Everybody's Business

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.”

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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!
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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 Margins

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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AI slop detection software is here, but is it a magic bullet or a glorified spam filter? Businessweek contributor Vauhini Vara joins us to talk about what it means to be flagged as a robot in a human world. Plus, there's never been more money in professional sports. With financial scandals plaguing both of LA's NBA teams right now, Bloomberg’s Randall Williams explains how players and fans are being affected.

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From courtrooms to credit markets, AI’s bill is growing and someone has to pay. First, can AI be considered a co-conspirator in breaking the law? Businessweek contributing writer Evan Ratliff joins the show to explore this new age of crime and punishment — and what 14th century pigs have to do with autonomous agents. Plus, the bond market is boiling due to AI companies funding their ambitions. What does that mean for your mortgage, car loans, and credit cards? Bloomberg executive editor David Papadopoulos has you covered.

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Wearable tech like smart glasses are currently being banned in establishments across the country and publicly shamed by artists such as Lorde. But Apple, as part of their upcoming product strategy, believes they figured out how to avoid the backlash. Will you soon be wearing cameras on your face and ears? Tech wiz Mark Gurman joins Max and Stacey to explain.

Plus, what does it mean for the future of public health when the scientific method is not to be trusted, and prediction markets have started to ban users - including a former member of the House of Representatives.

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America's latest round of tariffs on Canadian goods could mean Americans are about to pay way more for everything from dairy to toilet paper. This week, we investigate the possible fallout from a trade war across the northern border. Plus, we take a closer look at the jewelry business, where Stacey found a market whose prices are actually falling. Are lab-grown diamonds forever?

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Gasses from hot garbage juice are threatening to make their way out of landfills, but if that’s not also a metaphor for how the economy feels right now, have we got news for you. Join us for a ride, 250 feet above New York City, where economist Allison Schrager takes on the Stagflation Challenge. And then, back on solid ground (or more like underground), Businessweek senior editor Laura Bliss exposes the dangers of overheating landfills. Everything is fine, promise.

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Computer, create a banger about this month’s computer accessories CPI numbers with big bass and funny lyrics. Make no mistakes.

The memory chip shortage is here. Should businesses cheer or should consumers fear? Max and Stacey supply the facts about business interests in AI, especially when it comes to making the music that makes us laugh and cry.

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Bloomberg’s daily news podcast Big Take recently released an episode about the increasing amount of credit card disputes in the US, and how the phenomena of “friendly fraud” plays a part in that rise. Please enjoy, and hop on over to subscribe to their feed if you like what you hear!
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American consumers disputed nearly 30% more credit card transactions in 2025 than they did just four years earlier. Some of those “chargebacks” are legitimate issues or outright scams. But increasingly, many are what Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Amanda Mull says is friendly fraud — transaction disputes that aren’t completely honest or the retailer’s fault.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Mull joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the sharp rise in chargebacks, and the consequences of this trend for retailers, banks and consumers.

Read more: Credit Card Holders Are Using ‘Friendly Fraud’ to Get Back at Retailers

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Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Amanda Mull; Edited by Naomi Shavin.

Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Sean Carter.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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This week, there’s a lot to digest. Max and Stacey dig into the recent elections in Michigan and what this means for the future of political spending with Businessweek correspondent Wes Kosova. Plus, Deena Shanker unpacks the image problem at the Department of Health and Human Services with the cyclospora outbreak, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new cooking show and cuts to SNAP funding.

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There don't seem to be many safe places for investors to turn now that fears about the business models underpinning AI have made the phrase "Magnificent Seven" sound kind of sarcastic. What can Main Street investors do to protect themselves? Plus, as businesses reckon with the latest wave of US tariffs, we hear the latest from a company battling the Trump administration in court.

And lastly, prediction markets are becoming far more entwined with politics. What will this mean for elections in the fall? Place your bets...

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This week, the economy takes us on a long trip of its own. Rockefeller International's Ruchir Sharma guides Stacey and Max through the siren sound of tariffs, populism and a bubble that may soon pop. Then, AI companies chart a course into an unexpected harbor: merch, with Bloomberg's Sarah Frier joining to explain why OpenAI, Anthropic and Palantir are suddenly selling apparel instead of just algorithms. Plus: a Florida shop paying for pizzas with pythons, and Elon Musk wants an anti-woke Odyssey

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Things are feeling a bit scammy lately, and it makes sense because it’s coming right from the top. Max and Stacey talk with Bloomberg Opinion senior executive editor Timothy L. O’Brien about America’s “Grifter-in-Chief”. Plus, Bloomberg senior reporter Randall Williams breaks down why soccer fever has finally caught hold here, and food reporter Deena Shanker is on the case of the missing generic Triscuits.

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You’re not imagining it: things are a lot worse than they used to be. From movie theaters to bowling alleys, there’s a drop in quality places to have a good time. Max and Stacey chat with Bloomberg reporter Ben Steverman to figure out why fun is now a luxury good. Plus, with rising heat and demands on the grid by power-hungry data centers, what does the future look like for energy consumption? Bloomberg reporter Naureen Malik has the answer.

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