Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki died last week at the age of 56. WSJ’s Miles Kruppa shares how Wojcicki developed a reputation as perhaps the most important Google employee that few people have heard of outside of the company’s walls. Further Reading: -Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Dies at Age 56 -YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki on Transforming the Video Service Further Listening: -Why the DOJ Is Suing Google Again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 15, 2024•21 min
In the past three months, Robby Starbuck has fueled social-media attacks that have led to two companies rolling back their diversity initiatives. He is part of a larger movement that is pushing back against diversity, equity and inclusion policies at companies. WSJ’s Chip Cutter reports. Further Listening: -Conservatives Come for ESG Further Reading: -The Activist Pushing Companies to Ditch Their Diversity Policies -Diversity Goals Are Disappearing From Companies’ Annual Reports Learn more about...
Aug 14, 2024•21 min
After years of pressure from the U.S., China is imposing new restrictions on chemicals used in the production of fentanyl. WSJ’s Brian Spegele says the move marks a small step forward after nearly a decade of sometimes-tense negotiations. Further Reading: -China Restricts Fentanyl Chemicals After Years of U.S. Pressure Further Listening: -The Push to Test Drugs for Fentanyl -How a Balloon Burst U.S.-China Relations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 13, 2024•19 min
In June, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station. But issues with its propulsion system have called into question its safety. Now, NASA is weighing alternatives to bring the astronauts home. WSJ’s Micah Maidenberg shares how the Starliner program has faced a bevy of problems and what it means for Boeing. Further Reading: - Boeing Sent Two Astronauts Into Space. Now It Needs to Get Them Home. - NASA Says Starliner Astronauts Could Return With SpaceX—Ne...
Aug 12, 2024•23 min
The world’s rainforests have shrunk dramatically in recent decades due to the expansion of land for growing cash crops, like cocoa. The European Union is trying to limit destruction with a new law which aims to track where cocoa is grown. Farmers who want to sell to Europe— the world’s largest cocoa market— are racing to meet the law's requirements, or lose out. WSJ’s Alexandra Wexler details how the law will impact millions of cocoa farmers in West Africa. Further Reading: - Chocolate Prices Ha...
Aug 09, 2024•18 min
Bill Ackman has pressed pause on the initial public offering of a new fund aimed at everyday investors after a lack of demand. Ackman originally aimed to raise around $25 billion in the offering, hoping to capitalize on his social-media celebrity but his fund goals shrunk dramatically. WSJ’s Peter Rudegeair unpacks what happened. Further Reading: -Can Bill Ackman Turn Social-Media Stardom Into a Blockbuster IPO? -What Bill Ackman Got Wrong With His Bungled IPO Further Listening: -The Life of One...
Aug 08, 2024•18 min
In a historic decision this week, a federal judge ruled that Google acted to illegally maintain a monopoly in online search. The case was the first of several antitrust lawsuits the U.S. government has brought against some of the nation’s leading tech companies, and the ruling marks a major victory for its efforts to reign in big tech. WSJ’s Miles Kruppa explains how this decision could shake up Google’s business and potentially change how we search the internet. Further Reading: -Google’s Antit...
Aug 07, 2024•19 min
Slow job growth in the U.S. and interest rate cuts in Japan triggered a global stock market sell off on Monday. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos breaks down how it happened, what it says about the economy, and what it means for the Federal Reserve’s long-term goal of a soft landing. Further Listening: -Live from Seattle: A Weird Economy + Election = ?? -Why the Fed Is Steering Away From Rate Cuts Further Reading: -Market Selloff Upends Fed Rate-Cut Calculus -Lousy Jobs Report Forces Fed to Reckon With Hard L...
Aug 06, 2024•19 min
Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, businesses are supposed to make their websites accessible to the visually impaired. WSJ's Ruth Simon found that this requirement has led to an explosion of lawsuits, many of which are against small businesses. Further Reading: - The Law Firm Hitting Businesses With Thousands of Disability Suits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 05, 2024•22 min
As Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign gets underway, Democrats and Republicans are rushing to define her. And Democrats are shifting the way they talk about the GOP. WSJ’s Molly Ball explores the strategies behind how both sides are framing each other. Further Listening: - The Week That Changed the Presidential Race - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 02, 2024•24 min
Russia freed wrongfully convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and more than a dozen others on Thursday as part of the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. WSJ’s Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw report on the effort to bring Gershkovich home. Further Listening: -Russia Tries a WSJ Reporter in a Secret Court -Two Parents on a Crusade to Free Their Son Further Reading: -Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich -WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Is Free Lear...
Aug 01, 2024•22 min
After ten years of sales, 500 million Amazon smart devices have found their way into homes around the world. But the company is losing billions of dollars on the devices. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli discovered an accounting tool that’s kept the huge losses under wraps. Further Reading: -Alexa Is in Millions of Households—and Amazon Is Losing Billions Further Listening: -Amazon's Secret Operation to Gather Intel on Rivals -What Is Amazon's Secret 'Project Nessie'? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Jul 31, 2024•20 min
Today, Olympics officials in Paris postponed the men’s triathlon because of elevated E. coli levels in the River Seine, where the event was set to take place. WSJ’s Joshua Robinson reports on how decades of trying to clean up the river may not have been successful. Further Reading: - Paris Olympics Postpones Triathlon Because of Pollution in River Seine - Yes, They’re Actually Doing Olympic Swimming in the River Seine. Gulp. - Herculean Feat in Paris Olympics: Make the Seine Safe to Swim Further...
Jul 30, 2024•20 min
Have you ever thought about who is behind your scam texts? WSJ reporter Feliz Solomon spent months investigating and discovered that many of these texts are coming from slaves trapped in scam dens in Southeast Asia. She talked to one person who had been imprisoned there and learned how he became ensnared in a growing criminal empire. Further Listening: - Pig Butchering: A Texting Scam With A Crypto Twist Further Reading: - Posing As ‘Alicia,’ This Man Scammed Hundreds Online. He Was Also A Victi...
Jul 29, 2024•33 min
The 2024 presidential election has taken a major turn after Biden dropped out of the race. WSJ’s Molly Ball charts how the 2024 political election has hit a reset and what Harris’s candidacy could mean for her party and the country. Further Listening: - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control Further Reading: - Biden Withdrawal Caps Weeks of Epic Political Turbulence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 26, 2024•23 min
USAntibiotics's plant in Tennessee is one of the last plants in the United States that makes amoxicillin, the crucial antibiotic that has been in shortage in some forms since 2022. But the plant isn’t breaking even, financially. WSJ’s Liz Essley Whyte reports on why it is so hard for American-made generic drugs manufacturers to survive. Further Listening: - Will Florida’s Plan to Get Cheap Drugs From Canada Work? - Trillion Dollar Shot Further Reading: - Drug Shortages in America Reach a Record ...
Jul 25, 2024•20 min
Democrats are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris as she takes over President Biden’s campaign. WSJ’s Tarini Parti discusses some key moments in her political career and explores what they reveal about her as a candidate. Further Listening: - Biden Taps Out. Harris Taps In. - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control Further Reading: - Inside the Slow-Building Biden-Harris Relationship - How Kamala Harris Views Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 24, 2024•20 min
Last Friday, 8.5 million computers around the world stopped working. All kinds of businesses were impacted, from airlines to banks to hospitals. The cause was a routine update sent out by a software company called CrowdStrike. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how the meltdown happened and why Microsoft’s software was especially vulnerable. Further Reading: - Blue Screens Everywhere Are Latest Tech Woe for Microsoft - CrowdStrike Made Its Name Fighting Technology Problems. Now It Has Caused One. Fu...
Jul 23, 2024•18 min
On Sunday, President Joe Biden ended his bid for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Annie Linskey reports on Biden’s big decision and what lies ahead for Harris and the Democratic Party. Further Listening: - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control - Will Biden Stay in the Race? Further Reading: - How the Bet on an 81-Year-Old Joe Biden Turned Into an Epic Miscalculation - Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Jul 22, 2024•20 min
The Republican National Convention came to a close Thursday night with a speech by presidential nominee Donald Trump that called for unity while also returning to familiar rhetoric. WSJ’s Molly Ball says it’s a remarkable turnaround for a candidate who was once an outsider, and has now remade the party in his image. Plus, Jessica Mendoza and Jacob Gallagher give the convention a fit check. Further Reading: - Trump Hasn’t Changed, but the GOP Has - Crypto Dads, Trump Suits and Four-Letter Words: ...
Jul 19, 2024•26 min
Elon Musk has said he is committing around $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC, according to people familiar with the matter. He is the biggest name in tech now turning Donald Trump’s way. WSJ’s Emily Glazer reports on how Musk and others in Silicon Valley are throwing their support and money behind Trump’s campaign for president. Further Listening: - Tesla’s Multibillion-Dollar Pay Package for Elon Musk - Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla’s Board - Trump Courts the Union Vote Further R...
Jul 18, 2024•21 min
WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held in Russia for more than a year on an espionage accusation that he, the U.S. government and The Wall Street Journal vehemently deny. Gershkovich will appear in court Thursday for another hearing. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore explores what we know about the secret trial and why even the Gershkovich’s defense lawyers are restricted from publicly discussing it. Further Reading: - The Shadowy Judicial System That Controls the Fate of WSJ’s Evan Gershkovich Furthe...
Jul 17, 2024•18 min
Last night at the Republican National Convention, Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spoke. O’Brien was the first Teamsters president to ever speak at an RNC and his presence represents a shift in union voters away from the Democratic Party. WSJ’s Paul Kiernan reports on why some union voters are interested in voting for former President Trump this election. Further Listening: -‘We’ll Strike All Three’: The UAW’s Historic Walkout Further Reading: -For Emba...
Jul 16, 2024•20 min
On Saturday, a shooter attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Now, the Secret Service is coming under scrutiny for failing to prevent it. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman and Ryan Barber on what we know about the shooter, and about what went wrong for the Secret Service. Further Reading: - Trump Rally Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks Said to Have Been Loner Who Rarely Voiced Politics - Trump Shooting Is Secret Service’s Most Stunning Failure in Decades Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Jul 15, 2024•21 min
Last fall, nude photos of a 14-year-old student started spreading around her high school. But they weren't real… they’d been created with AI. WSJ’s Julie Jargon breaks down how fake photos like these are a growing trend among teens and why it’s difficult to deal with. Further Reading: - ‘I Felt Shameful and Fearful’: Teen Who Saw AI Fake Nudes of Herself Speaks Out - AI Fake Nudes Are Now a Frightening Reality for Teens Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream - He Thought Instagram...
Jul 12, 2024•20 min
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Abercrombie & Fitch was the hottest teen clothing brand. Kids would flock to their local mall to get the expensive, moose-emblazoned apparel. But then, after a series of controversies and a change in fashion, the brand seemingly lost its edge. WSJ’s Katie Deighton reports on how Abercrombie & Fitch revived itself and embraced millennial women. Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash. - The Unraveling of Stitch Fix - Old Navy Tr...
Jul 11, 2024•23 min
After his first corruption case ended in a mistrial in 2017, Sen. Bob Menendez had a message for his supporters: “Today is resurrection day.” Now, Menendez is back in a courthouse facing new corruption charges. WSJ’s Corinne Ramey unpacks the case. Further Reading: - Menendez Declared His ‘Resurrection.’ Then He Fell in Love. Further Listening: - The 'Mystery Man' Tells Us How He Helped Free Rod Blagojevich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 10, 2024•21 min
In a stunning concession, Boeing agreed Sunday to plead guilty to misleading air-safety regulators ahead of two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. WSJ’s Andrew Tangel reports on Boeing’s long and complicated journey to the plea deal and what a felony record would mean for the company. Further Listening: -The Failures Inside Boeing’s 737 Factory -A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing Further Reading: -Boeing Agrees to Plead Guilty in 737 MAX Criminal Case -Inside DOJ’s Wrenching Decis...
Jul 09, 2024•20 min
After high-profile collapses and government crackdowns, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is one of the last big digital-asset founders standing. He speaks with Ryan Knutson about taking up the mantle, clashes with the SEC and the future of crypto. Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy - The Fall of (Another) Crypto King Further Reading and Watching: - Who Is Brian Armstrong? Coinbase CEO Is Taking On the SEC - Coinbase CEO Says He’ll Challenge the SEC for ‘Clarity’ on Crypto Learn mo...
Jul 08, 2024•23 min
Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, sits down with Kate Linebaugh to talk about how the company is trying to keep customers happy despite rising prices and a shift towards healthier eating. Further Reading: - The Fast-Food Fight Over the $5 Meal Deal - A Day in the Life of a California Fast-Food Manager Who Makes Up to $174,000 Further Listening: - Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food - Beyond Meat Loses Its Sizzle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Jul 05, 2024•20 min
