It’s not just the cost of buying a home that’s going up. It’s also the hidden costs — like taxes, maintenance and insurance — that are going through the roof. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman explains why these prices are rising so fast, and what it means for the housing market. Further Listening: -'It's on Fire': Why the Housing Market Is Booming  Further Reading: -The Hidden Costs of Homeownership Are Skyrocketing  -Home Buyers Are Ready to Buy. But Sellers Aren’t Selling.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called into question whether the Fed will be able to lower interest rates this year as hoped. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos on how the Fed’s outlook on the economy has changed.  Further Reading: - Powell Dials Back Expectations on Rate Cuts  - Fed Rate Cuts Are Now a Matter of If, Not Just When  Further Listening: - Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy  - Inflation Is Down. Unemployment Is Low. Is This a Soft Landing?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cities such as San Francisco and Chicago are trying to save their downtown office districts from spiraling into a doom loop. St. Louis is already trapped in one, with abandoned buildings, vacant offices and shuttered shops and restaurants. WSJ’s Konrad Putzier unpacks the lessons from downtown St. Louis’s doom loop. Further Reading: -The Real Estate Nightmare Unfolding in Downtown St. Louis  -Commercial Real-Estate Woes Run Deeper Than in Past Downturns  -Can San Francisco Save Itself From the Doom Loop?  Further Listening: -The Downfall of a Real Estate Empire  -What’s Keeping Zombie Malls Alive?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SpaceX’s satellite-internet devices are ending up in the hands of American adversaries and accused war criminals. WSJ’s Thomas Grove and Micah Maidenberg explain how the technology is being used illegally in multiple conflicts around the world.   Further Listening: - Amazon Takes On SpaceX in Battle for Space Internet  - When Elon Musk Moves In Next Door  Further Reading: - The Black Market That Delivers Elon Musk’s Starlink to U.S. Foes  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Clark has lifted women’s college basketball to new heights, setting records on and off the court. Now the Iowa superstar is going pro and joining the WNBA. WSJ’s Rachel Bachman on what Caitlin Clark’s huge popularity might mean for the sometimes-struggling women’s league.  Further Reading: - Caitlin Clark Drew 18.7 Million Viewers to Women’s Basketball. Will It Last?  - Before Caitlin Clark Dominated Women’s Basketball, She Dominated These Boys  Further Listening: - The TikTok That Changed College Hoops  - The Kiss Rocking Women’s Soccer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Providing child care for employees may not seem like a savvy business choice, but some companies swear by it. WSJ’s Harriet Torry explores the different approaches – and the benefits – at businesses both large and small. Further Listening: - The Labor Shortage That's Causing More Labor Shortages  Further Reading: - What One Employer Found When It Started Providing Child Care  - More Companies Start to Offer Daycare at Work  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Arizona Supreme Court revived an abortion ban enacted in 1864, decades before the state's formation. WSJ's Laura Kusisto explains how the 160-year-old law could impact the 2024 election. Further Listening: -The Abortion Pill’s Uncertain Future  -Kansas’ Big Abortion Vote  -The Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade  Further Reading: -Arizona Supreme Court Bans Nearly All Abortions, Reviving 160-Year-Old Law  -Why Arizona Will Be Ground Zero for the 2024 Abortion Fight  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration is proposing a sweeping initiative to slash student debt for nearly 30 million borrowers. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia unpacks the proposal and explains why it marks a major new White House effort to try to appeal to progressives and young voters seven months before the November election.  Further Listening: - Breaking Down Student Debt Relief  - How Biden Plans to Tackle Student Debt  Further Reading: - Biden’s Student-Loan Plan Seeks to Slash Debt for 30 Million Americans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Labels, the centrist group which was trying to field a third-party presidential candidate, is abandoning its efforts to find someone to lead its “unity ticket.” WSJ’s Ken Thomas explains how the group spent millions of dollars and months of work but ultimately came up short.  Further Reading: - How the No Labels 2024 Presidential Campaign Failed to Launch  Further Listening: - Donald Trump’s Meme Stock Moment  - Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is in China trying to discourage government officials and business leaders from flooding the world with cheap goods. WSJ’s Andrew Duehren is traveling with Yellen, and explores how her thinking on China has changed with shifting global market forces.   Further Listening: - Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy  - How China's BYD Overtook Tesla  Further Reading: - Janet Yellen Missed the First ‘China Shock.’ Can She Stop the Second?  - China Shock 2.0 Sparks Global Backlash Against Flood of Cheap Goods  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January, a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 MAX plane during an Alaska Airlines flight. Informal communication logs between workers at the Boeing plant where the plane was assembled reveal disarray, repeated production delays and crews who apparently didn’t follow procedures. WSJ's Sharon Terlep reviewed the logs and explains what they reveal. Further Reading: - The Disarray Inside Boeing’s 737 Factory Before the Door Plug Blowout  - Boeing’s Next CEO Will Have ‘Massive Job’ at Company in Crisis  - Justice Department Opens Probe, Interviews Crew in Alaska Airlines Blowout  Further Listening: - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  - The Pressure Inside Boeing  - How the Grounded Boeing Jet Shook the Airline Industry  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli airstrike. WSJ’s Stephen Kalin takes listeners inside the increasingly challenging process to get aid to civilians in Gaza. Further Listening: - Chef José Andrés: How to Feed People in an Emergency  - The Hospital at the Center of Israel’s War on Hamas  - For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There's No Way Out Further Reading: - Israel Confronts Fallout After Strike That Killed Seven Gaza Aid Workers  - Celebrity Chef José Andrés Says Aid Workers Killed in Gaza  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney's business has been struggling in recent years, and there's a fight over how to fix it. On one side is Nelson Peltz, an activist investor, who is campaigning for a seat on Disney's board of directors. On the other side is CEO Bob Iger, who doesn't want Peltz anywhere near his company. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan explains who might win and what it could mean for the iconic brand. Further Reading: -Disney Winning Proxy Fight Against Trian With More Than Half of Votes Cast  -Nelson Peltz Wins Key Endorsement in Disney Battle  -Nelson Peltz Fights Disney—and Turmoil at His Own Fund  Further Listening: -The Troubled Second Act of Disney CEO Bob Iger  -Disney Wars: Attack of the Activist Investor  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael O’Leary has been running Ryanair for the past 30 years — the longest tenure of any major airline boss. During that time he has turned a paltry operation that flew 200,000 customers a year into a low-cost behemoth, with passenger numbers set to reach close to 200 million this year. WSJ’s Benjamin Katz profiles the colorful CEO, who is now on the verge of earning a more than $100 million bonus.  Further Reading: - The F-Bomb-Dropping Airline CEO About to Earn a $100 Million-Plus Bonus  Further Listening: - How Southwest Airlines Melted Down  - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  - The Love Triangle Over Spirit Airlines  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A gang of young criminals. A more than $30 million ransom. Casinos in disarray. WSJ’s Robert McMillan brings us inside a cyberattack that brought mayhem to the Las Vegas Strip.  Further Reading: - The Audacious MGM Hack That Brought Chaos to Las Vegas  Further Listening: - How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto  - Hacking the Hackers   - Hack Me If You Can  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys attend Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentencing hearing and parse through the reasoning behind Judge Lewis Kaplan’s ruling and what a 25 year sentence could mean for the former CEO of FTX.  Further Listening: - The Trail of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence-And Long Odds On Appeal  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not long ago, Donald Trump’s social-media company, Truth Social, seemed like it was on life support. But when the company went public this week, its stock soared. WSJ’s Amrith Ramkumar explains how Truth Social’s valuation shot up despite its weak revenue and user numbers, and what it could mean for Trump’s financial and political future. Further Reading: - Truth Social Stock Price Surges on First Day of Trading, Increasing Trump’s Fortune  - Trump Can Post Smaller $175 Million Bond in Civil Fraud Case  - Dear Donald Trump, Here’s How to Manage Your Stock-Market Fortune  Further Listening: - Trump Needs $450 Million He Doesn’t Have  - Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early Tuesday morning, a 1,000-foot container ship lost power and plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge leaving six people still unaccounted for. The bridge collapsed, cutting off the port and a major traffic artery for Baltimore. WSJ’s Cameron McWhirter discusses the potential impact of the collapse on the local community and the wider region. Further Reading: -Baltimore Bridge Crash Investigators to Examine Whether Dirty Fuel Played Role in Accident  -Bridge Collapse Resets U.S. Supply Chains  -How a Night Shift on Baltimore Bridge Turned Deadly  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys dive into a mountain of court filings to understand the arguments that will be made at Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentencing hearing. His defense team is arguing for a 6-year sentence, but the government thinks Bankman-Fried should serve 40 to 50 years. Which side will win out? Further Listening: - The Trail of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence-And Long Odds On Appeal  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bayer is throwing out the corporate playbook to try a radical experiment: getting rid of a huge swath of its bosses. After years of tumbling stock prices, the company has decided to give workers more decision-making power. WSJ's Chip Cutter talks about how this boss-less plan is being implemented among Bayer's 100,000 employees. Further Reading: -One CEO’s Radical Fix for Corporate Troubles: Purge the Bosses  -The Boss Wants to Make You More Efficient  Further Listening: -The New Layoff: On a Wednesday On Zoom  -The End of the GE Era  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back for Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentencing. After the crypto golden boy was found guilty on all counts in November, this week he’ll find out how long he will serve in federal prison. Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys get an insight into Bankman-Fried’s life for the past few months, from unappetizing prison food to tutoring inmates. Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried’s Life Behind Bars: Crypto Tips and Paying With Fish  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Justice announced a landmark lawsuit against Apple, alleging that it has built a monopoly in smartphones by thwarting innovative apps and accessories that would make users less dependent on Apple’s technology. WSJ’s Tim Higgins breaks down the lawsuit and what it could mean for the company and its CEO Tim Cook.  Further Reading: - Ghost of Microsoft Stalks Apple as DOJ Takes Its Shot  - Monopoly Case Pits Justice Department Against Apple’s Antitrust Winning Streak  Further Listening: - One Company’s Quest to Burst Apple’s Blue Bubble Texts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s finances are under stress. He faces a $454 million judgment against him in a civil-fraud case. Meanwhile, his campaign fundraising is trailing President Biden’s. WSJ’s Peter Grant unpacks the developments and a potential windfall for Trump. Further Reading: -Trump Is in a Race Against Time to Protect His Fortune  -Trump Makes a New Fortune With Truth Social Listing  Further Listening: -Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Supreme Court is considering whether the Biden administration unlawfully pressured tech companies to suppress social media posts opposed to Covid vaccines. We talk to WSJ’s Jess Bravin about the latest in a series of cases that could set important ground rules for free speech and online content moderation.  Further Reading: - Covid-Era Case on Free Speech to Test Supreme Court  - Supreme Court Voices Skepticism Over Social-Media Censorship Claims Against Government  Further Listening: - Inside One Publisher’s Fight Against Book Bans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The social-media platform Reddit is making its stock-market debut Thursday and is offering a chunk of shares in its initial public offering to users, who are the lifeblood of its operations. But those same passionate users could cause trouble for the company. WSJ's Corrie Driebusch explains, and a moderator for the popular Reddit forum WallStreetBets weighs in. Further Reading: - Reddit Fueled Meme-Stock Mania. Now Its CEO Is Overseeing His Own Company’s IPO.  - They’re Reddit Die-Hards. Do They Want to Be Shareholders, Too?  - Reddit Eyes Valuation of Up to $6.5 Billion in IPO  Further Listening: - ‘To the Moon’  - An Oral History of WallStreetBets  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When David Solomon became CEO of Goldman Sachs just over five years ago, he made promoting women to senior levels of the firm a priority. But female executives are heading for the door—among them, Stephanie Cohen, one of the most senior executives at the company, who announced her departure Monday. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis unpacks what’s happening at the Wall Street giant. Further Reading: -Women Aren’t Getting the Big Jobs at Goldman Sachs, and They’re Heading for the Exits  -Stephanie Cohen Is Latest Senior Goldman Executive to Depart  -Goldman Sachs to Pay $215 Million to Settle Female Employees’ Discrimination Case  Further Listening: -The War Inside Goldman Sachs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Binance employees, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, are being held by Nigerian authorities in a guarded house. According to their families, they haven’t been charged with any crimes. WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff explains how the two men ended up there and why crypto is being blamed for a country’s currency collapse. Further Listening: - The Fall of (Another) Crypto King  - A Crypto Exchange Crackdown  - The Rise of Binance – And the Effort to Reel It In  Further Reading: - Crypto Gets Blamed for a Real-Life Currency Crisis  - Binance Employees to Remain in Custody in Nigeria  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 2022, Kavita Fischer downloaded a casino app from DraftKings, one of the top online betting companies in the U.S. Kavita was looking for relief from the stress of a recent divorce and the isolation of working from home during the pandemic. In less than a year, Kavita gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars. We speak to Kavita and to WSJ’s Katherine Sayre about how online betting companies keep customers coming back by giving them bonus credits and VIP treatment.  Further Reading: - A Psychiatrist Tried to Quit Gambling. Betting Apps Kept Her Hooked.  Further Listening: - Disney Gets Into Gambling   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hospitals, pharmacies and medical groups have been reeling in the wake of last month’s ransomware attack on a company widely used for insurance billing and payments. WSJ's James Rundle unpacks how the cyberattack on Change Healthcare has left thousands of providers scrambling to pay their bills and some wondering if they can keep their doors open. Further Reading: - Change Healthcare Rival Onboards Hundreds of Thousands of Customers During Hack Crisis  - U.S. Health Department Intervenes in Change Healthcare Hack Crisis  - UnitedHealth Aims to Restore Change Healthcare Systems Within Two Weeks  Further Listening: - The Ruthless Group Behind Ransomware Attacks on Hospitals  - Ransomware, a Pipeline and a Gas Shortage  - Why Crypto is Key to Stopping Ransomware  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today the House voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. or force a sale. For years politicians have threatened a ban, but this latest attempt finally gained traction. WSJ's Georgia Wells on the long push to ban the Chinese-controlled platform and how the company is fighting back. Further Listening: -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  -Exclusive: TikTok’s CEO on the App’s Future in the U.S.  -What's Up With All the TikTok Bans?  Further Reading: -How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It  -TikTok Crackdown Shifts Into Overdrive, With Sale or Shutdown on Table  -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Phones in the U.S.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About a year after a major train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, an activist investor is trying to oust Norfolk Southern’s CEO, Alan Shaw. But as WSJ’s Esther Fung explains, the CEO has some unlikely allies in his corner. Further Reading: -Railroad Workers Were Ready to Strike. Now They’re Fighting to Save Their CEO.  Further Listening: -What Caused a Train to Derail in East Palestine, Ohio?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 80% of ship-to-shore cranes at U.S. ports are made by ZPMC, a Chinese state-owned company. In recent years, U.S. officials have grown concerned that these giant cranes could be used for spying on the U.S. China says these concerns are “paranoia-driven.” WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha reports on why cranes have become the latest point of contention in U.S.-China relations.  Further Reading: - Pentagon Sees Giant Cargo Cranes as Possible Chinese Spying Tools  - Espionage Probe Finds Communications Device on Chinese Cranes at U.S. Ports  Further Listening: - The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  - How a Balloon Burst U.S.-China Relations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to unionize, setting up a fight with the school over whether its athletes are students or employees. WSJ’s Laine Higgins talks about how this move upends decades of NCAA precedent and could change college sports forever. Further Listening: - A League of Champions Implodes  - A Tipping Point for Paying College Athletes?  Further Reading: - Dartmouth Basketball Players Vote to Unionize in New Challenge to NCAA’s Amateurism Model  - Dartmouth Men’s Basketball Team Makes Latest Bid for Unionization by College Athletes  - College Sports Powers Stall Bid to Share Revenue With Athletes in California  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman once called Elon Musk, one of his OpenAI co-founders, his hero. Now Musk is suing Altman, accusing him of abandoning OpenAI’s founding mission in pursuit of profit, which OpenAI denies. WSJ’s Berber Jin reports on the highs and lows of a Silicon Valley’s bromance.  Further Reading: - How the Bromance Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman Turned Toxic  - Elon Musk Sues OpenAI, Sam Altman, Saying They Abandoned Founding Mission  Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story  - Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla’s Board  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley suspended her bid for the Republican presidential nomination.That sets the stage for another matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November. WSJ’s Eliza Collins looks at the new shape of this old rivalry. Further Reading: - Biden vs. Trump: A Familiar Matchup in an Unprecedented Election   - Nikki Haley Exits Republican Presidential Race  Further Listening: - Does Nikki Haley Have a Chance At Beating Trump?  - A Messy Start to the 2024 Presidential Election  - The Deepfake Election Has Arrived  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2017 Bill Shufelt was desperate. He’d quit his job at a hedge fund to start a business that sounded absolutely nuts: a non-alcoholic beer that people would actually want to drink. WSJ’s Ben Cohen uncovers how Shufelt’s idea has led to one of the fastest-growing movements in the beer industry.   Further Listening: -Canned or Homemade? America’s Biggest Cranberry Company Wins Either Way  Further Reading:  -The Hottest Beer in America Doesn’t Have Alcohol  -Bud Light Missed Out on the Super Bowl Party  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Russian troops invaded his hometown in 2022, Ukrainian teenager Denys Kostev filmed TikTok videos cursing Vladimir Putin and praising Ukrainian courage. But a few months later, Kostev suddenly began appearing in Russian propaganda videos. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore spoke to the Ukrainian teenager about how he became part of the Kremlin's propaganda machine.  Further Reading: -A Ukrainian Teen’s Dark Transformation Into Russian Propaganda Star  Further Listening: -The Grim Story of a Russian Prisoner Turned Recruit  -Actors Recorded Videos for ‘Vladimir.’ It Turned Into Russian Propaganda.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has come under fire in recent years for comments she’s made about gender and sex that some say are transphobic. WSJ’s Erich Schwartzel reports on how Warner Brothers Discovery, the company that owns the rights to Harry Potter, is calling upon the controversial author to make more magic. Further Listening: – The Media Mogul Taking an Ax to Hollywood  Further Reading: – Can Warner Bros. Uncancel J.K. Rowling?  – How the Minions Became Hollywood’s Mightiest Franchise  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block a $25 billion merger between two supermarket giants: Albertsons and Kroger.WSJ’s Patrick Thomas unpacks the deal and what it would mean for the companies, workers and shoppers. Further Reading: -FTC Sues to Block $25 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Merger  -It’s Been 30 Years Since Food Ate Up This Much of Your Income  Further Listening: -Food Fight: PepsiCo vs. Carrefour  -Are Rotisserie Chickens ‘Inflation-Proof’? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice Media was a digital-media pioneer, built on provocative journalism and the promise of reaching younger audiences, a boon for advertisers. In its heyday, the company was valued at $5.7 billion. But last week, Vice Media said it would stop publishing content on its website and plans to cut hundreds of jobs. WSJ’s Keach Hagey and Alexandra Bruell on the rise and fall of Vice. Further Reading:  - Vice Media to Stop Publishing on Vice.com, Plans to Cut Hundreds of Jobs  - Vice Media to Be Acquired Out of Bankruptcy by Fortress, Soros Fund  - Essence in Talks to Buy Refinery29 From Embattled Publisher Vice Media  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

School districts and state legislatures have been ramping up efforts to ban certain books from school libraries and curricula. Last year, Penguin Random House decided to do something to stop them. We speak to WSJ’s Jeffrey Trachtenberg and to the man leading Penguin Random House's efforts, Skip Dye. Further Reading: - A Publishing Giant’s Risky Fight Against Book Bans  - Penguin Random House, Authors Sue Iowa Officials Over Book Ban  - Scholastic Planned to Segregate Diverse Titles at School Book Fairs. Then Came the Backlash.  Further Listening: - Scholastic’s Succession Drama  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days before the presidential primary in New Hampshire, thousands of people received a call from someone who sounded like President Joe Biden, telling them not to vote. The call was a deepfake, and as WSJ's Bob McMillian reports, the rapid advancement of AI technology will likely have profound implications for elections around the world. Further Reading: - New Era of AI Deepfakes Complicates 2024 Elections  Further Listening: - The Company Behind ChatGPT  - The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT  - OpenAI’s Weekend of Absolute Chaos  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arielle Charnas is a fashion blogger turned influencer with over 1 million Instagram followers. In 2020, she launched her clothing brand Something Navy with about $10 million from investors. She hoped to turn it into a $100 million venture. That’s not what happened. WSJ’s Chavie Lieber and Sara O’Brien report on a cautionary tale for influencer brands.  Further Reading: - Investors Poured Millions Into Her Fashion Brand. Then It All Fell Apart.  - Her Brand Had $100 Million Ambitions. Now It’s Being Sold in a Fire Sale.  Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capital One announced plans to buy Discover Financial Services in a $35 billion deal that marries two of the largest credit-card companies in the U.S. and has the potential to shake up the credit card industry in a major way. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis explores what makes this deal such a game changer. Further Reading: - Capital One Is Buying Discover Financial for $35 Billion  Further Listening: - Inside the Capital One Hack  - The Fight Over Your Credit Card Swipe  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The animal tranquilizer xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is finding its way into opioid supplies and wreaking havoc all over the country. It’s rotting people’s flesh, leading to amputations and complicating drug treatment. WSJ’s Julie Wernau takes us to Robeson County, N.C., the new “ground zero” for xylazine addiction. Further Reading: - Flesh-Rotting ‘Tranq’ Undermines Fight Against Fentanyl  - Recovering From Drug Addiction Was Hard. Tranq Made It Worse.  - Nurses Make House Calls to Treat ‘Tranq’ Wounds for Users at Society’s Edge  Further Listening: - Why Some Opioid Victims Are Challenging Purdue’s Settlement  - How a Drug Maker Plans to Cut Off Money for Opioid Victims   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meilin Keen was diagnosed with stomach cancer at 26. She’s part of a growing demographic of people who are getting cancer diagnoses before the age of 50. And doctors don’t know why. WSJ’s Brianna Abbott explains what we know so far. Further Reading: -Cancer Is Striking More Young People, and Doctors Are Alarmed and Baffled.  -Many Cancers Are on the Rise in the U.S., Even as Overall Deaths Fall.  -Uterine Cancer Was Easy to Treat. Now It’s Killing More Women Than Ever.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny has been an outspoken critic and political foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Today, Russian prison authorities reported Navalny died at the age of 47. WSJ’s Ann Simmons delves into Navalny’s life, death and what this moment means for Russia. Further Reading: - Alexei Navalny Spent His Final Years Hounded—but Undeterred—by the Kremlin  - Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin’s Most Ardent Critic, Dies in Prison  Further Listening: - Russia's Media Crackdown: 'The Future is Pretty Dark'  - The Plane Crash That Killed Yevgeny Prigozhin  - Inside Russia’s Spy Unit Targeting Americans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unethical funeral homes have exploited grieving customers for decades. What consumers may not know is that many of the industry’s bad actors have been hidden from the public thanks to a sweetheart deal struck between the Federal Trade Commission and the funeral industry more than 25 years ago. WSJ’s Dominique Mosbergen unpacks her multi-year investigation. Further Reading: - How the Funeral Industry Got the FTC to Hide Bad Actors  Further Listening: - FTC Chair Lina Khan on Microsoft Merger, ChatGPT and Her Court Losses  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman kicked off an AI revolution with the viral ChatGPT. Now, Altman has set his sights on another ambitious goal: Raise up to $7 trillion to overhaul the world’s semiconductor chip industry. WSJ’s Keach Hagey explains what the plan entails, and why skeptics think it will be an uphill battle. Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story  Further Reading: - Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI  - Raising Trillions of Dollars Might Be the Easy Part of Altman’s Chip Plan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five years ago, 23andMe was one of the buzziest startups in the world. Now, 23andMe’s stock is worth less than $1. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler unpacks the startup’s meteoric rise and fall. Further Reading and Watching: - 23andMe’s Fall From $6 Billion to Nearly $0  - How 23AndMe Went From a $6 Billion Valuation to a Penny Stock  - 23andMe Mulls Possible Split, Shares Fall After Disappointing Results  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the National Football League was getting ready for yesterday’s Super Bowl, major news was announced that caught high-level NFL executives off guard: Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery said they are teaming up to create a new sports streaming service. WSJ’s Joe Flint explains what we know about the new venture and how it could change sports broadcasting. Further Reading: -ESPN, Fox and Warner Team Up to Create Sports Streaming Platform  -Why Three Media Giants Made a Hail Mary Bet on Sports Streaming  Further Listening: -ESPN’s Big Bet on an F-Bomb-Throwing YouTube Star  -How Americans Watch Sports is Changing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 49ers contend for Super Bowl rings this Sunday, the team has another battle to fight. The 49ers are in a decadelong war with their home city of Santa Clara over whether the team's $1 billion stadium is providing the economic boost promised. WSJ’s Zusha Elinson unpacks the conflict, which has involved lawsuits and heated local elections. Further Reading: - Why the 49ers and Their Home City Are in a Decadelong Fight  Further Listening: - The Long-Last Super Bowl  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In December, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump couldn’t appear on the presidential ballot because his actions on January 6 disqualified him. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. WSJ’s Jan Wolfe listened to today’s arguments, and explains why it appears the decision will likely be overturned.  Further Listening: - The Prosecutor Bringing a Racketeering Case Against Trump  - Meet Jack Smith, the Special Counsel Prosecuting Trump  - Pro-Trump Mob Storms the Capitol  Further Reading and Watching: - Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Challenge to Donald Trump’s Ballot Eligibility  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music from major artists like Taylor Swift and The Weeknd has been muted on TikTok after a licensing deal fell apart. WSJ’s Anne Steele breaks down what happened to billions of videos and why the two companies are at loggerheads over the terms of a new deal. Further Reading and Watching: - Bad Blood: Why TikTok Videos With Taylor Swift and Other Universal Artists Are Now Silent  - Universal Music Group Poised to Stop Licensing Music to TikTok  Further Listening: - How TikTok Became the World's Favorite App  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Cuban is best known as a panelist on the reality TV show “Shark Tank” and for his ownership of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Now, the billionaire investor is switching gears. This will be his last season on “Shark Tank,'' and he recently sold a majority stake in the Mavericks. Instead, he’s focusing more on an industry he wants to disrupt: healthcare.   Further Reading: -Mark Cuban Enters Elon Musk’s Echoverse of Madness -Mark Cuban Is Set to Sell Majority Stake in Dallas Mavericks to Adelson Family  -Mark Cuban Has a New Job: Working at an Online Discount Pharmacy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk and some members of Tesla's board of directors have deep personal and financial ties. The connections are an extreme blurring of friendship and fortune and raise questions among some shareholders about the independence of the board members charged with overseeing Musk. WSJ's Rebecca Elliott reports. Further Reading: - The Money and Drugs That Tie Elon Musk to Some Tesla Directors  - Elon Musk’s $55.8 Billion Tesla Pay Package Struck Down by Judge  - Elon Musk Has Used Illegal Drugs, Worrying Leaders at Tesla and SpaceX  Further Listening: - Elon Musk's 'Demon Mode'  - Elon Musk on Why He Wants More Robots and Less Government  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, no aid group has the reach of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the organization that for decades has provided schooling, healthcare and other assistance to Palestinian refugees in Gaza. But an Israeli intelligence report alleges that 12 UNRWA staff members were directly linked to the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. As WSJ’s David Luhnow explains, the fallout could put millions of lives on the line in Gaza. Further Listening: The Hospital at the Center of Israel’s War on Hamas  For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There’s No Way Out  Further Reading A U.N. Agency Is Accused of Links to Hamas. The Clues Were There All Along.  Intelligence Reveals Details of U.N. Agency Staff’s Links to Oct. 7 Attack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paramount Global is a media titan and lately potential buyers have been circling, hoping to get some of its parts. But as WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel explains, there’s a problem. The company’s owner is only interested in selling the whole thing. Further Reading: -Allen Media Group Makes $14.3 Billion Offer for Paramount Global  -Skydance Backers Explore All-Cash Deal To Gain Control of Paramount  -Warner and Paramount CEOs Discussed Possible Merger of Companies  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. and the European Union have promised Ukraine billions of dollars in new financial aid to keep the country running as the war with Russia drags on. But both pledges have been delayed by political infighting in Washington and Brussels. WSJ’s Chelsey Dulaney reports that without this foreign money, the Ukrainian government could be forced to take painful economic measures to stay afloat.  Further Reading: - Ukraine’s $30 Billion Problem: How to Keep Fighting Without Foreign Aid  Further Listening: - Ukraine Makes a Deal With Wall Street  - Three Ukrainians on Enduring a Year of War  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Argentine President Javier Milei took office in December promising a free-market revolution to fix the country’s ailing economy. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Milei explained his agenda, which includes privatizing state companies and slashing government spending. WSJ’s Ryan Dubé unpacks Milei's goals and the challenges he faces. Further Reading and Watching: - Argentina’s President Promised a Free-Market Revolution, and Says He’s Delivering  - Argentina’s Libertarian President Urges Global Leaders in Davos to Embrace Free Market  - Argentina’s Inflation Surges After New President Cuts Subsidies  Further Listening: - Why Protesters Rioted in Brazil’s Capital  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 injured in a drone strike in Jordan on Sunday. It’s the latest in a series of attacks in the Middle East by armed militia groups linked to Iran. WSJ’s Sune Engel Rasmussen explains how Iran uses these groups to fight proxy wars and to extend its influence in the region.  Further Reading: - Three U.S. Troops Killed in Drone Attack in Jordan  - U.S. Failed to Stop Attack in Jordan After Mixup Over Drone Identity  Further Listening: - ‘We Were Attacked’: Militants Upend Global Shipping  - Will Israel Face a Second Front?  - Cheap Drones Are Transforming the Battlefield  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev owned art by da Vinci, Picasso and Magritte. But over more than a decade, he says his trusted art dealer defrauded him by as much as $1 billion. WSJ’s Kelly Crow tells us about the case that Rybolovlev alleges is the biggest art fraud in history. Further Listening: - The Basquiat Sisters on Managing One of Art's Hottest Brands  - How an Antiques Dealer Uncovered a Massive Museum Heist  Further Reading: - Fraud, or Just a Bad Deal? Oligarch and Sotheby’s to Battle in Court Over Rarefied Art Trade  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few years ago, the founder of Chinese automaker BYD was worried the company might not survive. But last year, BYD surpassed Tesla to become the world’s top seller of electric vehicles. WSJ’s Selina Cheng chronicles BYD’s ascent, as well as the challenges it faces holding onto the top spot. Further Reading: - How China’s BYD Became Tesla’s Biggest Threat  - Surpassing Tesla, China’s BYD Will Take On the World in 2024  - A Lamborghini-Style EV: BYD Goes Upmarket to Outmaneuver Tesla  Further Listening: - Elon Musk’s ‘Demon Mode’  - Tesla’s Big Price Cut  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you own an Apple Watch, you may have noticed the device’s pulse oximeter feature. Masimo, a medical technology company, claims that the oximeter technology is theirs and it is suing Apple. Masimo CEO Joe Kiani and WSJ’s Aaron Tilley on the story of how Masimo decided to take on a tech giant.  Further Listening: -One Company’s Quest to Burst Apple’s Blue Bubble Texts  Further Reading: -The Entrepreneur Who Bet His Company on a Fight With Apple  -Apple to Remove Blood-Oxygen Sensor From Watch to Avoid U.S. Ban  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1999 and 2015, some 983 people were convicted for stealing from post offices in the U.K. Some people ended up in jail. At least four died by suicide. Turns out, it was a computer glitch. WSJ’s Max Colchester explains how one TV series helped bring their stories to light— and to justice. Further Reading: - Nearly a Thousand People Were Convicted of Stealing Over Decades. It Was a Computer Glitch.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of thousands of migrants try to get from South America to the United States each year. But first, they have to get past the treacherous Darien Gap, a 70-mile stretch of dense jungle. WSJ’s Juan Forero explains the booming business that has cropped up to help smuggle migrants through — or around — it. Further Reading: - Smuggling Migrants Toward the U.S. Is a Booming Business  - To Avoid the Jungles of Central America, Migrants Are Taking a Treacherous Sea Route  - Masses of Migrants Overwhelm Panama’s Darién Gap  Further Listening: - Texas Took On Border Security. Is It Working?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stanley Quencher, an insulated water bottle, is everywhere these days. And the popularity has been good for the company. Stanley generated $750 million in revenue last year. WSJ's Callum Borchers explains how a brand traditionally loved by outdoorsmen has become the new favorite of moms and teen girls. Further Reading: The New Office Status Symbol Holds a Lot of Water—and Has a Wait List Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI industry is controlled by only a few powerful companies. Is that concentration of power dangerous? WSJ's Sam Schechner interviews Meredith Whittaker, president of encrypted messaging app Signal, at a live event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Further Reading and Watching: -The Importance of Privacy in the Age of AI  -Altman and Nadella Talk AI at Davos  Further Listening: -Artificial: The Open AI Story  -Why an AI Pioneer Is Worried  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrefour, one of the world’s biggest grocery chains, said it’s dropping PepsiCo products from roughly 10,000 stores across five European countries. Carrefour says it’s taking a stand against high prices. But as WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney explains, PepsiCo has a different take on the story. Further Reading: - Supermarket Giant Drops Pepsi and Lay’s Over Price Increases  - PepsiCo, Grocery Giant Bicker Over Who Dumped Whom  Further Listening: - Are Rotisserie Chickens ‘Inflation-Proof’?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the creation of Bitcoin ETFs, exchange-traded funds that buy the cryptocurrency, allowing retail investors to buy and sell Bitcoin as easily as stocks. WSJ’s Vicky Ge Huang breaks down the 10-year battle to bring Bitcoin to Wall Street investors. Further Reading: -SEC Approves Bitcoin ETFs for Everyday Investors  Further Listening: -The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  -Fidelity's Controversial Bet on Bitcoin  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the OpenAI board ousted CEO Sam Altman last November, very few people knew exactly what was behind it. In the final episode of our series, we reveal what led to Altman’s firing and explain why he was able to get his job back just days later. Plus, an exclusive interview with one of the people who fired him.   Further Reading:  - Sam Altman’s Knack for Dodging Bullets—With a Little Help From Bigshot Friends   - Behind the Scenes of Sam Altman’s Showdown at OpenAI  Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream  - Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out  - Artificial: Episode 3, Chat GPT  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A student's financial aid package is one of the most important factors in students’ college decisions. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin tells us that this year, the revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, is causing grief for some families. Further Reading: -A Financial-Aid Form Is Upending College Decisions  -Families May Have to Make College Decisions Before Knowing Full Cost  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida recently became the first state to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration to import prescription drugs from Canada. As WSJ’s Liz Essley Whyte explains, i t's a milestone in efforts to reduce the cost of medications, but the plan faces opposition from pharmaceutical groups and Canadian officials. Further Reading: -Florida Is First State Allowed to Import Drugs From Canada in Bid to Reduce Costs  -Expensive Drugs Targeted for First U.S. Price Negotiations  Further Listening: -Philip Morris Tried to Pivot to Pharmaceuticals. It Didn’t Go Well.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea for months. Now the U.S. and its allies have given the Yemeni militant group a final warning to stop the attacks. WSJ's Nancy A. Youssef explains what's motivating the Houthis and what the attacks mean for a region already on edge. Further Reading: -U.S., U.K. Warships Shoot Down Houthi Barrage in Red Sea  -Importers Face Surging Shipping Costs, Delays as Red Sea Diversions Pile Up  -U.S., Allies Give Houthis Ultimatum: Stop Ship Attacks or Face Consequences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last thing Boeing needed was more trouble with its 737 MAX jet. That is exactly what it got at the start of the new year. The company had just started to regain its footing after years of tumult around the popular but troubled line of narrow-body jets when a Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines had a structural failure Friday night. WSJ’s Alison Sider unpacks what happened. Further Reading: -Alaska Airlines Boeing Probe: What We Know  -Boeing Is Back in the Spotlight—This Time Over a MAX 9  -United, Alaska Find Loose Parts on Some Boeing 737 MAX 9 Jets  Further Listening: -The Pressure Inside Boeing  -How the Grounded Boeing Jet Shook the Airline Industry  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Primaries that don’t count. An incumbent President’s write-in campaign. The 2024 election is off to a weird start. WSJ’s Eliza Collins explains why. Further Reading: -The Way Nevada Will Pick the GOP Presidential Nominee Is a Mess  -These Voters Will Decide the 2024 Election. They Don’t Like What They See.  Further Listening: -Does Nikki Haley Have a Chance at Beating Trump?  -The Prosecutor Bringing a Racketeering Case Against Trump  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI launched ChatGPT with low expectations and little fanfare. But the chatbot was an instant hit and went on to become one of the fastest growing consumer apps in tech history. ChatGPT’s surprise success gave OpenAI its first shot to make big money, and the company moved quickly to cash in — even as critics called out some very real problems with the company’s hit product.  Further Reading: Outcry Against AI Companies Grows Over Who Controls Internet’s Content  The Awkward Partnership Leading the AI Boom  Further Listening: Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream   Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chinese government is concerned about the country's birth rate. The population in China is now approximately 1.4 billion and could drop to roughly half a billion by 2100. Beijing is demanding that women have more children, but many Chinese women are saying no. WSJ's Liyan Qi reports. Further Reading: - China Is Pressing Women to Have More Babies. Many Are Saying No.  - China’s Economic Slump Bodes Ill for Birth Numbers  Further Listening: - The Unintended Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday, after being dogged for weeks by allegations of plagiarism and accusations that she didn't respond with enough urgency to concerns about antisemitism on campus. WSJ's Melissa Korn unpacks Gay's brief, tumultuous tenure. Further Reading: - Behind the Campaign to Take Down Harvard’s Claudine Gay  - Claudine Gay Is Out as President. Where Does Harvard Go From Here?  - Harvard President Resigns After Plagiarism Allegations, Campus Antisemitism Backlash  Further Listening: - The Supreme Court Rules Against Affirmative Action  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you text on a smartphone, chances are you’ve seen the problem: blue text bubbles versus green texts. It's a visual symbol of the problems that Android and iPhone users have when trying to text each other. WSJ’s Nicole Nguyen on the blue-green texting divide and one company’s fight to pop Apple’s iMessage exclusivity. Further Reading: - The Fight Over Apple’s iMessage and Those Green Bubbles  - Why Apple’s iMessage Is Winning: Teens Dread the Green Text Bubble  Further Listening: - How Apple Lost to the EU  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than three years, Jan Marsalek has been on the run. He was the jet-setting COO of Wirecard, the German company that imploded after a financial fraud scandal. But now, Western intelligence and security officials are saying Marsalek had likely been a Russian spy for nearly a decade. WSJ's Bojan Pancevski tells the tale of the investigations into Marsalek's covert operations. Further Listening: - Wirecard's Missing $2 Billion  Further Reading: - He’s Wanted for Wirecard’s Missing $2 Billion. He’s Now Suspected of Being a Russian Spy. - U.K. Says Wirecard’s Marsalek Worked With Five Suspected Russian Spies  - How Wirecard Went From Tech Star to Bankrupt  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, we brought you the story of a New Jersey restaurant owner named Gregory Gregory, who took on Taco Bell over the trademark for "Taco Tuesday.” After months of negotiations, their fight is now over. Producer Rachel Humphreys spoke to Gregory Gregory to find out why. Further Listening: - Who Owns Taco Tuesday?  Further Reading: - The Long Fight Over ‘Taco Tuesday’  - The Battle for Taco Tuesday Gets Heated  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are off for the holidays, but still have a great episode for this Christmas weekend.Mariah Carey released "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994 to moderate success. Today, the song is a megahit and Christmas playlist staple. What happened? WSJ's John Jurgensen called up the "Queen of Christmas" to find out. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thieves across the U.S. are stealing people’s iPhones, using them to loot victims’ bank accounts and personal information. After investigating for over a year, WSJ’s Joanna Stern unpacks how the crime works and how Apple is trying to prevent it. Further Reading and Watching: - The Hidden iPhone Setting Thieves Use to Lock People Out of Apple Accounts  - An iPhone Thief Explains How He Steals Your Passcode and Bank Account  - Apple Makes Security Changes to Protect Users From iPhone Thefts  Further Listening: - How Apple Lost to the EU  - Apple Bets Big on ‘Nerd Helmets’  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is 10 years into her tenure and deep into her quest to turn GM into an electric-car powerhouse. WSJ’s Mike Colias profiles the CEO and discusses the challenges she’s faced in getting her big vision for GM’s future on track.  Further Listening: - GM's All-Electric Bet  - The Future of Self-Driving Cars Is Here  Further Reading: - Mary Barra Spent a Decade Transforming GM. It Hasn’t Been Enough.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yoshua Bengio, known as a godfather of AI, is one of hundreds of researchers and tech leaders calling for a pause in the breakneck development of powerful new AI tools. We talk to the AI pioneer about how the tools evolved and why he's worried about their potential. Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream  - Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out  - OpenAI’s Weekend of Absolute Chaos  Further Reading: - How Worried Should We Be About AI’s Threat to Humanity? Even Tech Leaders Can’t Agree  - ‘Take Science Fiction Seriously’: World Leaders Sound Alarm on AI  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are hundreds of zombie malls throughout the U.S. WSJ's Kate King investigates why some of America's empty and dilapidated malls stick around for so long even as local communities want them to be repurposed. Further Reading: - Owners Keep Zombie Malls Alive Even When Towns Want to Pull the Plug  - Local Malls, Stuck in ‘Death Spiral,’ Plunge in Value  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of the most iconic Christmas movies. But when it first came out in 1946, it was considered a flop. WSJ’s Ben Cohen explains how the movie went from nearly forgotten to a Christmas favorite. Further Reading: -The Christmas Movie That Became a Classic Because of a Mistake  Further Listening: -Canned or Homemade? America’s Biggest Cranberry Company Wins Either Way  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia-aligned propagandists tricked celebrities like Elijah Wood, Pricilla Presley and Ice T into recording videos that would later be used to attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. WSJ’s Robert McMillan and the CEO of the app Cameo unpack the scheme. Further Reading: - Actors Recorded Videos for ‘Vladimir.’ It Turned Into Russian Propaganda.  - U.S. and U.K. Accuse Russia of Global Hacking Spree Targeting British Elections  Further Listening: - The Online Sleuths Fighting Russian Disinformation  - A Voting Machine Company Fights Disinformation With Lawsuits  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the decade since he co-founded Shein and turned it into one of the world's most popular fast-fashion brands, CEO Sky Xu has remained a mystery – even to his employees. Now, Shein is preparing for an initial public offering in the U.S. which will put Xu on the global stage. WSJ’s Shen Lu profiles the elusive CEO and describes some of the problems the company is facing as it tries to go public.  Further Reading: - The World’s Most Anonymous CEO Is About to Take Center Stage  - Fast-Fashion Giant Shein Files to Go Public  - America’s Top Fast-Fashion Retailer Tries to Shed Its Chinese Image  Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came The Backlash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, WSJ’s Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos sat down with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen who said inflation is “meaningfully coming down” and the U.S. is on path to achieving a so-called soft landing. Further Reading: - Inflation Edges Lower, But Still Too High for the Fed  - How Inflation Can Keep Falling  Further Listening: - Inflation Is Down. Unemployment Is Low. Is This a Soft Landing?  - Why a Soft Landing for the Economy Could Be Hard  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, resigned on Saturday, capping a tumultuous week at the Ivy League school. After statements Magill made about antisemitism at a congressional hearing, influential donors threatened to pull millions in gifts if she didn't leave her post. WSJ's Melissa Korn talks about antisemitism, free speech, and the rising tensions between elite universities and big donors. Further Reading: -Penn President, Board Chair Resign After Furor Over Comments on Campus Antisemitism  -Wharton Board Calls for Leadership Change at Penn Amid Furor Over Campus Antisemitism  -Penn Donor Threatens to Rescind $100 Million Gift Unless President Is Ousted  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI’s breakout product, ChatGPT, had humble origins. What started as a small research project ballooned into something much bigger: a groundbreaking large language model. But developing that technology was expensive, and to fund it, OpenAI would make a big compromise.  Further Reading: - Elon Musk Tries to Direct AI—Again  - The Contradictions of Sam Altman, AI Crusader  Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream   - The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina, has been gaining traction in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. But can she catch up to the front-runner, former President Donald Trump? WSJ’s Molly Ball breaks down Haley’s growing momentum. Further Reading: -Debate Performances Fuel Haley’s Rise in GOP Nomination Race  -Nikki Haley’s Challenge: Keep Anti-Trump GOP Vote, Add Some Trump Backers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta has spent months trying to fix child-safety problems on Instagram and Facebook. But as WSJ's Jeff Horwitz explains, the social media giant is still struggling to prevent its own systems from enabling and promoting a vast network of pedophile accounts. Further Reading: - Meta Is Struggling to Boot Pedophiles Off Facebook and Instagram  - Instagram’s Algorithm Delivers Toxic Video Mix to Adults Who Follow Children  - Instagram Connects Vast Pedophile Network  Further Listening: - He Thought Instagram Was Safe. Then His Daughter Got an Account.  - The Facebook Files, Part 1: The Whitelist  - The Facebook Files, Part 2: 'We Make Body Image Issues Worse'  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple has filed for divorce from its partnership with Goldman Sachs.. It also marks a swift about-face for a partnership that, just last year, was extended through 2029. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis discusses the messy details she’s learned about the breakup. Further Reading and Watching: - A Divorce With Apple, Internal Strife: How Goldman’s Main Street Bet Failed  - Apple Pulls Plug on Goldman Credit-Card Partnership  - How Goldman Sachs Fumbled Its Consumer Business  Further Listening: -The War Inside Goldman Sachs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court is weighing an $8-billion settlement between opioid victims, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. Two claimants explain their views on the deal and WSJ’s Alexander Gladstone reports.  Further Reading: -The Opioid Victims Who Won’t Sign Off on Purdue’s $6 Billion Settlement -Supreme Court Weighs Purdue Pharma’s $6 Billion Opioid Settlement Further Listening: -How a Drug Maker Plans to Cut Off Money for Opioid Victims -Purdue’s $4.5 Billion Opioid Settlement Got Thrown Out. Now What?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For months, state and federal law-enforcement officials have been investigating a Medicaid scam in which hundreds of fraudulent sober-living homes in the Phoenix area have recruited Native Americans from across the West. Raquel Moody shares her experience in what she believes were fraudulent sober homes, and WSJ's Dan Frosch unpacks how the scam worked. Further Reading: - Fraudulent Sober Homes Exploited Native Americans, Say Authorities  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, a group of Silicon Valley heavy-hitters met for a dinner that would change tech history. They believed that the time had come to build a super-intelligent AI, and they founded a non-profit lab to try to do it. In part 1 of our series, Artificial: The OpenAI Story, we explore the company’s idealistic origins and speak with early employees about the struggle to make their AI dream a reality. Further Reading: - Elon Musk Tries to Direct AI—Again  - The Contradictions of Sam Altman, AI Crusader  Further Listening: - The Company Behind ChatGPT  - The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT   - OpenAI’s Weekend of Absolute Chaos  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire investor Charlie Munger died Tuesday, just weeks short of his 100th birthday. Munger was vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and he was best known for his close partnership with CEO Warren Buffett. As WSJ’s Jason Zweig explains, Munger often played Buffett’s sidekick, but his investing expertise made him a celebrity in his own right. Further Reading: - Charlie Munger’s Life Was About Way More Than Money  - The Secrets to Charlie Munger’s Success  - Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s Partner and ‘Abominable No-Man,’ Dies at 99  Journal Swag: - ‘The Journal’ Merch shop  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dubai, a city known for private jets, giant yachts and other symbols of carbon-heavy living, is an awkward location for a conference on climate change. The man organizing the COP28 summit also runs the country’s national oil company. WSJ’s Ed Ballard digs into the contradictions at the heart of this month’s climate summit and why they may not be that unusual.  Further Reading: - Welcome to COP28, the U.N. Climate Conference Hosted by an Oil Giant  - What’s at Stake at COP28 in Dubai  Further Listening: - The Fight Over Climate Change's Price Tag  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Journal investigation reveals a years-long culture of sexual harassment and intimidation at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a government agency that regulates banks. WSJ's Rebecca Ballhaus on the allegations and how some of the problems went all the way to the top. Further Reading: - Strip Clubs, Lewd Photos and a Boozy Hotel: The Toxic Atmosphere at Bank Regulator FDIC  - FDIC Chair, Known for Temper, Ignored Bad Behavior in Workplace  Further Listening: - Can the Government Contain a Banking Crisis?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI was founded in 2015 as an idealistic nonprofit. Its goal was to build artificial general intelligence or AGI — an AI that could do most jobs better than a human could. In the years that followed, OpenAI’s pursuit of AGI led them to develop the viral chatbot ChatGPT. The company became one of the top AI labs in the world. But to get there, OpenAI’s leaders would compromise nearly every one of their founding ideals. Over four episodes, we explore how a little-known startup built one of the world’s most viral tech products … and nearly tore itself apart in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shares of Estée Lauder, the beauty giant, have plunged about 50% this year. And the members of the Lauder family are at odds about what to do. WSJ's Emily Glazer reports on the company's business mistakes and its rumblings of succession. Further Listening: - The World’s Richest Person Is Planning for Succession  Further Reading: - The Estée Lauder Family Built a Beauty Empire. A Succession Rift Threatens It  - Estée Lauder Stock Plunges After Another Profit Warning  - Estée Lauder’s Big Bet on China Is Looking Not So Pretty  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Changpeng Zhao built Binance into the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and became one of the faces of crypto in the process. Last week, he appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering laws and agreed to step down as CEO. WSJ’s Patricia Kowsmann explains what the deal means for Zhao, Binance, and the future of crypto itself.  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  - A Crypto Exchange Crackdown  - The Rise of Binance - And The Effort to Reel It In  Further Reading: - Inside Binance’s Guilty Plea and the Biggest Fine in Crypto History  - The World’s Biggest Crypto Firm Is Melting Down  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re off today, but we still have a great episode for you. A texting scam that originated in China is on the rise in the United States. It’s more sophisticated than scams of the past, and it has already cost American victims more than $400 million. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how pig-butchering works, and one victim shares how it’s impacted her. This episode originally published in November 2022.   Further Reading: -A Text Scam Called ‘Pig Butchering’ Cost Her More Than $1.6 Million  -Online Scams Cost Americans Billions. Here’s How to Avoid the Worst of Them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ocean Spray’s farmers are responsible for 65% of the world’s cranberries. It’s not a publicly traded company. It’s not a traditional private company, either. It’s a cooperative founded nearly a century ago and owned by roughly 700 families. WSJ’s Ben Cohen tells the story of how the cranberry got into the can, and how the company is planning for a future beyond your Thanksgiving table.  Further Reading: - These People Are Responsible for the Cranberry Sauce You Love to Hate  Further Listening: - Are Rotisserie Chickens 'Inflation-Proof'?  - The Twinkie: From Bankruptcy to Billions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheap drones, once the domain of hobbyists, are now in high demand on battlefields. Following Hamas's attack on October 7, Israel has been flooding suppliers with requests for drones: it wants as many as possible, as soon as possible. WSJ’s Heather Somerville unpacks the benefits and perils of the use of off-the-shelf drones in modern warfare. Further Reading: -Israel Wants Inexpensive Drones. Chinese, American—It Doesn’t Matter.  -How the Technological Revolution in Ukraine Is Reshaping Modern Warfare  -U.S. Drone Startups See an Opening in Ukraine  Further Listening: -The Surprising Origins of Russia’s Drones  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI unexpectedly fired its CEO and co-founder Sam Altman on Friday. The move kicked off a series of twists and turns that left the company and its staff in upheaval. WSJ’s Deepa Seetharaman wades through the chaos and explains what might be next for the company. Further Listening: - A Conversation with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Mira Murati  - The Company Behind ChatGPT  Further Reading: - OpenAI Employees Threaten to Quit Unless Board Resigns  - Sam Altman Is Out at OpenAI After Board Skirmish  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Wall Street Journal investigation found that only 14% of emergency departments nationwide have been certified to treat kids. WSJ’s Melanie Evans explains why this is a problem across the country, and one family recounts their son’s experience in an ER. Further Reading: -Find Hospitals Deemed Ready to Treat Children in Your Area  -Children Are Dying in Ill-Prepared Emergency Rooms Across America  -Emergency Rooms Are Failing Kids. This Hospital Stepped Up.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation has been a big problem in the U.S. economy over the past couple of years. The Federal Reserve has been trying to tamp it down without crashing the economy. WSJ’s Amara Omeokwe explains why a so-called soft landing is coming into view. Further Reading: - Cooling Inflation Likely Ends Fed Rate Hikes  - The Elusive Soft Landing Is Coming Into View  - The Global Fight Against Inflation Has Turned a Corner  Further Listening: - Why a Soft Landing for the Economy Could Be Hard  - Will the Fed Stop Raising Interest Rates?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The longest actors strike in Hollywood history finally came to an end last week. WSJ’s Joe Flint explains why it took so long, and how the industry might change as a result. Further Listening: -The Case of the Hollywood Shutdown  -2023: The Year of the Strike  -One Hollywood Writer on the Industry’s ‘Dire’ Situation  Further Reading: -The Actors Strike Is Over. Now Comes the Wait for New Films and Shows.  -The Sticking Point That’s Keeping Actors on Strike  -Hollywood Actors Reach Agreement With Studios, Streamers to End Strike  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, Israeli troops reached Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa where Israel says Hamas conceals a major command center. WSJ’s Chao Deng and Margherita Stancati discuss what's happening at the hospital, where thousands of people, including patients and doctors, are trapped because of the fighting.  Further Listening: - For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There’s No Way Out  - The War Between Israel and Hamas  Further Reading: - Israeli Forces Reach Gate of Gaza’s Largest Hospital  - Israel Pushing for Hamas to Surrender Stricken Al-Shifa Hospital  - Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital Goes Dark at Center of Israel-Hamas Battle Zone  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An economic downturn in China has resulted in historically high youth unemployment. At the same time, China’s leader Xi Jinping thinks the countryside is in need of rejuvenation. WSJ’s Brian Spegele explains how the Chinese leader is trying to tackle both issues in one fell swoop. Further Reading: -China Has an Idea for Its Legions of Unemployed Youth: Send Them Away  -How Bad is China’s Economy? Millions of Young People Are Unemployed and Disillusioned  Further Listening: -Why Millions of Chinese Young People Are Unemployed  -China’s Property Market Crisis  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried is over. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff reflect on their month at court and answer outstanding questions about what happened at FTX, the trial and what comes next. Plus they reveal the final court cafeteria coffee tally. Further Reading: - Smoked Fish, Shaggy Hair and Tears: 8 Unforgettable Moments From Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Meta engineer Arturo Bejar thought he could help make Instagram safer after his daughter experienced harassment on the platform. But Bejar said that his concerns were not sufficiently addressed by senior leadership at the company and that teens are still at risk for harassment and bullying on Meta's platforms. Further Listening: -The Facebook Files  Further Reading: -His Job Was to Make Instagram Safe for Teens. His 14-Year-Old Showed Him What the App Was Really Like.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all drugs in 2020. The goal was to steer people to treatment who otherwise might have faced jail time. WSJ’s Zusha Elinson explains why many in Oregon have since turned against the decriminalization initiative. Further Reading: - Oregon Votes to Decriminalize All Drugs, Allow Psilocybin for Mental-Health Treatment  Further Listening: - The Highs and Lows of Diversifying the Cannabis Industry  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WeWork, the office space coworking company, filed for bankruptcy yesterday. The company’s decision comes after it struggled with debt and a slump in the commercial real estate market. WSJ’s Eliot Brown recounts how the embattled startup ended up in bankruptcy. Further Listening: -WeWork’s CEO on the Future of Work  -WeWork: The Enablers  Further Reading: -Adam Neumann Wounded WeWork. An Office Market Bust Finished It Off.  -WeWork, Once Valued at $47 Billion, Files for Bankruptcy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Home buyers and sellers face the prospect of major changes to the ways they pay their real-estate agents, following a historic verdict against the National Association of Realtors and large residential brokerages. WSJ’s Laura Kusisto explains the stakes. Further Reading: -The Way You Pay to Buy or Sell a Home Is About to Change  -Jury Finds Realtors Conspired to Keep Commissions High  -Real-Estate Commissions Could Be the Next Fee on the Chopping Block  Further Listening: -Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell. So Builders Are Cashing In.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brothers Ben and Max Morrissey were killed over a year ago by an explosion at their workplace, an oil refinery co-owned and operated by the oil giant BP in Ohio. WSJ's Jenny Strasburg talks to family members the brothers left behind and investigates what went wrong at the refinery. Further Reading: -He Feared His Refinery Job. His Brother Stayed to Help. The Explosion Hit at 6:46 P.M.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jury convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried of stealing billions of dollars from customers and lenders, in what prosecutors called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff were inside the courtroom for the verdict.  Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening:  - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, will soon find out how much users in Europe are willing to pay to access its social media platforms without ads. Meta’s subscription plan is the company’s latest move to address data privacy concerns from European Union regulators. WSJ’s Sam Schechner explains.  Further Reading: - Meta Pauses Ads for Users Under 18 in Europe as It Rolls Out Subscriptions  - Meta Plans to Charge $14 a Month for Ad-Free Instagram  Further Listening: - How Apple Lost to the EU  - Meta’s Metaverse Mess  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both the prosecution and the defense make their final pitches to the jury as FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial comes to a close. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff unpack closing arguments and look ahead to the trial’s conclusion. Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening:  - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Hatton and Leslie Hendeles spent nearly two decades trying to convince the Food and Drug Administration that phenylephrine, a drug commonly used in cold medicines, was ineffective. In September, an advisory panel finally agreed. Now, some of the medicines are being pulled from store shelves.Further Reading: - If Some Cold Medicines Don’t Work, What Should You Take for a Stuffy Nose?  - CVS Pulls Certain Cold Medicines From Shelves and Will Stop Selling Them  - These Are the Two Scientists Taking Down Cold Medicines That Don’t Work  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Danish antiques dealer named Ittai Gradel noticed a particular seller repeatedly listing valuable items for sale online at rock-bottom prices. WSJ's Max Colchester recounts how Gradel's sleuthing would eventually reveal a major antiques heist involving stolen British Museum antiquities.  Further Listening: -How Investigators Cracked a $3.4 Billion Crypto Heist  -Is This Painting a Masterpiece? AI Is On the Case  Further Reading: -How an Academic Uncovered One of the Biggest Museum Heists of All Time  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prosecutors have started to cross examine Sam Bankman-Fried on the witness stand. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff explore the competing narratives being painted by the government and the defense. Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening:  - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, General Motors became the last of the Detroit automakers to reach a tentative deal with the United Auto Workers union. It follows tentative agreements struck last week with Ford and Stellantis and is expected to end a strike that has spanned more than six weeks. We speak to WSJ’s Nora Eckert about the agreements reached and what it means for the U.S. auto industry and labor movement.  Further Reading: - Detroit Is Paying Up to End the UAW Strike. Now Carmakers Will Live With the Costs.  Further Listening: - 2023: The Year of the Strike  - ‘We’ll Strike All Three’: The UAW’s Historic Walkout  - Meet the Man Who Has Detroit on Edge  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the jury in attendance, Sam Bankman-Fried took the stand to testify in his defense. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff break down where his story of the FTX collapse has differed from the testimony of his former colleagues Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh. Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok is launching its Shop feature in the U.S. after mixed success in other countries. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Inspire feature brings short-form video to its shopping app. WSJ’s Meghan Bobrowsky on why the two companies are taking pages from each other’s playbooks.  Further Listening: -How TikTok Became the World’s Favorite App  -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  Further Reading: -Amazon Confronts a New Rival: TikTok  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a short break, court is back in session as Sam Bankman-Fried takes the stand to testify in his defense. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff were inside the courtroom to hear some of Bankman-Fried’s side of the story and how the prosecution worked to pick it apart.  Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just a few days ago, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was so unknown that fellow Republicans had to google his name. Now he’s Speaker of the House. WSJ’s Siobhan Hughes explains his meteoric rise. Further Reading: -Mike Johnson Elected House Speaker, Ending Three Weeks of GOP Feuding  -New Speaker Mike Johnson Made His Name as Cultural Conservative  Further Listening: -Why the House Still Doesn’t Have a Speaker  -The Fight Over Speaker of the House  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March while on a reporting trip. He is being held in a Moscow prison awaiting trial. We speak to his parents Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich on the eve of Evan's 32nd birthday about their efforts to free their son. Further Reading: - Evan Gershkovich: The Latest Updates on the WSJ Reporter Detained in Russia   Further Listening: - A WSJ Reporter Arrested in Russia  - Russian Court Upholds WSJ Reporter’s Detention  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Philippines and China are in an ongoing dispute over competing territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea. A recent incident at Scarborough Shoal has added to tensions. WSJ’s Niharika Mandhana explains. Further Reading and Watching: -China Coast Guard Ship Collides With Philippine Boat in South China Sea  -How a Tiny Crew Struck a Blow Against China With a Wooden Boat and a Knife  -Philippines Removes Chinese Floating Barrier in South China Sea  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Israel’s war with Hamas enters its third week, increased violence in the West Bank and on the border with Lebanon is fueling concerns of a larger regional war. WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen reports on Iran’s support of three militant groups: Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Further Listening: - What We Know About the Gaza Hospital Blast  - The Hostage Crisis in Gaza   Further Reading: - Northern Israel Prepares for Possible War With Hezbollah  - Violence Surges in the West Bank Following Hamas Attack on Israelis  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the creators of ChatGPT discuss job disruption, data and the ‘person-ness’ of AI chatbots with WSJ’s Joanna Stern.  Further Listening: -The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT  -The Company Behind ChatGPT  Further Reading: -3 Things I Learned About What’s Next in AI  -You Can Now Talk With ChatGPT and It Sounds Like a Human (Pretty Much)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday evening, an explosion rocked a hospital in northern Gaza where hundreds were sheltering from Israeli airstrikes. The Gaza Ministry of Health blamed Israel for the blast but Israel, the U.S. government and independent security experts said preliminary evidence pointed to a local militant group. WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov explains what we know so far about the blast. Further Reading: - U.S., Experts Say Evidence Suggests Palestinian Militants’ Rocket Hit Gaza Hospital  - Live Coverage: Israel-Hamas War  Further Listening: - For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There’s No Way Out  - The War Between Israel and Hamas  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial, the jury has seen evidence and heard testimony about the money circulating through FTX and Alameda. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff break down the prosecution’s case, and trace where the government says the money was coming from and where it went. Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of internal debate, Disney did a deal with a gambling company and will launch a betting app next month through its sports channel ESPN. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan explains how the family-friendly entertainment giant got to this point. Further Listening: -The Troubled Second Act of Disney CEO Bob Iger  -The Showdown Over Hulu  -The Disney Boss Who Wouldn’t Let It Go  Further Reading: -Disney Goes All In on Sports Betting  -ESPN Explores Sports-Betting Deal Worth at Least $3 Billion  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than a week after Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israel, the fate of around 200 hostages held captive in Gaza is unclear. Direct lines of communication with Hamas are difficult, but two countries in the region have positioned themselves as key intermediaries: Qatar and Turkey. WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson on what we know about who was taken and how the backchannel diplomacy is working.  Further Listening: - For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There’s No Way Out   - The War Between Israel and Hamas  Further Reading: - Dozens of Countries Scramble to Identify More Than 150 Citizens Held Hostage in Gaza  - ‘I’m Not a Diplomat…I’m a Mom.’ The American Parents Thrust Into the Israeli Hostage Crisis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nishad Singh— another critical member of Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle— testified Monday saying FTX customer money was used to fund political donations and that he pushed back on Bankman-Fried’s spending on celebrities. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff unpack his testimony and discuss a medical issue Bankman-Fried raised to the judge. Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The war between Israel and Hamas is one of the biggest tests of social-media’s content policing in years. Platforms have been dealing with a range of challenges, such as misidentified video footage, fabricated information and violent content. As WSJ's Tim Higgins explains, Elon Musk’s Twitter-turned-X has had major stumbles and is drawing European regulators' scrutiny. Further Reading: -Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino Point X in Different Directions Amid Israel-Hamas War  -X Fumbles First Big Musk-Era Test of Content Policies After Israel Attack  Further Listening: -Elon Musk’s ‘Demon Mode’  -Elon Musk Wants to Build an Everything App  -Elon Musk on 2022 Politics, Succession Plans and Whether AI Will Annihilate Humanity  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans are walking off the job at a rate not seen in years. The U.S. has lost seven million workdays to walkouts so far this year. WSJ’s David Harrison on the factors that are making this year one of the best in recent memory to strike.  Further Listening: -‘We’ll Strike All Three’: The UAW’s Historic Walkout  -Meet the Man Who Has Detroit on Edge  -The Case of the Hollywood Shutdown  Further Reading: -UAW Joins Wave of Union Strikes Looking for Big Wins  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline Ellison took the stand for a third day as attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried questioned her about her role in the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research. Rachel Humphreys and Caitlin Ostroff caught up with WSJ’s James Fanelli after court to unpack the defense’s strategy.   Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Israel retaliates against Hamas for its deadly attack Saturday, it has launched unrelenting air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza. Neighborhoods, hospitals and schools now lie in ruins. More than a quarter-million people have fled their homes. And water, food and fuel are scarce. We talk to the WSJ’s Jared Malsin and a doctor on the ground in Gaza about the mounting crisis there. Further Listening: - The War Between Israel and Hamas - An Interview with National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby  Further Reading: - As Israel Bombards Gaza, Fears of Humanitarian Disaster Mount  - Israel Aims to Dismantle Hamas as Blinken Tries to Prevent Wider War  - Israel Sought to Contain Hamas for Years. Now It Faces a Potentially Costly Fight to Eliminate It.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda, took the stand for a second day Wednesday. Producer Rachel Humphreys and WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff discuss Ellison’s testimony and what it revealed about alleged bribes to Chinese officials, misleading statements to investors, and the final days of FTX. Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. House of Representatives has been without a Speaker for more than a week. Now, Republicans say that they have a nominee for the position. WSJ’s Katy Stech Ferek describes the recent chaos, why Republicans appear to have rallied around Steve Scalise and what happens next. Further Reading: -Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker Over Jim Jordan  -Could Steve Scalise Quell the House GOP Revolt to Become Speaker?  Further Listening:  -The Fight Over the Speaker of the House  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline Ellison met Sam Bankman-Fried trading at Jane Street. The two would go on to have a close professional and personal relationship as his crypto empire grew and then eventually imploded. Now, she has pleaded guilty and is testifying against him. Producer Rachel Humphreys and WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff discuss her testimony and how the government is using it to build their case against Bankman-Fried.  Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early Saturday, Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel as its fighters poured across the border from Gaza, killing hundreds and taking others hostage. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and began retaliatory strikes on Gaza, also killing hundreds. WSJ’S Dov Lieber on a “game-changing” moment in Israeli-Palestinian relations and what comes next.  Further Reading: - Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks  - Israel Readies for Ground War in Gaza  - What is Hamas? What to Know About the Militant Group Fighting Israel  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're off today for the holiday, but we still have an episode for you!WSJ's Take On the Week is a new WSJ show that breaks down the most important things to watch in business and financial news to help you make smarter investment decisions. This week, host Dion Rabouin looks at big banks, a big yield and a big release for Taylor Swift.If you like the show, follow it for more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary Wang, FTX’s former chief technology officer, took the stand in the government’s case against Sam Bankman-Fried. Producer Rachel Humphreys and WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff discuss what Wang says he knows about the secret code that allowed Alameda Research to borrow billions of dollars of customer money from FTX.  Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Amazon last week, there was a big redacted section. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli on what she discovered underneath the redactions.  Further Reading: - Amazon Used Secret ‘Project Nessie’ Algorithm to Raise Prices  - FTC Sues Amazon, Alleging Illegal Online-Marketplace Monopoly  Further Listening: - Congress’s Case to Break Up Amazon  - Biden’s New FTC CHair Squares Off With Big Tech  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A legal battle is unfolding in New York City over a law that sets a roughly $18 minimum wage for food delivery workers. Four major app-based delivery companies — DoorDash, Grubhub, Relay and Uber Eats — have sued to block the law. WSJ’s Erin Ailworth unpacks the legal arguments, and a food delivery worker explains what’s at stake for him. Further Reading: -Judge Allows App-Based Delivery Workers in NYC to Make $18 an Hour  -DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub Sue New York City Over Minimum-Wage Law  Further Listening: -The Real Cost of 15 Minute Grocery Delivery  -Can Food Delivery Make Money?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a jury selected, lawyers from the prosecution and defense make their opening statements. Rachel Humphreys and WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff get their first clues into some of the strategies that will unfold throughout the trial.  Further Reading: - What’s Happening Today at the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2021, Philip Morris International acquired three pharmaceutical companies for more than $2 billion as part of a plan to pivot away from cigarette sales. The deals inserted the Marlboro maker into the market for inhalers and other treatments for respiratory diseases that are linked to cigarette smoking. We talked with WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney about how the company’s plan hasn’t gone so smoothly. Further Listening: - The ‘Existential Threat’ Facing Big Tobacco  - The Fight Over a Menthol Cigarette Ban  Further Reading: - Marlboro Maker Hits Reset on $2 Billion Bet on Medicine  - Philip Morris Raises Offer for Swedish Match and Buys U.S. Rights for IQOS  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the first day of trial, Sam Bankman-Fried debuts a new haircut and the judge begins the process of selecting a jury. WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff delves into the judge who will preside over this historic trial, and the jury who will determine Bankman Fried’s fate. Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried’s Courtroom Look Spells a Personal Vibe Shift  - Crypto Could Be a Mystery to Jurors in Bankman-Fried Case  Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long-time rivals ​​Ford and General Motors are battling over how a $7,500 tax credit for electric cars should be interpreted. WSJ’s Andrew Duehren explains how this bleeds into the Biden administration’s conflicting priorities of reducing American reliance on Chinese batteries while also achieving clean energy goals.  Further Reading: -This Ford vs. GM Feud Could Shape the Future of EVs in America  Further Listening:  -‘We’ll Strike All Three’: The UAW’s Historic Walkout  -Biden’s New Move Against Chinese Tech  -Ford and GM's Battle for the Hottest Electric Vehicle Startup  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black lung, a devastating illness caused by prolonged exposure to dust, has made a comeback in the past two decades after hitting a low in the 1990s. One in five coal miners in Central Appalachia now have the disease. WSJ’s Kris Maher and former miner James Howerton on how black lung is gripping coal country and upending miners’ lives. Further Reading: - Black Lung Resurgence Prompts New Mining Rules  Further Listening: - Europe is Turning to Coal. What Does That Mean for Climate Change?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2022, crypto markets were in turmoil, but Sam Bankman-Fried's empire seemed to weather it all. That is until one week in November, when he went from crypto's savior to its biggest villain. WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff tracks the unprecedented collapse of Bankman Fried’s empire, and the big secret that would prove to be its downfall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twinkies have been around for almost a hundred years. During the course of the cake’s history, the company that makes Twinkies went into bankruptcy twice. WSJ’s Jesse Newman explains the strategic changes and snacking trends that led J.M. Smucker to announce it is buying Hostess for $4.6 billion. Further Listening: -The Agony and the Ecstasy of Tab  -Oatly Pioneered Oat Milk. Now it’s Struggling to Keep Up.  -PepsiCo’s New Healthy Diet: More Potato Chips and Soda  Further Reading: -Why the Twinkie Is Now Worth Billions  -Smucker Sets Sights on Snacks With $4.6 Billion Twinkies Deal  -America Is Binging on Snacks, and Food Companies Are Eating It Up  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok had hardly any friends in the U.S. government when, earlier this year, the Biden administration and Congress threatened to ban the Chinese-owned video giant. WSJ’s Stu Woo profiles financier Jeff Yass, who made a big bet on the app and is a top donor to lawmakers opposing a ban.   Further Listening: - What’s Up With All the TikTok Bans?  - Exclusive: TikTok’s CEO on the App’s Future in the U.S.  - How TikTok Became the World’s Favorite App  Further Reading: - The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JPMorgan is paying $75 Million to settle a lawsuit accusing the bank of aiding Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking. WSJ’s Dave Benoit delves into the twists and turns revealed during the legal proceedings and discusses what the settlement means for the bank’s reputation.  Further Reading: - JPMorgan Paying $75 Million to Settle Suit Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties  - Jamie Dimon Says He Never Discussed Jeffrey Epstein’s Accounts at JPMorgan; Jes Staley Says Dimon Did  - JPMorgan’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Were Deeper Than the Bank Has Acknowledged  Further Listening: - A $175 Million ‘Huge Mistake’  - How Jeffrey Epstein Made His Money  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ’s Nidhi Subbaraman on the scientists who moonlight as data detectives and whose discoveries have upended careers.  Further Reading: -The Band of Debunkers Busting Bad Scientists  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last month, he left behind a vast network of political connections, companies and mines throughout Africa. WSJ’s Benoit Faucon chronicles the rise of Wagner’s Dmitry Sytii, the current frontman of Wagner’s African operations.  Further Reading: - The Elusive Figure Running Wagner’s Embattled Empire of Gold and Diamonds  Further Listening: - The Plane Crash That Killed Yevgeny Prigozhin  - The Mutiny That Shook Putin's Grip on Power  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before his downfall, Sam Bankman-Fried drew comparisons to Warren Buffett, J.P. Morgan and other titans of finance. As his trial approaches, WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff charts the meteoric rise of crypto’s golden boy, exploring how he sold customers and powerful people on his ideas, while hiding secrets under the hood of his flashy crypto empire.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ties between Canada and India have sunk to a low. This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India was potentially involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist in a suburb of Vancouver, a charge India denies. WSJ’s Tripti Lahiri explains why the crisis is now ensnaring other big democracies. Further Reading: - India Suspends Visas for Canadians as Rift Over Killing Deepens  - India Blasts Canada Over Trudeau’s Allegation That It Played Role in Killing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rupert Murdoch, 92, announced he's stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, the two companies that have made him a force in global media. WSJ's Amol Sharma discusses how Murdoch became a media tycoon and what comes next for his empire. Further Reading: -Rupert Murdoch to Step Down as Chair of Fox and News Corp After Seven-Decade Career  Further Listening: -Behind the Breakup of Fox and Tucker Carlson  -Dominion Voting Systems vs. Fox News  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Reserve officials voted to hold interest rates steady at a 22-year high but signaled they were prepared to raise rates once more this year to combat inflation. WSJ's Nick Timiraos explains the Fed’s “soft landing” goal of lowering inflation without crashing the economy. Further Reading: - Fed Holds Rates Steady but Pencils in One More Hike This Year  - Why a Soft Landing Could Prove Elusive  Further Listening: - Will the Fed Stop Raising Interest Rates  - Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell. So Builders Are Cashing In.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Bankman-Fried built a crypto empire. Then the exchange he founded collapsed, revealing that billions of dollars of customer money was missing. Bankman-Fried was charged with fraud, and his trial begins Oct. 3. In a new series from The Journal, WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff explores Bankman-Fried meteoric rise, devastating fall and the trail that will determine his future.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A former Wells Fargo executive was recently sentenced for her role in the bank's 2016 fake account scandal. WSJ's Ben Eisen explains why that sentencing isn't the end of this story for Wells Fargo as the bank has struggled to overhaul the way it manages risks, even seven years later. Further Reading: -Former Wells Fargo Executive Avoids Prison Time in Fake-Accounts Scandal  -Wells Fargo Is Still in Fix-It Mode  Further Listening: -Wells Fargo and the Fake-Account Fallout  -The War Inside Goldman Sachs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2006, after years of denial, ExxonMobil publicly acknowledged climate change for the first time. But internal documents show that behind the scenes, Exxon officials pushed to diminish concerns about climate change. WSJ’s Christopher M. Matthews breaks down the new findings. Further Reading: - Inside Exxon’s Strategy to Downplay Climate Change  - Exxon Predicts World Will Miss Climate-Change Targets  Further Listening: - An Activist Investor and the Showdown Over Exxon’s Future  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, the United Auto Workers is striking all three Detroit car companies at once, targeting factories in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. WSJ’s Nora Eckert explains the union’s unprecedented strategy and how much bigger the walkout could get. Further Reading: - UAW Goes on Strike Against GM, Ford and Stellantis  - UAW’s Strike Strategy: Start Small and Keep ’Em Guessing  Further Listening: - Meet the Man Who Has Detroit on Edge  - Scandal Engulfs One of America’s Biggest Unions  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, West Virginia University, a state flagship, poured money into gleaming new research facilities and dormitories to attract new students. It had to borrow money to do so. The university now faces a huge deficit and major cuts. It's a problem facing many major public universities, as WSJ’s Melissa Korn explains.  Further Reading: -West Virginia University Banked on Growth. It Backfired.  -Colleges Urged to Produce Better Information on How They Spend Money  -Colleges Spend Like There’s No Tomorrow. ‘These Places Are Just Devouring Money.’  Further Listening: -Wesleyan’s President on Admissions Post-Affirmative Action  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday, Apple announced a new iPhone 15 with a USB-C charger, the same cable its competitors use. As WSJ’s Kim Mackrael and Sam Schechner explain, at least some credit for the change can go to the European Union bureaucrats who have been increasingly battling Big Tech.  Further Reading: - America’s Tech Giants Rush to Comply With New Curbs in Europe  - He Took On the World’s Most Valuable Company—and Won  Further Listening: - FTC Chair Lina Khan on Microsoft Merger, ChatGPT and Her Court Losses  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk’s wild mood swings are legendary. His “demon mode" gets a lot of attention from biographer Walter Isaacson in a new book about Musk. WSJ’s Tim Higgins talks with Isaacson about what fuels Musk’s "demon mode" and how it plays out in his business ventures.  Further Reading and Watching: -Elon Musk’s Lessons From Hell: Five Commandments for Business  -Elon Musk Is Running Twitter on His Impulses  -The Real Story of Musk’s Twitter Takeover  Further Listening: -Elon Musk Wants to Build an Everything App  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As ESPN tries to transition to streaming and attract younger viewers, the sports-media giant is venturing outside its comfort zone with its newest star: Pat McAfee. WSJ's Isabella Simonetti explains why the F-bomb-throwing former NFL punter is a big bet for the network. Further Reading: - ESPN Bets Big on Pat McAfee, an F-Bomb-Throwing YouTube Star  Further Listening: - How Americans Watch Sports Is Changing  - The Troubled Second Act of Disney CEO Bob Iger  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the U.S., one in five mothers suffers from mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy or after birth. But many of them struggle to find help. Last year, the CDC reported that the leading cause of maternal deaths in the country are suicide or drug overdose. We spoke with two mothers about their experience postpartum and to reporter Anna Mutoh about the FDA’s approval of a new drug to fight postpartum depression.  Further Reading: - The Tragedy of Being a New Mom in America  - First Pill for Postpartum Depression Is Approved by FDA  - U.S. Maternal Mortality Hits Highest Level Since 1965  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spotify spent more than $1 billion to build up its podcasting empire. After years of costly acquisitions and celebrity partnerships, most of its shows are still not profitable. WSJ’s Anne Steele unpacks why Spotify’s big bet hasn’t paid off yet. Further Reading: - Spotify’s $1 Billion Podcast Bet Turns Into a Serial Drama  - Harry and Meghan Produce a Hollywood Flop: Themselves  Further Listening: - Neil Young, Joe Rogan and Spotify’s Balancing Act  - Harry and Meghan, Hollywood Royalty?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain is throwing out the traditional union playbook for contract negotiations. WSJ’s Nora Eckert reports that Fain is preparing for a strike, possibly against three automakers at once. Further Listening: -Why 46,000 Auto Workers Are on Strike  Further Reading: -Meet the Man Who Has Detroit on Edge  -UAW Accuses GM, Stellantis of Unfair Labor Practices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Airbnb listings in New York City are disappearing as the city cracks down on short-term rentals as a way to address its housing shortage. As of today, it will now enforce some of the toughest laws in the nation around short-term rentals. WSJ's Allison Pohle unpacks what's happening and why other big cities are taking note. Further Reading: -Airbnb Hosts and Guests Scramble as New York Begins Crackdown  -Airbnb Fights New NYC Short-Term Rental Requirements  Further Listening: -Why Airbnb is Letting Employees Work Anywhere  -How Airbnb Deals With Crime  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Labor Day! We’re bringing you an episode that was originally published in June 2022. Peshtigo, Wisconsin, is grappling with a crisis: Chemicals known as PFAS have leached from a nearby industrial site into the town's groundwater. WSJ's Kris Maher traveled to the town to report on what the community is doing and how the contamination has affected people's health and lives. Further Reading:  - A Wisconsin Town With Contaminated Drinking Water Must Decide Its Future  - Startups Race to Kill ‘Forever Chemicals’  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health is raising concerns. On Wednesday, McConnell froze and fell silent during a press conference. He had a similar incident earlier this summer. WSJ’s Siobhan Hughes reports on the veteran Republican’s health scare and the speculation about who might succeed him.  Further Reading: - Mitch McConnell Freezes a Second Time During Kentucky Press Conference  - Mitch McConnell’s Health Scares Shine Spotlight on Senate’s ‘Three Johns’  Further Listening: - How Biden and McConnell Do Business  - The Fight Over the Speaker of the House  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the U.S. government named 10 drugs that will be subject to the first ever price negotiations by Medicare. WSJ’s Jared S. Hopkins talks about how this major change came about and pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to stop it. Further Listening: -How Big Pharma Lost Its Swagger  Further Reading: -Expensive Drugs From Pfizer, Other Companies Targeted for First U.S. Price Negotiations  -U.S. Chamber of Commerce Challenges Federal Government’s New Drug-Price Powers  -Merck Challenges U.S. Government’s New Powers to Negotiate Drug Prices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another Chinese real estate developer could be on the brink of collapse. Country Garden, the nation’s largest property developer, announced it lost $6.7 billion in the first six months of the year. WSJ’s Rebecca Feng explains how China’s real estate market — a key part of the country’s economy — ended up on such shaky ground. Further Reading: -Country Garden, China’s Largest Surviving Developer, Sinks Into Debt Crisis  -China’s Deepening Housing Problems Spook Investors  Further Listening: -China's Evergrande Crisis  -Why Millions of Chinese Young People Are Unemployed  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup this month was quickly overshadowed when Luis Rubiales, a top Spanish soccer official, abruptly kissed a player on the lips while on stage. As WSJ’s Rachel Bachman explains, the incident has been met with condemnation and calls for bigger changes in the sport. Further Listening: -U.S. Soccer’s Equal Pay Deal and One Player Who Helped Negotiate It  -How Soccer Fans Killed the Super League  Further Reading: -Spain Soccer in Turmoil as Federation Chief Refuses to Quit Over World Cup Kiss  -A Year After a Players’ Mutiny Against the Coach, Spain Is in the Women’s World Cup Final  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has been the testing ground for self-driving car companies Cruise and Waymo. Now the companies want to expand statewide and to other cities across the U.S. But as WSJ’s Meghan Bobrowsky reports, the companies have faced opposition from some residents in their bid to compete with Lyft and Uber. Further Reading:  - America’s Most Tech-Forward City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars  - Cruise, Waymo Get Approval to Expand Driverless Vehicles in San Francisco  Further Listening:  - The Promise and Peril of One Self-Driving Truck Company  - Kia and Hyundai’s ‘Kia Boyz’ Problem  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two countries— Russia and India— raced to the moon this week. But only one landed there successfully. WSJ’s Micah Maidenberg lays out the latest in the global space race, and explains the significance of this week’s moon landing.  Further Reading and Watching: -The New Race to Reach the Moon—and Find Water  -‘India Is on the Moon’: Chandrayaan-3 Spacecraft Lands on Lunar South Pole  -Watch: India Becomes First Country to Land on Moon’s South Pole  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two months after leading a failed uprising in Russia, Wagner paramilitary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead. A plane that Prigozhin was traveling in crashed outside Moscow on Wednesday. The cause of the crash is still unknown. WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov reports on the demise of the mercenary boss who challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin. Further Reading:  - Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Who Clashed With Russian Military, Dies  - The Last Days of Wagner’s Prigozhin  Further Listening:  - The Mutiny That Shook Putin’s Grip on Power  - ‘Putin’s Chef’ New Serving Up Gains for Russia in Ukraine  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Blind Side” is an Oscar-winning movie about a wealthy family that adopts an underprivileged kid and helps him achieve his dreams. But now that narrative is being questioned. Michael Oher, the retired NFL player whose life the movie is based on, has filed a petition with a Tennessee court that alleges he was never adopted by the Tuohy family and that they made millions off his story. WSJ’s Andrew Beaton on the two sides of ‘The Blind Side’. Further Reading: -‘Blind Side’ Subject Says Family Lied About His Adoption and Made Millions Off Him  -‘Blind Side’ Family Calls Former NFL Player’s Claims a ‘Shakedown’  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2019, Hawaiian Electric concluded that it needed to do more to prevent equipment failures that could spark wildfires. In the wake of the Maui fires, the deadliest in the United States in more than a century, WSJ’s Katherine Blunt reports on why the company completed little such work.  Further Listening: - ‘Everything Is Gone’ — One Resident on the Maui Wildfires  Further Reading: - Hawaiian Electric Knew of Wildfire Threat, but Waited Years to Act  - Hawaii Officials Were Warned Years Ago That Maui’s Lahaina Faced High Wildfire Risk  - Officials Search for Remains of Maui Victims—and Answers for How the Wildfire Turned So Deadly  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the Chips Act passed last summer, the Commerce Department has been building a small team of elite Wall Street financiers to help allocate $39 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies to hundreds of companies. We speak to WSJ’S Yuka Hayashi about the Chips Program Office team and to Todd Fisher, the man who leads it.  Further Listening: - The U.S. Wants American-Made Chips. Can Intel Deliver?  - The $1 Trillion Company That Started at Denny’s  Further Reading: - Why Washington Went to Wall Street to Revive the U.S. Chips Industry  - Chips Are the New Oil and America Is Spending Billions to Safeguard Its Supply  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As part of the U.S. nuclear tests after World War II, a total of 23 nuclear weapons were detonated on and around Bikini Atoll. Eventually, the U.S. set aside funding to help the people of Bikini and their descendants. But, as WSJ’s Dan Frosch reports, those compensation funds have been drained. Further Reading: -Nuclear Tests Ravaged Their Home. Their Leaders Drained a Compensation Fund Dry.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nike’s supply chain is under attack. WSJ’s Inti Pacheco explains how crime rings are swiping valuable, limited-edition sneakers as the shoes make their way from factories to store shelves, often staying steps ahead of police. Further Reading: - How Nike Sneakers Get Stolen at Every Turn  Further Listening: - The Downfall of a $300 Million Sneaker King  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wildfires that swept through Maui are America's deadliest in over a century, with at least 106 people killed. We speak to Javier Barberi, a local businessman who lost a house, restaurant and shaved ice shop in the fires.  Further Reading: - Maui Wildfire Death Toll Climbs to 99 as Lahaina Residents Brace for More Victims  - Why Are the Maui Wildfires So Devastating?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday, former President Donald Trump was indicted for the fourth time. This case, in Georgia, is the most ambitious and sweeping one against him yet. WSJ’s Cameron McWhirter reports on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the prosecutor leading the case. Further Listening: -Meet Jack Smith, the Special Counsel Prosecuting Trump  -What Will Trump's Third Indictment Cost Him?  -United States of America v. Donald J. Trump  Further Reading: -Donald Trump Indicted in Georgia Over Effort to Overturn Election Results  -Fani Willis: The No-Nonsense Georgia Prosecutor on a Collision Course With Donald Trump  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, a federal judge revoked FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail. The judge said SBF had pushed the limits of his bail conditions repeatedly and will await his expected October trial in jail. WSJ's Caitlin Ostroff reports on what she witnessed in the courthouse. Further Reading: - Judge Sends FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried to Jail Ahead of Fraud Trial  - At FTX, Multimillion-Dollar Expenses Were Approved by Emoji  Further Listening: - The FTX Insiders Turning Against Sam Bankman-Fried  - ‘Do You Expect to Go to Prison?’: An Interview With SBF  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, President Biden issued an executive order banning American firms from investing in some Chinese technology companies, citing national security concerns. WSJ's Andrew Duehren explains how the move fits into the complicated relationship between the two countries. Further Reading: - Biden Restricts U.S. Investment in China  - Sequoia Made a Fortune Investing in the U.S. and China. Then It Had to Pick One.  Further Listening: - The U.S. Wants American-Made Chips. Can Intel Deliver?  - China’s Crackdown on Foreign Consulting Firms  - Are Apple and China Breaking Up?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two indictments against former President Donald Trump, has developed a reputation as an aggressive prosecutor known for trying high-stakes, politically explosive cases. But WSJ's Sadie Gurman says Smith has a mixed record on convictions. Further Reading: - Jack Smith Is Known to Take On Tough Cases. But He Doesn’t Always Win  - Trump’s Lawyers Argue Protective Order Would Violate His Free-Speech Rights  - New Definition of ‘Fraud’ Wipes Out High-Profile Prosecutions  Further Listening: - What Will Trump's Third Indictment Cost Him?  - Donald Trump Is Charged on 34 Felony Counts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pac-12, the so-called “Conference of Champions,” is melting down. Its revenue had been lagging behind the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences, which now dominate college sports. But just as the Pac-12 was trying to revive itself and its revenue prospects, a rapid series of defections by member schools have left it hobbled. WSJ’s Laine Higgins unpacks what happened. Further Reading: - The Pac-12 Melts Down, as Five More Schools Depart for Other Conferences  - He Inherited ‘Multiple Dumpster Fires’ at the Pac-12. Then It Went Up in Smoke.  Further Listening: - A Tipping Point for Paying College Athletes?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than one in five young people in China are jobless. The government blames college graduates, insisting that their expectations have gotten too high. WSJ’s Brian Spegele unpacks why new grads are holding out and what it could mean for China’s economy. Further Reading: -How Bad Is China’s Economy? Millions of Young People Are Unemployed and Disillusioned  -China’s Economic Recovery Weakens  Further Listening -Xi Jinping Is Rewriting the Rules of China's Economy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action earlier this summer, Wesleyan University dropped its admissions preference for children of alumni. But it will still consider whether applicants can afford tuition as part of the admissions process. Wesleyan President Michael Roth on why the elite institution is making those decisions. Further Reading and Watching: - Wesleyan University Ends Legacy Preferences in Admissions  - How Colleges Plan to Factor In Race Without Asking About Race  Further Listening: - The Supreme Court Rules Against Affirmative Action  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yellow, a nearly century-old trucking company and a major player in the American logistics industry, hit the brakes on operations and told its workers it plans to file for bankruptcy. WSJ’s Paul Page says Yellow’s financial woes have been decades in the making. FURTHER READING: - Trucking Giant Yellow Shuts Down Operations  - Why Trucking Giant Yellow’s Shutdown Could Cost Taxpayers Money  FURTHER LISTENING: - How the White House Blocked a Rail Strike  - The Supply Chain Saga at One Port  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump will appear in court tomorrow on charges related to his efforts to reverse his 2020 election defeat, which prompted his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman discusses the indictment and WSJ’s Alex Leary explains what Trump's legal challenges could mean for his campaign war chest and his presidential campaign.Further Reading: -Trump Is Indicted in Federal Probe of His Efforts to Reverse 2020 Election  -Indict, Rally, Repeat: Reactions to Latest Trump Charges Follow Familiar Script  -As Trump Crowds Out GOP Rivals, Legal Bills Threaten His Campaign Coffers  Further Listening:  -United States of America v. Donald J. Trump  -Donald Trump Is Charged on 34 Felony Counts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s tough to find existing homes for sale these days. High mortgage rates are dissuading potential sellers. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman on a rare bright spot for house hunters: brand-new construction. Further Reading: ​​-Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell, So the Market for Brand-New Homes Is Booming  -The Home Buyer’s Quandary: Nobody’s Selling  Further Listening: -The Zombie Mortgages Stalking American Homeowners  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mallinckrodt, one of the country's largest opioid makers, is considering a plan to get out of paying more than $1 billion in settlement money to opioid victims. WSJ's Alexander Saeedy explains. Further Reading:  - Hedge Funds Seek to Cut Off $1 Billion Meant for Opioid Victims  Further Listening: - Purdue’s $4.5 Billion Opioid Settlement Got Thrown Out. Now What?  - Two Days of Reckoning For Opioid Makers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid Hollywood’s biggest strike in 60 years, WSJ’s Amol Sharma dons his investigator’s hat to find out who’s to blame for the standstill.  Further Reading: - Streaming Brought Hollywood to a Standstill. Now Comes the Pain.  - TV’s Golden Era Proved Costly to Streamers  Further Listening: - One Hollywood Writer on the Industry’s ‘Dire’ Situation  - Why ‘Yellowstone’ Is One of TV’s Most Expensive Shows  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk says he’s turning X, the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, into an “everything app,” an all in one place for messaging, entertainment and banking. WSJ’s Tim Higgins unpacks the vision and the hurdles ahead for Musk and his company.  Further Reading: - Why Elon Musk’s Plan for a Super App Won’t Be Easy in America  - Elon Musk’s X Rebrand Cues Complications—and Porn Jokes  Further Listening: - Elon Musk is Actually Buying Twitter  - Why Elon Musk’s Twitter Is Losing Advertisers  - Twitter’s New CEO: The Velvet Hammer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Justice Department announced a plea deal with Hunter Biden over two tax charges last month. But a hearing today didn't go as expected. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman on the latest twist in the legal case and what it means for President Biden ahead of next year's election. Further Reading: - Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Tax Charges  - Where Are Republicans’ Biden Probes Headed, and Is Impeachment Possible?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again on Wednesday. The question is: Will this be enough to finally tame inflation? WSJ’s Nick Timiraos tells us about the fight between two camps of economists who are at odds about what will help – or hurt – the economy.   Further Reading: -Why the Fed Isn’t Ready to Declare Victory on Inflation  -The Real Fed Debate This Month: What Would Prompt a Rate Hike This Fall  -Last Mile of the Inflation Fight Will Be the Hardest  Further listening:  -Why Some Companies Keep Getting Away With Higher Prices  -Why the Fed Raised Interest Rates Amidst a Banking Crisis  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For two years, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has inundated the U.S.-Mexico border with thousands of state troopers and National Guardsmen and started work on a state-controlled border wall. He also built a new skeleton justice system with its own courts, judges and jails to lodge misdemeanor state trespassing charges against migrants. WSJ’s Elizabeth Findell discusses Operatio n Lone Star and whether or not it’s been successful. Further Reading: - Texas Spent Billions on Border Security. It’s Not Working.   - Texas Trooper’s Email Describes Migrant Injuries at Southern Border  Further Listening: - What the End of Title 42 Means for U.S. Immigration Policy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Barbie," the highly anticipated movie based on the iconic doll, hits theaters this weekend. But making the movie didn't come without challenges. We spoke with the head of Mattel Films, Robbie Brenner, about the creative push and pull to make the movie, whether it can be called a "feminist film," and Mattel's plans to open up its toy chest for more movies. Further Reading: - ‘Barbie’ Review: Beyond Her Ken  - World’s Strangest Double Feature: ‘Barbie,’ Then ‘Oppenheimer’  Further Listening: - With Great Power, Part 1: Origin Story  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Lina Khan took over as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, she vowed to stiffen antitrust enforcement. Two years in, her attempts to rein in big mergers through the court system have been mostly unsuccessful. We speak to Khan about her big tech losses and why the FTC is concerned about ChatGPT.  Further Reading: - ChatGPT Comes Under Investigation by Federal Trade Commission  - Lina Khan Is Taking on the World’s Biggest Tech Companies—and Losing  Further Listening: - Microsoft’s Big Win Against the FTC  - Biden’s New FTC Chair Squares Off With Big Tech  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight months after returning as Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger is straining to put out fire after fire, including streaming losses, an activist investor and TV woes. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan explains why Disney’s troubles run deeper than Iger had expected. Further Reading: - Bob Iger Isn’t Having Much Fun  - Disney’s Iger Hints at Strategic Partner for ESPN  - Disney Extends CEO Robert Iger’s Contract Through 2026  Further Listening: - Disney Wars: Attack of the Activist Investor  - The Disney Boss Who Wouldn't Let It Go  - The Showdown Over Hulu  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, a federal judge ruled that crypto company Ripple Labs did not violate securities laws by selling its token to retail investors. The ruling is seen as a setback for the Securities and Exchange Commission's strategy to regulate cryptocurrencies and as a victory for the crypto community as a whole. WSJ’s Vicky Huang explains.  Further Listening: -SEC Chair Gary Gensler On His Crypto Crackdown  -A Crypto Exchange Crackdown  Further Reading:  -Ripple Ruling Deals a Blow to SEC’s Effort to Regulate Crypto  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slashed tires, moved bookcases, a dead dog. For years, U.S. diplomats posted to Russia have experienced some strange things. WSJ’s Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw report on the little-known spy unit, which U.S. officials believe is responsible for the surveillance and harassment of Americans in Russia, including WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich. Further Reading: - Inside the Secretive Russian Security Force That Targets Americans  - Putin, Isolated and Distrustful, Leans on Handful of Hard-Line Advisers  Further Listening: - A WSJ Reporter Arrested in Russia  - Russian Court Upholds WSJ Reporter’s Detention  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, telecom companies have known that lead in their networks posed risks to workers, and did little about it. Lead can cause a variety of ailments in adults, affecting the kidney, heart and reproductive systems, and it is classified as a probable human carcinogen. WSJ’s Shalini Ramachandran explains the danger of lead cables -- and what telephone companies knew. Further Reading: - America Is Wrapped in Miles of Toxic Lead Cables  - What AT&T and Verizon Knew About Toxic Lead Cables  -​​ Workers Exposed to Toxic Lead Cables Wrestle With the Aftermath  - How the Journal Investigated Hidden Lead Cables Circling the U.S.  Further Listening: - Part 1: America Is Wrapped in Toxic Lead Cables   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an 18-month investigation, The Wall Street Journal found thousands of lead covered cables across America, some leaching the toxic metal into places where people live, work and play. We travel with the team across the country to test the soil and water around these cables and speak to families living near them. WSJ’s Susan Pulliam and Shalini Ramachandran explain what these high levels of lead in The Journal's sampling could mean for people across the country. Further Reading: - America Is Wrapped in Miles of Toxic Lead Cables  - How the Journal Investigated Hidden Lead Cables Circling the U.S.  - Bayou Teche Is an Epicenter of America’s Lead Cable Problem  Further Listening: - Part 2: What AT&T and Verizon Knew About Toxic Lead Cables  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft has cleared a big hurdle to purchase Activision Blizzard, the publisher of popular videogame franchises like “Call of Duty, “World of Warcraft” and “Candy Crush.” The Federal Trade Commission had tried to block the roughly $75 billion acquisition, but a federal judge has allowed the deal to move forward. WSJ’s Jan Wolfe explains what the ruling means for Microsoft and for the FTC.  Further Reading: -Microsoft Can Close Its $75 Billion Buy of Activision Blizzard, Judge Rules  -Lina Khan Is Taking on the World’s Biggest Tech Companies—and Losing  Further Listening: -Why Microsoft is Paying $75 Billion for Activision Blizzard  -Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s Big Bet on AI  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ChatGPT is one of the most successful tech products ever launched. And crucial to that success is a group of largely unknown data workers in Kenya. By reviewing disturbing, grotesque content, often for wages of just two to three dollars an hour, they helped make the viral chatbot safe. WSJ’s Karen Hao traveled to Kenya to meet those workers and hear about what the job cost them.  Further Reading: - What Is ChatGPT? What to Know About the AI Chatbot  - The Contradictions of Sam Altman, AI Crusader  Further Listening: - The Company Behind ChatGPT  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta recently launched a new app that's a direct competitor to Twitter. It's called Threads, and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg said it has garnered 50 million sign-ups in its first five days. WSJ's Salvador Rodriguez says the new app poses the biggest threat to Twitter, fanning the flames of a long rivalry between Twitter’s Elon Musk and Meta’s Zuckerberg. Further Reading: - Day After Threads Launches, Twitter Accuses Meta of Using Its Trade Secrets  Further Listening: - Twitter’s New CEO: The Velvet Hammer  - What’s allowed on Elon Musk’s Twitter?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the scenes of Hollywood’s most successful studio, Marvel’s Ike Perlmutter and Kevin Feige clash over budgets and creative control. Marvel lawyer John Turitzin and screenwriter Stephen McFeely share new details of a corporate civil war.  Plus, a look at the future of superhero cinema, featuring interviews with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” actor Chukwudi Iwuji and with Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson from The Ringer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios and the man who weaves all its films into one cinematic universe. The idea proves so popular that Feige becomes the most successful producer in modern Hollywood history. Meanwhile, rival DC Comics launches its own cinematic universe, led by director Zack Snyder. But can DC’s “Justice League” match Marvel’s “The Avengers”? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a meeting at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Marvel’s Ike Perlmutter is pitched an unusual idea: That a small comic book publisher should make its own movies.  A ragtag crew working above a car dealership borrows $525 million, hires Jon Favreau and Robert Downey, Jr., and makes “Iron Man.” After its surprise success, Disney buys Marvel.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marvel Studios is the most dominant film studio on the planet today. But 25 years ago, it was bankrupt and selling furniture for cash. Its astonishing revival begins with two men: Ike Perlmutter and Avi Arad.  Industry insiders like comics writer Brian Michael Bendis and film producer Amy Pascal recount how Marvel went from its lowest point to its first big-screen blockbuster, Sony’s “Spider-Man” in 2002.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gun violence among young people is on the rise. In Denver, Colorado, one high school in particular has experienced a number of violent incidents in the past year, including two shootings in which two students died. We visited East High School to meet students, teachers and the superintendent who decided to bring armed police back to schools. Further Reading: -‘My Kid Can’t Sleep’: Gun Violence Drives Denver to Return Armed Police to Schools  - Juvenile Crime Surges, Reversing Long Decline. ‘It’s Just Kids Killing Kids.’  Further Listening: - The Fight Over Banning the AR-15  - Remington's Surprising Sandy Hook Settlement  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court has ruled that affirmative action is unconstitutional in college admissions. We talk with WSJ's Douglas Belkin about how the decision upends decades of admissions policies at the nation's most selective schools. And WSJ's Lauren Weber describes how this ruling could impact corporate America. Further Reading: - Supreme Court Rules Against Affirmative Action  - The Man Behind the Case Seeking to End Affirmative Action  - Companies Brace for Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court is heading into the final stretch of its current session and there are a number of cases with major social implications yet to be decided. But as we wait for decisions on student loan forgiveness and affirmative action, another major issue is hanging over the court. WSJ’s Jess Bravin discusses ProPublica’s recent investigations into alleged ethical misconduct of Supreme Court justices and what they could mean for the institution. Further Reading: - OPINION: Justice Samuel Alito: ProPublica Misleads Its Readers  - Harlan Crow’s Gifts, Financial Ties With Justice Thomas Under Fresh Scrutiny by Democrats  - Chief Justice John Roberts Asked to Address ‘Ethical Standards’ at Supreme Court  Further Listening: - Will Student Debt Get Canceled? The Supreme Court Decides.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Superheroes have conquered Hollywood. They generate billions of dollars at the box office and have pushed other movies to the margins. That revolution has been led by Marvel Studios.  In a new four-part series, WSJ’s Ben Fritz goes behind the scenes and reports on how Marvel, a once-troubled comics publisher, soared to the top of the movie business. It’s a tale of rivalries, spite, little-known deals and incredible luck.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May, Taco Bell filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, claiming that ‘Taco Tuesday’ is a common phrase and that any restaurant should be able to use it. The trademark owners—Taco John’s and Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar— have both moved to fight back in court to protect their exclusive rights. WSJ’s Joseph De Avila breaks down the clash of the taco titans. Further Reading: - The Battle for Taco Tuesday Gets Heated  - The Long Fight Over ‘Taco Tuesday’  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a weekend of chaos in Russia, as forces of the paramilitary Wagner Group marched towards Moscow in a short-lived revolt. WSJ's Yaroslav Trofimov describes what happened and explains why this is the biggest threat to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power. Further Reading: - After Weekend of Chaos in Russia, Questions Remain Over Fate of Wagner  - Why Wagner Chief Prigozhin Turned Against Putin  Further Listening: - The Grim Story of a Russian Prisoner Turned Recruit  - ‘Putin’s Chef’ Now Serving Up Gains for Russia in Ukraine  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long-dormant mortgages are coming back to bite. Homeowners around the country are facing large bills and even foreclosure threats from investors who own their second mortgages, often made more than a decade ago. We talk to WSJ’s Ben Eisen and a homeowner about why these seemingly dead mortgages are now coming back to life. Further Reading: - Zombie Mortgages Could Force Some Homeowners Into Foreclosure  Further Listening: - Investors are Buying Up Homes. Cincinnati is Pushing Back   - The Downfall of a Real Estate Empire  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

North Korean hackers have stolen more than $3 billion over the past 5 years. The U.S. government says a big share of that is being funneled into the country’s nuclear missile program. WSJ’s Robert McMillan discusses how these hackers have reached the top of the crypto hacking game. Further Reading: - How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto, Funding Nuclear Program  Further Listening: - How Investigators Cracked a $3.4 Billion Crypto Heist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cracks are forming in a prestigious Wall Street institution: Goldman Sachs. Most bank CEOs make big decisions with a cadre of executives. But Goldman maintains a partnership with about 420 members, many of whom like to have a say in how the firm is run. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis explains why CEO David Solomon has come under fire from partners who complain about bonuses, strategy and that DJ side gig. Further Reading: - Goldman Sachs Is at War With Itself  - Goldman Sachs’s 80 New Partners Are the Happiest People on Wall Street Today  - Goldman Sachs Doesn’t Want to Be Everyone’s Bank, but It Has to Be Someone’s  Further Listening: - Goldman Sachs and the 1MDB Scandal  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As wildfires increase in severity and frequency, thousands of homes in California have been destroyed and insurance companies' earnings have taken a hit. Now, two companies, State Farm and Allstate, have announced they will no longer offer new home insurance policies in the state. We speak to one homeowner and WSJ’s Jean Eaglesham about why the situation has escalated.  Further Reading: - Home Insurers Curb New Policies in Risky Areas Nationally  - Allstate Stops Selling New Home-Insurance Policies in California, Citing Wildfire Risks  - State Farm Halts Home-Insurance Sales in California  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re off today, but we still have an episode for you! In 1838, the Jesuits who founded Georgetown University sold 272 slaves to pay off the school's debts and keep the college afloat. Nearly 200 years later, the Jesuits want to make amends. But as Lee Hawkins explains, the path to racial healing can be a messy one. This episode originally published in May 2022. Further Reading: - For Georgetown, Jesuits and Slavery Descendants, Bid for Racial Healing Sours Over Reparations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Soros, the legendary investor, philanthropist and right-wing target, is handing control of his $25 billion empire to his fourth child—Alexander Soros, a former party boy and self-described center-left thinker. WSJ’s Gregory Zuckerman on how Alex Soros plans to deploy his family’s vast fortune. Further Reading: - George Soros Hands Control to His 37-Year-Old Son  - The Soros Era Is Over on Wall Street  Interested in other succession stories? Listen to: - The World's Richest Person Is Planning for Succession  - Scholastic's Succession Drama  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamara Keefe, owner of Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery in St. Louis, says she moved forward with plans to open two new ice cream shops based on her bank’s assurances it would provide loans. But she says the bank moved slowly, and now she’s running out of cash. WSJ’s Ruth Simon discusses why many local banks are tightening lending standards and what that could mean for small businesses like Tamara’s.  Further Reading: - Banks Raise Roadblocks to Small-Business Loans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Linebaugh sat down with SEC Chair Gary Gensler to discuss why the agency is working to rein in crypto. Further Listening: - A Crypto Exchange Crackdown  - The Rise of Binance - And The Effort to Reel It In  - The Charges Against FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jigar Shah wants to change the nation’s energy future. He runs a crucial but little-noticed piece of the Biden administration’s strategy to address climate change, the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office. And Shah presides over its giant pot of money to lend to companies. We speak with Shah about where he thinks the private sector is falling short in funding green energy and why he thinks the government has a role to play.   Further Reading: - Green Investments Stuck Between Rising Risk and Government Backing  - Energy Department Commits $3 Billion to Expand Rooftop Solar Access  - Climate Funding Gets Squeezed by Volatile Markets  Further Listening: - An Energy CEO on the Winding Path to a Green Grid  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, the only way to watch all of your local baseball team’s games was on cable television. But as millions of Americans switch to streaming services, the economics of broadcasting baseball is changing. WSJ’s Amol Sharma explains baseball’s local broadcast deals and how one company’s bankruptcy is disrupting the model.  Further Reading: - The Padres Spent Big on Players—Then Lost the TV Deal That Helps Pay for Them  - Broadcaster Diamond Sports Files for Bankruptcy With $8 Billion in Debt  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal prosecutors are accusing Donald Trump of holding on to sensitive military secrets he knew he shouldn’t have retained access to, sharing them, and directing his staff to help him evade authorities’ efforts to get them back. According to the indictment which was unsealed today, the classified documents in Trump’s possession included information about defense and weapons capabilities, nuclear programs, and plans for a possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack. WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha discusses the 37-count indictment and what it means for Trump’s presidential run. Further Reading: -Trump Charged Over Willful Retention of Classified Information, Obstruction  -Trump Indicted in Classified Documents Case  Further Listening: -Why FBI Agents Searched Mar-a-Lago  -What's Going on With Biden's Classified Documents?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once a titan in the tech industry, Intel is now trying to climb out of what its CEO describes as a “mud hole.” Rivals from Taiwan and South Korea have overtaken the semiconductor company in advanced chip making, and would-be Intel customers have backed away from projects. WSJ’s Asa Fitch unpacks the stakes of Intel’s comeback plan. Further Reading: - Once Mighty Intel Struggles to Escape ‘Mud Hole’  Further Listening: - The $1 Trillion Company That Started at Denny’s  - America’s Answer to the Chips Shortage  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Licht has stepped down as CEO of CNN, ending a short tenure that was marked by a series of missteps. WSJ’s Amol Sharma on what led to Licht’s departure and what is next for the network.  Further Reading: - CNN CEO Chris Licht Is Out After Chaotic Year Atop News Network  - Top CNN Anchors Criticize CEO Chris Licht’s Leadership  Further Listening: - The Quick End to CNN+  - The Shock Exit of CNN’s President  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase— two of the biggest crypto exchanges. WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff discusses the allegations and the potential impact on the global crypto ecosystem.  Further Reading: - SEC Says Binance Misused Customer Funds, Ran Illegal Crypto Exchange in U.S.  - SEC Sues Coinbase, Alleges It Is Unregistered Broker  Further Listening: - The Rise of Binance - And The Effort to Reel It In  - The Charges Against FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Apple released its Vision Pro headset, the company’s first major new product launch in a decade. WSJ’s Joanna Stern on whether the augmented-reality headset has the potential to take a niche device for nerds into the mainstream.  Suggested Reading: -Apple Releases Vision Pro Headset, First Major New Product in a Decade  -Apple Is Breaking Its Own Rules With a New Headset  Suggested Watching: -Will the Apple Headset Blow Up?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artem Uss is a Kremlin-linked businessman accused of illegally exporting American military technology to Russia. Last October he was arrested in Italy at the U.S.’s request. Then he vanished. WSJ’s Margherita Stancati explains how he escaped. Further Reading: - How a High-Value Russian Wanted by the U.S. Escaped From Italy  Further Listening: - A WSJ Reporter Arrested in Russia  - Russian Court Upholds WSJ Reporter’s Detention  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only seven American companies have ever been worth a trillion dollars. Some came from garages. Others were started in college dorm rooms. Nvidia was born in a Denny's. WSJ's Asa Fitch on how the explosion of AI helped the chip maker become one of the most valuable companies in the world.  Further Reading: - The $1 Trillion Company That Started at Denny’s  - The AI Boom Runs on Chips, but It Can’t Get Enough  - How AI Is Catapulting Nvidia Toward the $1 Trillion Club  Further Listening: - America’s Answer to the Chip Shortage  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, Disney and Comcast have been locked in a battle over Hulu. Now, the streamer’s co-owners are trying to bring an end to their uneasy marriage. WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel unpacks the years of wrangling and the looming deal that could leave Disney with full ownership of Hulu.   Further Reading: - Inside Disney and Comcast’s Fight Over the Future of Hulu  Further Listening: - Does the Future of Streaming Look More Like Cable?  - The Disney Boss Who Wouldn’t Let It Go  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past four years, Jay Gajavelli built a real-estate empire using funds from small investors who wanted to make passive income. Last year, Gajavelli’s company owned more than 7,000 apartments in the Houston area. Now he’s at the center of one of the biggest commercial real-estate blowups in years. WSJ’s Will Parker details what happened and what it says about the housing market going forward. Further Reading: - A Housing Bust Comes for Thousands of Small-Time Investors  Further Listening: - How High Will Interest Rates Go?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re off today, but we still have an episode for you!  Hidden records show that thousands of senior executive branch employees owned stocks in companies whose fates were affected by their employers’ actions. WSJ’s Brody Mullins and Rebecca Ballhaus take us inside the nearly year-long Wall Street Journal investigation. This episode originally aired in October 2022.  Further Reading: -Government Officials Invest in Companies Their Agencies Oversee  -131 Federal Judges Broke the Law by Hearing Cases Where They Had a Financial Interest  -Congressional Staffers Gain From Trading in Stocks  Further Listening: -The Federal Law that 138 Judges have broken  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Kellie Castillo needed a place to live, she ended up at Wood Street, one of the largest homeless encampments in California. State authorities have spent the past several months shutting Wood Street down, leaving people like Kellie to figure out what’s next. WSJ’s Christine Mai-Duc describes what’s behind the state’s decision and what it means for the unhoused in California. Further Reading: - California Gov. Newsom Updates Plan to Fight State’s Homelessness Problem  - California’s Homelessness Problem Pits Gov. Gavin Newsom Against Mayors  Further Listening: - Checking Out of Hotel 166  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme is known for buzzy items, long lines and frenzied sell-outs. But lately, Supreme’s products are still available days after release. WSJ’s Jacob Gallagher discusses the brand’s rise and what’s changed. Further Reading: - Is Supreme Still Cool?  Further Listening: - ​​The Designer Who Made Streetwear Luxury  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an interview at WSJ's CEO Council Summit with editor Thorold Barker, Elon Musk talked about whether he regrets buying Twitter, who might eventually take the helm of the three companies he runs and how AI will change our future. Further Reading: - Ron DeSantis to Launch 2024 Presidential Run in Twitter Talk With Elon Musk  - Elon Musk Wants to Challenge Google and Microsoft in AI  - The Elon Musk Doctrine: How the Billionaire Navigates the World Stage  Further Listening: - Twitter’s New CEO: The Velvet Hammer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After car theft videos went viral on social media, Hyundai and Kia have been reckoning with a surge in stolen vehicles. WSJ’s Sean McLain unpacks how the thefts started and how the companies are trying to address them. Further Reading: - Kia, Hyundai Thefts Continue Three Months After Carmakers Deployed Fix- Cities Sue Hyundai, Kia After Wave of Car Thefts   - States Urge Recall of Millions of Kia, Hyundai Cars After Sharp Rise in Thefts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government uses debt to pay about a quarter of its bills and the federal borrowing limit is maxed out. WSJ’s Andrew Duehren explains the June 1st X-date (when the U.S. runs out of funds) and some catastrophic potential outcomes if Congress doesn’t raise or suspend the federal borrowing limit.    Further Reading: - When Is the Debt Ceiling Deadline and What Happens if the Limit Isn’t Raised?  - Yellen Says Treasury Still Expects U.S. Could Default as Soon as June 1  - World Leaders Warily Watch U.S. Debt-Limit Standoff  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Companies continue to raise prices on everything from streaming services to handbags, sometimes at a rate that exceeds the pace of inflation. WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner and Greg Ip unpack why this is happening. Further Reading: - Pricing Power: This Is Kate Spade’s Hottest Bag…and It Costs $500  - We May Be Getting Used to High Inflation, and That’s Bad News  Further Listening: - Why the Fed Raised Interest Rates Amidst a Banking Crisis  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The IRS will begin a pilot program next year to help some taxpayers fill out and file their income tax returns for free online. WSJ’s Richard Rubin on the government’s first steps towards building a competitor to TurboTax and H&R Block.  Further Reading: - IRS Will Offer Free Online Tax Prep for Some Taxpayers in 2024  - TurboTax Settlement: How to Know If You Qualify for Part of the $141 Million Payout  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting in July, Connecticut will put $3200 into a trust account for each baby born to parents below a designated income level. As adults, the beneficiaries can use the money—plus investment returns—to help pay for education or a home. WSJ’s Brenda León discusses Baby Bonds and why they are gaining traction in other states too. Further Reading: - Could $3,200 ‘Baby Bonds’ Help End Poverty in America?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Cash App founder Bob Lee died in a stabbing, some were quick to blame San Francisco’s rising crime rates. But prosecutors say Lee knew his alleged killer. WSJ’s Kirsten Grind reports on an underground world of sex and drugs that was the backdrop to the killing that shocked the tech community.  Further Reading: - Before His Killing, Tech Executive Bob Lee Led an Underground Life of Sex and Drugs  - Cash App Founder Bob Lee Fatally Stabbed in San Francisco  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linda Yaccarino established herself as an advertising sales machine at NBCUniversal. On Friday, Elon Musk announced she’d be Twitter’s new CEO. WSJ’s Amol Sharma discusses some of the challenges Yaccarino will face at the revenue- starved social media platform.  Further Reading: - Meet Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk’s New Twitter CEO and the Ad World’s ‘Velvet Hammer’  Further Listening: - Why Elon Musk's Twitter Is Losing Advertisers  - Elon Musk's 'Extremely Hardcore' Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The blockbuster Western drama about a ranching dynasty in Montana is one of the most popular shows on TV. But it’s also one of the most expensive. WSJ’s Erich Schwartzel explains how the man behind it — Taylor Sheridan — became one of the priciest bets in Hollywood.       Further Reading and Watching: - Paramount Can’t Say No to the Man Behind ‘Yellowstone’: $50,000 a Week for His Ranch, $25 Per Cow  - Paramount Shares Drop 28% as Streaming Costs Mount  - The Race to Build the ‘Yellowstone’ Universe  Further Listening: - Netflix Turns to Ads  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. George Santos has been accused of fabricating much of his life’s story to secure public office. On Wednesday he was indicted on 13 federal charges including fraud and money laundering. The New York Republican denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. WSJ’s Jimmy Vielkind explains what the charges will mean for him.  Further Reading: -George Santos Faces 13 Felony Charges, Including Fraud and Money Laundering  -George Santos Follows Others in Congress Who Have Confronted Legal Troubles  Further Listening: -Why the Red Wave Didn’t Happen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With tensions between the U.S. and China on the rise, the Chinese government has been investigating several consulting firms that help foreign companies do business in China. WSJ’s Dan Strumpf discusses the impact on the consulting sector and the foreign businesses that depend on it. Further Reading: - U.S. Companies in China Worry Due Diligence Will End in Spy Dramas  - China Spy Law Adds to Chilling Effect of Detentions  Further Listening: - Are Apple and China Breaking Up?  - How a Balloon Burst U.S.-China Relations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, the pandemic-era border policy known as Title 42 is expected to end. First put in place by the Trump administration, Title 42 allows migrants to be quickly deported at the southern border without a chance to ask for asylum. Now, President Biden is planning to roll out a new immigration policy to take its place. But as WSJ’s Michelle Hackman explains, this new policy is not so different from the one it is replacing.  Further Reading:  - Biden’s New Immigration Policy Cements End of Liberal Asylum Rules  - What Is Title 42? What It Means for Immigration and U.S.-Mexico Border  Further Listening:  - What’s Driving Migrants to the Southern Border Now  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, posted on social media about a personalized can of Bud Light the brewer sent her as a gift. A boycott ensued. WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney unpacks what the maker of Bud Light is doing to stem a sharp drop in sales and to support front-line teams bearing the brunt of the backlash. Further Reading: -Bud Light Maker Compensates Workers Targeted in Dylan Mulvaney Backlash  -Bud Light Maker Offers Distributors Free Beer, More Ad Spending After Dylan Mulvaney Backlash  -How Bud Light Handled an Uproar Over a Promotion With Transgender Advocate  Further Listening: -The Great Beer Battle of 2019  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For months, people with ADHD have been struggling to fill their prescriptions. Federal regulators say the shortage is fueled in part by increasing demand driven by telehealth startups and their aggressive marketing. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler, who has been investigating two of those companies, explains what an impending rule change could mean for the shortage.    Further Reading: - Adderall, OxyContin Prescriptions to Require In-Person Doctor Visit Under Biden Plan  - Startups Make It Easier to Get ADHD Drugs. That Made Some Workers Anxious.  Further Listening: - Uncontrolled Substances  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Hollywood writers went on strike this week after failing to reach a new contract with studios. The dispute was caused, in part, by the industry’s shift to streaming, which writers say has left them shortchanged. Michael Schur is co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” and was a writer for “The Office” and “Saturday Night Live.” He tells us what’s behind the first writers strike in over 15 years.  Further Reading and Watching: - Hollywood Writers Strike Might Give Studios Chance to Slash Costs  - Late-Night Shows Go Dark Amid Writers Strike  Further Listening: - Does the Future of Streaming Look More Like Cable?  - Netflix Turns to Ads  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon stepped in on Monday to acquire the failing First Republic Bank after it was seized by government regulators. While the deal will put an end to the recent series of bank failures, it also makes the banking industry's leader even more powerful. WSJ's Charles Forelle explains how Dimon's bid came together. Further Reading: -Why First Republic Bank Collapsed  -Jamie Dimon Wins Again in First Republic Bank Deal  Further Listening: -Banking Troubles Are Not Over  -Two Executives On What It's Like to Stop a Bank Run  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yevgeny Nuzhin was serving time for murder in a high-security Russian prison when the Wagner Group— a paramilitary organization employed by Russia to wage war on Ukraine— offered him freedom in exchange for six months of paid military service fighting for Russia in Ukraine. WSJ’s James Marson details how Nuzhin’s bid for freedom went gruesomely wrong. Further Reading: - The Grim Life and Brutal Death of a Wagner Recruit  Further Listening: - ‘Putin's Chef’' Now Serving Up Gains for Russia in Ukraine  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Disney sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accusing him of retaliating against the company, in part for speaking out against the state’s so-called “don’t say gay” law. It’s the latest twist in the fight between the two. WSJ’s Arian Campo-Flores explains what it means for both sides. Further Reading: - DeSantis’s Miscalculation: ‘Disney Is Playing the Long Game’  - Disney Sues Ron DeSantis After Oversight Board Voids Theme-Park Agreements  Further Listening: - How Disney’s CEO Got Caught in Florida’s Fight Over Gay Rights  - Why Florida Is Fighting With Walt Disney World  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, Fox News ousted its top host, Tucker Carlson, less than a week after it settled a defamation lawsuit, which brought reams of internal communications to light. WSJ's Keach Hagey has exclusive reporting about the major factors that contributed to the network making that decision. Further Reading: - Fox News Ousts Tucker Carlson  - What Tucker Carlson’s Ouster Means for Him and Fox News  - Tucker Carlson’s Vulgar, Offensive Messages About Colleagues Helped Seal His Fate at Fox News  Further Listening: - Dominion Voting Systems vs. Fox News  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once the envy of the banking world, First Republic grew rapidly by catering to wealthy clients who wanted a high-touch service. But the bank’s highflying business came back to earth after the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates last year and customers started moving their money. WSJ’s Rachel Louise Ensign on why First Republic is now teetering on the brink.  Further Reading: - First Republic Lost $100 Billion in Deposits in Banking Panic  Further Listening: - Two Executives On What It’s Like to Stop a Bank Run  - Can the Government Contain a Banking Crisis?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. only has a few months until it can no longer pay its bills. Republicans say they’ll only raise the debt ceiling if Democrats agree to aggressive spending cuts. WSJ’s Natalie Andrews explains the Republican proposal and what’s at stake for the economy. Further Reading: -Kevin McCarthy, House GOP Debt-Limit Plan Face Crucial Test This Week  -Kevin McCarthy Says House GOP Plans to Vote on Debt Limit, Spending Cuts  -U.S. Nears Debt Ceiling, Begins Extraordinary Measures to Avoid Default  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernard Arnault is the richest person in the world and he has spent decades preparing his five children to run his luxury-brand empire, LVMH. WSJ’s Nick Kostov learned Arnault drilled his kids in mathematics, brought them along on business trips, inside negotiations and has elevated them into senior roles. But the question remains: who will succeed Arnault at the helm of the world’s biggest luxury conglomerate?  Further Reading: - The World’s Richest Person Auditions His Five Children to Run LVMH, the Luxury Empire  Further Listening: - How a Deal to Buy Tiffany Lost Its Sparkle  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Zhong appeared to have pulled off the perfect crime. In December 2012, he stumbled upon a software bug that allowed him to steal 50,000 bitcoins from a site on the dark web called the Silk Road. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how Zhong’s stolen crypto stayed hidden until investigators developed better ways to track down crypto criminals.  Further Reading: - The U.S. Cracked a $3.4 Billion Crypto Heist — and Bitcoin’s Anonymity  Further Listening: - How The Government Tied One Couple to Billions in Stolen Bitcoin  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2017 the FDIC created a pool of banking veterans who would step up to help in the event of another financial crisis. For years, no one needed them. That changed last month when Tim Mayopoulos and Greg Carmichael were called in to run Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank while the FDIC tried to stabilize a banking crisis. Further Reading:  -Collapse of SVB, Signature Bank Tests the FDIC’s Executive Reserve Corps  -Help Wanted: Regulators Seek Executives to Staff Failed Banks  -Signature Bank Is Shut by Regulators After SVB Collapse  -Silicon Valley Bank Closed by Regulators, FDIC Takes Control  Further Listening: -Can the Government Contain a Banking Crisis  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dominion Voting Systems, which makes ballot machines, sued Fox News for $1.6 billion, claiming the cable network aired defamatory claims about its role in the 2020 election. Fox News denies wrongdoing. WSJ’s Erin Mulvaney explains what’s at stake as the highly anticipated trial is set to begin this week. Further Reading:  - Fox News, Dominion Each Face Risks If Defamation Case Goes to Trial  - Documents From Fox Defamation Suit Spotlight Tension Between Prime-Time Hosts and News Personnel  - In Deposition, Rupert Murdoch Says Fox News Hosts Endorsed False 2020 Election Claims  Further Listening:  - A Voting Machine Company Fights Disinformation With Lawsuits  - Georgia's Secretary of State Defends the Election  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 35 years, Broadway's longest-running show is taking a bow. The Phantom of the Opera has sold more than 20 million tickets and grossed around $1.3 billion. MarketWatch’s Charles Passy explains what made it one of Broadway’s biggest hits. Further Reading: -He’s Seen ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ 13,000 Times  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal investigators have arrested a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman in connection with the alleged leak of classified U.S. intelligence documents. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman discusses what we know about the documents, the arrest, and what could be next. Further Reading: -Air Guardsman Arrested in Connection With Leaked Documents  -U.S. Investigation Into Leak of Classified Pentagon Documents Focuses on Insiders  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When JPMorgan Chase paid $175 million to acquire Frank— a college financial planning startup— it touted big plans to connect with the company’s millions of users. Then it all went wrong. WSJ’s Melissa Korn recounts the story of what went wrong. Further Reading: - Frank Founder Faces Criminal Fraud Charges Over JPMorgan Deal  - Frank Founder Says JPMorgan Knew How Many Users Firm Had in $175 Million Deal  - JPMorgan Bought College Financial-Aid Platform for $175 Million—and Now Says Most of Its Users Were Fake  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, Johnson & Johnson has faced thousands of lawsuits from customers who claim the company's baby powder gave them cancer. The company denies responsibility. WSJ's Andrew Scurria explains how Johnson & Johnson is resorting to a controversial legal maneuver to try to settle the lawsuits. Further Reading: -Johnson & Johnson Seeks $9 Billion Settlement of Talc Lawsuits -J&J Sharpens the Texas Two-Step Further listening: -Two Days of Reckoning for Opioid Makers -A Pause on the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rulings from two federal judges, one in Texas and one in Washington, paint a murky picture of the future of the abortion pill mifepristone. WSJ’s Laura Kusisto unpacks the legal battles with the Food and Drug Administration over the medication. Further Reading: - Texas Abortion-Pill Ruling Ignites New National Battle  Further Listening: - The Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade  - The Booming, Unregulated Marketplace for Abortion Pills  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google has been developing large language models like chatbots for years, but it hasn’t used the technology to influence the way people use their all search function. That’s something that could be changing. WSJ’s Miles Kruppa sat down for an interview with Google CEO Sundar Pichai to talk about the way new AI could have a big impact of Google’s business. Further Reading: - Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says Search to Include Chat AI  - How Google Became Cautious of AI and Gave Microsoft an Opening  Further Listening: - Why Google Is Behind in the AI Race  - The Company Behind ChatGPT  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deforestation for palm oil production has shrunk Indonesia's rainforest, the third largest in the world and one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet. But recently, the country has found a way to tame deforestation. WSJ's Jon Emont explains how government orders, consumer boycotts and environmental activism have helped slow the destruction of Indonesia's rainforest. Further reading: - Indonesia Shows It’s Possible to Tame Rainforest Destruction  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Ma, the billionaire co-founder of Alibaba, all but disappeared from the public eye following a brush with Chinese regulators in 2020. But last week, Ma returned to China just as Alibaba announced plans to split into six independently run companies. WSJ’s Jing Yang explains what it all means.  Further Reading: - Jack Ma Engineered Alibaba’s Breakup From Overse as - Jack Ma’s Life After Alibaba Takes Him to a Fish Farm, Fiji and Beyond  - Alibaba Co-Founder Jack Ma Returns to China After a Year Away  Further Listening: - Why the Biggest IPO Ever Blew Up  - Didi's IPO Gets Caught In China's Tech Crackdown  - Xi Jinping Is Rewriting the Rules of China's Economy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia last week and charged with espionage. The WSJ and U.S. officials deny the accusations. We spoke to our colleagues Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw about working with Gershkovich, his reporting on Russia, and what's next. Further Reading: - On the Ground in Putin's Russia: Evan Gershkovich's Coverage of a Country at War  - Evan Gershkovich’s Arrest Marks a New Era of Hostage Diplomacy   - Evan Gershkovich Loved Russia, the Country That Turned on Him  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While TikTok is getting a lot of scrutiny in Washington, other Chinese apps are on the rise. Four of the five hottest apps in the U.S. in March are tied to Chinese companies. But as WSJ’s Shen Lu explains, some apps are now trying to distance themselves from their Chinese origins.  Further Reading: - Why Chinese Apps Are the Favorites of Young Americans  - American Bargain Hunters Flock to a New Online Platform Forged in China  - Chinese Startups Try to Make It Big in the U.S.—but Without the Backlash  Further Listening: - Exclusive: TikTok’s CEO on the App’s Future in the U.S.  - How TikTok Became the World’s Favorite App  - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 12 million women left their jobs due to pandemic disruptions. Many are finally coming back, three years on. WSJ's Lauren Weber explains how the pandemic has transformed what work looks like for many women, especially for mothers. Further Reading: - Women’s Return to the Workforce Piles Momentum on a Hot Economy  - Coronavirus Employment Shock Hits Women Harder Than Men  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech CEO Luke Iseman has an idea he wants to sell the world: A business plan to cool the Earth by dimming the amount of sunlight that hits the planet. As WSJ’s Eric Niiler explains, the principle behind the idea, geoengineering, is getting big investment but is also sparking serious scientific debate. Further Reading: - Mexico Bans Climate Startup’s Experiment to Cool the Earth  Further Listening: - Banks’ Alliance to Fight Climate Change is on the Rocks   - Why an Arctic Treasure is Spurring Hope and Dread  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November, Yale Law School pulled out of the U.S. News & World Report law-school rankings, saying the system was flawed. A wave of law, medical and undergraduate schools quickly followed. WSJ’s Melissa Korn reports on how the revolt was decades in the making.   Further Reading: -The Unraveling of the U.S. News College Rankings -Yale and Harvard Law Schools Abandon U.S. News Rankings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After his TerraUSD cryptocurrency imploded, Do Kwon became one of the most wanted men in crypto. Last week, after a global manhunt, he was arrested at an airport in Montenegro. WSJ’s Alexander Osipovich tells the story of how Kwon went from being a major crypto player to facing fraud charges in several countries. Further Reading: - Do Kwon Arrested in Montenegro as U.S. Charges Crypto Fugitive With Fraud  - Cutting-Edge Crypto Coins Tout Stability. Critics Call Them Dangerous.  - Do Kwon’s Crypto Empire Fell in a $40 Billion Crash. He’s Got a New Coin For You.  Further Listening: - The ‘Death Spiral’ of a Stablecoin  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, the Robusta coffee bean has been the ugly duckling of the coffee world. Now, a new generation of coffee geeks think the time could be ripe for a Robusta revolution. WSJ’s Jon Emont explains why the humble bean is gaining momentum in the coffee industry. Further Reading: - The Underdog Coffee Bean That Java Snobs Hate Is Finally Getting Some Respect Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past year the Federal Reserve has been steadily raising interest rates to try to bring down inflation. But the recent banking crisis has thrown a wrench into its plans. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos explains how the Fed is now trying to fight two problems at once. Further Reading: - Fed Raises Rates but Nods to Greater Uncertainty After Banking Stress  Further Listening: - What Just Happened at Credit Suisse?  - Can the Government Contain a Banking Crisis?  - The Economy Is Too Hot for the Fed  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Chinese real-estate developer and outspoken China critic Guo Wengui was arrested by the FBI last week and accused of orchestrating a $1 billion fraud. WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha unpacks Guo’s trek from Beijing gadfly to Steve Bannon confidant to fraud suspect. Further Reading: - A Chinese Businessman’s Trek From Beijing Gadfly to Steve Bannon Confidant to Fraud Suspect  - China’s Pursuit of Fugitive Businessman Guo Wengui Kicks Off Manhattan Caper Worthy of Spy Thriller  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While campaigning for president, Joe Biden said there would be no new oil drilling on federal land. But last week he approved the Willow project, one of the largest domestic oil projects in years. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia explains why Biden made the shift. Further Reading: -Biden Administration Approves Willow Oil-Drilling Project in Alaskan Arctic Further Listening: -Why Biden Killed The Keystone XL Pipeline -The War in Ukraine Hits American Gas Prices  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is due to testify before Congress this week, as the Biden administration demands that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their stakes in the company or face a possible U.S. ban of the app. In this exclusive interview with WSJ’s Stu Woo, the TikTok CEO said a sale won’t solve Washington’s security concerns.  Further Reading: - TikTok CEO’s Message to Washington: A Sale Won’t Solve Security Concerns  Further Listening: - How TikTok Became the World’s Favorite App  - What’s Up With All the TikTok Bans?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google has been a pioneer in the modern era of artificial intelligence, but lately, it’s fallen behind. WSJ’s Miles Kruppa explains why the tech giant took a more cautious approach to chatbots and what’s at stake now that Microsoft has beaten them to market. Further Reading: -How Google Became Cautious of AI and Gave Microsoft an Opening  Further Listening: -The Company Behind Chat GPT  -When AI Comes for Your Art  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As fears about the health of global banks spread from the U.S. to Europe, the bank Credit Suisse said it would tap a more than $50 billion loan from the Swiss National Bank. WSJ’s Margot Patrick explains how Credit Suisse became a cause for concern. Further Reading: - Credit Suisse Stock Price Jumps as Bank Secures $50 Billion Lifeline  - Credit Suisse Promises Overhaul in Wake of Rout as Regulators Offer Lifeline  - Janet Yellen Says Banking System Is Healthy After SVB Collapse  Further Listening: - Can the Government Contain a Banking Crisis?  - The Economy Is Too Hot for the Fed  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since February of last year, the avian flu has led to the deaths of tens of millions of farm-raised birds in the U.S., the deadliest outbreak on record. WSJ’s Patrick Thomas on how the egg industry is getting slammed and what companies are doing to try to save their flocks.   Further Reading: - America Is Losing the ‘Epic Battle’ Against Bird Flu  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WeightWatchers is buying digital health company Sequence to capitalize on the hot market for diabetes and weight loss drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy. WSJ's Andrea Petersen explains what this could mean for the wellness industry. Further Reading: -WeightWatchers Moves Into the Ozempic Market With Telehealth Deal  -How a Diabetes Drug Became the Talk of Hollywood, Tech and the Hamptons  -Health Startups Offer Diabetes Drugs Like Ozempic for Weight Loss With Little Oversight  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices