Last Friday, 8.5 million computers around the world stopped working. All kinds of businesses were impacted, from airlines to banks to hospitals. The cause was a routine update sent out by a software company called CrowdStrike. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how the meltdown happened and why Microsoft’s software was especially vulnerable. Further Reading: - Blue Screens Everywhere Are Latest Tech Woe for Microsoft - CrowdStrike Made Its Name Fighting Technology Problems. Now It Has Caused One. Fu...
Jul 23, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Sunday, President Joe Biden ended his bid for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Annie Linskey reports on Biden’s big decision and what lies ahead for Harris and the Democratic Party. Further Listening: - Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control - Will Biden Stay in the Race? Further Reading: - How the Bet on an 81-Year-Old Joe Biden Turned Into an Epic Miscalculation - Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Jul 22, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Republican National Convention came to a close Thursday night with a speech by presidential nominee Donald Trump that called for unity while also returning to familiar rhetoric. WSJ’s Molly Ball says it’s a remarkable turnaround for a candidate who was once an outsider, and has now remade the party in his image. Plus, Jessica Mendoza and Jacob Gallagher give the convention a fit check. Further Reading: - Trump Hasn’t Changed, but the GOP Has - Crypto Dads, Trump Suits and Four-Letter Words: ...
Jul 19, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musk has said he is committing around $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC, according to people familiar with the matter. He is the biggest name in tech now turning Donald Trump’s way. WSJ’s Emily Glazer reports on how Musk and others in Silicon Valley are throwing their support and money behind Trump’s campaign for president. Further Listening: - Tesla’s Multibillion-Dollar Pay Package for Elon Musk - Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla’s Board - Trump Courts the Union Vote Further R...
Jul 18, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held in Russia for more than a year on an espionage accusation that he, the U.S. government and The Wall Street Journal vehemently deny. Gershkovich will appear in court Thursday for another hearing. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore explores what we know about the secret trial and why even the Gershkovich’s defense lawyers are restricted from publicly discussing it. Further Reading: - The Shadowy Judicial System That Controls the Fate of WSJ’s Evan Gershkovich Furthe...
Jul 17, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last night at the Republican National Convention, Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spoke. O’Brien was the first Teamsters president to ever speak at an RNC and his presence represents a shift in union voters away from the Democratic Party. WSJ’s Paul Kiernan reports on why some union voters are interested in voting for former President Trump this election. Further Listening: -‘We’ll Strike All Three’: The UAW’s Historic Walkout Further Reading: -For Emba...
Jul 16, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Saturday, a shooter attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Now, the Secret Service is coming under scrutiny for failing to prevent it. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman and Ryan Barber on what we know about the shooter, and about what went wrong for the Secret Service. Further Reading: - Trump Rally Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks Said to Have Been Loner Who Rarely Voiced Politics - Trump Shooting Is Secret Service’s Most Stunning Failure in Decades Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Jul 15, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last fall, nude photos of a 14-year-old student started spreading around her high school. But they weren't real… they’d been created with AI. WSJ’s Julie Jargon breaks down how fake photos like these are a growing trend among teens and why it’s difficult to deal with. Further Reading: - ‘I Felt Shameful and Fearful’: Teen Who Saw AI Fake Nudes of Herself Speaks Out - AI Fake Nudes Are Now a Frightening Reality for Teens Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream - He Thought Instagram...
Jul 12, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Abercrombie & Fitch was the hottest teen clothing brand. Kids would flock to their local mall to get the expensive, moose-emblazoned apparel. But then, after a series of controversies and a change in fashion, the brand seemingly lost its edge. WSJ’s Katie Deighton reports on how Abercrombie & Fitch revived itself and embraced millennial women. Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash. - The Unraveling of Stitch Fix - Old Navy Tr...
Jul 11, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast After his first corruption case ended in a mistrial in 2017, Sen. Bob Menendez had a message for his supporters: “Today is resurrection day.” Now, Menendez is back in a courthouse facing new corruption charges. WSJ’s Corinne Ramey unpacks the case. Further Reading: - Menendez Declared His ‘Resurrection.’ Then He Fell in Love. Further Listening: - The 'Mystery Man' Tells Us How He Helped Free Rod Blagojevich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 10, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a stunning concession, Boeing agreed Sunday to plead guilty to misleading air-safety regulators ahead of two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. WSJ’s Andrew Tangel reports on Boeing’s long and complicated journey to the plea deal and what a felony record would mean for the company. Further Listening: -The Failures Inside Boeing’s 737 Factory -A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing Further Reading: -Boeing Agrees to Plead Guilty in 737 MAX Criminal Case -Inside DOJ’s Wrenching Decis...
Jul 09, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast After high-profile collapses and government crackdowns, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is one of the last big digital-asset founders standing. He speaks with Ryan Knutson about taking up the mantle, clashes with the SEC and the future of crypto. Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy - The Fall of (Another) Crypto King Further Reading and Watching: - Who Is Brian Armstrong? Coinbase CEO Is Taking On the SEC - Coinbase CEO Says He’ll Challenge the SEC for ‘Clarity’ on Crypto Learn mo...
Jul 08, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, sits down with Kate Linebaugh to talk about how the company is trying to keep customers happy despite rising prices and a shift towards healthier eating. Further Reading: - The Fast-Food Fight Over the $5 Meal Deal - A Day in the Life of a California Fast-Food Manager Who Makes Up to $174,000 Further Listening: - Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food - Beyond Meat Loses Its Sizzle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Jul 05, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pressure is mounting on President Joe Biden to step back as candidate for president. A new WSJ poll shows Biden has fallen six points behind Donald Trump and that 80% of respondents said they worry about Biden’s age. WSJ's Annie Linskey explores the rising panic inside the party, and how Biden’s tight inner circle is urging him to stay the course. Further Listening: - Behind Closed Doors, Biden's Age is Showing Further Reading: - Tight Inner Circle Urges Biden to Press On - Behind Closed Doors, ...
Jul 03, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a steep increase in migration, the United Kingdom turned to a controversial plan: sending migrants to Rwanda. But the plan has faced years of delays and legal challenges. Max Colchester explains why the U.K. pushed ahead, and what Rwanda stands to gain. Further Reading: - Britain’s Radical Plan to Tackle the Migrant Crisis Turns Into a Cautionary Tale Further Listening: - Smuggling Migrants Toward the U.S. Is a Booming Business - Texas Took On Border Security. Is It Working? - What the End...
Jul 02, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to prosecutors hoping to convict Donald Trump on charges he sought to subvert the 2020 election. The court ruled 6-3 that former presidents enjoy sweeping immunity for their acts while in office. WSJ's Jess Bravin discusses what this ruling could mean for the future of American democracy. Further Reading: -Supreme Court Deals Blow to Trump’s Prosecution, Ruling He Has Broad Immunity Further Listening: -Will the Supreme Court Kick Trump off the Ballot? -The Or...
Jul 01, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alice Waters helped the farm-to-table movement go mainstream in the U.S. through her restaurant Chez Panisse. In the decades since she has kept advocating for locally grown, organic food over the fast food Americans regularly consume. Kate Linebaugh sat down with Waters at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum. To watch a video of the conversation, check out the episode on Spotify. Further Listening: – Could Paris Hilton Create the 'Next Disney?' – Live from Seattle: A Weird Economy + Elec...
Jun 28, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tonight, two presidents, one current and one former, are set to debate live on CNN. The stakes are high for the candidates and for the network that’s been struggling to win viewers. WSJ’s Isabella Simonetti reports on how CNN is remaking the debate, and Annie Linskey analyzes what the format change could mean for the candidates. Further Reading: - Presidential Debate Carries Great Opportunity—and Risk—for CNN - Biden-Trump Debate Takes Shape - We Rewatched the 2020 Trump-Biden Debates. Here’s Wh...
Jun 27, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ukraine has sunk or damaged about two dozen Russian ships using a technical innovation: naval drones. WSJ’s James Marson unspools the story of the drones’ development and explores how they’re turning the tide in a key area of the war. Further Reading: - How Ukraine’s Naval Drones Turned the Tide in the Battle of the Black Sea Further Listening: - Ukraine Makes a Deal with Wall Street - Ukraine's $30 Billion Problem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 26, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rent has long been an expense people wanted to pay on credit cards. In 2022, Wells Fargo launched a credit card with Bilt Technologies that allowed users to pay for rent, avoid processing fees and earn points. But the partnership is costing Wells Fargo millions. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis reports. Further Listening: -The Fight Over Your Credit Card Swipe -The Deal That Could Change Credit Cards Further Reading: -Wells Fargo Bet on a Flashy Rent Credit Card. It Is Costing the Bank Dearly. Learn mo...
Jun 25, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast An activist investor says Southwest Airlines is stuck in the past. Elliott Investment Management says it has amassed a $1.9 billion stake, making it one of Southwest’s biggest shareholders and one of its most vocal critics. WSJ’s Alison Sider explains what Elliott wants, and why critics say some of the things that made Southwest great are now holding it back. Further Reading: - Southwest Changed Flying. Now It Can’t Change Fast Enough - Meet the Southwest Superfans Who Don’t Want the Airline to ...
Jun 24, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast For about a decade, Zyn, a brand of nicotine pouch, was a niche product used by former smokers. But now it’s exploded in popularity and is hard to find on store shelves. WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney explains how Zyn achieved social media virality and has found itself in the middle of a culture war. Further Reading: - Zyn Nicotine Pouches Take Off—and Land in the Culture Wars - Why America Is Running Low on Zyn Nicotine Pouches Further Listening: - The Juul Paradox - The ‘Existential Threat’ Facing Big...
Jun 21, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a day job and a side gig. Only one of them makes him rich. WSJ's Berber Jin explains how Altman makes most of his wealth through investing in tech startups and how some of those startups' business relationships with OpenAI raise questions about conflicts of interest. Further Reading: - The Opaque Investment Empire Making OpenAI’s Sam Altman Rich Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story - Tesla's Multibillion-Dollar Pay Package for Elon Musk Learn more about you...
Jun 20, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gum arabic is a widely used but little-known ingredient found in products like soda, gum, makeup and beer. But as WSJ’s Nicholas Bariyo and Alexandra Wexler report, the product has been used for a darker purpose: helping to fund the civil war in Sudan.Further Reading: -How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan -What Is Happening in Sudan? The Fighting Explained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 18, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yahya Sinwar is the Hamas leader inside Gaza who allegedly plotted the October 7th attacks. According to private messages reviewed by the WSJ, Sinwar believes that a rising Palestinian death toll—and the international condemnation it brings—is in the best interest of his cause. WSJ’s Rory Jones walks us through Sinwar’s strategy. Further Reading: - Gaza Chief’s Brutal Calculation: Civilian Bloodshed Will Help Hamas - The Hamas Leader Who Studied Israel’s Psyche—and Is Betting His Life on What He...
Jun 17, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tesla shareholders voted to reapprove Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package, signaling support for the EV maker’s CEO and giving the board ammunition in its fight to preserve the court-rejected compensation plan. WSJ’s David Benoit explores the fight to get Musk billions and why the Tesla board is so invested in making the huge pay package happen. Further Listening: - Elon Musk’s Unusual Relationships With Women at SpaceX - Why is Tesla Pulling Back on EV Charging? - Money, Drugs, Elon Mus...
Jun 14, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joshua Wright was a star in the world of antitrust, from his time at the Federal Trade Commission to his work with some of the biggest tech companies. He was well respected and powerful until accusations of sexual misconduct came to light. WSJ’s Brody Mullins talks us through his reporting on Wright’s downfall. Further Reading: - The Hidden Life of Google’s Secret Weapon - For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire? - Hubris, Revenge and a Breakup Brought...
Jun 13, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast The billionaire founder showed several female employees at SpaceX an unusual amount of attention or pursued them. WSJ's Joseph Palazzolo describes the revelations. Further Reading: -Elon Musk’s Boundary-Blurring Relationships With Women at SpaceX Further Listening: -Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla's Board -Elon Musk's 'Demon Mode' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 12, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The nation’s first congestion-pricing plan was set to take effect at the end of June. But last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called to indefinitely delay the program. WSJ's Jimmy Vielkind unpacks the surprising move and explores why Hochul made the 11th hour change. Further Reading: -New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Abruptly Halts Manhattan Congestion Pricing Further Listening: -NYC’s Food Delivery Workers Fight for a Minimum Wage -New York City's 'De Facto Ban' on Airbnb Learn more about your ad c...
Jun 11, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The fast-fashion giant hoped to have a splashy U.S. public offering this year. WSJ's Shen Lu explains how the divide between Beijing and Washington got in the way. Further Reading: - Shein Promised to Have a Big U.S. IPO. Its China Roots Got in the Way. - Fast-Fashion Giant Shein Files to Go Public Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash. - The Mysterious CEO Leading Shein to an IPO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 10, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
