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 mor...
Sep 15, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 T...
Sep 14, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Sep 13, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Every...
Sep 12, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Sep 11, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Pos...
Sep 08, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Sep 07, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Sep 06, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Sep 05, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ‘Fo...
Sep 04, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 B...
Sep 01, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Gove...
Aug 31, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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'...
Aug 30, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Aug 29, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Pro...
Aug 28, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Aug 25, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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: - T...
Aug 24, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
Aug 23, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 M...
Aug 22, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Aug 21, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Aug 18, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Aug 17, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Aug 16, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 O...
Aug 15, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ex...
Aug 14, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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? ...
Aug 11, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Aug 10, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 F...
Aug 09, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Aug 08, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Abou...
Aug 07, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
