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, and the Trump administration’s reclassification of marijuana to Schedule III, opening the multibillion‑dollar cannabis industry to tax deductions and better financing. Reporters explain how investors are comfortable betting on Musk’s personal brand, why AI‑driven restructuring is reshaping the tech labor market, and how the drug policy shift could normalize cannabis businesses. The segment also touches on New York’s crackdown on shoplifting and a personal‑finance story about divorce, but the core focus remains on the tech layoffs, SpaceX governance, and cannabis policy.
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%...
President Trump Says the U.S. Will Extend the Iran Cease-Fire
The episode covers three main stories: President Trump announced a U.S. extension of the Iran cease‑fire and continued port blockades, while Senate hearings scrutinized Kevin Warsh’s nomination to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell; and rising oil prices are driving steep...
Why Apple Bet on an Engineer to Lead the AI Era
Apple is set to appoint hardware veteran John Ternus as its next CEO in September, marking the company’s first leadership change in 15 years. Ternus, known for his product‑design pedigree and overseeing Apple’s shift to custom silicon, inherits the challenge...
Apple Names New CEO, Succeeding Tim Cook
The episode covers three main stories: Apple’s appointment of senior hardware engineer John Ternus as its next CEO, signaling a hardware‑focused leadership transition; a surge in entry‑level hiring for the class of 2026 driven by AI‑related roles and a rebound...
U.S. Spring Home Selling Season Is Off to a Rough Start
The episode covers three main stories: the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on global oil markets, a disappointing start to the U.S. spring home‑selling season with existing‑home sales falling 3.6% in March, and Goldman Sachs...
Why a Hormuz Toll Makes Economic Sense
The episode examines President Trump's mixed signals about imposing a $1‑$2 per barrel toll on oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, noting that such a fee would likely shift costs to Gulf producers and ultimately benefit U.S. suppliers, while...
U.S. and Iran Both Claim Victory in New Ceasefire
The episode breaks down the newly announced two‑week cease‑fire between the United States and Iran, highlighting the ambiguous terms each side claims as a victory, including Iran’s demand for influence over the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. claim of...
U.A.E. Preparing to Help Open Strait of Hormuz By Force
The Wall Street Journal’s What’s News covers the United Arab Emirates’ shift toward becoming a combatant in the Iran‑U.S. conflict, as it prepares to help force‑open the Strait of Hormuz by clearing mines and supporting a U.N. resolution authorizing military action. Middle‑East...
More U.S. Troops Arrive in Middle East
The episode covers the arrival of a 2,200‑person Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Middle East and the strategic options it gives President Trump amid the escalating Iran‑Israel conflict, including possible raids on the Strait of Hormuz and a daring uranium...
What’s News in Markets: Bearish Bets, Defiant Oil Prices, a Social Media Reckoning
The episode reviews a turbulent week in U.S. markets, highlighting a slide in major indexes as investors bet against the S&P 500 and retail trading activity hits a two‑year low. Big‑tech giants Meta and Alphabet faced landmark lawsuits over harmful...
Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social Media Trial
In this WSJ "What's News" episode, Alex Oselev reports on a landmark California jury verdict finding Meta and YouTube negligent for designs that harm children, ordering $6 million in damages and highlighting the potential erosion of Section 230 protections. The show also...
Why Bankers See Dollar Signs in Private Credit’s Meltdown
The episode covers three main stories: a Republican proposal to fund the Department of Homeland Security while cutting $5 billion from ICE, a deep dive into the private‑credit market’s turmoil and how big banks are both exposed to and poised to...
What’s News in Earnings: How Retailers Are Dealing With Price-Conscious Shoppers
In this episode, WSJ reporter Kelly Clunan breaks down how U.S. retailers are navigating a holiday quarter marked by price‑conscious shoppers, inflation pressures, and rising delivery expectations. Walmart and Target are accelerating same‑day and next‑day delivery, while Walmart also leverages...
Oil and Gas Jump as Iran Strikes Gulf Energy Infrastructure
The episode covers the rapid escalation of Iran's attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure following Israel's strike on an Iranian gas field, which sent Brent crude above $116 a barrel and spiked European gas prices over 20%. Host Luke Vargas and...
U.S. Asks for Help to Address Energy Crisis
The episode focuses on the U.S. effort to keep the Strait of Hormuz open amid rising energy tensions, detailing President Trump's appeal to allies—including China, NATO members, Japan, and Australia—for naval support, and highlighting European hesitancy due to limited resources...
The State of Women in 2026: Progress, Pay Gaps and Participation
In this March 15 episode of WSJ's What's News Sunday, host Alex Osala examines the economic status of American women in 2026, focusing on labor‑force participation, pay gaps, and caregiving burdens. WSJ economics reporter Harriet Torrey and KPMG senior economist...
What’s News in Markets: Campbell’s Snack Problem, Centene Sinks, Petco Optimism
The episode reviews how volatile oil prices, driven by escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and a massive strategic reserve release, pushed major U.S. indexes lower despite a brief inflation lull. Campbell Soup’s disappointing snack sales and Centene’s Medicaid...
IEA Proposes Record Release of Oil Reserves
The episode focuses on the International Energy Agency's proposal to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from member countries' strategic reserves to counter a sharp price surge caused by the near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks....
$100 Oil Is Back
The episode examines the sudden surge of oil prices above $100 a barrel, driven by escalating attacks on Persian Gulf infrastructure amid the Iran‑Israel‑U.S. conflict. Journalists Luke Vargas and Joe Wallace explain how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,...
Stocks Slide After Weak February Jobs Report
The episode breaks down the surprisingly weak February jobs report, which showed a loss of 92,000 jobs and a rise in unemployment to 4.4%, highlighting sectoral declines in health care, construction, manufacturing, and hospitality. WSJ economics reporter Justin Layhart explains...
Tariff Uncertainty Weighs on U.S. Stocks and Business Leaders
The episode examines how renewed U.S. tariff uncertainty, sparked by President Trump's recent statements and a Supreme Court ruling, is rattling markets and leaving business leaders scrambling for clarity on refunds, consumer reactions, and legal strategies. It highlights the contrast...