Here's Why

Despite hitting repeated record highs, US stock indexes have actually underperformed markets elsewhere in 2025. Our Senior Equity Strategist Michael Msika joins Stephen Carroll to discuss what drove this trend, and the expectations for 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prediction markets, platforms where people bet against one another on the outcomes of real-world events, are growing rapidly. The likes of Polymarket and Kalshi now collectively handle billions of dollars in bets every week. These markets have blurred the lines between gambling and trading, and their growth has been helped by a relaxed regulatory environment under US President Donald Trump. Our digital finance reporter Emily Nicolle joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is drawing lessons from the Trump administration’s still unfinished “peace plan” for Russia and Ukraine. President Xi Jinping is using the opportunity to sharpen the lines around his long-declared objective of unification with Taiwan. Bloomberg Opinion columnist Karishma Vaswani joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. You can read her latest piece on the topic here: Is China Preparing an Ukraine-Style Plan for Taiwan? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil prices have been falling as this year looks set to end with the first supply glut since 2020. While lower prices benefit some, they're not good news for everyone. Bloomberg's Oil Strategist Julian Lee joins Caroline Hepker to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's biggest tech firms are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. Those building AI technology are predicting massive growth. Despite all the bullish sentiment, some investors are still worried about future costs. Bloomberg Tech Europe anchor Tom Mackenzie joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US economy is growing, but Americans are feeling gloomy about it. Democratic candidates who campaigned on pocketbook issues won by big margins in Virginia and New Jersey governors’ races — so how will the parties play this issue ahead of the midterms? Our Managing Editor for US Economy and Government Mario Parker joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump began his second term in office by promising to be a peacemaker and keep the United States out of foreign conflicts. Since then, he has ramped up threats of military intervention abroad, from the Middle East to Venezuela. Our head of economics and government coverage across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, Flavia Krause-Jackson, joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration demolished the East Wing of the White House in order to make space for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The demolition surprised historians and architects who didn't realize the most prominent civic building in the US could be altered so dramatically without public discussion. Kriston Capps from Bloomberg CityLab joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The European Union has agreed plans to ban all gas supplies from Russia by the end of 2027. Weaning European countries off Russian supplies has been a complex, and sometimes painfully slow, process. Our EU energy reporter John Ainger joins Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's top policymakers are finalizing their next five-year plan for the country, for the period from 2026-2030. It's a blueprint for economic and social development at a time when Beijing is facing a myriad of challenges at home and abroad. Jenni Marsh, who leads Bloomberg's team covering China's economics and government, joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.