For more than three years, Jan Marsalek has been on the run. He was the jet-setting COO of Wirecard, the German company that imploded after a financial fraud scandal. But now, Western intelligence and security officials are saying Marsalek had likely been a Russian spy for nearly a decade. WSJ's Bojan Pancevski tells the tale of the investigations into Marsalek's covert operations. Further Listening: - Wirecard's Missing $2 Billion Further Reading: - He’s Wanted for Wirecard’s Missing $2 Billion...
Jan 02, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Earlier this year, we brought you the story of a New Jersey restaurant owner named Gregory Gregory, who took on Taco Bell over the trademark for "Taco Tuesday.” After months of negotiations, their fight is now over. Producer Rachel Humphreys spoke to Gregory Gregory to find out why. Further Listening: - Who Owns Taco Tuesday? Further Reading: - The Long Fight Over ‘Taco Tuesday’ - The Battle for Taco Tuesday Gets Heated Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Dec 26, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are off for the holidays, but still have a great episode for this Christmas weekend.Mariah Carey released "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994 to moderate success. Today, the song is a megahit and Christmas playlist staple. What happened? WSJ's John Jurgensen called up the "Queen of Christmas" to find out. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 22, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thieves across the U.S. are stealing people’s iPhones, using them to loot victims’ bank accounts and personal information. After investigating for over a year, WSJ’s Joanna Stern unpacks how the crime works and how Apple is trying to prevent it. Further Reading and Watching: - The Hidden iPhone Setting Thieves Use to Lock People Out of Apple Accounts - An iPhone Thief Explains How He Steals Your Passcode and Bank Account - Apple Makes Security Changes to Protect Users From iPhone Thefts Further ...
Dec 21, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast General Motors CEO Mary Barra is 10 years into her tenure and deep into her quest to turn GM into an electric-car powerhouse. WSJ’s Mike Colias profiles the CEO and discusses the challenges she’s faced in getting her big vision for GM’s future on track. Further Listening: - GM's All-Electric Bet - The Future of Self-Driving Cars Is Here Further Reading: - Mary Barra Spent a Decade Transforming GM. It Hasn’t Been Enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Dec 20, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yoshua Bengio, known as a godfather of AI, is one of hundreds of researchers and tech leaders calling for a pause in the breakneck development of powerful new AI tools. We talk to the AI pioneer about how the tools evolved and why he's worried about their potential. Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream - Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out - OpenAI’s Weekend of Absolute Chaos Further Reading: - How Worried Should We Be About AI’s Threat to Humanity? Even Tech Leaders Can’t Agree ...
Dec 19, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are hundreds of zombie malls throughout the U.S. WSJ's Kate King investigates why some of America's empty and dilapidated malls stick around for so long even as local communities want them to be repurposed. Further Reading: - Owners Keep Zombie Malls Alive Even When Towns Want to Pull the Plug - Local Malls, Stuck in ‘Death Spiral,’ Plunge in Value Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 18, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of the most iconic Christmas movies. But when it first came out in 1946, it was considered a flop. WSJ’s Ben Cohen explains how the movie went from nearly forgotten to a Christmas favorite. Further Reading: -The Christmas Movie That Became a Classic Because of a Mistake Further Listening: -Canned or Homemade? America’s Biggest Cranberry Company Wins Either Way Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 15, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia-aligned propagandists tricked celebrities like Elijah Wood, Pricilla Presley and Ice T into recording videos that would later be used to attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. WSJ’s Robert McMillan and the CEO of the app Cameo unpack the scheme. Further Reading: - Actors Recorded Videos for ‘Vladimir.’ It Turned Into Russian Propaganda. - U.S. and U.K. Accuse Russia of Global Hacking Spree Targeting British Elections Further Listening: - The Online Sleuths Fighting Russian Disinfo...
Dec 14, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the decade since he co-founded Shein and turned it into one of the world's most popular fast-fashion brands, CEO Sky Xu has remained a mystery – even to his employees. Now, Shein is preparing for an initial public offering in the U.S. which will put Xu on the global stage. WSJ’s Shen Lu profiles the elusive CEO and describes some of the problems the company is facing as it tries to go public. Further Reading: - The World’s Most Anonymous CEO Is About to Take Center Stage - Fast-Fashion Giant ...
Dec 13, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, WSJ’s Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos sat down with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen who said inflation is “meaningfully coming down” and the U.S. is on path to achieving a so-called soft landing. Further Reading: - Inflation Edges Lower, But Still Too High for the Fed - How Inflation Can Keep Falling Further Listening: - Inflation Is Down. Unemployment Is Low. Is This a Soft Landing? - Why a Soft Landing for the Economy Could Be Hard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
Dec 12, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, resigned on Saturday, capping a tumultuous week at the Ivy League school. After statements Magill made about antisemitism at a congressional hearing, influential donors threatened to pull millions in gifts if she didn't leave her post. WSJ's Melissa Korn talks about antisemitism, free speech, and the rising tensions between elite universities and big donors. Further Reading: -Penn President, Board Chair Resign After Furor Over Comments...
Dec 11, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast OpenAI’s breakout product, ChatGPT, had humble origins. What started as a small research project ballooned into something much bigger: a groundbreaking large language model. But developing that technology was expensive, and to fund it, OpenAI would make a big compromise. Further Reading: - Elon Musk Tries to Direct AI—Again - The Contradictions of Sam Altman, AI Crusader Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream - The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of Chat...
Dec 10, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina, has been gaining traction in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. But can she catch up to the front-runner, former President Donald Trump? WSJ’s Molly Ball breaks down Haley’s growing momentum. Further Reading: -Debate Performances Fuel Haley’s Rise in GOP Nomination Race -Nikki Haley’s Challenge: Keep Anti-Trump GOP Vote, Add Some Trump Backers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 08, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Meta has spent months trying to fix child-safety problems on Instagram and Facebook. But as WSJ's Jeff Horwitz explains, the social media giant is still struggling to prevent its own systems from enabling and promoting a vast network of pedophile accounts. Further Reading: - Meta Is Struggling to Boot Pedophiles Off Facebook and Instagram - Instagram’s Algorithm Delivers Toxic Video Mix to Adults Who Follow Children - Instagram Connects Vast Pedophile Network Further Listening: - He Thought Inst...
Dec 07, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Apple has filed for divorce from its partnership with Goldman Sachs.. It also marks a swift about-face for a partnership that, just last year, was extended through 2029. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis discusses the messy details she’s learned about the breakup. Further Reading and Watching: - A Divorce With Apple, Internal Strife: How Goldman’s Main Street Bet Failed - Apple Pulls Plug on Goldman Credit-Card Partnership - How Goldman Sachs Fumbled Its Consumer Business Further Listening: -The War Ins...
Dec 06, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Supreme Court is weighing an $8-billion settlement between opioid victims, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. Two claimants explain their views on the deal and WSJ’s Alexander Gladstone reports. Further Reading: -The Opioid Victims Who Won’t Sign Off on Purdue’s $6 Billion Settlement -Supreme Court Weighs Purdue Pharma’s $6 Billion Opioid Settlement Further Listening: -How a Drug Maker Plans to Cut Off Money for Opioid Victims -Purdue’s $4.5 Billion Opioid Settlement Got Thrown Out. Now W...
Dec 05, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast For months, state and federal law-enforcement officials have been investigating a Medicaid scam in which hundreds of fraudulent sober-living homes in the Phoenix area have recruited Native Americans from across the West. Raquel Moody shares her experience in what she believes were fraudulent sober homes, and WSJ's Dan Frosch unpacks how the scam worked. Further Reading: - Fraudulent Sober Homes Exploited Native Americans, Say Authorities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Dec 04, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2015, a group of Silicon Valley heavy-hitters met for a dinner that would change tech history. They believed that the time had come to build a super-intelligent AI, and they founded a non-profit lab to try to do it. In part 1 of our series, Artificial: The OpenAI Story, we explore the company’s idealistic origins and speak with early employees about the struggle to make their AI dream a reality. Further Reading: - Elon Musk Tries to Direct AI—Again - The Contradictions of Sam Altman, AI Crusa...
Dec 03, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Billionaire investor Charlie Munger died Tuesday, just weeks short of his 100th birthday. Munger was vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and he was best known for his close partnership with CEO Warren Buffett. As WSJ’s Jason Zweig explains, Munger often played Buffett’s sidekick, but his investing expertise made him a celebrity in his own right. Further Reading: - Charlie Munger’s Life Was About Way More Than Money - The Secrets to Charlie Munger’s Success - Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s Par...
Dec 01, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dubai, a city known for private jets, giant yachts and other symbols of carbon-heavy living, is an awkward location for a conference on climate change. The man organizing the COP28 summit also runs the country’s national oil company. WSJ’s Ed Ballard digs into the contradictions at the heart of this month’s climate summit and why they may not be that unusual. Further Reading: - Welcome to COP28, the U.N. Climate Conference Hosted by an Oil Giant - What’s at Stake at COP28 in Dubai Further Listen...
Nov 30, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Journal investigation reveals a years-long culture of sexual harassment and intimidation at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a government agency that regulates banks. WSJ's Rebecca Ballhaus on the allegations and how some of the problems went all the way to the top. Further Reading: - Strip Clubs, Lewd Photos and a Boozy Hotel: The Toxic Atmosphere at Bank Regulator FDIC - FDIC Chair, Known for Temper, Ignored Bad Behavior in Workplace Further Listening: - Can the Government Contain ...
Nov 29, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast OpenAI was founded in 2015 as an idealistic nonprofit. Its goal was to build artificial general intelligence or AGI — an AI that could do most jobs better than a human could. In the years that followed, OpenAI’s pursuit of AGI led them to develop the viral chatbot ChatGPT. The company became one of the top AI labs in the world. But to get there, OpenAI’s leaders would compromise nearly every one of their founding ideals. Over four episodes, we explore how a little-known startup built one of the ...
Nov 29, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Shares of Estée Lauder, the beauty giant, have plunged about 50% this year. And the members of the Lauder family are at odds about what to do. WSJ's Emily Glazer reports on the company's business mistakes and its rumblings of succession. Further Listening: - The World’s Richest Person Is Planning for Succession Further Reading: - The Estée Lauder Family Built a Beauty Empire. A Succession Rift Threatens It - Estée Lauder Stock Plunges After Another Profit Warning - Estée Lauder’s Big Bet on Chin...
Nov 28, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Changpeng Zhao built Binance into the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and became one of the faces of crypto in the process. Last week, he appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering laws and agreed to step down as CEO. WSJ’s Patricia Kowsmann explains what the deal means for Zhao, Binance, and the future of crypto itself. Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy - A Crypto Exchange Crackdown - The Rise of Binance - And The Effort to ...
Nov 27, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re off today, but we still have a great episode for you. A texting scam that originated in China is on the rise in the United States. It’s more sophisticated than scams of the past, and it has already cost American victims more than $400 million. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how pig-butchering works, and one victim shares how it’s impacted her. This episode originally published in November 2022. Further Reading: -A Text Scam Called ‘Pig Butchering’ Cost Her More Than $1.6 Million -Online Sc...
Nov 24, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ocean Spray’s farmers are responsible for 65% of the world’s cranberries. It’s not a publicly traded company. It’s not a traditional private company, either. It’s a cooperative founded nearly a century ago and owned by roughly 700 families. WSJ’s Ben Cohen tells the story of how the cranberry got into the can, and how the company is planning for a future beyond your Thanksgiving table. Further Reading: - These People Are Responsible for the Cranberry Sauce You Love to Hate Further Listening: - A...
Nov 22, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cheap drones, once the domain of hobbyists, are now in high demand on battlefields. Following Hamas's attack on October 7, Israel has been flooding suppliers with requests for drones: it wants as many as possible, as soon as possible. WSJ’s Heather Somerville unpacks the benefits and perils of the use of off-the-shelf drones in modern warfare. Further Reading: -Israel Wants Inexpensive Drones. Chinese, American—It Doesn’t Matter. -How the Technological Revolution in Ukraine Is Reshaping Modern W...
Nov 21, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast OpenAI unexpectedly fired its CEO and co-founder Sam Altman on Friday. The move kicked off a series of twists and turns that left the company and its staff in upheaval. WSJ’s Deepa Seetharaman wades through the chaos and explains what might be next for the company. Further Listening: - A Conversation with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Mira Murati - The Company Behind ChatGPT Further Reading: - OpenAI Employees Threaten to Quit Unless Board Resigns - Sam Altman Is Out at OpenAI After Board Skirmish Lea...
Nov 20, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Wall Street Journal investigation found that only 14% of emergency departments nationwide have been certified to treat kids. WSJ’s Melanie Evans explains why this is a problem across the country, and one family recounts their son’s experience in an ER. Further Reading: -Find Hospitals Deemed Ready to Treat Children in Your Area -Children Are Dying in Ill-Prepared Emergency Rooms Across America -Emergency Rooms Are Failing Kids. This Hospital Stepped Up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Nov 17, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
