The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

A Lawyer Says He Doesn't Need Help for Psychosis. His Family Disagrees. May 10, 2024

Show notes

WSJ’s Julie Wernau wanted to test a hypothesis: are there more mentally ill homeless people now, compared to before the pandemic? That question led her to Rob Dart. Once a successful lawyer, in 2022 he went into a downward spiral, which his family has not been able to stop despite their best efforts.

Further Reading:

- A Lawyer Abandoned Family and Career to Follow the Voices in His Head

- A Lawyer’s Slide Into Psychosis Was Captured in a WSJ Profile. He Tells Us His Story.

Further Listening:

- America's Maternal Mental Health Crisis

- Evicted on Wood Street: California's Housing Crisis

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Can Chinese Customers Rescue Starbucks? May 09, 2024

Show notes

Starbucks has a problem: Sales at U.S. stores have fallen sharply and now the company is looking to China, its second biggest market, to boost its revenue. But as WSJ’s Spencer Jakab explains, increased competition there is making that a tall order.

Further Reading:

-Starbucks Is Running Out of Americans to Drink Its Expensive Coffee

-The Furious Race for the Future of Coffee

Further Listening:

-The Underdog Coffee Bean That’s Making a Comeback

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The Suitcases Full of Cash Flowing Through Airports May 08, 2024

Show notes

London and Dubai's international airports have become conduits for billions of dollars of illicit funds, potentially linked to corruption, drug trafficking and other crimes. WSJ's Margot Patrick explains how couriers in one money-laundering operation transported millions in dirty money on flights.

Further Reading:

- Billions in Dirty Money Flies Under the Radar at World’s Busiest Airports

Further Listening:

- How The Government Tied One Couple to Billions in Stolen Bitcoin

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Why Is Tesla Pulling Back on EV Charging? May 07, 2024

Show notes

Tesla announced last week that it’s laying off the team responsible for the biggest electric-vehicle charging network in the U.S. The move comes as consumer demand for EVs is dwindling. WSJ’s Jennifer Hiller reports on how the layoffs shocked the industry and how the change will impact efforts to build out a national EV charging network.

Further Reading:

-Tesla Is Pulling Back From EV Charging, and People Are Freaking Out

-As Electric-Vehicle Shoppers Hesitate, Hybrid Sales Surge

Further Listening:

-Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla’s Board

-How China’s BYD Overtook Tesla

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The 20,000 Steps to a Walmart Manager's Six-Figure Salary May 06, 2024

Show notes

Walmart is offering higher pay, bonuses and more stock options this year to retain and attract managers. WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer spent a day with one manager, Nichole Hart, to understand why the job is commanding such a high salary these days, and why Hart logs about 20,000 steps a day.

Further Reading:

- A Day in the Life of a Walmart Manager Who Makes $240,000 a Year

- Walmart Takes On Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods With New Premium Brand

Further Listening:

- What Walmart’s Aisles Say About the American Consumer

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Guns and Death Threats in Canada’s Baby-Eel Fisheries May 03, 2024

Show notes

The high price of baby eels has triggered an upsurge in illegal fishing and criminal activity in Canada. Earlier this year, the country announced a ban on baby-eel fishing in an attempt to contain the violence and to protect dwindling fish stocks. We speak to WSJ’s Paul Vieira and to a baby-eel fisherman about how a tiny fish has created a turf war in a remote Canadian community.

Further Reading:

-Guns and Death Threats Spur Canada to Reel in Baby-Eel Fishing

Further Listening:

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

-Canada’s Historic Settlement with Indigenous People

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The NBA's Media Rights Are Up for Grabs. Billions Are at Stake. May 02, 2024

Show notes

The National Basketball Association is in advanced stages of a new round of media-rights deals. WSJ’s Amol Sharma unpacks why several major media players are jostling for the lucrative rights.

Further Reading:

-NBC Prepares $2.5-Billion-a-Year Bid to Pluck NBA Rights From TNT

-Amazon, YouTube Vie for NBA Streaming Rights as League’s Media Talks Heat Up

Further Listening:

-Why Three Media Giants Are Betting on Sports Streaming

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Mayhem at Paramount as Merger Looms May 01, 2024

Show notes

On Monday, Bob Bakish stepped down as CEO of Paramount, one of America’s most iconic media companies. WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel reports on how Bakish’s relationship with Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount, has deteriorated amidst one of the messiest merger dramas in recent history.

Further Reading:

- A Media Heiress’s Bid to Sell Sets Off Mayhem Inside Paramount

- How Bob Bakish, the Anti-Mogul CEO, Struggled to Rescue Paramount

- Shari Redstone’s Path to Power

Further Listening:

- Why Buying Paramount Global Won’t Be Easy

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Trump Allies Draft Plans to Rein in the Fed Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

Donald Trump's allies have drafted plans to curb the Federal Reserve’s independence, should Trump win a second term. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia unpacks the proposals, which include giving the president a say in interest-rate decisions.

Further Reading:

-Trump Allies Draw Up Plans to Blunt Fed’s Independence

-Why Inflation Is Biden’s Most Stubborn Political Problem

-Even If the Fed Cuts, the Days of Ultralow Rates Are Over

Further Listening:

-Why the Fed Is Steering Away From Rate Cuts

-The Man Who Waged War on Inflation

-The President, the Fed, and the Cut

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Amazon’s Secret Operation to Gather Intel on Rivals Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

For almost a decade, Amazon staff went undercover on Walmart, eBay and other marketplaces selling products under the guise of a company called ‘Big River.’ WSJ’s Dana Mattioli reports on the secret arm of Amazon that surreptitiously gathers intelligence on its competitors.

Further Reading:

-Inside Amazon’s Secret Operation to Gather Intel on Rivals

-Inside Amazon’s Push to Crack Trader Joe’s—and Dominate Everything

Further Listening:

-TikTok Wants to Be More Like Amazon. Amazon Wants to Be More Like TikTok.

-What Is Amazon’s Secret ‘Project Nessie’?

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