The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

Alexa is in Millions of Homes and Amazon is Losing Billions Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

After ten years of sales, 500 million Amazon smart devices have found their way into homes around the world. But the company is losing billions of dollars on the devices. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli discovered an accounting tool that’s kept the huge losses under wraps.

Further Reading:

-Alexa Is in Millions of Households—and Amazon Is Losing Billions

Further Listening:

-Amazon's Secret Operation to Gather Intel on Rivals

-What Is Amazon's Secret 'Project Nessie'?

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The Paris Olympics’ $1.5 Billion Poop Problem Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

Today, Olympics officials in Paris postponed the men’s triathlon because of elevated E. coli levels in the River Seine, where the event was set to take place. WSJ’s Joshua Robinson reports on how decades of trying to clean up the river may not have been successful.

Further Reading:

- Paris Olympics Postpones Triathlon Because of Pollution in River Seine

- Yes, They’re Actually Doing Olympic Swimming in the River Seine. Gulp.

- Herculean Feat in Paris Olympics: Make the Seine Safe to Swim

Further Listening:

- Simone Biles and the Power of Saying No

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The Slaves Sending You Scam Texts Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

Have you ever thought about who is behind your scam texts? WSJ reporter Feliz Solomon spent months investigating and discovered that many of these texts are coming from slaves trapped in scam dens in Southeast Asia. She talked to one person who had been imprisoned there and learned how he became ensnared in a growing criminal empire.

Further Listening:

- Pig Butchering: A Texting Scam With A Crypto Twist

Further Reading:

- Posing As ‘Alicia,’ This Man Scammed Hundreds Online. He Was Also A Victim.

- ‘She Hooked Me’: How An Online Scam Cost A Senior Citizen His Life’s Savings

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The Week That Changed the Presidential Race Jul 26, 2024

Show notes

The 2024 presidential election has taken a major turn after Biden dropped out of the race. WSJ’s Molly Ball charts how the 2024 political election has hit a reset and what Harris’s candidacy could mean for her party and the country.

Further Listening:

- Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control

Further Reading:

- Biden Withdrawal Caps Weeks of Epic Political Turbulence

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The Quest to Save American-Made Antibiotics Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

USAntibiotics's plant in Tennessee is one of the last plants in the United States that makes amoxicillin, the crucial antibiotic that has been in shortage in some forms since 2022. But the plant isn’t breaking even, financially. WSJ’s Liz Essley Whyte reports on why it is so hard for American-made generic drugs manufacturers to survive.

Further Listening:

- Will Florida’s Plan to Get Cheap Drugs From Canada Work?

- Trillion Dollar Shot

Further Reading:

- Drug Shortages in America Reach a Record High

- Drug Shortages Trigger FTC Probe

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Kamala Harris, In Context Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

Democrats are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris as she takes over President Biden’s campaign. WSJ’s Tarini Parti discusses some key moments in her political career and explores what they reveal about her as a candidate.

Further Listening:

- Biden Taps Out. Harris Taps In.

- Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control

Further Reading:

- Inside the Slow-Building Biden-Harris Relationship

- How Kamala Harris Views Policy

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The Glitch That Crashed Millions of Computers Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

Last Friday, 8.5 million computers around the world stopped working. All kinds of businesses were impacted, from airlines to banks to hospitals. The cause was a routine update sent out by a software company called CrowdStrike. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how the meltdown happened and why Microsoft’s software was especially vulnerable.

Further Reading:

- Blue Screens Everywhere Are Latest Tech Woe for Microsoft

- CrowdStrike Made Its Name Fighting Technology Problems. Now It Has Caused One.

Further Listening:

- The Computer Glitch That Caused Nearly 1,000 Convictions

- Hacking the Hackers

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Biden Taps Out. Harris Taps In. Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

On Sunday, President Joe Biden ended his bid for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Annie Linskey reports on Biden’s big decision and what lies ahead for Harris and the Democratic Party.

Further Listening:

- Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control

- Will Biden Stay in the Race?

Further Reading:

- How the Bet on an 81-Year-Old Joe Biden Turned Into an Epic Miscalculation

- Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Harris

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Takeaways from the RNC: Trump Is in Control Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

The Republican National Convention came to a close Thursday night with a speech by presidential nominee Donald Trump that called for unity while also returning to familiar rhetoric. WSJ’s Molly Ball says it’s a remarkable turnaround for a candidate who was once an outsider, and has now remade the party in his image. Plus, Jessica Mendoza and Jacob Gallagher give the convention a fit check.

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