Bloomberg Businessweek

Tom Freston is a cofounder of MTV and the former CEO of Viacom, where he oversaw Paramount Pictures. After launching a successful clothing export company out of Afghanistan and India, Freston transitioned into the media landscape, helping found MTV and bringing it to international fame in more than 150 countries. Before his Viacom roles, he ran MTV Networks for seventeen years, overseeing Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, and other legendary networks.In addition to currently serving as the Principal of consulting and investment firm Firefly3, Freston also recently released his memoir, “Unplugged Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu,” which details some of his more unique experiences as he rose through the ranks of the entertainment industry. Tom discusses his unparalleled career as well as some of the pressing issues in the media business today, including the ongoing battle between Netflix and Paramount Skydance over control of Warner Bros. Discovery. Tom speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.A European Union assessment found that President Donald Trump’s new tariff policy will increase levies on some of the bloc’s exports, including cheese and some agricultural products, above the level permitted in their trade agreement.After the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s use of an emergency-powers law to impose his so-called reciprocal tariffs around the world, he announced a new 10% global levy, which he then threatened to increase to 15%.The European Commission, which handles trade matters for the bloc, told lawmakers Monday that the new global tariff will be added to levies that are already in place, according to Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee. The new cumulative rate means some goods would be above the 15% ceiling the EU and US agreed to in their trade deal.Under Trump’s new tariff program, some products including butter, plastics, textiles and chemicals would have levies above that 15% ceiling, according to people familiar with the commission’s assessment. The new global tariffs can stay in place for as many as 150 days.Commission spokesman Olof Gill declined to comment on the assessment.The EU-US trade deal — struck last summer between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — would impose a 15% tariff rate on most EU exports to the US while removing tariffs on many American goods heading into the bloc. The US would also continue to impose a 50% tariff on European steel and aluminum imports.The bloc agreed to the lopsided deal in the hopes of avoiding a full-blown trade war with Washington and retaining US security backing, particularly with regards to Ukraine. European Parliament suspended legislative work on approving the EU-US accord on Monday, requesting clarity on Trump’s new trade policy.Today's show features: Kathryn Judge, Harvey J. Goldschmid Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, on the next steps in the legal process following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling on President Donald Trump’s tariffs Greg Daco, Chief Economist at EY, on the latest global trade rumblings from the 2026 National Association of Business Economics (NABE) Policy conference Bloomberg News Health Reporter Madison Muller on Novo Nordisk’s next-generation obesity shot delivering less weight loss than Eli Lilly’s rival drug Ryan Vlastelica, discussing the week ahead for tech stock traders ahead of Nvidia’s earnings Bloomberg News Weather Reporter Lauren Rosenthal on the latest blizzard to hit New York City and the Northeastern US See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gen Alpha, the cohort born from 2010 to 2024, has been subject to harsh critiques, including being addicted to phones, lacking self-discipline and social skills, and being unable to read or spell. Despite these criticisms, Gen Alphas have strengths such as teamwork, empathy, honesty, and creativity, and are highly tuned into world events and global issues due to their access to global platforms and networks. Bloomberg Businessweek Contributing Writer Stacey Vanek Smith discusses how Gen Alphas are already showing significant spending power and influence over adult purchasing decisions, with many having a strong sense of self-expression and a desire for luxury products, and are expected to play a major role in shaping the future of work and technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Featuring some of our favorite conversations of the week from our daily radio show “Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.” Hosted by Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec Hear the show live at 2PM ET on WBBR 1130 AM New York, Bloomberg 92.9 FM Boston, WDCH 99.1 FM in Washington D.C. Metro, Sirius/XM channel 121, on the Bloomberg Business App, Radio.com, the iHeartRadio app and at Bloomberg.com/audio. You can also watch Bloomberg Businessweek on YouTube - just search for Bloomberg Global News. Like us at Bloomberg Radio on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @carolmassar @timsteno and @BWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy. Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, undercutting his signature economic policy and delivering his biggest legal defeat since he returned to the White House.Voting 6-3, the court said Trump exceeded his authority by invoking a federal emergency-powers law to impose his “reciprocal” tariffs across the globe as well as targeted import taxes the administration says address fentanyl trafficking. The justices didn’t address the extent to which importers are entitled to refunds, leaving it to a lower court to sort out those issues. If fully allowed, refunds could total as much as $170 billion — more than half the total revenue Trump’s tariffs have brought in. Trump said at a press conference that he will reimpose some tariffs using alternative legal tools. The fall-back options tend to be either more cumbersome or more limited than the wide-ranging powers Trump asserted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Stocks rose on news of the decision given investors previously fretted tariffs would hurt the outlook for economic growth and company earnings. Treasuries extended declines with yields rising broadly and the rate on the benchmark 10-year note climbing to 4.10% as investors priced in the likelihood of lower tax revenues. A Bloomberg gauge of the dollar fell as much as 0.2% before erasing the drop. Today's show features: Bloomberg News Supreme Court Reporter Greg Stohr on Supreme Court decision to block Trump’s tariffs Bloomberg White House Correspondent Kate Sullivan on latest from White House on tariff/Supreme Court news Olu Sonola, Head of US Economic Research at Fitch Ratings on today's Eco data Alan Eyre, Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at Middle East Institute, on how Iran is viewing a potential strike by the U See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a few brief, shining moments, the dream of Milton Friedman must have seemed closer to reality in corporate America than ever before. Donald Trump had been reelected president, and the tax cuts and regulatory loosening he’d promised were on the horizon. Whatever leverage ordinary workers had managed to scrape together in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic had mostly been quashed, and surely the incoming administration would take care of what remained. Gone, too, were the days when executives would have to evince corporate disapproval of racism or sexism or homophobia if they didn’t feel like it, as many of them had been goaded into doing during #MeToo or the Black Lives Matter movement. They could get out of talking about politics—which is not quite the same as getting out of politics, period—and get back to maximizing shareholder value however they pleased.. Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Reporter Amanda Mull discusses how corporations have largely avoided criticizing Trump, with some leaders only speaking out after extreme circumstances, such as the killing of a Minnesota man by CBP agents, and even then their statements have been muted and avoided direct condemnation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy. Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. At least one structured note tied to Blue Owl Capital Inc. is being quoted at just 47 cents on the dollar after the asset manager restricted withdrawals from one of its retail-focused private funds.The security, which was issued by a subsidiary of Citigroup Inc., is due later this year. Another 2028 note that was offered by a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. is quoted at about 68 cents, while a Bank of Nova Scotia instrument partly tied to Blue Owl was at 87 cents, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Structured notes are bonds with embedded derivatives, giving holders exposure to a number of assets, from stock prices to currencies and interest rates. There’s generally no secondary market for those bonds, with prices only coming from the banks that arranged them. Blue Owl’s stock fell as much as 9.4% in New York on Thursday. The notes were already quoted below face value prior to the announcement about the withdrawal restrictions.The depressed prices underscore the pressure on Blue Owl, whose stock has already fallen by about a quarter this year. The plan to limit withdrawals signaled a reversal from a previous arrangement to resume redemptions this quarter. Today's show features: Olivia Fishlow, Bloomberg News Leveraged Finance Reporter, on Blue Owl Drops as Redemption Halt Stirs Private Credit Concern Dylan Field, Figma CEO, on earnings and collaboration with Anthropic Kate Gulliver, Chief Financial Officer of Wayfair, on quarterly earnings and the health of the American consumer Matthew O’Neill and Perri Peltz, co-producers & co-directors of ‘Can’t Look Away: The Case Against Social Media, on Mark Zuckerberg’s Day in Social Media Addiction Trial See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Vaughn, a former CBS anchor, says a 2022 billboard convinced him that being White and male was becoming a liability, and he sued CBS in 2024 after being fired in 2023. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is urging White men to come forward with complaints about their treatment by employers looking to diversify their workforces, with EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas saying that anti-discrimination laws apply equally to everyone.Jeff Green, Bloomberg News Managing Diversity Reporter, writes how white men who sue their employers over perceived discrimination may face career damage, with experts saying that bringing a lawsuit can make it difficult to find a new job, as potential employers can discover the lawsuit with a basic Google search.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Federal Reserve officials signaled renewed worries over inflation with “several” policymakers suggesting the central bank may need to raise interest rates if inflation stays above their goal.“Several participants indicated that they would have supported a two-sided description of the committee’s future interest-rate decisions, reflecting the possibility that upward adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate could be appropriate if inflation remains at above-target levels,” a record of the central bank’s January meeting showed.Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s Jan. 27-28 meeting released Wednesday also revealed that a “vast majority of participants judged that downside risks to employment had moderated in recent months while the risk of more persistent inflation remained.”The FOMC voted 10-2 at the meeting to hold the benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 3.5%-3.75%. Governors Christopher Waller and Stephen Miran dissented in favor of a quarter-point reduction. Officials dropped language pointing to increased downside risks to employment that had appeared in the three previous statements.The minutes further signaled that one group of policymakers was embracing a view less open to additional rate cuts, at least in the near term.Today's show features: Michael McKee, Bloomberg TV and Radio International Economics & Policy Correspondent, on the latest FOMC minutes Mike Wilson, Chief US Equity Strategist and Chief Investment Officer for Morgan Stanley, and Bloomberg News Equities Reporter Alexandra Semenova Kamini Lane, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Realty, on latest US Housing data Bloomberg News Senior Technology Reporter Kurt Wagner on the Social Media Addiction trial See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marvina S. Robinson is the Founder & CEO of B. Stuyvesant Champagne. Founded in 2020, B. Stuyvesant Champagne is a luxury, woman-owned Champagne house produced and bottled in Épernay, France. The brand develops its cuvées in partnership within the Champagne region, focusing on small-production wines crafted according to traditional méthode champenoise standards. Beyond the bottle, the company operates a Brooklyn tasting room and curates elevated Champagne experiences designed to make luxury Champagne more accessible while honoring the heritage of the region. B. Stuyvesant Champagne continues to grow through experiential activations, disciplined brand expansion and a focus on long-term value creation within the global luxury beverage market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy. Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Warner Bros Discovery Inc. has agreed to reopen negotiations with rival Hollywood studio Paramount Skydance Corp. after the suitor proposed raising its bid and sweetened other terms of its offer, setting the stage for a renewed showdown with Netflix. Netflix, which Warner Bros. still described as its preferred bidder, has granted the board seven days to discuss Paramount’s most recent proposal, according to a statement Tuesday. The decision came after a Paramount banker told a Warner Bros. board member that Paramount would offer at least $31 a share, or $1 a share higher than its previous offer, if the company agreed to reopen talks. Warner Bros. now wants to see that, and other aspects of Paramount’s new bid, in writing. Warner Bros. said the board still unanimously recommends shareholders vote in favor of its binding agreement to sell its namesake studios and HBO Max streaming business to Netflix for $27.75 a share, or $72 billion. Paramount’s all-cash $77.9 billion bid, which is backed by billionaire Larry Ellison, is for the entirety of Warner Bros., including its cable TV channels such as CNN and TNT that are otherwise planned to be spun off under a deal with Netflix. Warner Bros. has scheduled a shareholder vote on the Netflix deal for March 20. The decision to reengage with Paramount, which confirms Bloomberg’s reporting Sunday, adds another twist in the long drawn-out saga over control of one of Hollywood’s most iconic properties. The fight for Warner Bros., the century-old studio behind films from Casablanca to Batman, and hit TV series like Friends, is one of the biggest media deals in years and has the power to reshape the entertainment industry.Today's show features: Bloomberg News Managing Editor for Media & Entertainment Lucas Shaw and Bloomberg News Senior M&A Reporter Michelle Davis on Warner Bros. Reopens Talks as Paramount Signals Higher Bid Bloomberg News Managing Editor for Global Consumer Tech Mark Gurman on Apple Ramps Up Work on Glasses, Pendant and Camera AirPods (CLEAN UP LINE DROP) Bloomberg News Finance Reporter Max Abelson on The Leon Black Files: Epstein Was Fixer for His Deepest Secrets Drive to the Close with Bill Smead, Founder, Chairman and CIO of Smead Capital Management, on the energy market and his stock pick See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Finkel founded Hoboken Farms in 1992. His family has had deep roots in Hoboken dating back to around 1895. As a youngster, whenever Brad visited friends, he was always asked to bring fresh bread, mozzarella, and pastas from Hoboken's local shops. Soon, neighbors and ex-Hobokenites who missed these local delicacies began requesting deliveries as well. Brad saw an opportunity and started a small business to meet this demand.Hoboken Farms, once a part-time endeavor, became Brad's full-time obsession. As his community grew to encompass around 800 markets annually, so did his commitment to providing nourishment and inspiration through food and family. Brad details his growing line of farm market products and how a critical new investment is helping Hoboken Farms continue its evolution into a beloved supermarket brand. Brad speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an open secret that the Chinese government has engaged in a global campaign to acquire intellectual property from foreign rivals. At the center of that campaign is the Ministry of State Security, China’s elusive intelligence agency. The US has apprehended hundreds of people accused of giving information to the MSS, but the agency’s inner workings have been a mystery –  until now. The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg News follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to acquire the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. That is, until his sloppiness – and a cunning FBI sting – led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil. The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught. Listen to episodes 1 and 2 now on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Europe’s fate is intertwined with the US while faulting the continent for what he said was a drift away from their shared Western values. The double-edged message offered some reassurance to allied leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference but did little to temper their push for more independence from Washington. “We want Europe to prosper because we’re interconnected in so many different ways, and because our alliance is so critical,” Rubio told Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on the sidelines of the conference on Saturday. “But it has to be an alliance of allies that are capable and willing to fight for who they are and what’s important.”“What is it that binds us together? Ultimately, it’s the fact that we are both heirs to the same civilization, and it’s a great civilization,” he said. “It’s one we should be proud of.”Rubio’s comments elaborated on a speech he delivered to the event, Europe’s premier annual security gathering, earlier Saturday morning. The speech was the most anticipated of the three-day conference, with fellow leaders eager to hear if he would double down on the contemptuous tone voiced a year earlier by Vice President JD Vance at the same venue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Featuring some of our favorite conversations of the week from our daily radio show "Bloomberg Businessweek Daily."Hosted by Carol Massar and Tim StenovecHear the show live at 2PM ET on WBBR 1130 AM New York, Bloomberg 92.9 FM Boston, WDCH 99.1 FM in Washington D.C. Metro, Sirius/XM channel 121, on the Bloomberg Business App, Radio.com, the iHeartRadio app and at Bloomberg.com/audio.You can also watch Bloomberg Businessweek on YouTube - just search for Bloomberg Global News.Like us at Bloomberg Radio on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @carolmassar @timsteno and @BWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Wall Street got a degree of relief as relatively tame inflation data spurred bigger bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts, with bond yields falling. While most stocks gained, weakness in tech giants kept a lid on the market.Treasury two-year yields dropped toward their lowest since 2022. Money markets priced in higher chances the Fed will slash rates more than twice this year. About 370 shares in the S&P 500 rose, but the gauge was little changed at the end of its worst week since November. A gauge of megacaps lost 1.1%. Amazon.com Inc. saw its longest slide in almost 20 years. The Russell 2000 index of small firms climbed 1.2%. Bitcoin jumped.The consumer price index rose 0.2% in January, the smallest gain since July and restrained by lower energy costs. While services costs picked up last month, prices of core goods remained stable. The core CPI rose from a year ago by the least since 2021. The overall gauge also eased on an annual basis.Today's show features: Dr. Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, on the global economic outlook and the path for US monetary policy Christina Stembel, Founder & CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, on the importance of Valentine’s Day to her company’s annual sales Bloomberg News Banking Reporter Todd Gillespie on Kathy Ruemmler leaving her position as the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs following a monthslong saga over her previous association with Jeffrey Epstein Bloomberg Tech Co-Host Ed Ludlow on SpaceX considering a dual-class share structure in its planned IPO Bloomberg News Executive Editor for Crypto, Payments and Digital Finance stacy-marie ishmael on Coinbase’s post-earnings surge and the broader crypto trade See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooks Running creates performance running footwear, apparel, sports bras, and accessories distributed worldwide. Since 1914, Brooks has been focused on designing products that cater specifically to how humans move, pushing the limits of motion science, engineering, and technology. Brooks is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and is headquartered in Seattle. Dan Sheridan began his journey with Brooks in 1998 as a field rep, building and driving the company’s strategy and growth in every role as he increased his responsibilities and leadership impact. He discusses the firm's full-year results from 2025, which turned out to be a record year. Dan speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy. Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Coinbase Global Inc. showed how quickly a cooling crypto market can pressure even one of the industry’s most diversified exchanges. Revenue in the fourth quarter tumbled a more-than-estimated 20% to $1.8 billion. The company swung to a net loss of $667 million compared with a $1.3 billion profit from the same period last year, as falling token prices drained trading activity across digital assets and forced Coinbase to mark down the value of its crypto holdings. The results arrive as Bitcoin has fallen nearly 50% from October’s high, a retreat that has left many retail traders sitting on the sidelines and revived comparisons to earlier crypto downturns. Those cycles have often forced exchanges to retrench quickly, and early signs suggest this one may follow a similar pattern. Rival exchange Gemini Space Station said last week that it plans to cut up to 25% of its workforce and scale back international operations, underscoring how rapidly weaker markets can translate into operational pressure. Kraken’s chief financial officer departed the exchange, which reported sequentially lower fourth-quarter revenue. Robinhood Markets Inc. said this week its revenue from crypto trading declined 38%.Today's show features: Bloomberg New Equities Reporter Monique Mulima breaks down quarterly earnings from Coinbase Bloomberg News Senior Editor, Equities Americas Eric Weiner and Senior Editor Ed Harrison on continued Wall Street jitters due to concern over technology profits and the impact of AI on various sectors Bloomberg Economics US and Canada Economist Stuart Paul on a new report from his team breaking down the potential economic costs of various geopolitical ruptures Steve Moore, Co-Founder of Unleash Prosperity and a former Trump Economic Advisor, on the US economic and monetary policy outlook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sage Geosystems is a Houston-based geothermal energy startup founded in 2020 that develops next-generation, pressure-based geothermal technology for power generation and long-duration energy storage. Their systems create artificial underground reservoirs in hot, dry rock to harness both heat and pressure for efficient electricity production. Cindy Taff, the CEO of Sage Geosystems, is focused on advancing the deployment of her firm's energy-storage solutions worldwide. She discusses the complexities of using the same tools to unlock clean energy as are used to drill for oil, and explains why she sees the so-called "shale revolution" as a harbinger of a forthcoming "geothermal revolution." Cindy speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.US payrolls rose in January by the most in more than a year and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market continued to stabilize at the start of 2026.Employers added 130,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate declined to 4.3%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Wednesday. That followed revisions to the prior year, which showed a marked slowdown in hiring. Job gains averaged just 15,000 a month last year, down from the initially reported 49,000 pace.The report suggests the labor market is finding its footing after a year marked by rising unemployment and minimal hiring. While economists expect hiring to remain generally sluggish in 2026, more clarity around the impact of President Donald Trump’s economic policies and lower borrowing costs could encourage some employers to boost headcount.The January data reinforces Federal Reserve officials’ inclination to keep interest rates on hold for now. Many traders appeared to push out their timeline for the next rate cut to July from June.In leaving rates unchanged last month, Chair Jerome Powell cited signs of steadying in the job market.“Coming off of a hiring recession in 2025, this is welcome news,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “I think Fed Chair Powell was right — the labor market appears to be stabilizing.”Today's show features: Constance Hunter, Chief Economist at the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit), on the late-arriving January nonfarm payrolls report Aaron Jagdfeld, Chairman, President and CEO of Generac, on earnings, the state of manufacturing in America, and US trade policy impact Bloomberg News White House Editor Jordan Fabian on President Donald Trump reportedly mulling an exit from the North American trade pact that he helped negotiate, the USMCA Lauren Sanfilippo, Senior Investment Strategist, for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank, on US consumer resilience and private sector growth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.