Big Take

The last few days have brought a flurry of developments in the Iran war.
As armed hostilities between the US and Iran resumed over the weekend, news broke that US Senator Lindsey Graham had died. Graham was a staunch supporter of Israel and of the war in Iran. And on Monday, President Trump declared US control over the Strait of Hormuz and demanded a 20% reimbursement rate for all cargo that moves through the waterway.
It’s not clear when the war with Iran will end. But when it does, the balance of power in the Middle East will look very different than it did before Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Peter Martin joins host David Gura to discuss the new alliances, revised trade routes and expanded battlefields that are reshaping the Middle East.
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Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Laura Newcombe; Reported by Peter Martin; Edited by Nicole Beemsterboer.
Fact-checking by Victor Swezey; Engineering by Alex Suguira.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
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The great famine of the 1870s killed 50 million people – and El Niño was a key driver. Another El Niño phase has just begun and it’s expected to be among the strongest. There are five times as many people in 2026 as there were in the 1870s and the planet is 1.4C hotter. So are we better prepared?

In this weekend's listen, Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi speaks with Mingfang Ting, professor of climate at Columbia University, about the natural phenomenon and its interaction with human-caused climate change.
Read more:
Bloomberg Green's deep dive on extreme heat
Thoughts or suggestions? Email zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.
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Some of the world’s top tennis players will face off at the Wimbledon finals this weekend. The players who make it to Centre Court have already achieved a bigger feat: a career as a tennis player.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Hannah Miller and The Athletic’s Matt Futterman break down what sets tennis apart from other sports and the challenges the tournaments and players face to stay profitable.
Further Listening : Rafael Nadal's Retirement Is So Great He Doesn't Miss Tennis
Read more:
Grand Slam prize money is enormous. The economics of tennis tournaments is complicated

Wimbledon Investors Cash In With VIP Seats Costing Over $500,000

Matt Futterman’s book, The Cruelest Game, is available for pre-order

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Matt Futterman, Hannah Miller; Edited by Aaron Edwards.
Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
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Maine Democrat Graham Platner’s withdrawal from his US Senate race is ratcheting up an already intense run-up to the US midterm elections. And yet, across the political spectrum, lawmakers in Washington agree that they need to deliver — quickly — on promises of affordability. With broad bipartisan support, they passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, billed as allowing more Americans to achieve the dream of home ownership.
But the bill’s fate has been thrown into doubt by President Trump, who surprised lawmakers by declining to sign it.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg housing policy reporter Katy O’Donnell and Megan Scully, who leads Bloomberg’s Congressional coverage, join Sarah Holder to discuss what’s in the housing bill, how Trump could still steer its fate and what his intervention could mean for Republicans in the midterms.
Read more:
Would Congress’ New Housing Bill Lower Home Prices?
Trump, GOP Clash After President Scraps Housing Bill Signing
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Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Katy O’Donnell and Megan Scully; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by David Fox and Victor Swezy; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
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For two decades, American universities have doubled down on master’s programs, relying on graduate degrees as their financial backbones. Now, the Trump administration’s policies are posing existential threats to that business model.
On today’s Big Take podcast, education reporter Liam Knox joins host Sarah Holder to break down the administration’s three-pronged attack on graduate school and the impact it could have on students, universities and America’s place on the global stage.
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Liam Knox; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.
Fact-checking by Victor Swezey; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.