DOJ Career Staffers Were Surprised by Decision to Allow Paramount-Warner Deal
The episode covers several major business and geopolitical headlines, including Fox's $25 billion acquisition of Roku, the Justice Department's abrupt closure of its antitrust review of Paramount's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, and the tentative U.S.-Iran agreement affecting oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. It also highlights new FDA‑cleared blood tests for early Alzheimer’s detection and a study suggesting the brain can truly multitask with practice. Expert commentary from WSJ reporters and analysts provides context on the market impact, regulatory landscape, and health implications.
PepsiCo Is Bringing Driverless Trucks Into the Mainstream
The episode highlights PepsiCo's rollout of 35 autonomous trucks in Arizona, marking the first large‑scale use of driverless trucks by a major U.S. consumer goods company. A WSJ reporter observed the trucks operating safely, with Pepsi claiming a 99% on‑time...
A New Generation of Drugs Could Lower Heart Attack Risk for Millions
The episode spotlights a new class of genetic‑silencing drugs targeting elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a hereditary risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, with late‑stage trials from Novartis, Amgen and Eli Lilly poised to reveal efficacy data. Reporters explain how these therapies...
What’s News in Earnings: How AI Agents Are Boosting Nvidia–And Opening the Door to Challengers
In this episode, WSJ reporter Dan Gallagher and tech reporter Robbie Whalen dissect Nvidia’s blowout earnings, highlighting how the surge in AI agents is driving unprecedented demand for both GPUs and cheaper CPUs. They note that while Nvidia’s revenue and...
First Came the TACO Trade. Now It’s the NACHO.
The episode covers three main stories: political turmoil in the UK as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces pressure after a poor local‑election showing, the U.S. Supreme Court’s approval of Alabama’s congressional map that could erase a majority‑Black district, and the rise...
Samsung Hits $1 Trillion Milestone as AI Demand Soars
The episode highlights Samsung's entry into the trillion‑dollar club, driven by soaring demand for AI‑focused DRAM memory chips, and notes how this surge is lifting other memory makers like Micron and Hynix. It also covers a Journal investigation exposing Chinese...
What’s News in Earnings: Oil Companies Look Forward to a Windfall
In this episode, WSJ energy reporter Colin Eaton discusses how the Iran‑Israel conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have spiked oil prices, giving majors like ExxonMobil and Chevron a sizable cash windfall—Exxon generated nearly $14 billion in quarterly...
Missiles Target U.A.E., Ships Attacked as Fighting Threatens Iran Cease-Fire
The episode focuses on the renewed flare‑up in the Iran‑UAE conflict, highlighting Iran's missile and drone attacks on the UAE's key oil hub and U.S. warships, and the U.S. "Project Freedom" effort to keep commercial shipping moving through the Strait...
Tariffs’ Messy Reality: The Cost-of-Living Election | Part 1: Ohio
In this episode, host Sabrina Siddiqui examines how President Trump's tariff policy is affecting Ohio's manufacturing sector, spotlighting the closure of the Conselmer brass instrument plant and the contrasting expansion at Whirlpool's washing‑machine factory. Workers like Katrina McAvoy blame tariffs...
How King Charles Un-Tariffed Scotch
The episode covers three main stories: a thaw in U.S.-Venezuela relations that has reopened commercial flights and attracted U.S. oil majors back to Venezuela; Australia’s response to the global energy crunch sparked by the Iran‑Israel conflict, including fuel stockpiling, diversified...
What’s News in Earnings: Airlines Feel the Pain of an Oil Shock
In this episode Jacob Passi talks with WSJ airline reporter Alison Sider about the sharp rise in jet fuel costs caused by the Iran conflict and its impact on airline earnings. Fuel prices have roughly doubled, adding billions of dollars...
Fed Holds Rates Steady and Ends the Powell Era Deeply Divided
The Wall Street Journal’s "What's News" episode covers the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady amid an unprecedented four‑member dissent, marking the end of Jerome Powell’s chairmanship and foreshadowing a transition to Trump‑picked nominee Kevin Warsh. Powell announced he...
What’s News in Markets: Persian Gulf Oil Damage, Defense Stocks Under Fire, AI Revivals
The episode reviews the week’s market moves, highlighting record highs for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq driven by strong tech earnings and AI demand, while energy stocks surged as the Persian Gulf conflict threatens oil supply. Brent crude jumped about...
Elon Musk Lands Another ‘Moonshot’ Pay Deal
The episode covers three major business headlines: massive tech layoffs at Meta and Microsoft as AI spending pressures costs, Elon Musk’s upcoming SpaceX IPO and a new "moonshot" compensation package that could give him outsized control through dual‑class voting shares,...
Trump’s Big Bet on Immigration Isn’t Paying Off for Most Workers
The Wall Street Journal’s "What's News" episode examines President Trump’s immigration crackdown, finding little evidence that reduced immigration has boosted wages or job prospects for U.S.-born workers. Labor Department data show average hourly earnings rose 3.8% overall, but only 3.5%...