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 St...
Nov 16, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Stud...
Nov 15, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Nov 14, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Nov 13, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Nov 10, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Nov 09, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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/adchoi...
Nov 08, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 y...
Nov 07, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Nov 06, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Nov 03, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Nov 03, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Nov 02, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Nov 02, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ta...
Nov 01, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 T...
Oct 31, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Oct 31, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Fur...
Oct 30, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Oct 28, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Oct 27, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Oct 27, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Oct 26, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 c...
Oct 25, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Vis...
Oct 24, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ha...
Oct 23, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Oct 20, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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: Isra...
Oct 19, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Oct 19, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ab...
Oct 18, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 B...
Oct 17, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 choi...
Oct 17, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
