Our Year in Review

Our Year in Review

Author: Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts January 9, 2024 Duration: 23:47

It’s been one year since Crash Course launched, and what a year it’s been! From Trump to Putin, Climate Change to Artificial Intelligence, SVB to SBF, Florida to Gaza, the Supreme Court to Barbie, and so much more – we covered a lot of ground this year, and we learned a lot. That’s a key part of Crash Course: we want to learn something new in every episode. So to mark the one year anniversary of Crash Course, Tim wanted to listen back through the tape and remember some of the key learnings from the past year. We’ll remember the people, conflicts, and cultural moments that made this year one for the history books.

The full episodes mentioned in this episode include: 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Tim O'Brien, a senior executive editor at Bloomberg Opinion, hosts this weekly Crash Course from Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts. Instead of observing from the sidelines, each episode places you directly inside the high-stakes environments where major disruptions in business and society actually unfold. The narrative-driven podcast examines what happens when powerful forces-like raw ambition and innovative thinking-meet immovable objects like entrenched competition and institutional power. These collisions aren't abstract; they happen in the very real worlds of Wall Street trading floors, Main Street small businesses, Hollywood studios, and the corridors of Washington, D.C. By dissecting these pivotal moments, the series uncovers the practical, often surprising lessons that emerge from the chaos. It’s a deep dive into the mechanics of change, offering clarity on how today’s upheavals shape tomorrow’s landscape. You’ll hear detailed stories and analysis that go beyond the headlines to explain the why and how behind the news, making complex power struggles accessible and compelling.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 67

Crash Course
Podcast Episodes
Inside the Digital Sports Betting Boom: Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:44
If it hasn’t already, sports gambling is coming to your town, your living room, and your cell phone. Americans bet about $450 million on sports every day! That’s one of those numbers Tim O’Brien doesn’t even know how to…
Donald Trump vs. the Republican Party [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:30
Crash Course is all about disruption and Tim O’Brien can’t imagine a more disruptive politician than Donald Trump. After rolling down a Trump Tower escalator in 2015 to declare what became his first successful presidenti…
Disney vs. the Battle of the Bobs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:04
Imagine you’re Bob Iger. You relinquish Disney’s CEO suite in 2020 with a sterling legacy intact. Smart, game-changing acquisitions. A good culture. Steady, imaginative leadership. Soaring profits and a jumbo stock price…
Covid-19 Vaccines vs. The Bottom Line [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:34
Tim O’Brien is not a scientist. But he is a user of Covid-19 vaccines. He thinks they’re miracles, and the single biggest reason the pandemic wasn’t more devastating. But if that perspective makes you erupt, please relax…
Elon Musk vs. the Twitterverse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:26
Twitter was a pivotal force in debates about information, disinformation, the media, celebrity, politics, and all sorts of other issues. Then along came Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX’s innovative magician and chief loudmou…
Introducing: Crash Course [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53
Hosted by Bloomberg Opinion senior executive editor Tim O'Brien, Crash Course will bring listeners directly into the arenas where epic business and social upheavals occur. Every week, Crash Course will explore the lesson…