The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

Four Years Trapped on a Cargo Ship May 21, 2021

Show notes

Sailor Mohammad Aisha was stuck on a cargo ship near the mouth of the Suez Canal for four years - alone for much of that time. WSJ's Joe Parkinson tells the story of how this could happen and how he survived.

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Hertz Rewards Its True Believers May 20, 2021

Show notes

A strange thing happened last year after the rental car company Hertz filed for bankruptcy: its stock took off. Old hands on Wall Street thought that the people buying the stock - individual investors with no ties to institutions - were making a bad bet. But now, WSJ's Alexander Gladstone says, the little guys are getting the last laugh and seeing a big windfall.

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What's Wrong With the Car Market? May 19, 2021

Show notes

Car sales have been skyrocketing, but dealers have a big worry: they're running low on cars to sell. The problem isn't expected to be resolved anytime soon. WSJ's Mike Colias explains how a tiny computer chip at the end of the auto industry's long and complex supply chain is causing big problems.

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AT&T Abandons Its Hollywood Dreams May 18, 2021

Show notes

When AT&T bought Time Warner and DirecTV, it set out to build a media empire that could take on companies like Netflix and Disney. But after three years and a $100 billion price tag, AT&T is giving up on that dream. WSJ's Marcelo Prince says without media assets, AT&T is back to being the utility it once was.

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No Credit Score, No Problem? May 17, 2021

Show notes

Banks could begin issuing credit cards to people without credit scores thanks to an effort by a banking regulator to make lending more racially equitable. WSJ's AnnaMaria Andriotis tells the story of how Black Lives Matter protests sparked the effort and explains how the lending would work.

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Instagram for Kids Isn't Getting Many Likes May 14, 2021

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Facebook has proposed making a version of Instagram for children under 13, and the idea has prompted an outcry from lawmakers and regulators on both sides of the aisle. WSJ's Brad Reagan on Facebook's plan and New Jersey's Attorney General on why he is against it.

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Ransomware, a Pipeline and a Gas Shortage May 13, 2021

Show notes

Colonial Pipeline supplies fuel to more than a dozen states. Last Friday, a ransomware attack forced its shutdown, causing a massive shortage of gasoline. WSJ's Robert McMillan says the group behind the attack, Darkside, and others like it represent a broader threat to corporate America and the country's infrastructure.

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The NFT Craze Explained May 12, 2021

Show notes

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have made a multi-billion dollar market out of digital items like pixelated cats, basketball highlight videos and even tweets. WSJ's Caitlin Ostroff explains the history of the technology and why NFTs could move beyond digital collectibles into the physical world.

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WeWork's CEO on the Future of Work May 11, 2021

Show notes

WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani took charge of the office space company just as the pandemic hit. He's now on the brink of bringing WeWork public. We speak to Mathrani about his time at WeWork, his relationship with cofounder Adam Neumann, and the future of office work.

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The Covid Vaccine Patent Problem May 10, 2021

Show notes

The U.S. government reversed course last week and said it would support waiving patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, over the objections of the pharmaceutical industry. WSJ's Yuka Hayashi explains how we got to this point.

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