approach to Iran in order to rally his base ahead of midterm elections.
On today’s Big Take Podcast, White House reporter Josh Wingrove joins host David Gura to discuss what this year-one milestone means for Trump amid tensions in the US and around the world.
Read more: Trump to Make Economic Sales Pitch to Congress as Headwinds Grow
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Josh Wingrove; Edited by Naomi Shavin.
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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.