Holding students back in school once came with a negative connotation. But with college athletes now able to earn endorsement deals, they are preparing younger and younger to be recruited and potentially get paid. WSJ's Harriet Ryan reports on the rise of special middle schools where students hold themselves back on purpose so they can grow, develop and mature before high school. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Inside the Black Market for High School Football Players - NCAA President on...
Jun 18, 2026•24 min
Stock markets are hitting record highs, the job market is doing fine and productivity is up. Yet many Americans are feeling strapped despite the positive data. WSJ’s Harriet Torry explains the contradictory signals. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - The Energy Shock Is Here - Germany’s Economy Is Spiraling. Can War Fix It? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jun 17, 2026•19 min
The initial public offering for SpaceX crowned Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. WSJ’s Theo Francis takes us inside the staggering finances of the world’s richest man, and explores what the impact of his new status might be. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Is SpaceX Worth the Hype? - The Great IPO Frenzy of 2026 - Musk vs. Altman Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jun 16, 2026•20 min
2026 is set to be a monster year for tech IPOs. SpaceX hit the market with a blockbuster $1.77 trillion valuation while Anthropic and OpenAI are set to go public later this year. WSJ’s investing columnist Spencer Jakab takes us inside the IPO bonanza and explores the risks potentially hiding behind all the hype. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Is SpaceX Worth the Hype? - Musk vs. Altman Sign up for the Markets A.M. newsletter, The Wall Street Journal's daily investing outlook. Learn ...
Jun 15, 2026•19 min
As the World Cup begins, we bring you a two-part Sunday special charting how FIFA built the World Cup into a global phenomenon. In Part 2, WSJ sports journalists Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson explore FIFA under its current president Gianni Infantino and how he has maximized revenue for FIFA by exploiting new markets for soccer in the Arab world and the U.S. at the expense of the sport’s longstanding fanbase. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The World Cup Story, Part 1: Soccer and Sc...
Jun 14, 2026•36 min
Two scrappy horror films are taking Hollywood by surprise. “Backrooms” and “Obsession” have wildly exceeded expectations at the box office. Both spring from internet culture and have brought an unprecedented numbers of Gen Z-ers into theaters. WSJ's Ben Fritz explains what this new wave means for the movie business. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Why Hollywood Can't Find Good Scripts - Hollywood Jobs Are Disappearing Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about y...
Jun 12, 2026•21 min
SpaceX is preparing the largest public offering ever on Friday. Elon Musk’s space-satellite-AI-social-media company plans to sell $75 billion worth of shares at a “take-it-or-leave-it” price of $135 a share. WSJ’s Corrie Driebusch takes us inside the SpaceX books and details what investors are thinking about the massive IPO. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Musk vs. Altman - Elon Musk's $1.25 Trillion Megamerger - The Woman Behind SpaceX Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Le...
Jun 11, 2026•23 min
In the era of the $100 steak, WSJ reporter Patrick Thomas traveled from a steakhouse in Omaha to a manure-splattered cattle auction in the Nebraska sandhills. What he found was a story about drought, debt and a stunning reversal of fortune that has left America's ranchers holding more power than they've had in decades. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Beef Between Cattle Ranchers and Meatpackers - How Scotts Miracle-Gro's Weed Business Went Up in Smoke Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s N...
Jun 10, 2026•21 min
For years, Bill Gates was best known for his charitable work. The Gates Foundation spends billions on humanitarian efforts around the world. At one point, Gates was ranked as the world’s most admired man. But as details surface about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, that carefully crafted image is eroding. WSJ’s Emily Glazer reveals the lengths that Gates’s team has taken in order to burnish his reputation, and how it’s slowly cracking. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How Jeffr...
Jun 09, 2026•24 min
Sweden, once considered by many as the standard bearer of high-tax and high-spend government, has embraced capitalism . WSJ’s Tom Fairless reports on how the Nordic country privatized large swaths of its healthcare and school systems, promoted business and shrank the state. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Germany’s Economy Is Spiraling. Can War Fix It? - China's Cheap Goods Are Europe's Problem Now Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Jun 08, 2026•20 min
As the World Cup begins this week , we bring you a two-part Sunday special charting how FIFA built the World Cup into a global phenomenon and how it became marred in scandal and corruption. In Part 1, WSJ soccer experts Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson go back to the World Cup’s origins — how it grew from a small tournament in Uruguay into a massive empire. And how an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice prompted a moment for reckoning for FIFA. Ryan Knutson hosts. Learn more about ...
Jun 07, 2026•39 min
The collective credit card debt of Americans has reached an all-time high of $1.25 trillion. Soaring interest rates and stubborn inflation have also led more people to be late making their credit card payments or not paying at all. WSJ’s Dan Frosch reports on why that debt is growing and where people can turn for help. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: Swipe, Spend, Repeat: The Perks Arms Race in Your Wallet Student-Loan Debt Is Strangling Gen X Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newslet...
Jun 05, 2026•21 min
There’s a new gig economy that involves training AI to do white collar jobs . And one company, Mercor, is leading the charge. The training startup hired 30,000 contractors just last year to help AI companies get their models trained up on sophisticated roles. Ryan Knutson spoke to one former Mercor contractor about the job and WSJ’s Katie Bindley lays out the tactics that have landed the startup in hot water . Further Listening: The ‘Class of AI’ Enters the Workforce AI Is Coming for Entry-Level...
Jun 04, 2026•22 min
China’s carmakers like BYD, Geely and Great Wall Motor have seen immense growth in recent years. But their cars are not for sale in the U.S. due to high tariffs and tight regulations. WSJ’s Ryan Felton reports on America’s rising interest in Chinese cars, particularly because they’re so affordable. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Move Over, Humans. China's Robots Are Taking Over - How China's BYD Overtook Tesla - China and the U.S. Are in a Race for AI Supremacy Sign up for WSJ’s fre...
Jun 03, 2026•17 min
For the first time since the 1930s, more people are moving out of the U.S. than moving in . It's a trend driven largely by the Trump Administration’s deportation agenda, but WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson also report that U.S. citizens are moving away in numbers not previously seen. The high costs of healthcare and housing, coupled with the ability to work remotely, are contributing to an exodus of young families and middle-class workers. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: Americans...
Jun 02, 2026•24 min
How to get discovered in Hollywood has been a decades-old struggle. For screenwriters, that game started to change when Franklin Leonard launched the Black List, an annual ranking of the “most liked” but not-yet-produced screenplays. Since 2005, more than 500 of those scripts have become feature films, including several Best Picture Oscar-winners. Ryan Knutson interviewed Leonard about how to fix some of Hollywood’s other challenges at our live show in Los Angeles. Further Listening: - Hollywood...
Jun 01, 2026•22 min
The class of 2026 is the most AI-native group of graduates to come out of college, with ChatGPT debuting their freshman year. WSJ’s Allison Pohle reports on how this cohort used AI in school and what future employers expect from them. And we hear from various college students and recent graduates about their hopes and fears when it comes to AI and their careers. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - AI Is Coming for Entry-Level Jobs - Is the AI Boom… a Bubble? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s Ne...
May 29, 2026•22 min
There’s finally another way to buy a new car, as companies like Carvana and Volkswagen’s new brand Scout are challenging the traditional dealership model. WSJ’s Christopher Otts explains how a decades-old system is starting to show some wear. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Why People Aren't Lining Up for This $120,000 Job - The Repo Man Is Busier Than Ever Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 28, 2026•23 min
Florida, once an affordable haven , is rapidly transforming into a state for the wealthy. As a result, living costs are rising and population growth is slowing overall . WSJ’s Arian Campo-Flores reports on the affordability crisis and speaks with Republican Senator Rick Scott about what the state can do to create better-paying jobs and housing. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Florida Cops Who Act as ICE Agents - California Billionaires Are Freaking Out Over a New Tax Proposal Sign u...
May 27, 2026•21 min
When Maziar Mike Doustdar took over as CEO of Novo Nordisk last year, the company had lost ground in the anti-obesity drug market. Doustdar spoke with Jessica Mendoza about his plans to turn the company around, the recent success of their Wegovy pill and what keeps him up at night. Further Listening: - Ozempic Is a Hit. So Why Is the Drugmaker’s CEO Out? - Trillion Dollar Shot Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 26, 2026•22 min
American classrooms are awash with YouTube. One survey showed that 94% of teachers have used YouTube in their roles. A WSJ investigation reveals the business strategy behind Google’s push to bring the technology to schools and looks at how YouTube is affecting children. WSJ’s Shalini Ramachandran lays out her reporting, and Jessica Mendoza talks with a math teacher who has been wrestling with YouTube in his classroom. Further Listening: - The New Legal Strategy That Beat Social Media - Judge Rul...
May 22, 2026•25 min
Barney Frank, the former Democratic congressman, died this week at the age of 86 . Frank was best known as the architect of the Dodd-Frank law that reshaped the U.S. financial system in the wake of the 2008 crisis. WSJ’s Damian Paletta talks about Frank’s legacy. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Man Who Waged War on Inflation - Two Executives on What It's Like to Stop a Bank Run Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
May 21, 2026•21 min
