The Journal.

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 Deadly Drone Attack and Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Daniels and Karen McDougal  Further Listening: -Donald Trump Is Charged on 34 Felony Counts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: - Nike’s Sneaky Sneaker Thieves  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Doom Loop?  Further Listening: -The Downfall of a Real Estate Empire  -What’s Keeping Zombie Malls Alive?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 College Hoops  - The Kiss Rocking Women’s Soccer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Global Backlash Against Flood of Cheap Goods  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Crisis  - Justice Department Opens Probe, Interviews Crew in Alaska Airlines Blowout  Further Listening: - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  - The Pressure Inside Boeing  - How the Grounded Boeing Jet Shook the Airline Industry  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Killed Seven Gaza Aid Workers  - Celebrity Chef José Andrés Says Aid Workers Killed in Gaza  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Endorsement in Disney Battle  -Nelson Peltz Fights Disney—and Turmoil at His Own Fund  Further Listening: -The Troubled Second Act of Disney CEO Bob Iger  -Disney Wars: Attack of the Activist Investor  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Further Listening: - How Southwest Airlines Melted Down  - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  - The Love Triangle Over Spirit Airlines  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 Fraud Case  - Dear Donald Trump, Here’s How to Manage Your Stock-Market Fortune  Further Listening: - Trump Needs $450 Million He Doesn’t Have  - Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Chains  -How a Night Shift on Baltimore Bridge Turned Deadly  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/adchoices

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 Wednesday On Zoom  -The End of the GE Era  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Listening: - One Company’s Quest to Burst Apple’s Blue Bubble Texts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/adchoices

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: - Inside One Publisher’s Fight Against Book Bans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Want to Be Shareholders, Too?  - Reddit Eyes Valuation of Up to $6.5 Billion in IPO  Further Listening: - ‘To the Moon’  - An Oral History of WallStreetBets  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Latest Senior Goldman Executive to Depart  -Goldman Sachs to Pay $215 Million to Settle Female Employees’ Discrimination Case  Further Listening: -The War Inside Goldman Sachs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 for a Real-Life Currency Crisis  - Binance Employees to Remain in Custody in Nigeria  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: - A Psychiatrist Tried to Quit Gambling. Betting Apps Kept Her Hooked.  Further Listening: - Disney Gets Into Gambling   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Change Healthcare Hack Crisis  - UnitedHealth Aims to Restore Change Healthcare Systems Within Two Weeks  Further Listening: - The Ruthless Group Behind Ransomware Attacks on Hospitals  - Ransomware, a Pipeline and a Gas Shortage  - Why Crypto is Key to Stopping Ransomware  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Reading: -How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It  -TikTok Crackdown Shifts Into Overdrive, With Sale or Shutdown on Table  -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Phones in the U.S.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 Device on Chinese Cranes at U.S. Ports  Further Listening: - The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  - How a Balloon Burst U.S.-China Relations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Basketball Team Makes Latest Bid for Unionization by College Athletes  - College Sports Powers Stall Bid to Share Revenue With Athletes in California  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, Elon Musk and Tesla’s Board  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Start to the 2024 Presidential Election  - The Deepfake Election Has Arrived  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Party  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Prisoner Turned Recruit  -Actors Recorded Videos for ‘Vladimir.’ It Turned Into Russian Propaganda.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Out of Bankruptcy by Fortress, Soros Fund  - Essence in Talks to Buy Refinery29 From Embattled Publisher Vice Media  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Fairs. Then Came the Backlash.  Further Listening: - Scholastic’s Succession Drama  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT  - OpenAI’s Weekend of Absolute Chaos  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Being Sold in a Fire Sale.  Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 ‘Tranq’ Wounds for Users at Society’s Edge  Further Listening: - Why Some Opioid Victims Are Challenging Purdue’s Settlement  - How a Drug Maker Plans to Cut Off Money for Opioid Victims   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Crackdown: 'The Future is Pretty Dark'  - The Plane Crash That Killed Yevgeny Prigozhin  - Inside Russia’s Spy Unit Targeting Americans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, ChatGPT and Her Court Losses  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Be the Easy Part of Altman’s Chip Plan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

While the National Football League was getting ready for yesterday’s Super Bowl, major news was announced that caught high-level NFL executives off guard: Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery said they are teaming up to create a new sports streaming service. WSJ’s Joe Flint explains what we know about the new venture and how it could change sports broadcasting. Further Reading: -ESPN, Fox and Warner Team Up to Create Sports Streaming Platform  -Why Three Media Giants Made a Hail Mary Bet on Sports Streaming  Further Listening: -ESPN’s Big Bet on an F-Bomb-Throwing YouTube Star  -How Americans Watch Sports is Changing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 49ers contend for Super Bowl rings this Sunday, the team has another battle to fight. The 49ers are in a decadelong war with their home city of Santa Clara over whether the team's $1 billion stadium is providing the economic boost promised. WSJ’s Zusha Elinson unpacks the conflict, which has involved lawsuits and heated local elections. Further Reading: - Why the 49ers and Their Home City Are in a Decadelong Fight  Further Listening: - The Long-Last Super Bowl  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In December, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump couldn’t appear on the presidential ballot because his actions on January 6 disqualified him. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. WSJ’s Jan Wolfe listened to today’s arguments, and explains why it appears the decision will likely be overturned.  Further Listening: - The Prosecutor Bringing a Racketeering Case Against Trump  - Meet Jack Smith, the Special Counsel Prosecuting Trump  - Pro-Trump Mob Storms the Capitol  Further Reading and Watching: - Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Challenge to Donald Trump’s Ballot Eligibility  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music from major artists like Taylor Swift and The Weeknd has been muted on TikTok after a licensing deal fell apart. WSJ’s Anne Steele breaks down what happened to billions of videos and why the two companies are at loggerheads over the terms of a new deal. Further Reading and Watching: - Bad Blood: Why TikTok Videos With Taylor Swift and Other Universal Artists Are Now Silent  - Universal Music Group Poised to Stop Licensing Music to TikTok  Further Listening: - How TikTok Became the World's Favorite App  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Cuban is best known as a panelist on the reality TV show “Shark Tank” and for his ownership of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Now, the billionaire investor is switching gears. This will be his last season on “Shark Tank,'' and he recently sold a majority stake in the Mavericks. Instead, he’s focusing more on an industry he wants to disrupt: healthcare.   Further Reading: -Mark Cuban Enters Elon Musk’s Echoverse of Madness -Mark Cuban Is Set to Sell Majority Stake in Dallas Mavericks to Adelson Family  -Mark Cuban Has a New Job: Working at an Online Discount Pharmacy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk and some members of Tesla's board of directors have deep personal and financial ties. The connections are an extreme blurring of friendship and fortune and raise questions among some shareholders about the independence of the board members charged with overseeing Musk. WSJ's Rebecca Elliott reports. Further Reading: - The Money and Drugs That Tie Elon Musk to Some Tesla Directors  - Elon Musk’s $55.8 Billion Tesla Pay Package Struck Down by Judge  - Elon Musk Has Used Illegal Drugs, Worrying Leaders at Tesla and SpaceX  Further Listening: - Elon Musk's 'Demon Mode'  - Elon Musk on Why He Wants More Robots and Less Government  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, no aid group has the reach of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the organization that for decades has provided schooling, healthcare and other assistance to Palestinian refugees in Gaza. But an Israeli intelligence report alleges that 12 UNRWA staff members were directly linked to the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. As WSJ’s David Luhnow explains, the fallout could put millions of lives on the line in Gaza. Further Listening: The Hospital at the Center of Israel’s War on Hamas  For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There’s No Way Out  Further Reading A U.N. Agency Is Accused of Links to Hamas. The Clues Were There All Along.  Intelligence Reveals Details of U.N. Agency Staff’s Links to Oct. 7 Attack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paramount Global is a media titan and lately potential buyers have been circling, hoping to get some of its parts. But as WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel explains, there’s a problem. The company’s owner is only interested in selling the whole thing. Further Reading: -Allen Media Group Makes $14.3 Billion Offer for Paramount Global  -Skydance Backers Explore All-Cash Deal To Gain Control of Paramount  -Warner and Paramount CEOs Discussed Possible Merger of Companies  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. and the European Union have promised Ukraine billions of dollars in new financial aid to keep the country running as the war with Russia drags on. But both pledges have been delayed by political infighting in Washington and Brussels. WSJ’s Chelsey Dulaney reports that without this foreign money, the Ukrainian government could be forced to take painful economic measures to stay afloat.  Further Reading: - Ukraine’s $30 Billion Problem: How to Keep Fighting Without Foreign Aid  Further Listening: - Ukraine Makes a Deal With Wall Street  - Three Ukrainians on Enduring a Year of War  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Argentine President Javier Milei took office in December promising a free-market revolution to fix the country’s ailing economy. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Milei explained his agenda, which includes privatizing state companies and slashing government spending. WSJ’s Ryan Dubé unpacks Milei's goals and the challenges he faces. Further Reading and Watching: - Argentina’s President Promised a Free-Market Revolution, and Says He’s Delivering  - Argentina’s Libertarian President Urges Global Leaders in Davos to Embrace Free Market  - Argentina’s Inflation Surges After New President Cuts Subsidies  Further Listening: - Why Protesters Rioted in Brazil’s Capital  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 injured in a drone strike in Jordan on Sunday. It’s the latest in a series of attacks in the Middle East by armed militia groups linked to Iran. WSJ’s Sune Engel Rasmussen explains how Iran uses these groups to fight proxy wars and to extend its influence in the region.  Further Reading: - Three U.S. Troops Killed in Drone Attack in Jordan  - U.S. Failed to Stop Attack in Jordan After Mixup Over Drone Identity  Further Listening: - ‘We Were Attacked’: Militants Upend Global Shipping  - Will Israel Face a Second Front?  - Cheap Drones Are Transforming the Battlefield  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev owned art by da Vinci, Picasso and Magritte. But over more than a decade, he says his trusted art dealer defrauded him by as much as $1 billion. WSJ’s Kelly Crow tells us about the case that Rybolovlev alleges is the biggest art fraud in history. Further Listening: - The Basquiat Sisters on Managing One of Art's Hottest Brands  - How an Antiques Dealer Uncovered a Massive Museum Heist  Further Reading: - Fraud, or Just a Bad Deal? Oligarch and Sotheby’s to Battle in Court Over Rarefied Art Trade  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few years ago, the founder of Chinese automaker BYD was worried the company might not survive. But last year, BYD surpassed Tesla to become the world’s top seller of electric vehicles. WSJ’s Selina Cheng chronicles BYD’s ascent, as well as the challenges it faces holding onto the top spot. Further Reading: - How China’s BYD Became Tesla’s Biggest Threat  - Surpassing Tesla, China’s BYD Will Take On the World in 2024  - A Lamborghini-Style EV: BYD Goes Upmarket to Outmaneuver Tesla  Further Listening: - Elon Musk’s ‘Demon Mode’  - Tesla’s Big Price Cut  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you own an Apple Watch, you may have noticed the device’s pulse oximeter feature. Masimo, a medical technology company, claims that the oximeter technology is theirs and it is suing Apple. Masimo CEO Joe Kiani and WSJ’s Aaron Tilley on the story of how Masimo decided to take on a tech giant.  Further Listening: -One Company’s Quest to Burst Apple’s Blue Bubble Texts  Further Reading: -The Entrepreneur Who Bet His Company on a Fight With Apple  -Apple to Remove Blood-Oxygen Sensor From Watch to Avoid U.S. Ban  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two countries— Russia and India— raced to the moon this week. But only one landed there successfully. WSJ’s Micah Maidenberg lays out the latest in the global space race, and explains the significance of this week’s moon landing.  Further Reading and Watching: -The New Race to Reach the Moon—and Find Water  -‘India Is on the Moon’: Chandrayaan-3 Spacecraft Lands on Lunar South Pole  -Watch: India Becomes First Country to Land on Moon’s South Pole  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1999 and 2015, some 983 people were convicted for stealing from post offices in the U.K. Some people ended up in jail. At least four died by suicide. Turns out, it was a computer glitch. WSJ’s Max Colchester explains how one TV series helped bring their stories to light— and to justice. Further Reading: - Nearly a Thousand People Were Convicted of Stealing Over Decades. It Was a Computer Glitch.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of thousands of migrants try to get from South America to the United States each year. But first, they have to get past the treacherous Darien Gap, a 70-mile stretch of dense jungle. WSJ’s Juan Forero explains the booming business that has cropped up to help smuggle migrants through — or around — it. Further Reading: - Smuggling Migrants Toward the U.S. Is a Booming Business  - To Avoid the Jungles of Central America, Migrants Are Taking a Treacherous Sea Route  - Masses of Migrants Overwhelm Panama’s Darién Gap  Further Listening: - Texas Took On Border Security. Is It Working?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stanley Quencher, an insulated water bottle, is everywhere these days. And the popularity has been good for the company. Stanley generated $750 million in revenue last year. WSJ's Callum Borchers explains how a brand traditionally loved by outdoorsmen has become the new favorite of moms and teen girls. Further Reading: The New Office Status Symbol Holds a Lot of Water—and Has a Wait List Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI industry is controlled by only a few powerful companies. Is that concentration of power dangerous? WSJ's Sam Schechner interviews Meredith Whittaker, president of encrypted messaging app Signal, at a live event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Further Reading and Watching: -The Importance of Privacy in the Age of AI  -Altman and Nadella Talk AI at Davos  Further Listening: -Artificial: The Open AI Story  -Why an AI Pioneer Is Worried  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrefour, one of the world’s biggest grocery chains, said it’s dropping PepsiCo products from roughly 10,000 stores across five European countries. Carrefour says it’s taking a stand against high prices. But as WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney explains, PepsiCo has a different take on the story. Further Reading: - Supermarket Giant Drops Pepsi and Lay’s Over Price Increases  - PepsiCo, Grocery Giant Bicker Over Who Dumped Whom  Further Listening: - Are Rotisserie Chickens ‘Inflation-Proof’?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the creation of Bitcoin ETFs, exchange-traded funds that buy the cryptocurrency, allowing retail investors to buy and sell Bitcoin as easily as stocks. WSJ’s Vicky Ge Huang breaks down the 10-year battle to bring Bitcoin to Wall Street investors. Further Reading: -SEC Approves Bitcoin ETFs for Everyday Investors  Further Listening: -The Trial of Crypto’s Golden Boy  -Fidelity's Controversial Bet on Bitcoin  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the OpenAI board ousted CEO Sam Altman last November, very few people knew exactly what was behind it. In the final episode of our series, we reveal what led to Altman’s firing and explain why he was able to get his job back just days later. Plus, an exclusive interview with one of the people who fired him.   Further Reading:  - Sam Altman’s Knack for Dodging Bullets—With a Little Help From Bigshot Friends   - Behind the Scenes of Sam Altman’s Showdown at OpenAI  Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream  - Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out  - Artificial: Episode 3, Chat GPT  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A student's financial aid package is one of the most important factors in students’ college decisions. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin tells us that this year, the revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, is causing grief for some families. Further Reading: -A Financial-Aid Form Is Upending College Decisions  -Families May Have to Make College Decisions Before Knowing Full Cost  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida recently became the first state to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration to import prescription drugs from Canada. As WSJ’s Liz Essley Whyte explains, i t's a milestone in efforts to reduce the cost of medications, but the plan faces opposition from pharmaceutical groups and Canadian officials. Further Reading: -Florida Is First State Allowed to Import Drugs From Canada in Bid to Reduce Costs  -Expensive Drugs Targeted for First U.S. Price Negotiations  Further Listening: -Philip Morris Tried to Pivot to Pharmaceuticals. It Didn’t Go Well.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea for months. Now the U.S. and its allies have given the Yemeni militant group a final warning to stop the attacks. WSJ's Nancy A. Youssef explains what's motivating the Houthis and what the attacks mean for a region already on edge. Further Reading: -U.S., U.K. Warships Shoot Down Houthi Barrage in Red Sea  -Importers Face Surging Shipping Costs, Delays as Red Sea Diversions Pile Up  -U.S., Allies Give Houthis Ultimatum: Stop Ship Attacks or Face Consequences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last thing Boeing needed was more trouble with its 737 MAX jet. That is exactly what it got at the start of the new year. The company had just started to regain its footing after years of tumult around the popular but troubled line of narrow-body jets when a Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines had a structural failure Friday night. WSJ’s Alison Sider unpacks what happened. Further Reading: -Alaska Airlines Boeing Probe: What We Know  -Boeing Is Back in the Spotlight—This Time Over a MAX 9  -United, Alaska Find Loose Parts on Some Boeing 737 MAX 9 Jets  Further Listening: -The Pressure Inside Boeing  -How the Grounded Boeing Jet Shook the Airline Industry  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Primaries that don’t count. An incumbent President’s write-in campaign. The 2024 election is off to a weird start. WSJ’s Eliza Collins explains why. Further Reading: -The Way Nevada Will Pick the GOP Presidential Nominee Is a Mess  -These Voters Will Decide the 2024 Election. They Don’t Like What They See.  Further Listening: -Does Nikki Haley Have a Chance at Beating Trump?  -The Prosecutor Bringing a Racketeering Case Against Trump  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI launched ChatGPT with low expectations and little fanfare. But the chatbot was an instant hit and went on to become one of the fastest growing consumer apps in tech history. ChatGPT’s surprise success gave OpenAI its first shot to make big money, and the company moved quickly to cash in — even as critics called out some very real problems with the company’s hit product.  Further Reading: Outcry Against AI Companies Grows Over Who Controls Internet’s Content  The Awkward Partnership Leading the AI Boom  Further Listening: Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream   Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chinese government is concerned about the country's birth rate. The population in China is now approximately 1.4 billion and could drop to roughly half a billion by 2100. Beijing is demanding that women have more children, but many Chinese women are saying no. WSJ's Liyan Qi reports. Further Reading: - China Is Pressing Women to Have More Babies. Many Are Saying No.  - China’s Economic Slump Bodes Ill for Birth Numbers  Further Listening: - The Unintended Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday, after being dogged for weeks by allegations of plagiarism and accusations that she didn't respond with enough urgency to concerns about antisemitism on campus. WSJ's Melissa Korn unpacks Gay's brief, tumultuous tenure. Further Reading: - Behind the Campaign to Take Down Harvard’s Claudine Gay  - Claudine Gay Is Out as President. Where Does Harvard Go From Here?  - Harvard President Resigns After Plagiarism Allegations, Campus Antisemitism Backlash  Further Listening: - The Supreme Court Rules Against Affirmative Action  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you text on a smartphone, chances are you’ve seen the problem: blue text bubbles versus green texts. It's a visual symbol of the problems that Android and iPhone users have when trying to text each other. WSJ’s Nicole Nguyen on the blue-green texting divide and one company’s fight to pop Apple’s iMessage exclusivity. Further Reading: - The Fight Over Apple’s iMessage and Those Green Bubbles  - Why Apple’s iMessage Is Winning: Teens Dread the Green Text Bubble  Further Listening: - How Apple Lost to the EU  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. He’s Now Suspected of Being a Russian Spy. - U.K. Says Wirecard’s Marsalek Worked With Five Suspected Russian Spies  - How Wirecard Went From Tech Star to Bankrupt  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 Listening: - How Apple Lost to the EU  - Apple Bets Big on ‘Nerd Helmets’  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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  - ‘Take Science Fiction Seriously’: World Leaders Sound Alarm on AI  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

“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

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 Disinformation  - A Voting Machine Company Fights Disinformation With Lawsuits  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Shein Files to Go Public  - America’s Top Fast-Fashion Retailer Tries to Shed Its Chinese Image  Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came The Backlash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 on Campus Antisemitism  -Wharton Board Calls for Leadership Change at Penn Amid Furor Over Campus Antisemitism  -Penn Donor Threatens to Rescind $100 Million Gift Unless President Is Ousted  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 ChatGPT   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 Instagram Was Safe. Then His Daughter Got an Account.  - The Facebook Files, Part 1: The Whitelist  - The Facebook Files, Part 2: 'We Make Body Image Issues Worse'  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices