Facing an impending deposition, a trial date and the potential release of more private text messages, billionaire Elon Musk said he wants to proceed with his purchase of Twitter at the original $44-billion offer. But will he be able to avert the Oct. 17th trial? WSJ’s Cara Lombardo on the topsy-turvy deal. Further Reading: - Elon Musk Proposes Closing Twitter Deal on Original Terms - Elon Musk’s Twitter Reversal Renews Takeover Bid for a Now-Weaker Firm Further Listening: - The Musk-Twitter Saga...
Oct 05, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine sputters, he's escalating tensions. WSJ's Matthew Dalton explains how Putin's ramping up the stakes both in the ground war in Ukraine and in his economic war with the West. Further Reading: - NATO Formally Blames Sabotage for Nord Stream Pipeline Damage - Russia’s Lower House Approves Absorbing Ukrainian Territories - Putin Raises Ukraine Ante as His War Fortunes Sink Further Listening: - Ukraine Shifts the War With a Surprise Attack - Eu...
Oct 04, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast MoviePass took off like a rocket when it unveiled a $9.95 monthly service in 2017 that allowed customers to see a movie a day in theaters. But its crash was just as spectacular as its rise. Now, the service is coming back under new management. Mitch Lowe, the former CEO, talks about what went wrong. Further Reading: - It’s a Wrap: MoviePass Ends Theater Subscription Service - MoviePass Is Making a Comeback With Plans From $10 to $30 a Month Further Listening: - The Fundamental Flaw (and Alleged ...
Oct 03, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Second Life officially launched in 2003, it had one guiding principle for all new users: Be Nice. But those users showed up with their own ideas about how to behave in a virtual world. In part 2 of How to Build a Metaverse, Linden Lab — the company that created Second Life — wrestles with how to govern its new world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 30, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast The U.S. dollar is dramatically increasing in value. WSJ’s Julia-Ambra Verlaine unpacks what this means for the U.S. and other countries. Further Reading: - A Strong Dollar Is Front and Center for Wall Street - Dollar Strength Lifts Americans’ Relative Spending Power - Strong U.S. Dollar Extends Pain in Emerging-Markets Currencies Further Listening: - The Roots of Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 29, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast To combat a teacher shortage, some school districts across the country are adopting a four-day week. WSJ’s Ben Chapman explains the pros and cons, and a superintendent in Missouri talks about how parents and teachers are reacting. Further Reading: - School Districts Facing Shortages Lure Teachers With Four-Day Weeks - Teacher, Staff Shortages Reported by About Half of Schools, Survey Finds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 28, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ahead of the midterm elections, Republicans are working to rally support among Latinos. Once a solidly Democratic bloc, Latinos are becoming a swing group, as recent contests have shown in states like Nevada. We head to East Las Vegas to speak with voters and politicos about the shifting dynamics. Further Reading: - Latino Voters Split Along Economic Lines - Latina Candidates Test GOP Policies in South Texas House Races Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 27, 2022•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The chess world has been gripped by drama after world champion Magnus Carlsen accused newcomer Hans Moke Niemann of cheating. WSJ’s Andrew Beaton explains how the whole fiasco is threatening to taint the sanctity of the 1,500-year-old game. Further Reading: - Chess Is in Chaos Over Suspicion That a Player Cheated Against Magnus Carlsen - The Question Behind the Magnus Carlsen-Hans Niemann Drama: How to Cheat at Chess? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 26, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nearly two decades before companies like Meta began pouring billions of dollars into the metaverse, a little company called Linden Lab already had one. In part 1 of our series, we meet the programmers who built Second Life -- a 3-D virtual world where users could be and do whatever they could imagine. And we meet the intrepid users who were the pioneers of this brave new world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 23, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yesterday, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, three of his children and two other longtime officials at the Trump Organization. The AG’s fraud complaint seeks a list of penalties including $250 million dollars. WSJ’s Corinne Ramey discusses the lawsuit and what it means. Further Reading: - Donald Trump, His Company Sued by New York Attorney General on Fraud Allegations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 22, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hurricane Fiona battered Puerto Rico’s shores, causing an island-wide blackout over the weekend. Now, more than a million people are still waiting for the lights to turn back on. WSJ’s Andrew Scurria explains that the company brought in to fix the grid hasn’t made much progress. Further Reading: - Hurricane Fiona Intensifies to Category 4 Storm and Is Blamed for Four Deaths - Puerto Rico Re-Examines Plan to Fix Power Grid as Fiona Cuts Electricity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...
Sep 21, 2022•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Inflation is at a decades long high and this week the Federal Reserve is expected to approve another rate increase to help curb it. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos discusses the thinking behind the strategy and some of the risks it poses. Further Reading: - Jerome Powell’s Inflation Whisperer: Paul Volcker - Powell Says Fed Must Show Resolve in Fighting Inflation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 20, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Each time you use your credit card, businesses pay a fee. Merchants have pushed back for years, and there are now two bills in Congress aiming to limit those fees. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis explains why companies like Visa and Mastercard set fees in the first place, and what Congress hopes to do about it. Further Reading: - Walmart, Target Urge Lawmakers to Pass Bill Taking Aim at Visa, Mastercard Fees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 19, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re in a metaverse déjà vu moment. Companies are spending billions of dollars creating new metaverses, imagining a 3D virtual future. But there’s a metaverse that’s already been around for decades. In this world, people have started businesses, built homes and fallen in love as avatars. In a new four-part series from The Journal, producer Annie Minoff heads back into that largely forgotten metaverse – Second Life – to tell the story of the metaverse we already have and what it can reveal about...
Sep 19, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Stuart Smith used to enjoy driving fast cars, kayaking and flying planes. But the mysterious condition known as “long Covid” has upended his personal and professional life. We spoke with Smith, a lawyer whose career was cut short after he got sick, and WSJ’s Sumathi Reddy and Gwynn Guilford about the economic and emotional impacts of long Covid. Further Reading: - Covid-19 Illnesses Are Keeping at Least 500,000 Workers Out of U.S. Labor Force, Study Says - A Key to Long Covid Is Virus Lingering ...
Sep 16, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a matter of days, Ukrainian forces liberated thousands of square miles of Russian-occupied territory. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore explains why the offensive took Russia by surprise and shifted the balance of the war. Further Reading: - Russia Strikes Zelensky’s Hometown as President Visits Recaptured City - Russia Withdraws More Forces From Northeast Ukraine Further Listening: - A Battle of Wills Over Russian Energy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 15, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the summer, unusual monsoons in Pakistan have led to disastrous flooding. More than 30 million people are impacted, and much of the country’s agricultural sector is underwater. WSJ’s Saeed Shah explains how climate change is affecting Pakistan, and who the country's government believes should foot the bill. Further Reading: - In Southern Pakistan, a Sea Made of Monsoon Waters Swallows Villages - Pakistan Floods Affect Millions, Leave over 1,000 Dead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Sep 14, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the world shifts toward green alternatives like electric vehicles and solar power, demand for metals needed for batteries has skyrocketed. WSJ’s Yusuf Khan explains mining companies are turning to a new source for metals like cobalt and manganese: the ocean floor. Further Reading: - Deep-Sea Mining Is Close to Reality Despite Environmental Concerns - TMC Gets Approval for Pilot Deep-Sea Mining Project - Environmental Investing Frenzy Stretches Meaning of ‘Green’ Further Listening: - Environme...
Sep 13, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is David Zaslav Hollywood’s white knight, or a Trojan horse? The new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery is sitting atop a huge media empire. WSJ’s Joe Flint profiles Zaslav’s cost-cutting across some of the biggest properties in media, and explores what that might mean for our watchlists. Further Listening: - The Quick End to CNN+ Further Reading: - There’s a New Media Mogul Tearing Up Hollywood: ‘Zas Is Not Particularly Patient’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 12, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast During the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, she led the British monarchy through a period of huge change and weathered many scandals. WSJ's Max Colchester explains why her death is such a significant moment for the royals, and what it means for the future of the family business.Further Reading: -Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96 After 70 Years on the Throne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 09, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia has shut off Nord Stream, the main pipeline exporting natural gas to Europe. The move comes as Europe faces a growing energy crisis. Meanwhile, Western countries continue to ratchet up energy sanctions against Moscow because of its war on Ukraine. WSJ’s Joe Wallace unpacks how Russia gained the advantage in the fight over energy. Further Reading: - Nord Stream Pipeline Closure Lands Blow Against Europe - Russia Confounds the West by Recapturing Its Oil Riches - Putin Threatens to Abandon ...
Sep 08, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Floods in Jackson, Miss. inundated the city's main water treatment plant, leaving most residents without drinking water. WSJ's Rachel Wolfe says much of the nation's water infrastructure is aging and in disrepair, and many cities could face their own impending crises. Further Reading: -Jackson Water Crisis Forces Cities to Confront Their Own Aging Infrastructure -Jackson Water Crisis Has No Clear End Date, Mississippi Officials Say Further Listening: -The Fight Over Water in the West -One Town's...
Sep 07, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The U.K.’s Conservative Party has elected a new Prime Minister - Liz Truss. She’s coming to power amidst spiraling inflation and rapidly rising energy prices. But what can she do to fix it? WSJ’s Max Colchester explains. Further Reading: - Liz Truss Is Appointed U.K. Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 06, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, died earlier this week at 91. His efforts to reform the Communist state and allow greater freedoms won him rockstar status in the West. But as WSJ’s Ann M. Simmons explains, Gorbachev’s legacy in Russia is much more mixed. Further Reading: - Mikhail Gorbachev, Reformer of Soviet Union and Its Last Leader, Dies at 91 - In Putin’s Russia, Last Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev Leaves Behind a Divisive Legacy Further Listening: - Russians, and P...
Sep 02, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Under renewed pressure to address carbon emissions, global companies have spent millions on carbon credits. WSJ's Shane Shifflett explains that some of these credits are not actually very effective. Further Reading: - Booming Carbon-Credits Market Took Hit as Stocks Sold Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 01, 2022•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has been around for nearly 20 years. And over the years, an increase in the volume of calls has strained its call centers, leaving some calls unanswered. WSJ's Brianna Abbott discusses the effort to replace the Lifeline with a simpler, more responsive number: 988. Further reading: -One in Six Calls to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline End Without Reaching a Counselor -What Is 988? Behind the New Mental Health Crisis Lifeline Number Learn more about you...
Aug 31, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast As some U.S. states tighten abortion restrictions, an anonymous online market for abortion pills is thriving. Dozens of websites offer to ship abortion drugs anywhere in the U.S. without requiring a prescription, which violates Food and Drug Administration rules. WSJ’s Dominique Mosbergen explores this unregulated marketplace. Further Reading: - Websites Selling Unapproved Abortion Pills Are Booming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 30, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, Twitter’s former head of security emerged as a whistleblower. Better known as "Mudge", Peiter Zatko started his career as a hacker. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains Twitter's alleged security issues. Further Reading: -Twitter Whistleblower Peiter Zatko Has Warned of Cyber Disaster for Decades -Twitter’s Ex-Security Head Files Whistleblower Complaint on Spam, Privacy Issues Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 29, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's director, Rochelle Walensky, is looking to reorganize the agency in the wake of what she called "some pretty dramatic, pretty public mistakes" during the pandemic. We talk to her about some of the CDC's fumbles and how she thinks the agency could do better.Further Reading: -CDC Director Outlines Restructuring Plans -CDC Director Aims to Improve Covid-19 Messaging, Data Collection Further Listening: -How Will We Know When the Pandemic's Over? Learn...
Aug 26, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Wednesday, President Biden announced the largest cancellation of student debt in U.S. history. WSJ's Gabriel T. Rubin walks us through how the plan came together and what it means for borrowers.Further reading: -Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan to Cancel Up to $20,000 in Debt for Millions -Student-Loan Forgiveness: Who Qualifies for Biden’s Plan, and What It Means for Borrowers Further listening: -How Biden Plans to Tackle Student Debt -Is Graduate School Worth the Price? Learn more abou...
Aug 25, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
