The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

The Collapse of Walgreens Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

Not much has gone right for Walgreens. Facing tough headwinds, the brand has been playing catch up to other U.S. pharmacy retailers for years. WSJ’s Joseph Walker on what went wrong for Walgreens and the private equity deal that could sell the company for parts.
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Further Reading:

- Walgreens Goes From $100 Billion Health Giant to Private-Equity Salvage Project

- The Walgreens Billionaire Watching His Empire Come Apart

Further Listening:

- How Target Got Off Target

- What Went Wrong at Bed Bath & Beyond?

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The Fight to Kick Soda Out of Food Stamps Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s Make America Healthy Again movement is leading an effort to stop people from spending food stamps on soda. WSJ’s Laura Cooper explains how one state is leading the charge and how beverage companies are pushing back.

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Further Reading:

-RFK Jr. And His Allies Target Trump’s Beloved Soda

Further Listening:

-PepsiCo’s New Healthy Diet: More Potato Chips and Soda
-Who Wants Non-Alcoholic Beer? Everyone, Apparently.

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Trump 2.0: ‘Just Getting Started’ Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

President Trump delivered a celebratory speech to Congress, declaring that he had swiftly notched several wins for the American people. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia joins Kate Linebaugh and Molly Ball to discuss the roadmap Trump laid out and what it means for the next few years.

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Further Listening:

-The Trade War With China Is On

-Trump's Tariffs Cause Chaos in Auto Industry

-Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy

Further Reading:

-An Annotated Fact-Check and Analysis of Trump’s Speech to Congress

-How Trump’s Polite Meeting With Zelensky Descended Into Acrimony

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The Botched Software Update That Cost $600 Million Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Sonos, the high-end speaker company, continues to reel from its disastrous app update last May. The company lost revenue and approximately $600 million in market capitalization. Then came the layoffs and a CEO exit. WSJ’s Ben Cohen explains.

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Further Listening:

- The Glitch That Crashed Millions of Computers

- The Snowballing Problems at Vail Resorts

Further Reading:

- The $500 Million Debacle at Sonos That Just Won’t End

- Sonos Finally Hits the Hard Reset Button

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The Trade War With China Is On Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

In the last month, the Trump Administration has levied 20% tariffs on imports from China. We speak to the CEO of an American home goods company about the impact of the trade war. WSJ’s Hannah Miao explains how it’s already affecting manufacturers and the economy in China.

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Further Reading:

- The Tariff Pain Is Getting Real for Chinese Companies

- Chinese Manufacturers Speed Up Efforts to Dodge Trump Tariffs

Further Listening:

- Why Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals

- Trump 2.0: Shaking Up Europe

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Trump's Tariffs Cause Chaos in Auto Industry Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

President Trump’s 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada took effect first thing Tuesday. The American auto industry will be hit hard by these tariffs since many parts and materials come from Mexico and Canada. WSJ’s Mike Colias and a U.S. a uto parts supplier talk about the impact of the tariffs.

Further Listening:

-Trump’s Tariff Whiplash

-How One Business Is Getting Ahead of Trump’s Tariffs

Further Reading:

-Auto Executives Try to Sway Trump on Tariffs, EV Subsidies

-Tariff Threat Prompts Automakers to Find New Suppliers, Consider Higher Prices

-Canada and Mexico Gambled on a Free Trade Future. The Bet Is Turning Sour.

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The Killing Spree Tied to a Silicon Valley Intellectual Movement Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

The Zizians, a cult-like group of militant vegans, has been connected to six killings across the country. The violence has sent shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley. WSJ’s Zusha Elinson explains how the Zizians splintered from a Bay Area intellectual movement concerned with AI safety.

Further Reading:

-A Silicon Valley Intellectual Society Kicked Them Out. Now They’re Tied to a Killing Spree.

-How a Fervent Belief Split Silicon Valley—and Fueled the Blowup at OpenAI

Further Listening:

-The Fall of Crypto’s Golden Boy

-The Story Behind the Stabbing of a San Francisco Tech Exec

-The Biotech Founder Facing Murder Charges

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Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

In the first few minutes of the Trump presidency, Elon Musk’s programmers made a surprise incursion into a key personnel agency. Since then, DOGE programmers operating in the shadows have burrowed into systems across the government, resulting in thousands of layoffs. WSJ’s Scott Patterson explains how DOGE has entered vast parts of the federal bureaucracy.

Further Reading:

-Inside DOGE’s Clash With the Federal Workforce

-DOGE Claims It Has Saved Billions. See Where.

Further Listening:

-Trump 2.0: The Musk-Trump Bromance

-Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart

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Trump 2.0: A Big, Beautiful Bill Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget resolution this week that serves as a first draft of the “big, beautiful bill” President Trump has been seeking. WSJ’s Siobhan Hughes joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss how Congress is working with Trump. Plus, we take a look at what impact recent rulings from the judicial branch might mean for Trump's agenda.

Further Reading:

- The Weight of Trump’s Agenda Sits on Mike Johnson’s Shoulders

Further Listening:

- Why Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals

- Trump 2.0: Shaking Up Europe

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Will Paramount Settle With Trump? Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Paramount Global is wrestling with whether to settle President Trump’s lawsuit against its CBS unit. At the same time, the company is waiting for regulatory approval from the Trump administration for its merger with Skydance Media. WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel explains.

Further Reading:

-CBS Owner Discusses Settling Trump Suit, With Merger Review on Tap

-FCC Requests ‘60 Minutes’ Harris Interview Material as It Reviews Paramount-Skydance Merger

-Paramount Executives Ask: Could They Be Sued for Settling Trump’s $20 Billion CBS Lawsuit?

Further Listening:

-Mayhem at Paramount as Merger Looms

-Why Buying Paramount Global Won’t Be Easy

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