For the first time in history, Japan’s ruling party has elected a woman as its leader. Sanae Takaichi, 64, is an unconventional figure — and now she’s on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Paul Jackson about Takaichi’s path to power, why her politics aren’t resonating with some Japanese women and what her leadership could mean for Japan’s economy and its relationship with the United States.

Read more: Japan Braces for Shift to Right Under ‘Iron Lady’ Fan Takaichi - Bloomberg

For the first time in history, Japan&rsquo;s ruling party has elected a woman as its leader. Sanae Takaichi, 64, is an unconventional figure &mdash; and now she&rsquo;s on track to become Japan&rsquo;s first female prime minister.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Paul Jackson about Takaichi&rsquo;s path to power, why her politics aren&rsquo;t resonating with some Japanese women and what her leadership could mean for Japan&rsquo;s economy and its relationship with the United States.
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-04/japan-braces-for-shift-to-right-under-iron-lady-fan-takaichi">Japan Braces for Shift to Right Under &lsquo;Iron Lady&rsquo; Fan Takaichi - Bloomberg</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region.

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region.

Big Take Asia

The Rise of Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ and Its Political Shift to the Right

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c02a44c7-c487-4a6d-a71e-b36f0147fd92/transcript

Wall Street banks are on a hiring spree across India, recruiting workers for everything from software engineering to risk management as part of a decades-long shift away from support roles toward high-skill positions.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host David Gura sits down with Bloomberg’s Siddhi Nayak to look at India’s changing job landscape. What to expect as Wall Street continues to expand into its tech hubs – and how Donald Trump’s H1-B visa crackdown could accelerate that push.

Further listening: Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Dashes Indian Workers’ American Dreams

Wall Street banks are on a hiring spree across India, recruiting workers for everything from software engineering to risk management as part of a decades-long shift away from support roles toward high-skill positions.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia Podcast, host David Gura sits down with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Siddhi Nayak to look at India&rsquo;s changing job landscape. What to expect as Wall Street continues to expand into its tech hubs &ndash; and how Donald Trump&rsquo;s H1-B visa crackdown could accelerate that push.
Further listening: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trumps-h-1b-visa-fee-dashes-indian-workers-american-dreams/id1746141911?i=1000729583690">Trump&rsquo;s H-1B Visa Fee Dashes Indian Workers&rsquo; American Dreams</a>

Wall Street Speeds Up India Expansion

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2af5f440-29fe-4783-bcfa-b392016fc157/transcript

The US economy appears remarkably resilient right now, but if you look closer, you’ll see a different picture emerge: a growing divide between America’s wealthiest consumers and everyone else. Economists call this kind of bifurcated economy “K-shaped.” And as the top and bottom of the K have diverged, the overall economy has also become more top-heavy and more fragile.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder is joined by Peter Atwater – the economist who popularized the idea of a “K-shaped economy” during the pandemic – and Bloomberg reporter Catarina Saraiva, who covers the federal reserve and labor market. They examine why this gap is widening, how it’s showing up in company earnings reports and what it means for the country’s overall financial health.

Read more: ‘Jenga Tower’ US Economy Teeters as Middle Class Pulls Back Spending

The US economy appears remarkably resilient right now, but if you look closer, you&rsquo;ll see a different picture emerge: a growing divide between America&rsquo;s wealthiest consumers and everyone else. Economists call this kind of bifurcated economy &ldquo;K-shaped.&rdquo; And as the top and bottom of the K have diverged, the overall economy has also become more top-heavy and more fragile.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder is joined by Peter Atwater &ndash; the economist who popularized the idea of a &ldquo;K-shaped economy&rdquo; during the pandemic &ndash; and Bloomberg reporter Catarina Saraiva, who covers the federal reserve and labor market. They examine why this gap is widening, how it&rsquo;s showing up in company earnings reports and what it means for the country&rsquo;s overall financial health.
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-06/us-economy-at-risk-of-weakening-with-growing-gap-between-rich-and-poor">&lsquo;Jenga Tower&rsquo; US Economy Teeters as Middle Class Pulls Back Spending</a>

Why a K-Shaped US Economy Is Raising Red Flags

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/08e06d4f-e375-4c85-a75c-b3910172c9d3/transcript

How do you tell the history of a whole country through its women? And what can it tell us about the world today? These are the questions Russian-American journalist Julia Ioffe has set out to answer  in her new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy.
Having reported from, and on, Russia for publications including The New Yorker and Foreign Policy for more than a decade, Ioffe says she has repeatedly been asked to explain the actions and motivations of one man: Vladimir Putin.
Motherland is, she says, partly a response to Putin, through her desire to show that Russia is much more than one person, let alone one man.In this conversation Ioffe talks to Mishal about reclaiming Russia’s women, about Donald Trump’s hollowing out of American institutions and why Putinism will endure. (Note: This podcast contains a discussion of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing.)

02:30 - “I was born in a country that no longer exists”
03:55 - The anti-feminist at Lenin’s side during the Revolution
06:55 - Reluctancy to write about Russian women
12:55 - What a “horrible boyfriend” Vladimir Putin was
16:50 - Return to Russia, oligarch hunters and ‘trad wives’
22:13 - Alexei Navalny, “the last shred of hope”
29:20 - Can Russia sustain the war in Ukraine?
32:32 - Trump’s assault on US institutions, faster than Putin
34:30 - American authoritarianism, risk of “one party state”

Watch this podcast: 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

Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net

How do you tell the history of a whole country through its women? And what can it tell us about the world today? These are the questions Russian-American journalist Julia Ioffe has set out to answer&nbsp; in her new book,&nbsp;Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy. Having reported from, and on, Russia for publications including&nbsp;The New Yorker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Foreign Policy&nbsp;for more than a decade, Ioffe says she has repeatedly been asked to explain the actions and motivations of one man: Vladimir Putin. Motherland is, she says, partly a response to Putin, through her desire to show that Russia is much more than one person, let alone one man.In this conversation Ioffe talks to Mishal about reclaiming Russia&rsquo;s women, about Donald Trump&rsquo;s hollowing out of American institutions and why Putinism will endure. (Note: This podcast contains a discussion of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing.) 02:30 - &ldquo;I was born in a country that no longer exists&rdquo; 03:55 - The anti-feminist at Lenin&rsquo;s side during the Revolution 06:55 - Reluctancy to write about Russian women 12:55 - What a &ldquo;horrible boyfriend&rdquo; Vladimir Putin was 16:50 - Return to Russia, oligarch hunters and &lsquo;trad wives&rsquo; 22:13 - Alexei Navalny, &ldquo;the last shred of hope&rdquo; 29:20 - Can Russia sustain the war in Ukraine? 32:32 - Trump&rsquo;s assault on US institutions, faster than Putin 34:30 - American authoritarianism, risk of &ldquo;one party state&rdquo; Watch this podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS" data-stringify-link="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS</a> You can find the written version of this interview with Mishal&rsquo;s notes on Bloomberg Weekend:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview">https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview</a> Contact The Mishal Husain Show&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mishalshow@bloomberg.net" data-stringify-link="mailto:mishalshow@bloomberg.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-haspopup="menu">mishalshow@bloomberg.net</a>

Weekend Listen: Julia Ioffe Wants You to Know Russia Is Bigger Than Putin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dae9b349-eab0-4c40-a07c-b3900022c1d0/transcript

The Rise of Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ and Its Political Shift to the Right

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