Big Take

In the first 24 hours of US attacks on Iran, the scale of firepower more than doubled that of the US’ initial assault on Iraq in 2003 — an expansion made possible by the Pentagon’s embrace of AI. Just hours before the attack, the US parted ways with AI company Anthropic, after the company raised concerns over how the Defense Department might use its tools. The Pentagon says it wants the ability to use the tools for “all lawful purposes.”
On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura sits down with Bloomberg national security and tech reporter Katrina Manson — author of the upcoming book Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare — and Bloomberg senior editor Mike Shepard to discuss how the US is integrating AI into its warfighting machine and the guardrails in place for the military as it utilizes AI technology to make life-and-death decisions.
Read more: ‘God, It’s Terrifying’: How the Pentagon Got Hooked on AI War Machines
Katrina Manson’s book is Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare.
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Katrina Manson and Michael Shepard; 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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Brian Chappatta and Olivia Fishlow unpack the recent tumult in the world of private credit. How cracks formed in this $1.8 trillion market, how companies are trying to tamp down investor anxiety and what it all could mean for the private credit industry’s efforts to get into 401(k)s.
Read more: Private Credit’s Gate-Crashers Are Forcing Funds Into a Brutal Spot
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Brian Chappatta and Olivia Fishlow; Edited by Naomi Shavin and 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.

After oil soared to nearly $120 per barrel on Sunday, President Donald Trump began to signal that the US had already achieved victory in Iran and could wind down the conflict soon. There was an immediate drop in oil prices — and the entire global economy seemed to sigh in relief.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Stacey Vanek Smith and Bloomberg Opinion’s Javier Blas discuss why the global economy is so sensitive to oil price spikes and how oil prices are ratcheting up both domestic and international pressure on Trump.
Read more:
Higher Gas Prices Hit Americans Already Hurting From Inflation
This Isn’t an Energy Crisis — at Least Not Yet
Hosted by Stacey Vanek Smith; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Stacey Vanek Smith; Edited by Naomi Shavin.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Aaron Edwards and Jeff Grocott; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major factor that could limit hostilities in Iran and the Middle East is munitions — what weapons each side is using, and how quickly they might run out.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg global defense editor Gerry Doyle and Bloomberg Economics defense lead Becca Wasser about how long the US and Iran can carry on missile and drone strikes, what happens next in the region and what opportunity cost the US could pay for picking this battle now.
Read more:
Iran’s Missile Math: $20,000 Drones Take on $4 Million Patriots
Ukraine Offers Help Downing Iran Drones in Exchange for Patriot Missiles
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Gerry Doyle and Becca Wasser (Bloomberg Economics); Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by David Fox and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; 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 fired Kristi Noem from her role as head of the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday. One of the reasons for Noem’s removal involved her oversight of a $240 million DHS ad campaign, starring herself.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporters Irene Casado Sanchez and Eric Fan join host Sarah Holder to reveal the inside story of that ad blitz — and the ties between people in Trump’s orbit and the companies that were given millions to spend on it.
Read more: Noem Ad Blitz Benefits Media Firms Linked to Trump Campaigns
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.