Elon Musk's financial support for Republican causes has been much more extensive and started earlier than previously known. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli reports on Musk’s rightward political shift and explains how he hid his donations. Further Listening: - Elon Musk and Silicon Valley Turn Towards Trump Further Reading: - Elon Musk Gave Tens of Millions to Republican Causes Far Earlier Than Previously Known - Inside Elon Musk’s Hands-On Push to Win 800,000 Voters for Trump - How Elon Musk Broke With Bide...
Oct 09, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast WSJ reporting has revealed a major cyberattack from a group tied to the Chinese government. Hackers penetrated the networks of several broadband providers and gained access to the U.S. domestic wiretapping system. Dustin Volz unpacks what the attack could mean for national security. Further Listening: - ‘Hack Me If You Can’ - Hacking the Hackers Further Reading: - U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack - Chinese-Linked Hackers Breach U.S. Internet Providers in New ‘Salt Typhoon’ Cybe...
Oct 08, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Asheville, North Carolina, was thriving until floodwaters and heavy wind from Hurricane Helene ripped through the region and destroyed large parts of the city's commercial districts. We talk to two business owners who are trying to figure out what comes next. Further Reading: -The Hurricane That Threatens to Sink Asheville’s Feel-Good Success -North Carolina in Crisis Mode as Helene Rescues Continue Further Listening: -Hot, Dry and Booming: A Texas Climate Case Study -‘Everything Is Gone’ — One ...
Oct 07, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy announced a deal to restart Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island, the site of the country’s worst nuclear power accident. WSJ’s Jennifer Hiller reports that the goal is to power the tech giant’s growing artificial intelligence ambitions. Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's Big Bet on AI Further Reading: - Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant to Reopen, Help Power Microsoft’s AI Centers Learn more about your ad ...
Oct 04, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The vice-presidential candidates took center stage at a debate this week. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the important takeaways, and Rachel Humphreys speaks to a listener about why she’s thinking about climate change this election. Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist - Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy! - Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate Further Reading: - JD Vance’s Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing Learn more about your ad cho...
Oct 04, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Under CEO John Donahoe, Nike pulled away from retailers and ramped up production of its classic sneaker lines. Now sales have plummeted, the company has lost market share to competitors and Donahoe is stepping down. WSJ's Inti Pacheco discusses what went wrong. Further Reading: -Nike CEO John Donahoe Stepping Down After Rocky Tenure -How Nike Missed the Boom in Running Culture -Nike Reverses Course as Innovation Stalls and Rivals Gain Ground Further Listening: -Nike’s Sneaky Sneaker Thieves -How...
Oct 03, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Israel is now fighting on multiple fronts, after clashing with Hezbollah in Lebanon and sustaining Iranian strikes yesterday. WSJ’s Michael Amon explains the growing risk of an all-out regional war. Further Reading: - Israel Clashes With Hezbollah in Lebanon - Israeli Response to Iran’s Attack to Set Course of Widening War - Israeli Review Shows Minor Damage From Iran’s Missile Barrage Further Listening: - Exploding Pagers and the Risk of a Spreading War - The Brutal Calculation of Hamas’s Leade...
Oct 02, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In less than two years, OpenAI—the company behind ChatGPT—has gone from a little-known nonprofit lab to a world-famous organization at the forefront of an artificial intelligence revolution. But the company has faced a series of challenges, culminating last week in another high-profile departure and the decision to become a for-profit corporation. WSJ’s Deepa Seetharaman discusses the permanent change to OpenAI's ethos and what it could mean for the AI industry. Further Listening: - Artificial: ...
Oct 01, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Department of Justice is taking Visa, the largest card network in the U.S., to court, accusing the company of illegally monopolizing the debit card market. WSJ's Angel Au-Yeung breaks down the Justice Department's allegations. Further Listening: - The Unusual Economics of the Bilt Credit Card - The Deal That Could Change Credit Cards - The Trustbuster Taking on Ticketmaster Further Reading: - Justice Department Sues Visa, Alleges Illegal Monopoly in Debit-Card Payments - Google Faces Blockbu...
Sep 30, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The mayor of America’s largest city likes to say he’s been “rejected, arrested and then elected.” Now, he’s been indicted. WSJ’s Jimmy Vielkind unpacks the unprecedented federal foreign bribery case against Eric Adams. Further Listening: -Gold Bars, Cash and a Mercedes: A U.S. Senator's Corruption Trial Further Reading: -Inside the Eric Adams Indictment -After the Eric Adams Indictment, What’s Next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 27, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast After two big economic speeches this week, Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball discuss the candidates’ different economic strategies. Plus, voting has begun! We explore mail in voting and its impact on this election! Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist - Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate - Red, White and Who? A Swing-State Debate Further Reading: - Harris Puts Government Intervention at Heart of Economic Policy - Trump Says Plan Will Convince Foreign Companies to Shift J...
Sep 27, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Milton Magnus, an Alabama businessman who runs one of the last makers of wire hangers in the U.S., has waged a decades-long tariff battle against Chinese manufacturers to try to stay afloat. We hear from Magnus and we talk to Chao Deng about th e effectiveness of tariffs as the trade tool becomes more popular with politicians. Further Listening: -Why China Is Risking a Trade War -The Fight Over U.S. Steel and the Community Caught in the Middle Further Reading: -The Family Business in Alabama Tha...
Sep 26, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former president Donald Trump wants to be the crypto president. With stops at a bitcoin conference and a bitcoin-themed bar, Trump is tapping into an industry that’s eager to support a crypto-friendly candidate. WSJ’s Vicky Huang explains how Trump and the crypto industry have cozied up ahead of the 2024 election. Further Reading: - Trump Hitches His Campaign to the Crypto Crowd - That Time Donald Trump Walked Into a Bar and Bought a Round Using Bitcoin - The Crypto Industry Is Trying to Elect P...
Sep 25, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast This month, Red Lobster emerged from bankruptcy. At the helm of the restaurant chain is its new CEO, 35-year-old Damola Adamolekun. Ryan Knutson talks to Adamolekun about what brought about Red Lobster’s decline and his plan to revitalize the company. Further Listening: - McDonald’s Wants To Offer Quality And Value. Can It Do Both? Further Reading: - The 35-Year-Old CEO Plotting Red Lobster’s Comeback - Red Lobster Exits Chapter 11 Bankruptcy With New Owners, CEO Learn more about your ad choices...
Sep 24, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christian filmmakers have surprised Hollywood with a series of box office hits and now investors are pouring in millions. WSJ’s John Jurgensen explains how their successes could change the entertainment industry. Further Reading: - Religious Movies Are Sweeping Hollywood. Rich Investors Are Pouring In Millions. - Fans Pour Funding - and Faith - Into a Hit Drama About Jesus - A Child-Trafficking Thriller Is Taking on Hollywood. Who’s behind it? Further Listening: - With Great Power, Part 1: Origi...
Sep 23, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Federal Reserve cut interest rates this week, after a two year battle with inflation. David Uberti explains how that will impact the economy and we hear from two couples about what they hope this means for their finances. Further Listening: - A Fed Insider on the Looming Rate Cut - What the Stock Market Panic Says About the Economy - Trump Allies Draft Plans to Rein in the Fed Further Reading: - Americans Are Desperate for Relief. The Rate Cut Is a Glimmer of Hope. - The Fed Aims to Repeat G...
Sep 20, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball and Rachel Humphreys about their recent trip to Ohio, where they talked to voters about a tight Senate race and why it might matter so much for both parties. Plus, look at another important Senate race in Montana. Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist - Red, White and Who? A Swing-State Debate - Red, White, and Who? How Abortion Plays for Trump and Harris Further Reading: - A Populist Democrat Fights to Survive the Trump-Fueled Populist Wave Learn m...
Sep 20, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Tuesday afternoon, thousands of pagers issued to Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon exploded at the same time, killing 12 people and injuring more than 2,800. The next day, walkie-talkies detonated in a similar way. Michael Amon reports on one of Israel’s most ambitious covert operations and what the attacks could mean for a broader war. Further Listening: -The Brutal Calculation of Hamas’s Leader -Why Israel and Hamas Could Be Headed Into a Forever War Further Reading: -How a Covert Attack Agai...
Sep 19, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Organized crime used to be considered a remote threat in much of Western Europe, but ruthless violence by criminal gangs is now rattling the peace in some of the world’s safest societies. WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen explores the rise of one drug kingpin and how his brutal tactics have spread around the continent. Further Reading: - Violent Drug Gangs Bring Mayhem to Western Europe Further Listening: - The Push to Test Drugs for Fentanyl - Afghanistan's Desperation Economy Learn more about your ad choic...
Sep 18, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, a trial got under way to determine whether Rupert Murdoch can change a trust holding the family’s assets for his children. Murdoch wants to ensure that when he dies control of the trust passes to his oldest son, Lachlan. Three of his other children, James, Elisabeth and Prudence, oppose the change because they would stand to lose voting power. Amol Sharma reports. Further Listening: - Media Giant Rupert Murdoch Is Stepping Down - Behind the Breakup of Fox and Tucker Carlson Further Re...
Sep 17, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tens of thousands of Boeing’s unionized workers are on strike after they rejected a new contract last week. WSJ’s Sharon Terlep reports on the rising tensions that have led to this breaking point and what it could mean for the only American manufacturer of both commercial and military aircraft. Further Reading: - Boeing Freezes Hiring, Delays Pay Raises as Strike Worsens Finances - Boeing Union Goes on Strike, Halting 737 Production Further Listening: - Boeing's Long Flight Delay – in Space - Bo...
Sep 16, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Scammers are exploiting retailers’ online return programs like never before, fueled by websites and messaging apps. WSJ’s Liz Young reports on the bind retailers now find themselves in, stuck between helping their customers and stopping the fraud. Further Reading: - Online Returns Fraud Finds a Home on Telegram, Costing Retailers Billions - Brick-Filled Boxes. Bogus Receipts. Retailers Battle Fraudulent Returns. Further Listening: - How Cyber Thieves Are Disrupting U.S. Goods - The Slaves Sendin...
Sep 13, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a tense debate, Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball unpack a busy election week and examine what’s next for both campaigns in crucial swing states like Pennsylvania. Plus, could a state like Nebraska decide the election? Further Listening: - Red, White, and Who? How Abortion Plays for Trump and Harris - For Kamala Harris, a Big Interview and a Narrow Lead - Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track? Further Reading: - We Asked Undecided Voters Who Won the Trump-Harris Debate Learn more about your ad c...
Sep 13, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Biden, Vice President Harris and former President Trump have all signaled their opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel. But, as Kris Maher reports, views on the deal are more complex in the place it could matter most: Pittsburgh. Further Listening: -Why China Is Risking a Trade War Further Reading: -Biden Prepares to Block $14 Billion Steel Deal -Japan Bid for U.S. Steel Runs Up Against U.S. Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Sep 12, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Testosterone therapy is booming, touting a boost at the gym and in the bedroom, but the potential side effects (like infertility) are less well known. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler on the clinics making millions on this growing industry. Further Reading: - Testosterone Clinics Sell Virility. Some Men End Up With Infertility. Further Listening: - Trillion Dollar Shot, Episode 1: Birth of a Blockbuster - The Rise of Botox and the Wrinkle in Its Future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Sep 11, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast North Korean cybercriminals have developed a new way to access networks in corporate America: getting IT jobs. According to U.S. officials, hundreds of U.S. companies have unknowingly hired North Korean operatives in information-technology roles. Dustin Volz explores how these spies get hired, and one CEO describes how his company fell for the scheme. Further Listening: - How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto - North Korea’s Propaganda Mastermind - The Cyberattack That’s Roili...
Sep 10, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast WSJ’s Alexander Osipovich explores the world of political betting. We meet a trader making big money making predictions on the upcoming U.S. elections over a platform called Polymarket and examine the fight that is brewing with regulators over the practice. Further Reading: - Meet the Traders Making Money Off the Trump Shooting and Biden’s Stumbles - Judge Holds Off on Allowing Election Bets–For Now - The Hot New Trade That Everyone Is Watching: Will Biden Drop Out? Further Listening: - How Gamb...
Sep 09, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kyle, Texas is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. It is also facing heat and drought that has been exacerbated by climate change and is expected to get worse. Matt Wirz reports on the tensions in Kyle as the city continues to build, even as it runs low on water. Further Listening: - A Plan to Hack the Planet Further Reading: - This Texas City Is Too Hot, Short on Water—and Booming - Welcome to Y’all Street, Texas’ Burgeoning Financial Hub Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Sep 06, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who will win the race to the White House? A new series from The Journal podcast explores the issues that are shaping this election. This week, Ryan Knutson and WSJ’s Molly Ball delve into reproductive rights, examining how the issue is playing out for both Democrats and Republicans. Plus..what makes a state a swing state? Further Listening: - For Kamala Harris, a Big Interview and a Narrow Lead - Hope, Unity (and Some Nerves at the DNC) - Is the Trump Campaign Going Off Track? Learn more about y...
Sep 06, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast This month, for the first time in over two years, the U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut interest rates. Mary Daly, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, is one of 12 people who will decide how aggressive that cut should be. She talks to Kate about inflation, unemployment, the economy and Taylor Swift. Further Listening: - What the Stock Market Panic Says About the Economy - Why the Fed Is Steering Away From Rate Cuts Further Reading: - The Make-or-Break Moment ...
Sep 05, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
