Big Take

Free speech lawyers are watching in real time as the US government escalates efforts to unmask anonymous critics of ICE.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Justice Department reporter Jimmy Jenkins and legal reporter Zoe Tillman join host David Gura to break down their exclusive reporting on how the DOJ is deploying an old legal tool in a novel way.
We’ll hear from an attorney defending one of the users and explore what the new strategy means for social media platforms, online anonymity and First Amendment freedoms.
Read more: The DOJ Wants to Know Who on Reddit and X Is Criticizing ICE's Tactics
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Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Jimmy Jenkins and Zoe Tillman; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott
Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
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The US Justice Department has announced it would establish a $1.776 billion legal fund to compensate people who claim they’ve been targeted unfairly by the federal government. The plan has been met with swift bipartisan backlash, with some lawmakers calling it a “slush fund” that could line the pockets of Trump loyalists and Jan. 6 rioters with taxpayer dollars.
On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder joins Bloomberg reporters Chris Strohm and Erik Wasson to break down the mechanics of the fund, the Trump administration’s rationale for using it and the mounting questions around its oversight and legal grounds.
Read more: Jan. 6 Rioters Who Beat Police May Get Payouts, Blanche Says
Trump’s $1.8 Billion Settlement Fund Hits Senate GOP Backlash
Why Critics Call Trump’s $1.8B Anti-Weaponization Fund an Abuse of Power
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Chris Strohm, Erik Wasson; Edited by Aaron Edwards.
Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe, Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Emma Munger.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
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The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Cuba’s regime. Just this month, it indicted former President Raúl Castro, announced the deployment of additional military assets to the region and released a video message — featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio — blaming Cuba’s economic troubles on its government.
The push comes less than five months after the US captured one of Havana’s staunchest allies, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, which choked Cuba’s oil supplies and plunged the island into darkness.
On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg State Department reporter Eric Martin discuss what’s next for Cuba’s regime, how President Trump’s Venezuela playbook is — and isn’t — playing out in Havana and the challenges both nations face as they adapt to Trump’s vision for the Western Hemisphere.
Read more: Can Cuba’s Regime Survive Rising US Pressure?
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Eric Martin; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo may have been spreading for months, according to the World Health Organization.
On this week’s episode of the Next Africa Podcast, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by healthcare reporter Janice Kew and Congo Country Director for the Danish Refugee Council, Caitlin Brady. They discuss the impact of aid cuts on the outbreak and how serious the crisis could get.
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Beyond this month's talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, there’s an epic tale that has been unfolding for decades. It’s a battle to be the world’s number one power and a much bigger story than the latest meeting of these two men.

Kishore Mahbubani is a former Singaporean diplomat who served as president of the United Nations Security Council. For two decades, he has argued that the West fundamentally misunderstands the rise of China and its challenge to American supremacy.

Mahbubani, who eventually turned to academia, now specializes in governance and public policy. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, he traces the story behind the Xi-Trump talks, the handshakes and the social media posts–and what may lie ahead.

Mahbubani also reveals how his own successes were made possible by Singapore’s remarkable growth.
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