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The Journal.

The most important stories, explained through the lens of business. A podcast about money, business and power. Hosted by Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson. The Journal is a co-production from Gimlet Media and The Wall Street Journal.

Stop the Steal 2.0

The Journal.

  • 85 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 17:54

Across the country, elections officials are bracing for a potentially contentious election day. At the same time, a network of conservative election integrity groups are preparing to challenge the result. WSJ's Rebecca Ballhaus reports on the billionaire-funded effort to contest the election, and WSJ's Jim Carlton reports how Maricopa County, Arizona is preparing for the worst. Further Reading: -The Secretive Billionaire Network Funding ‘Stop the Steal’ 2.0  -‘It Feels Very Dystopian.’ Republican County Officials Brace for Election Deniers—Again  Further Listening: -Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage   -Uncovering Elon Musk's Secret Political Donations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mysterious Drones Flying Over U.S. Military Bases

The Journal.

  • 75 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 15:09

For 17 days last year, unidentified drones swarmed an area in Virginia that is home to a military base and other sensitive intelligence sites. WSJ’s Gordon Lubold looked into why it was so difficult for U.S. officials to stop them.  Further Reading: -Mystery Drones Swarmed a U.S. Military Base for 17 Days. The Pentagon Is Stumped.  Further Listening: -How Ukraine Built a Weapon to Control the Black Sea  -Cheap Drones Are Transforming the Battlefield  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why People Are Thinking Twice About Living in Florida

The Journal.

  • 78 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 16:07

Clouds are gathering over the Sunshine State’s housing market. Especially along the state’s Gulf Coast, housing inventory is up and buyer interest is slowing. WSJ’s Deborah Acosta talks through the cooling-off of one of America’s biggest housing booms and what it says about what it means to live in Florida now. Further Listening: - Is Asheville No Longer a 'Climate Haven?  - Years After Surfside Collapse, Florida Condos Are In Crisis  Further Reading: - The Great Florida Migration Is Coming Undone  - Why the Tampa Area Is So Vulnerable to a Hurricane  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Missing Minister, Episode 1: The Vanishing of Qin Gang

The Journal.

  • 100 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 28:16

Last year, China’s foreign minister, Qin Gang, suddenly disappeared. Qin was a rising star in Chinese politics and a protegé of China’s strongman leader, Xi Jinping. In the first episode of our three-part investigation, we chart Qin’s rise and begin to untangle the mystery of his disappearance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Missing Minister, Episode 2: The Affair

The Journal.

  • 120 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 24:34

In the second episode of our investigation, we examine the life and career of Fu Xiaotian: the prominent Chinese TV host who had an affair with Qin Gang. Like Qin, Fu was sharp and ambitious, but her high-flying career would come to an abrupt halt. And like Qin, she would also mysteriously disappear.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Missing Minister, Episode 3: The Downfall

The Journal.

  • 100 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 24:16

In our final episode, we get a break in the case of the missing minister: According to our sources, Chinese officials were told that Qin disappeared due to an explosive allegation. We dig into that story and its consequences for Fu and for Qin – Xi Jinping’s trusted aide.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage

The Journal.

  • 85 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 22:46

With millions of votes already cast, the race is on for each campaign to get their supporters to the polls. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the different strategies Trump and Harris are taking, and why election denial is such a big issue in Arizona. Plus, Rachel Humphreys speaks to a Gen Z Voter. Further Listening:  - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? Foreign Policy and the Rise of Donald Trump Jr.  - Red, White and Who? Veep Veep! All Eyes on Vance and Walz  Further Reading: - Republicans Rush to Bolster Trump’s Ground Game  - Kari Lake’s 2022 Fraud Claims Are Costing Her in 2024  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lilly Ledbetter: The Woman Who Fought the Pay Gap

The Journal.

  • 90 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 18:43

Lilly Ledbetter, equal pay trailblazer, died on Saturday. WSJ’s Joseph De Avila reports on how Ledbetter faced pay discrimination at her job and sued her employer, taking her case all the way to the Supreme Court. And WSJ’s Lauren Weber discusses the persistence of the gender pay gap.  Further Reading: -Fair-Wage Advocate Lilly Ledbetter Dies at 86  -Data Show Gender Pay Gap Opens Early  Further Listening: -The TikTok That Changed College Hoops  -What Corporate America Can Learn From Coke’s Reckoning With Race  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How One Teenager Became a Legendary Hacker

The Journal.

  • 110 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 17:15

Investigators say that Arion Kurtaj’s life in cybercrime began at age 11, and ultimately led to his participation in the hacks of major companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Uber. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains how Kurtaj’s case has brought worries about a new breed of fearless young hackers. Further Reading: -This Teenage Hacker Became a Legend Attacking Companies. Then His Rivals Attacked Him.  -Hackers Leaked ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Footage, Rockstar Games Says  Further Listening: -Hack Me If You Can, Part 1: The Making of a Russian Hacker  -How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeria, Liverwurst and the Family Feud at Boar's Head

The Journal.

  • 94 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 19:15

Over the summer, an outbreak of listeria in Boar’s Head products killed 10 people and sickened dozens more. In the months after the crisis, the family that runs the company has said little. WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer dug through court documents to piece together a decades-long story of a family fighting over ownership of a deli meat empire. Further Reading: - Inside the Half-Century Feud Dividing the Boar’s Head Family  - Boar’s Head Closing Virginia Factory Tied to Deadly Listeria Outbreak  Further Listening: - Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food  - Food Fight: PepsiCo vs. Carrefour  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Money Laundering Behind TD Bank’s $3 Billion Fine

The Journal.

  • 93 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 18:26

TD Bank’s U.S. entity pleaded guilty and agreed to pay more than $3 billion in penalties, acknowledging it failed to properly monitor money laundering by drug cartels and other criminal groups. WSJ’s Dylan Tokar unpacks the investigation that led to such a historic deal. Further Listening: -The Suitcases Full of Cash Flowing Through Airports  Further Reading: -TD Bank Agrees to $3 Billion in Penalties and Growth Restrictions in U.S. Settlement  -TD Pays Hefty Penalties as Prosecutors Detail Nearly a Decade of Lax Controls  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red, White and Who? Foreign Policy and the Rise of Donald Trump Jr.

The Journal.

  • 95 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 22:12

Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball explore what we know about both candidates’ approach to foreign policy. Plus, Molly shares what she learned about the future of MAGA from an interview with Donald Trump Jr. and JD Vance. Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? Veep Veep! All Eyes on Vance and Walz  - Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy!  Further Reading: - How Donald Trump Jr. Became the Crown Prince of MAGA World  - JD Vance’s Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About the $1.8 Trillion Deficit

The Journal.

  • 91 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 16:34

The U.S. budget deficit topped $1.8 trillion in the last fiscal year. Meanwhile, both candidates for president are proposing plans that would increase the deficit for years to come. WSJ’s Richard Rubin explains how the deficit got so large and why the candidates don’t talk about it.  Further Listening: -The Economy: Trump vs. Harris  -The Clock Is Ticking on the Debt Ceiling  Further Reading: -Federal Deficit Hit $1.8 Trillion for 2024, CBO Says  -Federal Debt Is Soaring. Here’s Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About It.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uncovering Elon Musk's Secret Political Donations

The Journal.

  • 88 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 17:54

Elon Musk's financial support for Republican causes has been much more extensive and started earlier than previously known. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli reports on Musk’s rightward political shift and explains how he hid his donations.  Further Listening: - Elon Musk and Silicon Valley Turn Towards Trump  Further Reading: - Elon Musk Gave Tens of Millions to Republican Causes Far Earlier Than Previously Known  - Inside Elon Musk’s Hands-On Push to Win 800,000 Voters for Trump  - How Elon Musk Broke With Biden and the Democrats Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chinese Hackers Spying on U.S. Internet Traffic

The Journal.

  • 92 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 15:20

WSJ reporting has revealed a major cyberattack from a group tied to the Chinese government. Hackers penetrated the networks of several broadband providers and gained access to the U.S. domestic wiretapping system. Dustin Volz unpacks what the attack could mean for national security. Further Listening: - ‘Hack Me If You Can’  - Hacking the Hackers  Further Reading: - U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack  - Chinese-Linked Hackers Breach U.S. Internet Providers in New ‘Salt Typhoon’ Cyberattack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Asheville No Longer a ‘Climate Haven?’

The Journal.

  • 91 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 18:35

Asheville, North Carolina, was thriving until floodwaters and heavy wind from Hurricane Helene ripped through the region and destroyed large parts of the city's commercial districts. We talk to two business owners who are trying to figure out what comes next.  Further Reading: -The Hurricane That Threatens to Sink Asheville’s Feel-Good Success  -North Carolina in Crisis Mode as Helene Rescues Continue  Further Listening: -Hot, Dry and Booming: A Texas Climate Case Study  -‘Everything Is Gone’ — One Resident on the Maui Wildfires  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Microsoft Wants Three Mile Island's Nuclear Power

The Journal.

  • 96 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 18:51

Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy announced a deal to restart Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island, the site of the country’s worst nuclear power accident. WSJ’s Jennifer Hiller reports that the goal is to power the tech giant’s growing artificial intelligence ambitions. Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story  - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's Big Bet on AI  Further Reading: - Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant to Reopen, Help Power Microsoft’s AI Centers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red, White and Who? Veep! Veep! All Eyes On Vance and Walz

The Journal.

  • 87 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 21:48

The vice-presidential candidates took center stage at a debate this week. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the important takeaways, and Rachel Humphreys speaks to a listener about why she’s thinking about climate change this election.  Further Listening: - Red, White and Who? Playlist  - Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy!  - Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate  Further Reading: - JD Vance’s Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Missteps That Led Nike Off Course

The Journal.

  • 98 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 17:50

Under CEO John Donahoe, Nike pulled away from retailers and ramped up production of its classic sneaker lines. Now sales have plummeted, the company has lost market share to competitors and Donahoe is stepping down. WSJ's Inti Pacheco discusses what went wrong. Further Reading: -Nike CEO John Donahoe Stepping Down After Rocky Tenure  -How Nike Missed the Boom in Running Culture  -Nike Reverses Course as Innovation Stalls and Rivals Gain Ground  Further Listening: -Nike’s Sneaky Sneaker Thieves  -How Allbirds Lost Its Footing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Risk of an All-Out War in the Middle East

The Journal.

  • 86 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 17:34

Israel is now fighting on multiple fronts, after clashing with Hezbollah in Lebanon and sustaining Iranian strikes yesterday. WSJ’s Michael Amon explains the growing risk of an all-out regional war.   Further Reading: - Israel Clashes With Hezbollah in Lebanon  - Israeli Response to Iran’s Attack to Set Course of Widening War  - Israeli Review Shows Minor Damage From Iran’s Missile Barrage  Further Listening: - Exploding Pagers and the Risk of a Spreading War  - The Brutal Calculation of Hamas’s Leader  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices