The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

Compass vs. Zillow: The Real Estate Wars Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

Compass CEO Robert Reffkin wants to change the way Americans buy and sell homes by encouraging sellers to list their homes privately when they first hit the market. That strategy is challenging companies like Zillow, which have made information about home listings accessible to buyers. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman explains why Compass wants to overhaul the real estate market, and why Zillow is putting up a fight. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- A Case of Conspiracy in Real Estate

- Think It's Expensive to Buy a Home? Try Owning One.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI Has Come for Advertising Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

While some viewers complain that AI-generated ads look uncanny, brands like Coca-Cola are making them anyway. WSJ’s Katie Deighton explains how Coke remade their iconic “Holidays Are Coming” ad with artificial intelligence, and what that signals for the ad industry’s future. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- The Era of AI Layoffs Has Begun

- How a $1.5 Billion Settlement Could Alter the Course of AI
Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI's 'Code Red' Problem Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

OpenAI kickstarted the AI race, but is it now at risk of falling behind Google? As the company behind ChatGPT releases its latest update to fend off Google's Gemini, WSJ’S Berber Jin explains OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's urgent "code red" memo to all employees and why the strategy will come at a cost. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Is the AI Boom… a Bubble?

- AI Is Coming for Entry-Level Jobs - The Journal.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investment Accounts for Babies Are Coming. Wall Street Can’t Wait. Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

Starting next year, babies born from 2025 to 2028 can receive $1,000 to start investment accounts. The initiative has gotten corporate America excited, with financial institutions vying for a role in the program, and philanthropists like Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell pledging billions of dollars in donations. WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy unpacks how the accounts work and why Wall Street is buzzing about them. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Closing the Wealth Gap With a Trust Fund for Babies

- The Nvidia CEO’s Quest to Sell Chips in China

- Inside Intel's Deal With the U.S. Government

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tech CEO Leading Nvidia's Main Rival Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Earlier this year, OpenAI and chip-designer Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, announced a multibillion-dollar partnership to collaborate on AI data centers that will run on AMD processors, one of the most direct challenges yet to industry leader Nvidia. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan spoke to the CEO of AMD Lisa Su about the deal, her company and the prospect of an AI bubble. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- CoreWeave, the Company Riding the AI Boom

- Is the AI Boom… a Bubble?

- The Unraveling of OpenAI and Microsoft's Bromance

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix’s Fight for Warner Just Got Harder Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

This morning, Paramount Skydance launched a $77.9 billion hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery. It occurred just days after Warner had agreed to a $72 billion deal with Netflix. WSJ’s Joe Flint reports on the twists and turns of the battle to control Warner and, if Netflix succeeds, how it would change Hollywood. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- Will Paramount Settle With Trump?

- She Swore Off Legacy Media. Now She's Running CBS News.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make Money Not War: Trump’s Plan for Peace in Ukraine Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace in Ukraine through business deals. To Europe’s dismay, President Trump and his envoy are on board. WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson take us inside the Trump administration's new approach to diplomacy with Russia and how it could shake up the U.S.'s longstanding alliances. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Why Trump Is Ready to Send Missiles to Ukraine

- Inside the Hunt for Putin's Sleeper Agents

- The Suspected Russian Plot to Set Airplanes on Fire

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's Wine Industry Is in Crisis Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

The U.S. wine industry hasn’t had it this bad since Prohibition. WSJ’s Laura Cooper reports from Sonoma County, California, a major region for American wine production, on why growers are drowning in unsold grapes, shrinking demand and trade-war fallout. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Who Wants Non-Alcoholic Beer? Everyone, Apparently.

- Why Coke Isn't Getting Rid of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is America on Too Many Psychiatric Drugs? Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

As part of a year-long investigation, WSJ’s Shalini Ramachandran and Betsy McKay have been reporting on two of the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medications in America: benzodiazepines and antidepressants. These drugs weren’t intended for long-term use, but some Americans end up on them for years. Betsy and Shalini spoke to many patients who experienced the downsides. So a basic question popped up: Is America overmedicated?

Further Listening:

- A Quick Fix for Hair Loss Is Making Some Men Sick

- Uncontrolled Substances, Part 1: Subscribe and Prescribe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China and the U.S. Are in a Race for AI Supremacy Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

An escalating artificial intelligence race between China and the U.S. is drawing comparisons to the Cold War, and is likely to be just as consequential. As the technology barrels ahead from ChatGPT to DeepSeek and beyond, the competition is now primarily focused on advanced computer chips, but some worry that the race to innovate will lead to loosening safety regulations. WSJ’s Josh Chin explains China’s strategy to Ryan Knutson.

Further Listening:

- CoreWeave, the Company Riding the AI Boom

- Is the AI Boom… a Bubble?

- What's the Worst AI Can Do? This Team Is Finding Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices