Episode summary
Bloomberg Businessweek Weekend - March 13th, 2026 | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · 41 min · Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec
Summary
The episode centers on how war, industrial policy, and consumer demand are reshaping markets. The host opens with the US war in Iran, arguing that the conflict has exposed how quickly oil, inflation expectations, and Treasury yields can react to geopolitical shocks. That backdrop leads into a discussion of critical minerals, where the host says the Pentagon is fast-tracking domestic production of antimony and tungsten as the US seeks to rebuild defense supply chains and replenish munitions stockpiles.
Gary Evans of United States Antimony argues that Washington now wants domestic suppliers to move faster and that his company is positioned to benefit from grants, permits, and new projects already underway. He says the government has increased orders sharply and that China remains the dominant competitor in antimony markets, making price support a key issue.
The show then shifts to the consumer, where the chief operating officer of Affirm says the buy-now-pay-later model is still seeing strong engagement and repayment behavior despite headline risk. The episode closes with Charlotte Flair discussing why she is investing in the wellness brand Self-Care is for Everyone, framing the decision as both a business bet and a personal response to mental health pressures in sports and public life.
Key takeaways
- The host says the US war in Iran has already pushed crude near $120 a barrel and renewed inflation pressure.
- Gary Evans says United States Antimony has $85 million of Department of War orders for 2026, versus zero a year earlier.
- Evans argues the government is pushing domestic critical-mineral producers to move faster, but he says his company plans to fund projects assuming no grants arrive.
- Affirm’s chief operating officer says consumers remain active, repayment is holding up, and the company is not making major credit-box changes yet.
- Charlotte Flair says wellness investing is tied to her own mental health journey and to creating more open conversations in sports and entertainment.
Notable quotes
“we need floors I I mean, we're dealing with we we're dealing with a gorilla that can drive the price down and lose money”
“we run our company as if we're not going to get anything. You do? So, um, you can't guarantee”
“their orders continue to increase. Okay. So, as of right now, to fulfill the uh Department of War's orders for 2026 is $85 million of orders, I have”
“The consumer isn't isn't isn't these fears and these these headlines that are going on really aren't affecting our consumer down the middle yet”
“we do a bit of a disservice because for us, it's actually not just yes or no”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio, news. — This is Bloomberg Business Week Daily, reporting from the magazine that helps global leaders stay ahead with insight on the people, companies, and trends shaping today's complex economy. Plus, global business, finance, and tech news as it happens. The Bloomberg Business Week daily podcast with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio.
Hi everyone, welcome to the Bloomberg Business Week weekend podcast. This week, a volatile collision of geopolitics and the soft landing narrative as the US war against Iran now enters its third week. We've heard the Trump administration speak of a potential off-ramp and deescalation.
Yet, kind of mixed messaging to be fair. Yet, uh, we've had military strikes continuing to intensify. It's kind of a fog of war moment.
It did send crude oil prices skyrocketing this past week to nearly $120 a barrel, only to back down again, back up again. Yes, just reacting as headlines crossed about the US war in Iran. And that's where we sat as we put our show to bed this week.
For the latest on the ever crossing headlines on the US war in Iran, head to the Bloomberg or to bloomberg.com.
As the conflict in the Middle East continued, national security concerns were addressed again when it comes to access to global energy markets and products. So much of which flows from the region and through the region. Access to commodities, be it oil, rare earths, critical minerals, or raw materials, has been a priority of the current Trump administration.
And the war reminded us of the need for these materials for US defense and ammunition applications. We talked about this with the CEO of United States Antimony, which recently was awarded a $27 million contract from the US Department of Defense to build up stock piles.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- business news
- finance
- technology
- economics
- politics
Watch the episode
Watch “Bloomberg Businessweek Weekend - March 13th, 2026 | Bloomberg Businessweek” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
More from Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
-
Bloomberg Businessweek Weekend - November 13th, 2026 | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Inside Jensen Huang’s Final Hours as Nvidia CEO | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Jensen Huang's Exit Kicks Off Nvidia Strategy Reset | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Special Episode: Bobby Jain on Why He Chose Millennium Again | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily Podcast: Jensen’s Nvidia Departure -
Take-Two Releasing Long-Awaited Grand Theft Auto VI Next Week | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily, this episode and its artwork belong to Bloomberg. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
