Spookflation Comes for us All

Jensen Huang is out. Will he take the AI boom and the global economy with him? Max and Stacey get into it with Bloomberg Businessweek’s editor, Brad Stone. Plus, we dig into BW’s timely new issue about China’s rise as a superpower: the good, the bad, and the robot baristas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With historic election results all across the US, we need to talk about what it means for you and your pocketbook. We’re joined by Bloomberg reporters Joshua Green and Dana Hull to talk about the mega blue wave that swept the country, along with a zoom-in on what happened on the ground in Texas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once upon a midnight dreary, inflation made me weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of Dashing Doors––While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, Instacart at my chamber door.“Is this my chicken wings”, I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door––Only a merger and acquisition, nothing more.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our friends over at the Big Take podcast recently released an episode about the trend of “Skimpflation” - when a product or service drops in quality but the price is the same. Please enjoy, and hop on over to subscribe to their feed if you like what you hear!——From margarine to chocolate treats, some brands are swapping in cheaper ingredients to save money on their most beloved products. It’s a trend known as “skimpflation.” But what happens when consumers start to notice?On today’s Big Take podcast, Stacey Vanek Smith hears from Brad Reese, grandson of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup creator, about his crusade against the practice, the multi-million-dollar cottage industry that’s formed around it and the economic conditions that got us here in the first place.Read more: How Brands Sneak In Cheaper Ingredients to Protect Their Profit MarginsWe have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we have two stories that cover the spectrum of feast and famine. First, is beef a luxury now? Businessweek staff writer Deena Shanker chews the fat about why prices keep rising. And then, does the leaked Anthropic S-1 show a bubble bursting? Bloomberg News Managing Editor Sarah Frier talks us through it. Plus: How we feel about Elizabeth Holmes now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the midterms come into focus, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen keeps showing up on lists of the biggest political spenders. Bloomberg reporter Austin Carr shares the story of how a left-of-center software engineer turned into a Silicon Valley juggernaut with an army of lobbyists. Then we sit down with economist Isabella Weber to discuss her new book, Anti-Fascist Economics, and why she believes American democracy needs an about face to do right by its citizens. Plus: Merger Madness!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s daily news podcast Big Take recently released an episode about the meteoric and very lucrative rise of the “Romantasy” literary genre, which our reporters explored in a Businessweek story this fall. Please enjoy, and hop on over to subscribe to their feed if you like what you hear! ———————Romantasy books have created a near-billion-dollar industry in the US alone. This week, fans are racing to grab a copy of Rebecca Yarros’ Threshing Day, and bracing for the sixth installment of one of the genre’s biggest hits, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, coming later this month.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Hannah Miller and Madison Muller take host David Gura into the booming world of publishing’s runaway obsession. And The Knave and the Moon author Rachel Gillig talks about going from preschool teacher to global literary celebrity. Read more: The Steamy, Magical and Now Very Lucrative Romantasy Business We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. Host: David Gura; Guests: Hannah Miller, Madison Muller; Produced by Julia Press and David Fox; Edited by Aaron Edwards; Engineering by Sean Carter; Illustration by Anna Podedworna.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women’s sports are exploding in popularity and revenue, but which is up next to breakthrough? Businessweek reporter Amanda Mull went to Indianapolis to find out why the NFL believes that flag football will be America’s next monoculture moment. Plus, how would you feel if everyone paid a different price for a carton of eggs? Surveillance pricing is moving beyond the internet and into big box stores, and our very own Max Chafkin has the reporting behind the trend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and Stacey sit down with Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson at Bloomberg's Screentime conference in Los Angeles, where they discuss price hikes by the major streaming services and the state of the ad-supported alternatives. Plus, Ashley Carman drops in before her interview with Conan O'Brien to fill us in on the new podcasting gold rush.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GLP-1s, touted as a miracle drug by many, are slowly disappearing from Americans' insurance plans. Bloomberg workplace reporter Taylor Nicole Rogers explains why companies are saying “no thanks” to one of the hottest classes of pharmaceuticals on the market. And then, what would you do if you were in $30,000 of credit card debt? Debt Heads podcast co-host Jamie Feldman gives her negative balance a casual shrug, and makes the argument that you should too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.