The Journal.
by The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios
The most important stories about money, business and power. Hosted by Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza. The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.Get show merch here: https://wsjshop.com/collections/clothing
Episodes
How the ‘Nostradamus of AI’ Got It Wrong
Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. Leopold Aschenbrenner, age 24, was hailed as the ‘Nostradamus of AI.’ With that reputation, the wunderkind built a multi-billion dollar hedge fund called Situational Awareness, taking on an enormous amount of debt. WSJ’s Gregory Zuckerman explains how the fund crashed while Aschebrenner was preparing for his wedding. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Republican Megadonor Ken Griffin on Trump’s Economy - Is the AI Boom… a Bubble? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Did Nancy Guthrie Vanish Without a Trace?
Six months after Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy was kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Ariz., investigators have little to show beyond a trail of tragic missteps and bad luck. WSJ’s Valerie Bauerlein reports on how early errors, attention from amateur sleuths and public feuding have complicated the case. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Camp Swamp Road Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confessions of a Recovering Work Addict
Laura Mayer was born a tryhard, addicted to work. A quality that supercharged her career and earned her executive jobs at major media companies. But as Mayer writes in her new memoir, “Tryhard: A Cautionary Tale of Clocking In and Spinning Out,” being a tryhard comes with a cost. Jessica Mendoza hosts.Further Listening: - How an Influencer Built His Business, One Dog at a Time - How to Keep Up with AI At Work (Without Losing Your Mind) - The Data Is In On Work From Home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Vanishing of an Anti-AI Activist
Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. Sam Kirchner, the founder of an anti-AI protest group, was on a mission to stop AI’s development. Then he mysteriously disappeared. WSJ’s Zusha Ellinson takes us inside the growing anti-AI movement. As violent threats against AI companies are on the rise, the backlash has tech executives and employees fearing for their lives. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Inside a Debate at OpenAI Over Mass Shootings - The Killing Spree Tied to a Silicon Valley Intellectual Movement - Artificial: The Open AI Story Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Peptides Are Everywhere. Businesses Are Cashing In.
Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. Peptides are a huge part of the wellness craze that’s sweeping social media. Demand for restricted peptides has fueled an online gray market for injections promising youth, beauty and strength. Businesses are racing—and taking risks—to get in on the craze. WSJ's Sara Ashley O’Brien explores the burgeoning peptide market and how a recent FDA hearing could signal things are only just getting started. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Trillion Dollar Shot - The FDA Boss on the Agency's MAHA Makeover Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confused About Automated Driving Features? You’re Not Alone.
Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. Hands-free driving technology is changing the way people drive, and in some cases leading to accidents. WSJ's Ryan Felton reports on how Ford rolled out its BlueCruise technology and how confusion over what the system can do has led to crashes. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - How Deadly Airbags Are Getting Inside Cars - The Shake-Up Coming for Car Dealerships Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chinese AI Is Spooking Silicon Valley
Low-cost artificial intelligence models from China are rapidly improving, closing the gap with U.S. AI products and forcing an industry-wide debate over the future of AI. WSJ’s Amrith Ramkumar explains how these "open-weight" models have caused a rift in Silicon Valley. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - How to Keep Up with AI At Work (Without Losing Your Mind)- Microsoft’s CEO Has a Message: Don’t Let AI Eat the Economy Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tariffs Are Back. What’s Changed?
Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. The Trump administration is imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on its major trading partners as part of a new set of duties that the White House says are designed to combat forced labor. The White House has also proposed new tariffs for fining U.S. tech companies. WSJ’s Gavin Bade walks us through the new levies and explores the architect behind them and how he built them to last. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How Do You Refund $166 Billion? - Trump's Tariffs Are Illegal. He's Got a Plan B. - Trump's Tariff Whiplash. Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Data Is In on Work From Home
Six years after the pandemic, remote work has become a mainstay of the economy, with almost a quarter of work days taking place outside traditional offices. WSJ’s Owen Tucker-Smith explains how this has reshaped businesses, the economy and our work lives. And we hear from you about your love-hate relationship with working from home. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How an Influencer Built His Business, One Dog at a Time - How to Keep Up with AI At Work (Without Losing Your Mind) Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Deadly Airbags Are Getting Inside Cars
Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here. Airbags are meant to save lives, but imported, counterfeit parts have killed at least 10 U.S. drivers. and regulators have don't know how many more are in cars on the road today. WSJ’s Ryan Felton breaks down the market for these parts, the race to figure out where they’re coming from and how you can stay safe. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Shake-Up Coming for Car Dealerships - The Repo Man Is Busier Than Ever Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can't Get an IMAX Ticket? That's Kind of the Point.
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is one of the biggest movies of the year. It is also his first film entirely shot on IMAX 70mm film. But there are fewer than 40 70mm film IMAX theaters in the United States, making those tickets some of the most coveted this summer. Ryan Knutson talks with IMAX’s CEO, Richard Gelfond, about the company’s origins, his relationship with Nolan and why he isn’t scared of competitors. Further Listening: - These Movies Finally Got Gen Z Into Theaters - Why Hollywood Can't Find Good Scripts Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do Sanctions Still Work?
The U.S. has leaned on sanctions for decades as a way to apply pressure on its adversaries. But countries like Iran and Russia have found increasingly sophisticated ways to get around those sanctions. WSJ’s Rory Jones explains why Washington’s ability to force other governments to change through economic pressure is diminishing. And Jessica Mendoza sits down with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D., CT) to talk about a new sanctions bill against Russia. Further Listening: - How a Year of Sanctions Is Impacting Russians - How Putin Has Planned For Sanctions Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What's Going On With Lettuce?
Thousands of people across the country have fallen ill in a parasitic outbreak of cyclosporosis linked to contaminated lettuce, but a series of conflicting announcements about where this outbreak started has left consumers confused. WSJ's Jesse Newman and Sabrina Siddiqui look into Taylor Farms, the sprawling company at the center of the outbreak, and explain the communication breakdown. Jessica Mendoza hosts. More info on our upcoming NYC Live Show here! Further Listening: - McDonald’s and Coke's Marriage Might Need a Refresher - The Vape Cloud Hanging Over the FDA Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How State Farm's New Contract Sparked an Uproar
This past year Progressive usurped State Farm as the nation’s biggest personal auto insurer, losing a throne State Farm had held since World War II. The shift sparked a dramatic overhaul at the company, including new agent contracts, sweeping benefit cuts and a big push into AI. WSJ's Jean Eaglesham reports on the fallout. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Insuring a Home in California Is Getting Harder - Is Florida Just for Rich People Now? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How an Influencer Built His Business, One Dog at a Time
Elias Weiss Friedman, better known on social media as The Dogist, has made a career out of shooting portraits of dogs. Ryan Knutson met up with Elias in a New York City park to talk about photography, social media pressures, and how The Dogist has evolved and expanded over the last decade. Further listening: - How to Keep Up with AI At Work (Without Losing Your Mind) - Financial Influencers on Wealth and Work - The Viral Band Trying to Sing Its Way to a U.S. Visa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The World Cup Story, Part 3: ‘FIFA, What Have You Become?’
The stage is set: Spain takes on Argentina in the World Cup final this coming Sunday. WSJ’s Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg discuss the highs, lows and controversies of this year’s tournament, and explain how political interference as well as FIFA’s drive to make as much money as possible have changed the World Cup forever. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The World Cup Story Part 1: Soccer and Scandal - The World Cup Story Part 2: Too Big To Fail Sign up for WSJ’s free Sports newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To Beat Musk, Bezos Befriended Trump
In his first term, President Trump called Jeff Bezos “Bozo.” But things have changed. The Amazon founder has gone from an avowed enemy of the president to an energetic ally. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli unpacks Bezos’ previously icy relationship with Trump and how he has turned things around. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Are Trump and Musk Done for Good? - Amazon After Bezos Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apple vs. OpenAI
Apple sued OpenAI and one of its top executives on Friday, alleging the AI company stole trade secrets as part of its effort to develop competing devices. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler unpacks the explosive filing and explores what it might mean for the tech landscape. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Tim Cook Built the Apple Empire. What's Next for His Successor? - Artificial: The OpenAI Story Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Microfinance Failed the World's Poor
Microfinance was once hailed as a miracle cure for global poverty, promising to empower the world's most vulnerable with small business loans. But in countries like Cambodia, the industry has devolved into a cycle of predatory debt that is leaving families struggling. WSJ’s Gabriele Steinhauser explains why this once-celebrated solution has failed so many. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Why Sweden Embraced Capitalism - Is Jane Goodall Fighting a Losing Battle? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Master Conman in His Own Words
Over the phone, Paul Regan offered prospective clients something that sounded too good to be true: investments with guaranteed returns of 10-15%. It was all part of a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. WSJ’s Jason Zweig obtained hours of recorded phone calls, in which Regan seduced his victims, who were often older and needed help. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - An Influencer’s False Promise to Make His Followers Rich - Pig Butchering: A Texting Scam With a Crypto Twist Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices