After a rare public comment on Taiwan from Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, relations between the two nations are at a historic low — and Beijing is ramping up its economic retaliation.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg’s James Mayger and Isabel Reynolds about the political calculation behind Takaichi’s move, the historical grievances fueling the dispute and the real economic risks facing Tokyo.

Read more: China Asks Airlines to Extend Japan Flight Cuts Until March 2026 - Bloomberg

Further listening: How APEC Become a Battleground for US-China Influence

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On Monday, a federal judge threw out the criminal cases filed by the Department of Justice against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

When President Trump took office in January, he made it clear that retribution against his perceived political enemies was a key part of his second-term agenda. The cases against Comey and James were a high profile part of that strategy, and the White House does not seem inclined to accept this outcome.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg senior national political reporter Nancy Cook and Department of Justice reporter Chris Strohm to discuss the stakes of the Comey and James cases, the role the DOJ has played in carrying out Trump’s second-term agenda — and what to expect next.

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Under new pressures over inflation and affordability, President Donald Trump has been talking up a plan to share tariff revenues with Americans, in the form of $2,000 checks. But there are several major problems with this plan — and he’s lacking support among some of his most ardent allies.

On today’s Big Take episode, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg senior national political reporter Nancy Cook and US Treasury reporter Dan Flatley to discuss how Trump’s latest proposal fits into the economic debate that could define midterm elections – and how the Supreme Court, the Republican party and Trump’s own cabinet could throw a wrench in his plans.

Read more:

• Trump’s $2,000 Tariff ‘Dividend’ Marks Throwback to Covid Checks
• Trump’s $2,000 Tariff Check Idea Draws Republican Resistance

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Stanford University Professor Fei-Fei Li has been at the forefront of artificial intelligence research for 25 years, which is why she’s been called the “godmother of AI.”

In this conversation she tells Mishal Husain how she arrived in the US as a teenager after her parents decided to emigrate from China. She also talks about the high school teacher who inspired her and a deep love of physics, leading her to ask what she calls “audacious” questions.

These days, amid her excitement about AI and its potential, she also is focused on what humans must do to build safeguards, and has a message for parents, too.

02:50 - AI is a “civilizational technology”
04:15 - “Technology is a double-edged sword”
05:45 - Being a tech CEO and an academic
06:45 - Falling in love with physics
08:00 - What is intelligence?
08:40 - Finding my first North Star
09:45 - Fei-Fei Li’s two key breakthroughs
14:52 - Moving from China to the US at 15
15:48 - Running the family shop taught me resilience
17:30 - “I wasn’t curious about nightclubs”
18:20 - My inspirational teacher
22:20 - “China is a powerhouse in AI”
23:00 - Creating 3D worlds with AI
27:20 - AI and the jobs market
28:40 - Are humans going to be replaced?
31:00 - “The machine overlord”
32:45 - What should parents tell their children?
34:40 - The AI bubble
36:00 - Powering the big data centres AI needs
37:20 - “I’m not a tech utopian or a dystopian”
38:00 - “My one worry is our teachers”
39:20 - “I’m conscious of my responsibility”
41:28 - Fei-Fei Li believes in timeless human values
42:00 - “My favourite book these days is Harry Potter”

Watch this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS

You can find the written version of this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

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Oxford University has repeatedly been slow to act when confronted with allegations of harassment, assault and inappropriate behavior by male academics, a new Bloomberg investigation has found.

Katherine Griffiths, the city editor of Bloomberg’s London bureau, spoke to dozens of academics, staffers and women who have studied at Oxford to understand how the storied institution has handled misconduct concerns — and why it lags behind its peers. On this episode of the Big Take podcast, she shares her findings about the barriers to addressing misconduct at Oxford, and the lasting consequences for women.

Read more: Oxford University Has Failed Women Over Harassment Concerns, Staff Say

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Nvidia released its third quarter earnings Wednesday, crushing estimates and easing Wall Street’s concerns about an AI bubble.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Tech’s Ed Ludlow sits down with David Gura to discuss his post-earnings interview with Jensen Huang – what the Nvidia CEO had to say about the company’s breakneck growth, so-called circular deals, and potential expansion into China.

Read more:

• Nvidia’s Huang Says Company Has Plenty of New Chips to Sell
• It's OK, Nvidia Says There's No AI Bubble

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After a period characterized as “low-hire, low-fire,” the American labor market is seeing a surge of layoffs from companies like Amazon, Starbucks, UPS and Target. And that’s pushing more job applicants towards traditionally less-desirable occupations, like substitute teaching, traffic flagging and waste management.

Today on the Big Take, Sarah Holder is joined by economic reporter Mike Sasso to discuss what’s happening in this often-overlooked corner of the labor market and what it means for the economy overall.

Read more: The Job Market Is Heating Up — for Jobs That People Usually Don't Want

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China is investing heavily in cutting-edge genetic experiments. It’s part of their quest to become a biotech superpower.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha, Bloomberg’s Karoline Kan and Oxford University geneticist Andy Greenfield discuss China’s pharmaceutical ambitions and the loose regulatory environment that allows the animal testing industry to thrive.

Read more: China Pushes Boundaries With Animal Testing to Win Global Biotech Race

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