The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

What Happened to GM’s All-Electric Bet? Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is 10 years into her tenure and deep into her quest to turn GM into an electric-car powerhouse. WSJ’s Mike Colias profiles the CEO and discusses the challenges she’s faced in getting her big vision for GM’s future on track.

Further Listening:

- GM's All-Electric Bet

- The Future of Self-Driving Cars Is Here

Further Reading:

- Mary Barra Spent a Decade Transforming GM. It Hasn’t Been Enough.

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

Why an AI Pioneer Is Worried Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Yoshua Bengio, known as a godfather of AI, is one of hundreds of researchers and tech leaders calling for a pause in the breakneck development of powerful new AI tools. We talk to the AI pioneer about how the tools evolved and why he's worried about their potential.

Further Listening:

- Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream

- Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out

- OpenAI’s Weekend of Absolute Chaos

Further Reading:

- How Worried Should We Be About AI’s Threat to Humanity? Even Tech Leaders Can’t Agree

- ‘Take Science Fiction Seriously’: World Leaders Sound Alarm on AI

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

Who's Keeping Zombie Malls Alive? Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

There are hundreds of zombie malls throughout the U.S. WSJ's Kate King investigates why some of America's empty and dilapidated malls stick around for so long even as local communities want them to be repurposed.

Further Reading:

- Owners Keep Zombie Malls Alive Even When Towns Want to Pull the Plug

- Local Malls, Stuck in ‘Death Spiral,’ Plunge in Value

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

The Wonderful Accident Behind a Christmas Classic Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of the most iconic Christmas movies. But when it first came out in 1946, it was considered a flop. WSJ’s Ben Cohen explains how the movie went from nearly forgotten to a Christmas favorite.

Further Reading:

-The Christmas Movie That Became a Classic Because of a Mistake

Further Listening:

-Canned or Homemade? America’s Biggest Cranberry Company Wins Either Way

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

Actors Recorded Videos for ‘Vladimir.’ It Turned Into Russian Propaganda. Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

Russia-aligned propagandists tricked celebrities like Elijah Wood, Pricilla Presley and Ice T into recording videos that would later be used to attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. WSJ’s Robert McMillan and the CEO of the app Cameo unpack the scheme.

Further Reading:

- Actors Recorded Videos for ‘Vladimir.’ It Turned Into Russian Propaganda.

- U.S. and U.K. Accuse Russia of Global Hacking Spree Targeting British Elections

Further Listening:

- The Online Sleuths Fighting Russian Disinformation

- A Voting Machine Company Fights Disinformation With Lawsuits

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

The Mysterious CEO Leading Shein to an IPO Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

In the decade since he co-founded Shein and turned it into one of the world's most popular fast-fashion brands, CEO Sky Xu has remained a mystery – even to his employees. Now, Shein is preparing for an initial public offering in the U.S. which will put Xu on the global stage. WSJ’s Shen Lu profiles the elusive CEO and describes some of the problems the company is facing as it tries to go public.

Further Reading:

- The World’s Most Anonymous CEO Is About to Take Center Stage

- Fast-Fashion Giant Shein Files to Go Public

- America’s Top Fast-Fashion Retailer Tries to Shed Its Chinese Image

Further Listening:

- Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came The Backlash.

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

Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Today, WSJ’s Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos sat down with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen who said inflation is “meaningfully coming down” and the U.S. is on path to achieving a so-called soft landing.

Further Reading:

- Inflation Edges Lower, But Still Too High for the Fed

- How Inflation Can Keep Falling

Further Listening:

- Inflation Is Down. Unemployment Is Low. Is This a Soft Landing?

- Why a Soft Landing for the Economy Could Be Hard

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

Big Donors Clash with Universities Over Antisemitism, Free Speech Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

The president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, resigned on Saturday, capping a tumultuous week at the Ivy League school. After statements Magill made about antisemitism at a congressional hearing, influential donors threatened to pull millions in gifts if she didn't leave her post. WSJ's Melissa Korn talks about antisemitism, free speech, and the rising tensions between elite universities and big donors.

Further Reading:

-Penn President, Board Chair Resign After Furor Over Comments on Campus Antisemitism

-Wharton Board Calls for Leadership Change at Penn Amid Furor Over Campus Antisemitism

-Penn Donor Threatens to Rescind $100 Million Gift Unless President Is Ousted

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

Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out Dec 10, 2023

Show notes

OpenAI’s breakout product, ChatGPT, had humble origins. What started as a small research project ballooned into something much bigger: a groundbreaking large language model. But developing that technology was expensive, and to fund it, OpenAI would make a big compromise.

Further Reading:

- Elon Musk Tries to Direct AI—Again

- The Contradictions of Sam Altman, AI Crusader

Further Listening:

- Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream

- The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT

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

Does Nikki Haley Have a Chance At Beating Trump? Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina, has been gaining traction in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. But can she catch up to the front-runner, former President Donald Trump? WSJ’s Molly Ball breaks down Haley’s growing momentum.

Further Reading:

-Debate Performances Fuel Haley’s Rise in GOP Nomination Race

-Nikki Haley’s Challenge: Keep Anti-Trump GOP Vote, Add Some Trump Backers

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Journal. – The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected