Big Take

Leaders in Washington and Tehran are on the clock, with about a month to wrap up the Iran war before it does greater damage to the global economy and their own political fates, according to retired Admiral James Stavridis.
On today’s Big Take podcast with David Gura, Adm. Stavridis, the former head of US Southern Command and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, outlines how the US troops heading to the region could help bring about a diplomatic resolution – or raise the risk of a longer conflict.
Read more:
Taking Kharg Island May Be a Big Risk for Little Reward
Three Targets for US Boots on the Ground in Iran
Iran Can Turn the Persian Gulf Into a Minefield
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by David Fox; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Tracey Samuelson and Julia Press; Engineering by Katie McMurran.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
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Just when it seemed that Netflix had clinched the deal to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Skydance Corp. swooped in with a $110 billion counter-offer that was ultimately too good for the studio to pass up.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and Chris Palmeri take host Sarah Holder inside the behind-the-scenes negotiations that secured the deal for Paramount, how Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos explained his company’s decision to walk away – and the twists and turns that could still be coming in this story as two mega-studios become one.
Read more: What the Paramount-Warner Merger Means for Hollywood
David Ellison Used Political Ties, Deep Pockets to Buy Warner Bros.Netflix’s Co-CEO Explains Why He Quit the Warner Bros. Fight
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Two decades ago, a federal prosecutor in Florida spent two years investigating Jeffrey Epstein and urged her superiors to charge him. Her frustrations mounted as her boss, US Attorney Alex Acosta, pursued a now-infamous plea deal that allowed Epstein to serve just 13 months, much of it on work release.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg legal reporter David Voreacos joins host Sarah Holder to examine emails and evidence recently released by the Justice Department. They reveal Marie Villafaña’s exhaustive efforts to hold Epstein accountable — and how, despite years of credible evidence, he managed to slip through the cracks.
Read more: Sex-Crimes Prosecutor's Repeated Pleas for Epstein's Arrest Were Denied
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by David Voreacos; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Katie McMurran.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 electric 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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.