The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell. So Builders Are Cashing In. Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

It’s tough to find existing homes for sale these days. High mortgage rates are dissuading potential sellers. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman on a rare bright spot for house hunters: brand-new construction.

Further Reading:

-Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell, So the Market for Brand-New Homes Is Booming

-The Home Buyer’s Quandary: Nobody’s Selling

Further Listening:

-The Zombie Mortgages Stalking American Homeowners

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How a Drug Maker Plans to Cut Off Money for Opioid Victims Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Mallinckrodt, one of the country's largest opioid makers, is considering a plan to get out of paying more than $1 billion in settlement money to opioid victims. WSJ's Alexander Saeedy explains.

Further Reading:

- Hedge Funds Seek to Cut Off $1 Billion Meant for Opioid Victims

Further Listening:

- Purdue’s $4.5 Billion Opioid Settlement Got Thrown Out. Now What?

- Two Days of Reckoning For Opioid Makers

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The Case of the Hollywood Shutdown Jul 28, 2023

Show notes

Amid Hollywood’s biggest strike in 60 years, WSJ’s Amol Sharma dons his investigator’s hat to find out who’s to blame for the standstill.

Further Reading:

- Streaming Brought Hollywood to a Standstill. Now Comes the Pain.

- TV’s Golden Era Proved Costly to Streamers

Further Listening:

- One Hollywood Writer on the Industry’s ‘Dire’ Situation

- Why ‘Yellowstone’ Is One of TV’s Most Expensive Shows

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Elon Musk Wants to Build an Everything App Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Elon Musk says he’s turning X, the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, into an “everything app,” an all in one place for messaging, entertainment and banking. WSJ’s Tim Higgins unpacks the vision and the hurdles ahead for Musk and his company.

Further Reading:

- Why Elon Musk’s Plan for a Super App Won’t Be Easy in America

- Elon Musk’s X Rebrand Cues Complications—and Porn Jokes

Further Listening:

- Elon Musk is Actually Buying Twitter

- Why Elon Musk’s Twitter Is Losing Advertisers

- Twitter’s New CEO: The Velvet Hammer

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A Dramatic Turn in Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

The Justice Department announced a plea deal with Hunter Biden over two tax charges last month. But a hearing today didn't go as expected. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman on the latest twist in the legal case and what it means for President Biden ahead of next year's election.

Further Reading:

- Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Tax Charges

- Where Are Republicans’ Biden Probes Headed, and Is Impeachment Possible?

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Will the Fed Stop Raising Interest Rates? Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again on Wednesday. The question is: Will this be enough to finally tame inflation? WSJ’s Nick Timiraos tells us about the fight between two camps of economists who are at odds about what will help – or hurt – the economy.

Further Reading:

-Why the Fed Isn’t Ready to Declare Victory on Inflation

-The Real Fed Debate This Month: What Would Prompt a Rate Hike This Fall

-Last Mile of the Inflation Fight Will Be the Hardest

Further listening:

-Why Some Companies Keep Getting Away With Higher Prices

-Why the Fed Raised Interest Rates Amidst a Banking Crisis

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Texas Took On Border Security. Is It Working? Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

For two years, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has inundated the U.S.-Mexico border with thousands of state troopers and National Guardsmen and started work on a state-controlled border wall. He also built a new skeleton justice system with its own courts, judges and jails to lodge misdemeanor state trespassing charges against migrants. WSJ’s Elizabeth Findell discusses Operatio n Lone Star and whether or not it’s been successful.

Further Reading:

- Texas Spent Billions on Border Security. It’s Not Working.

- Texas Trooper’s Email Describes Migrant Injuries at Southern Border

Further Listening:

- What the End of Title 42 Means for U.S. Immigration Policy

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Mattel Bets Big on Barbie Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

"Barbie," the highly anticipated movie based on the iconic doll, hits theaters this weekend. But making the movie didn't come without challenges. We spoke with the head of Mattel Films, Robbie Brenner, about the creative push and pull to make the movie, whether it can be called a "feminist film," and Mattel's plans to open up its toy chest for more movies.

Further Reading:

- ‘Barbie’ Review: Beyond Her Ken

- World’s Strangest Double Feature: ‘Barbie,’ Then ‘Oppenheimer’

Further Listening:

- With Great Power, Part 1: Origin Story

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FTC Chair Lina Khan on Microsoft Merger, ChatGPT and Her Court Losses Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

When Lina Khan took over as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, she vowed to stiffen antitrust enforcement. Two years in, her attempts to rein in big mergers through the court system have been mostly unsuccessful. We speak to Khan about her big tech losses and why the FTC is concerned about ChatGPT.

Further Reading:

- ChatGPT Comes Under Investigation by Federal Trade Commission

- Lina Khan Is Taking on the World’s Biggest Tech Companies—and Losing

Further Listening:

- Microsoft’s Big Win Against the FTC

- Biden’s New FTC Chair Squares Off With Big Tech

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The Troubled Second Act of Disney CEO Bob Iger Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

Eight months after returning as Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger is straining to put out fire after fire, including streaming losses, an activist investor and TV woes. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan explains why Disney’s troubles run deeper than Iger had expected.

Further Reading:

- Bob Iger Isn’t Having Much Fun

- Disney’s Iger Hints at Strategic Partner for ESPN

- Disney Extends CEO Robert Iger’s Contract Through 2026

Further Listening:

- Disney Wars: Attack of the Activist Investor

- The Disney Boss Who Wouldn't Let It Go

- The Showdown Over Hulu

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