We’re back for Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentencing. After the crypto golden boy was found guilty on all counts in November, this week he’ll find out how long he will serve in federal prison. Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys get an insight into Bankman-Fried’s life for the past few months, from unappetizing prison food to tutoring inmates. Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried’s Life Behind Bars: Crypto Tips and Paying With Fish Learn more about...
Mar 26, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Department of Justice announced a landmark lawsuit against Apple, alleging that it has built a monopoly in smartphones by thwarting innovative apps and accessories that would make users less dependent on Apple’s technology. WSJ’s Tim Higgins breaks down the lawsuit and what it could mean for the company and its CEO Tim Cook. Further Reading: - Ghost of Microsoft Stalks Apple as DOJ Takes Its Shot - Monopoly Case Pits Justice Department Against Apple’s Antitrust Winning Streak Further Listeni...
Mar 25, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump’s finances are under stress. He faces a $454 million judgment against him in a civil-fraud case. Meanwhile, his campaign fundraising is trailing President Biden’s. WSJ’s Peter Grant unpacks the developments and a potential windfall for Trump. Further Reading: -Trump Is in a Race Against Time to Protect His Fortune -Trump Makes a New Fortune With Truth Social Listing Further Listening: -Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Mar 22, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, the Supreme Court is considering whether the Biden administration unlawfully pressured tech companies to suppress social media posts opposed to Covid vaccines. We talk to WSJ’s Jess Bravin about the latest in a series of cases that could set important ground rules for free speech and online content moderation. Further Reading: - Covid-Era Case on Free Speech to Test Supreme Court - Supreme Court Voices Skepticism Over Social-Media Censorship Claims Against Government Further Listening...
Mar 21, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast The social-media platform Reddit is making its stock-market debut Thursday and is offering a chunk of shares in its initial public offering to users, who are the lifeblood of its operations. But those same passionate users could cause trouble for the company. WSJ's Corrie Driebusch explains, and a moderator for the popular Reddit forum WallStreetBets weighs in. Further Reading: - Reddit Fueled Meme-Stock Mania. Now Its CEO Is Overseeing His Own Company’s IPO. - They’re Reddit Die-Hards. Do They ...
Mar 20, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast When David Solomon became CEO of Goldman Sachs just over five years ago, he made promoting women to senior levels of the firm a priority. But female executives are heading for the door—among them, Stephanie Cohen, one of the most senior executives at the company, who announced her departure Monday. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis unpacks what’s happening at the Wall Street giant. Further Reading: -Women Aren’t Getting the Big Jobs at Goldman Sachs, and They’re Heading for the Exits -Stephanie Cohen Is...
Mar 19, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two Binance employees, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, are being held by Nigerian authorities in a guarded house. According to their families, they haven’t been charged with any crimes. WSJ’s Caitlin Ostroff explains how the two men ended up there and why crypto is being blamed for a country’s currency collapse. Further Listening: - The Fall of (Another) Crypto King - A Crypto Exchange Crackdown - The Rise of Binance – And the Effort to Reel It In Further Reading: - Crypto Gets Blamed fo...
Mar 18, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In November 2022, Kavita Fischer downloaded a casino app from DraftKings, one of the top online betting companies in the U.S. Kavita was looking for relief from the stress of a recent divorce and the isolation of working from home during the pandemic. In less than a year, Kavita gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars. We speak to Kavita and to WSJ’s Katherine Sayre about how online betting companies keep customers coming back by giving them bonus credits and VIP treatment. Further Reading...
Mar 15, 2024•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hospitals, pharmacies and medical groups have been reeling in the wake of last month’s ransomware attack on a company widely used for insurance billing and payments. WSJ's James Rundle unpacks how the cyberattack on Change Healthcare has left thousands of providers scrambling to pay their bills and some wondering if they can keep their doors open. Further Reading: - Change Healthcare Rival Onboards Hundreds of Thousands of Customers During Hack Crisis - U.S. Health Department Intervenes in Chang...
Mar 14, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today the House voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. or force a sale. For years politicians have threatened a ban, but this latest attempt finally gained traction. WSJ's Georgia Wells on the long push to ban the Chinese-controlled platform and how the company is fighting back. Further Listening: -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone -Exclusive: TikTok’s CEO on the App’s Future in the U.S. -What's Up With All the TikTok Bans? Further Read...
Mar 13, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast About a year after a major train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, an activist investor is trying to oust Norfolk Southern’s CEO, Alan Shaw. But as WSJ’s Esther Fung explains, the CEO has some unlikely allies in his corner. Further Reading: -Railroad Workers Were Ready to Strike. Now They’re Fighting to Save Their CEO. Further Listening: -What Caused a Train to Derail in East Palestine, Ohio? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 12, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nearly 80% of ship-to-shore cranes at U.S. ports are made by ZPMC, a Chinese state-owned company. In recent years, U.S. officials have grown concerned that these giant cranes could be used for spying on the U.S. China says these concerns are “paranoia-driven.” WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha reports on why cranes have become the latest point of contention in U.S.-China relations. Further Reading: - Pentagon Sees Giant Cargo Cranes as Possible Chinese Spying Tools - Espionage Probe Finds Communications De...
Mar 11, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to unionize, setting up a fight with the school over whether its athletes are students or employees. WSJ’s Laine Higgins talks about how this move upends decades of NCAA precedent and could change college sports forever. Further Listening: - A League of Champions Implodes - A Tipping Point for Paying College Athletes? Further Reading: - Dartmouth Basketball Players Vote to Unionize in New Challenge to NCAA’s Amateurism Model - Dartmouth Men’s B...
Mar 08, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Altman once called Elon Musk, one of his OpenAI co-founders, his hero. Now Musk is suing Altman, accusing him of abandoning OpenAI’s founding mission in pursuit of profit, which OpenAI denies. WSJ’s Berber Jin reports on the highs and lows of a Silicon Valley’s bromance. Further Reading: - How the Bromance Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman Turned Toxic - Elon Musk Sues OpenAI, Sam Altman, Saying They Abandoned Founding Mission Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story - Money, Drugs, ...
Mar 07, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley suspended her bid for the Republican presidential nomination.That sets the stage for another matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November. WSJ’s Eliza Collins looks at the new shape of this old rivalry. Further Reading: - Biden vs. Trump: A Familiar Matchup in an Unprecedented Election - Nikki Haley Exits Republican Presidential Race Further Listening: - Does Nikki Haley Have a Chance At Beating Trump? - A Messy Star...
Mar 06, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2017 Bill Shufelt was desperate. He’d quit his job at a hedge fund to start a business that sounded absolutely nuts: a non-alcoholic beer that people would actually want to drink. WSJ’s Ben Cohen uncovers how Shufelt’s idea has led to one of the fastest-growing movements in the beer industry. Further Listening: -Canned or Homemade? America’s Biggest Cranberry Company Wins Either Way Further Reading: -The Hottest Beer in America Doesn’t Have Alcohol -Bud Light Missed Out on the Super Bowl Part...
Mar 05, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Russian troops invaded his hometown in 2022, Ukrainian teenager Denys Kostev filmed TikTok videos cursing Vladimir Putin and praising Ukrainian courage. But a few months later, Kostev suddenly began appearing in Russian propaganda videos. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore spoke to the Ukrainian teenager about how he became part of the Kremlin's propaganda machine. Further Reading: -A Ukrainian Teen’s Dark Transformation Into Russian Propaganda Star Further Listening: -The Grim Story of a Russian Priso...
Mar 04, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has come under fire in recent years for comments she’s made about gender and sex that some say are transphobic. WSJ’s Erich Schwartzel reports on how Warner Brothers Discovery, the company that owns the rights to Harry Potter, is calling upon the controversial author to make more magic. Further Listening: – The Media Mogul Taking an Ax to Hollywood Further Reading: – Can Warner Bros. Uncancel J.K. Rowling? – How the Minions Became Hollywood’s Mightiest Franchise ...
Mar 01, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block a $25 billion merger between two supermarket giants: Albertsons and Kroger.WSJ’s Patrick Thomas unpacks the deal and what it would mean for the companies, workers and shoppers. Further Reading: -FTC Sues to Block $25 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Merger -It’s Been 30 Years Since Food Ate Up This Much of Your Income Further Listening: -Food Fight: PepsiCo vs. Carrefour -Are Rotisserie Chickens ‘Inflation-Proof’? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Feb 29, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vice Media was a digital-media pioneer, built on provocative journalism and the promise of reaching younger audiences, a boon for advertisers. In its heyday, the company was valued at $5.7 billion. But last week, Vice Media said it would stop publishing content on its website and plans to cut hundreds of jobs. WSJ’s Keach Hagey and Alexandra Bruell on the rise and fall of Vice. Further Reading: - Vice Media to Stop Publishing on Vice.com, Plans to Cut Hundreds of Jobs - Vice Media to Be Acquired...
Feb 28, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast School districts and state legislatures have been ramping up efforts to ban certain books from school libraries and curricula. Last year, Penguin Random House decided to do something to stop them. We speak to WSJ’s Jeffrey Trachtenberg and to the man leading Penguin Random House's efforts, Skip Dye. Further Reading: - A Publishing Giant’s Risky Fight Against Book Bans - Penguin Random House, Authors Sue Iowa Officials Over Book Ban - Scholastic Planned to Segregate Diverse Titles at School Book ...
Feb 27, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Days before the presidential primary in New Hampshire, thousands of people received a call from someone who sounded like President Joe Biden, telling them not to vote. The call was a deepfake, and as WSJ's Bob McMillian reports, the rapid advancement of AI technology will likely have profound implications for elections around the world. Further Reading: - New Era of AI Deepfakes Complicates 2024 Elections Further Listening: - The Company Behind ChatGPT - The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter V...
Feb 26, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Arielle Charnas is a fashion blogger turned influencer with over 1 million Instagram followers. In 2020, she launched her clothing brand Something Navy with about $10 million from investors. She hoped to turn it into a $100 million venture. That’s not what happened. WSJ’s Chavie Lieber and Sara O’Brien report on a cautionary tale for influencer brands. Further Reading: - Investors Poured Millions Into Her Fashion Brand. Then It All Fell Apart. - Her Brand Had $100 Million Ambitions. Now It’s Bei...
Feb 23, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Capital One announced plans to buy Discover Financial Services in a $35 billion deal that marries two of the largest credit-card companies in the U.S. and has the potential to shake up the credit card industry in a major way. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis explores what makes this deal such a game changer. Further Reading: - Capital One Is Buying Discover Financial for $35 Billion Further Listening: - Inside the Capital One Hack - The Fight Over Your Credit Card Swipe Learn more about your ad choices...
Feb 22, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The animal tranquilizer xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is finding its way into opioid supplies and wreaking havoc all over the country. It’s rotting people’s flesh, leading to amputations and complicating drug treatment. WSJ’s Julie Wernau takes us to Robeson County, N.C., the new “ground zero” for xylazine addiction. Further Reading: - Flesh-Rotting ‘Tranq’ Undermines Fight Against Fentanyl - Recovering From Drug Addiction Was Hard. Tranq Made It Worse. - Nurses Make House Calls to Treat ‘Tra...
Feb 21, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Meilin Keen was diagnosed with stomach cancer at 26. She’s part of a growing demographic of people who are getting cancer diagnoses before the age of 50. And doctors don’t know why. WSJ’s Brianna Abbott explains what we know so far. Further Reading: -Cancer Is Striking More Young People, and Doctors Are Alarmed and Baffled. -Many Cancers Are on the Rise in the U.S., Even as Overall Deaths Fall. -Uterine Cancer Was Easy to Treat. Now It’s Killing More Women Than Ever. Learn more about your ad cho...
Feb 20, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast For years, anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny has been an outspoken critic and political foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Today, Russian prison authorities reported Navalny died at the age of 47. WSJ’s Ann Simmons delves into Navalny’s life, death and what this moment means for Russia. Further Reading: - Alexei Navalny Spent His Final Years Hounded—but Undeterred—by the Kremlin - Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin’s Most Ardent Critic, Dies in Prison Further Listening: - Russia's Media Cra...
Feb 16, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unethical funeral homes have exploited grieving customers for decades. What consumers may not know is that many of the industry’s bad actors have been hidden from the public thanks to a sweetheart deal struck between the Federal Trade Commission and the funeral industry more than 25 years ago. WSJ’s Dominique Mosbergen unpacks her multi-year investigation. Further Reading: - How the Funeral Industry Got the FTC to Hide Bad Actors Further Listening: - FTC Chair Lina Khan on Microsoft Merger, Chat...
Feb 15, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman kicked off an AI revolution with the viral ChatGPT. Now, Altman has set his sights on another ambitious goal: Raise up to $7 trillion to overhaul the world’s semiconductor chip industry. WSJ’s Keach Hagey explains what the plan entails, and why skeptics think it will be an uphill battle. Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story Further Reading: - Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI - Raising Trillions of Dollars Might B...
Feb 14, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Five years ago, 23andMe was one of the buzziest startups in the world. Now, 23andMe’s stock is worth less than $1. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler unpacks the startup’s meteoric rise and fall. Further Reading and Watching: - 23andMe’s Fall From $6 Billion to Nearly $0 - How 23AndMe Went From a $6 Billion Valuation to a Penny Stock - 23andMe Mulls Possible Split, Shares Fall After Disappointing Results Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 13, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
