The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

Russia’s Campaign to Leave Ukraine in the Dark Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

For the last two months, Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s power grid have caused prolonged blackouts across the country. Now, millions of people are living without reliable electricity, water and heat. WSJ’s Ian Lovett and a cafe owner in Kyiv on life without power.

Further Reading:

-Russia Unleashes Its Biggest Barrage of Strikes on Ukraine Since Invasion

-Kyiv Power Cuts Bring Cold Food, Scheduled Vacuuming, Struggling Businesses

-Russia Says Strikes on Ukraine’s Infrastructure Aimed at Slowing Delivery of Foreign Arms

Further Listening:

-The Surprising Origins of Russia’s Drones

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Uncontrolled Substances, Part 1: Subscribe and Prescribe Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Cerebral is a startup that set out to provide access to mental-health services and wound up under federal investigation. WSJ's Rolfe Winkler and Khadeeja Safdar take us back to the origins of the company, exploring the ideas that laid the foundation for explosive growth.

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Elon Musk's Boring Company Is Ghosting Cities Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

Elon Musk’s Boring Company hasn’t done much to alleviate “soul-destroying traffic” despite its initial promises to several cities. We talk with WSJ’s Ted Mann about what's behind Boring's poor track record and with a transportation official in California about what Musk promised her county.

Further Reading:

-Elon Musk’s Boring Company Ghosts Cities Across America

Further Listening:

-Why Elon Musk’s Twitter Is Losing Advertisers

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Iran’s Protests Show No Signs of Slowing Down Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police, who arrested her for allegedly violating Iran’s dress code. Afterwards, protests erupted across the country. WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen explains how the death of one woman has led to calls to overthrow the government.

Further Reading and Watching:

-Iran Protesters Seek End of an Islamic Republic Pillar—the Morality Police

-Iran Disbands Morality Police, Considers Changing Hijab Laws, Official Says

-Iran’s Shopkeepers Strike in Support of Protest Movement

Further Listening:

-Iran's Secret System to Avoid Sanctions

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‘Do You Expect to Go to Prison?’: An Interview With SBF Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Sam Bankman-Fried is the founder and ex-CEO of FTX, the crypto exchange that recently filed for bankruptcy. WSJ reporter Alexander Osipovich sat down with him to talk about what happened and how $8 billion of customer money went missing.

Further Reading:

-FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Says He Can’t Account for Billions Sent to Alameda

Further Listening:

-The Fall of Crypto’s Golden Boy

-How Crypto Giant FTX Suddenly Imploded

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Introducing - Uncontrolled Substances: The Cerebral Story Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Cerebral was a buzzy Silicon Valley startup that set out to transform mental-health services in the U.S. In just a couple of years, the company attracted thousands of patients, raised hundreds of millions of dollars and partnered with star Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. But some people who worked at Cerebral say that, along the way, the company's focus on growth interfered with patient care. And now, Cerebral is under federal investigation. Cerebral says it provided high-quality care to thousands of patients who might not otherwise have had access.

In a new four-part series, WSJ's Rolfe Winkler and Khadeeja Safdar take us inside Cerebral. We'll meet some former staff who are part of Cerebral’s story, and explore the company's origins and explosive growth, as well as the consequences of that growth.

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How the White House Blocked a Rail Strike Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Major freight railroads and unions have been locked in a labor dispute for years. But last Friday, President Biden signed a bill passed by Congress forcing a deal onto both parties. We talk to WSJ’s Esther Fung about why a rail strike would have been devastating, and a railroad signalman lays out what the deal means for him.

Further Reading:

-A Potential Rail Strike Looms. Here’s What to Know.

-Biden Signs Legislation Preventing Railroad Strike

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How Jiang Zemin Made China a Global Superpower Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Former Chinese president Jiang Zemin died this week at 96. As WSJ’s Charles Hutzler explains, Jiang was known for policies that guided China towards a market-oriented economy, but also for being uncompromising on challenges to the Communist Party.

Further Reading:

-Jiang Zemin, Who Steered China Into New Era, Dies at 96

Further Listening:

-China’s Biggest Protests in Decades

-How Xi Jinping’s Dream Slowed China’s Economy

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An Exit Interview With Dr. Anthony Fauci Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Anthony Fauci - the U.S. Chief Medical Advisor - is retiring after more than 50 years of government service. We speak to him about the biggest challenges in his career and if he believes Covid is behind us.

Further Reading

-Anthony Fauci to Step Down After More Than 50 Years of Government Service

Further Listening

-Dr. Anthony Fauci on Omicron and the Covid-19 Stalemate

-Anthony Fauci: Delta Variant Has 'Exposed Our Vulnerability'

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Beyond Meat Loses Its Sizzle Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Beyond Meat, the maker of plant-based meat alternatives, has been a darling of the food startup world. In 2019, it had one of the most successful initial public offerings by a major company in more than two decades. But now sales are down, its stock is slumping and its workforce is shrinking, WSJ's Jesse Newman unpacks Beyond's problems.

Further Reading:

-Beyond Meat’s Very Real Problems: Slumping Sausages, Mounting Losses

-Beyond Meat Reports Weak Sales and Mounting Losses

Further Listening:

-Oatly Pioneered Oat Milk. Now It’s Struggling to Keep Up.

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