The National Basketball Association is in advanced stages of a new round of media-rights deals. WSJ’s Amol Sharma unpacks why several major media players are jostling for the lucrative rights. Further Reading: -NBC Prepares $2.5-Billion-a-Year Bid to Pluck NBA Rights From TNT -Amazon, YouTube Vie for NBA Streaming Rights as League’s Media Talks Heat Up Further Listening: -Why Three Media Giants Are Betting on Sports Streaming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 02, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Monday, Bob Bakish stepped down as CEO of Paramount, one of America’s most iconic media companies. WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel reports on how Bakish’s relationship with Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount, has deteriorated amidst one of the messiest merger dramas in recent history. Further Reading: - A Media Heiress’s Bid to Sell Sets Off Mayhem Inside Paramount - How Bob Bakish, the Anti-Mogul CEO, Struggled to Rescue Paramount - Shari Redstone’s Path to Power Further Listening: - Why Buying Paramo...
May 01, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump's allies have drafted plans to curb the Federal Reserve’s independence, should Trump win a second term. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia unpacks the proposals, which include giving the president a say in interest-rate decisions. Further Reading: -Trump Allies Draw Up Plans to Blunt Fed’s Independence -Why Inflation Is Biden’s Most Stubborn Political Problem -Even If the Fed Cuts, the Days of Ultralow Rates Are Over Further Listening: -Why the Fed Is Steering Away From Rate Cuts -The Man Who W...
Apr 30, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast For almost a decade, Amazon staff went undercover on Walmart, eBay and other marketplaces selling products under the guise of a company called ‘Big River.’ WSJ’s Dana Mattioli reports on the secret arm of Amazon that surreptitiously gathers intelligence on its competitors. Further Reading: -Inside Amazon’s Secret Operation to Gather Intel on Rivals -Inside Amazon’s Push to Crack Trader Joe’s—and Dominate Everything Further Listening: -TikTok Wants to Be More Like Amazon. Amazon Wants to Be More ...
Apr 29, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jamie Dimon discusses his concerns about the future of the economy, the effect of overseas wars and the importance of U.S. leadership in a wide-ranging interview with WSJ’s Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker. Further Watching: -Jamie Dimon on the Economy, Geopolitical Risks and AI: Full Interview Further Listening: -Why the Fed Is Steering Away From Rate Cuts -Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 26, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast With a fresh round of pro-Palestinian protests sweeping campuses nationwide, university administrators are cracking down. WSJ’s Melissa Korn explains what students are demanding and what it could mean for campus life going forward. Further Reading: -At Columbia, Discontent Grows Over Shafik’s Handling of Crisis -Pro-Palestinian Protests Force Colleges to Rethink Graduation Plans Further Listening: -Big Donors Clash with Universities Over Antisemitism, Free Speech Learn more about your ad choices...
Apr 25, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Less than six years after a Supreme Court ruling paved the way for legal sports gambling, U.S. sports leagues are facing an onslaught of betting scandals. The latest example is Jontay Porter, a little-known NBA player, who has been given a lifetime ban for betting on games. WSJ’s Jared Diamond unpacks how major leagues are confronting the darker sides of sports betting with alarming frequency. Further Reading: -NBA Player Banned for Life for Betting on Games -America Made a Huge Bet on Sports Ga...
Apr 24, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the course of 19 days, U.S. officials raced to contain escalating tensions between Israel and Iran amid a series of attacks. WSJ’s Michael R. Gordon on what was going on behind the scenes as the White House worked to prevent a bigger conflict. Further Reading: -Inside the White House’s Frenetic Scramble to Avert a Full-Blown Middle East War -How the U.S. Forged a Fragile Middle Eastern Alliance to Repel Iran’s Israel Attack Further Listening: -A Deadly Strike on Aid Workers in Gaza -A Deadl...
Apr 23, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former President Donald Trump is expected to spend the next six weeks in a Manhattan courtroom, defending himself against accusations he covered up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. WSJ’s Corinne Ramey was in the courtroom for opening statements and WSJ’s Molly Ball unpacks what this trial could mean for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Further Reading: -Trump’s Hush-Money Trial: What to Know as the Case Begins -Donald Trump Played Central Role in Hush Payoffs to Stormy Daniel...
Apr 22, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Reports of freight fraud are on the rise, vexing trucking companies and regulators. And victims say that they aren’t getting any real help from law enforcement. WSJ’s Inti Pacheco unpacks one form of this fraud, called double brokering, and a trucking executive explains his personal efforts to stop the scammers. Further Reading: - A Brazen Yogurt Heist Shows How Cyber Gangs Are Hijacking U.S. Goods - Growing Freight Fraud is Peeling Millions From the U.S. Shipping Market Further Listening: - Nik...
Apr 19, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s not just the cost of buying a home that’s going up. It’s also the hidden costs — like taxes, maintenance and insurance — that are going through the roof. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman explains why these prices are rising so fast, and what it means for the housing market. Further Listening: -'It's on Fire': Why the Housing Market Is Booming Further Reading: -The Hidden Costs of Homeownership Are Skyrocketing -Home Buyers Are Ready to Buy. But Sellers Aren’t Selling. Learn more about your ad choices....
Apr 18, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yesterday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called into question whether the Fed will be able to lower interest rates this year as hoped. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos on how the Fed’s outlook on the economy has changed. Further Reading: - Powell Dials Back Expectations on Rate Cuts - Fed Rate Cuts Are Now a Matter of If, Not Just When Further Listening: - Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy - Inflation Is Down. Unemployment Is Low. Is This a Soft Landing? Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Apr 17, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cities such as San Francisco and Chicago are trying to save their downtown office districts from spiraling into a doom loop. St. Louis is already trapped in one, with abandoned buildings, vacant offices and shuttered shops and restaurants. WSJ’s Konrad Putzier unpacks the lessons from downtown St. Louis’s doom loop. Further Reading: -The Real Estate Nightmare Unfolding in Downtown St. Louis -Commercial Real-Estate Woes Run Deeper Than in Past Downturns -Can San Francisco Save Itself From the Doo...
Apr 16, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast SpaceX’s satellite-internet devices are ending up in the hands of American adversaries and accused war criminals. WSJ’s Thomas Grove and Micah Maidenberg explain how the technology is being used illegally in multiple conflicts around the world. Further Listening: - Amazon Takes On SpaceX in Battle for Space Internet - When Elon Musk Moves In Next Door Further Reading: - The Black Market That Delivers Elon Musk’s Starlink to U.S. Foes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 15, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Caitlin Clark has lifted women’s college basketball to new heights, setting records on and off the court. Now the Iowa superstar is going pro and joining the WNBA. WSJ’s Rachel Bachman on what Caitlin Clark’s huge popularity might mean for the sometimes-struggling women’s league. Further Reading: - Caitlin Clark Drew 18.7 Million Viewers to Women’s Basketball. Will It Last? - Before Caitlin Clark Dominated Women’s Basketball, She Dominated These Boys Further Listening: - The TikTok That Changed ...
Apr 12, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Providing child care for employees may not seem like a savvy business choice, but some companies swear by it. WSJ’s Harriet Torry explores the different approaches – and the benefits – at businesses both large and small. Further Listening: - The Labor Shortage That's Causing More Labor Shortages Further Reading: - What One Employer Found When It Started Providing Child Care - More Companies Start to Offer Daycare at Work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 11, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, the Arizona Supreme Court revived an abortion ban enacted in 1864, decades before the state's formation. WSJ's Laura Kusisto explains how the 160-year-old law could impact the 2024 election. Further Listening: -The Abortion Pill’s Uncertain Future -Kansas’ Big Abortion Vote -The Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade Further Reading: -Arizona Supreme Court Bans Nearly All Abortions, Reviving 160-Year-Old Law -Why Arizona Will Be Ground Zero for the 2024 Abortion Fight Learn more about yo...
Apr 10, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Biden administration is proposing a sweeping initiative to slash student debt for nearly 30 million borrowers. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia unpacks the proposal and explains why it marks a major new White House effort to try to appeal to progressives and young voters seven months before the November election. Further Listening: - Breaking Down Student Debt Relief - How Biden Plans to Tackle Student Debt Further Reading: - Biden’s Student-Loan Plan Seeks to Slash Debt for 30 Million Americans Learn...
Apr 09, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast No Labels, the centrist group which was trying to field a third-party presidential candidate, is abandoning its efforts to find someone to lead its “unity ticket.” WSJ’s Ken Thomas explains how the group spent millions of dollars and months of work but ultimately came up short. Further Reading: - How the No Labels 2024 Presidential Campaign Failed to Launch Further Listening: - Donald Trump’s Meme Stock Moment - Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Apr 08, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is in China trying to discourage government officials and business leaders from flooding the world with cheap goods. WSJ’s Andrew Duehren is traveling with Yellen, and explores how her thinking on China has changed with shifting global market forces. Further Listening: - Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy - How China's BYD Overtook Tesla Further Reading: - Janet Yellen Missed the First ‘China Shock.’ Can She Stop the Second? - China Shock 2.0 Sparks Gl...
Apr 05, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast In January, a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 MAX plane during an Alaska Airlines flight. Informal communication logs between workers at the Boeing plant where the plane was assembled reveal disarray, repeated production delays and crews who apparently didn’t follow procedures. WSJ's Sharon Terlep reviewed the logs and explains what they reveal. Further Reading: - The Disarray Inside Boeing’s 737 Factory Before the Door Plug Blowout - Boeing’s Next CEO Will Have ‘Massive Job’ at Company in Cris...
Apr 04, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amid an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli airstrike. WSJ’s Stephen Kalin takes listeners inside the increasingly challenging process to get aid to civilians in Gaza. Further Listening: - Chef José Andrés: How to Feed People in an Emergency - The Hospital at the Center of Israel’s War on Hamas - For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There's No Way Out Further Reading: - Israel Confronts Fallout After Strike That Kille...
Apr 03, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Disney's business has been struggling in recent years, and there's a fight over how to fix it. On one side is Nelson Peltz, an activist investor, who is campaigning for a seat on Disney's board of directors. On the other side is CEO Bob Iger, who doesn't want Peltz anywhere near his company. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan explains who might win and what it could mean for the iconic brand. Further Reading: -Disney Winning Proxy Fight Against Trian With More Than Half of Votes Cast -Nelson Peltz Wins Key End...
Apr 02, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Michael O’Leary has been running Ryanair for the past 30 years — the longest tenure of any major airline boss. During that time he has turned a paltry operation that flew 200,000 customers a year into a low-cost behemoth, with passenger numbers set to reach close to 200 million this year. WSJ’s Benjamin Katz profiles the colorful CEO, who is now on the verge of earning a more than $100 million bonus. Further Reading: - The F-Bomb-Dropping Airline CEO About to Earn a $100 Million-Plus Bonus Furth...
Apr 01, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast A gang of young criminals. A more than $30 million ransom. Casinos in disarray. WSJ’s Robert McMillan brings us inside a cyberattack that brought mayhem to the Las Vegas Strip. Further Reading: - The Audacious MGM Hack That Brought Chaos to Las Vegas Further Listening: - How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto - Hacking the Hackers - Hack Me If You Can Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 29, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys attend Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentencing hearing and parse through the reasoning behind Judge Lewis Kaplan’s ruling and what a 25 year sentence could mean for the former CEO of FTX. Further Listening: - The Trail of Crypto’s Golden Boy Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence-And Long Odds On Appeal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 29, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Not long ago, Donald Trump’s social-media company, Truth Social, seemed like it was on life support. But when the company went public this week, its stock soared. WSJ’s Amrith Ramkumar explains how Truth Social’s valuation shot up despite its weak revenue and user numbers, and what it could mean for Trump’s financial and political future. Further Reading: - Truth Social Stock Price Surges on First Day of Trading, Increasing Trump’s Fortune - Trump Can Post Smaller $175 Million Bond in Civil Frau...
Mar 28, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Early Tuesday morning, a 1,000-foot container ship lost power and plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge leaving six people still unaccounted for. The bridge collapsed, cutting off the port and a major traffic artery for Baltimore. WSJ’s Cameron McWhirter discusses the potential impact of the collapse on the local community and the wider region. Further Reading: -Baltimore Bridge Crash Investigators to Examine Whether Dirty Fuel Played Role in Accident -Bridge Collapse Resets U.S. Supply Chain...
Mar 27, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys dive into a mountain of court filings to understand the arguments that will be made at Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentencing hearing. His defense team is arguing for a 6-year sentence, but the government thinks Bankman-Fried should serve 40 to 50 years. Which side will win out? Further Listening: - The Trail of Crypto’s Golden Boy Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence-And Long Odds On Appeal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Mar 27, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bayer is throwing out the corporate playbook to try a radical experiment: getting rid of a huge swath of its bosses. After years of tumbling stock prices, the company has decided to give workers more decision-making power. WSJ's Chip Cutter talks about how this boss-less plan is being implemented among Bayer's 100,000 employees. Further Reading: -One CEO’s Radical Fix for Corporate Troubles: Purge the Bosses -The Boss Wants to Make You More Efficient Further Listening: -The New Layoff: On a Wedn...
Mar 26, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
