Synopsis
Top stories. Timely insights. Mirrored after the popular WSJ column, get updates twice daily for your commute as our journalists cover world events, business, politics, markets and the economy.
Episodes
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Venezuela Signals Trump’s New Vision for the Western Hemisphere
05/01/2026 Duration: 12minP.M. Edition for Jan. 5. President Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine” represents a big turn in U.S. geopolitical strategy. We talk with Geoff Ramsey, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and an expert on Latin America, about how other countries in the region could be feeling pressure from the U.S. Plus, Venezuela’s ousted leader Nicolás Maduro remained defiant during his first appearance in U.S. federal court. And why automakers are expecting a tough year ahead. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Trump’s Bet on Reviving Venezuela’s Broken Oil Industry
05/01/2026 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for Jan. 5. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is slated to appear in a federal court Monday, facing charges related to cocaine trafficking. This as President Trump reiterates that the U.S. is calling the shots in Venezuela as a new landscape of power players in the country emerges. That said, any profits stemming from Venezuelan oil are likely years away, according to Energy Aspect founder Amrita Sen. And we look at a potential market-first diabetes treatment for children as young as one. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Big Questions After Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Run’ Venezuela
03/01/2026 Duration: 18minThe U.S. is pledging to run Venezuela until there is a transition of power, after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in an overnight raid. WSJ Washington coverage chief Damian Paletta and national security reporter Vera Bergengruen join host Luke Vargas to discuss the significance of President Trump staking his legacy on a potentially complex nation-building project, the uncertain way oil companies fit into the mix, and how the world is reacting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What’s News in Markets: Silver’s Slide, Travel Chaos, Tesla Tanks
03/01/2026 Duration: 05minWhy did precious metals lose their sheen? And how much did holiday snowstorms hit airline stocks? Plus, how is BYD shaking up the EV race? Host Francesca Fontana discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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China’s BYD Surpasses Tesla as the Top Global EV Seller
02/01/2026 Duration: 12minEdition for Jan. 2. Chinese automaker BYD takes the EV crown after Tesla’s sales slide. Plus, President Trump threatens to intervene as protests in Iran turn violent. And the WSJ’s James Fanelli surveys the challenges facing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as his promises of change meet reality. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Stock Markets Close Out a Record-Setting Year
31/12/2025 Duration: 15minEdition for Dec. 31. We recap a banner year for global markets, propelled in large part by the AI boom. Plus, OpenAI rewards its employees more than any major tech startup has in history. And Journal bureau chiefs preview the global flashpoints likely to dominate 2026. Luke Vargas hosts. Programming note: What’s News is off tomorrow and will publish one show on Friday. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Meta Is Buying Singapore-Based AI Startup Manus
30/12/2025 Duration: 12minEdition for Dec. 30. Meta becomes one of the first major U.S. tech companies to buy a startup with Chinese roots, as it agrees to acquire Manus for more than $2 billion. Plus, tensions in the Middle East as Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. square off over their support for rival factions in Yemen. And WSJ chief economics commentator Greg Ip and White House reporter Meridith McGraw explain why “affordability” is likely to be a major talking point in next year’s midterm election campaign, and what politicians can do to address it. Luke Vargas hosts. Programming note: What’s News is publishing once a day through Jan. 2. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Trump Administration Broadens Corporate DEI Crackdown
29/12/2025 Duration: 14minEdition for Dec. 29. The Department of Justice launches investigations into companies including Google and Verizon over workplace DEI programs, using an antifraud law to try to advance the president’s political agenda. Plus, Lululemon’s founder launches a proxy fight to shake up the struggling retailer’s board. And we’ll look at the evolving security threats likely to drive defense spending in 2026 with the help of WSJ reporter Alistair MacDonald and Dragonfly’s Matt Ince. Luke Vargas hosts. Programming note: What’s News is publishing once a day through Jan. 2. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Trump Says U.S. Strikes in Nigeria Were to Protect Christians
26/12/2025 Duration: 13minP.M. Edition for Dec. 26. President Trump says the U.S. launched strikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria to protect Christians–but Nigeria disagrees, saying the strikes weren’t aimed at protecting any particular religious group. We hear from WSJ reporter Alexandra Wexler about how Nigeria is approaching the issue. Plus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he’ll meet with President Trump in Florida over the weekend for talks on the plan to end the war with Russia. And WSJ national politics reporter Sabrina Siddiqui discusses changes to health policy under the Trump administration and how the “Make America Healthy Again” movement could affect next year’s midterms. Alex Ossola hosts. Programming note: What’s News is publishing once a day through Jan. 2.Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What This Year’s Dealmaking Boom Means for 2026
24/12/2025 Duration: 12minEdition for Dec. 24. This year has been a big one for deals, with some blockbuster mergers and big-name breakups. WSJ lead deals reporter Lauren Thomas discusses what drove all that activity in 2025, and what she’ll be keeping her eye on in the year to come. Plus, the heirs to Texas billionaire Robert Brockman will pay $750 million in the biggest U.S. tax fraud case ever. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposes a demilitarized zone in the eastern region of Donetsk as part of a potential peace deal. Alex Ossola hosts. Programming note: What’s News is publishing once a day through Jan. 2. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Tyson Plant That Shaped This Nebraska Town Is Closing. What Comes Next?
23/12/2025 Duration: 14minP.M. Edition for Dec. 23. When Tyson Foods announced that it was closing its meatpacking plant in Lexington, Nebraska, it sent the city into a crisis. We hear from WSJ reporter Patrick Thomas about what locals are planning to do as the city is losing its largest employer. Plus, the U.S. economy was unexpectedly strong in the third quarter. Chao Deng, who covers the U.S. economy for the Journal, breaks down how consumer spending drove that growth. And if you’re planning to fly economy this holiday season–or anytime really–we’ve got some tips on how to make the trip a little more enjoyable. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The U.S. Oil Blockade of Venezuela Is Pushing Cuba Toward Collapse
23/12/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for Dec. 23. Cuba was already suffering from food shortages and blackouts. Now the U.S. oil blockade of Venezuela means the Communist island also faces the loss of cheap oil from Nicolás Maduro. The Journal’s South America bureau chief Juan Forero explains. Plus, the U.S. bans new China-made drones from DJI and Autel Robotics, sparking outrage among pilots. And think you know business etiquette? Take our quiz and find out. Daniel Bach hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Toxic Fumes on Planes Are Being Blamed for Illnesses and Deaths
22/12/2025 Duration: 12minP.M. Edition for Dec. 22. Reports of toxic gases that leak into a plane’s cabin or cockpit have surged in recent years. Now, as WSJ’s Ben Katz reports, doctors and researchers increasingly see a link between exposure to those fumes and fatal illnesses. Look for his next piece with more advice for travelers on wsj.com. Plus, the Trump administration stops offshore wind projects currently under construction, the most significant of the actions the administration has taken against the industry. And Paramount sweetens its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery with a personal guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison. WSJ media reporter Joe Flint weighs in on the latest in the fight for the entertainment company. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What’s Next in the Fight Over Healthcare Subsidies
22/12/2025 Duration: 15minA.M. Edition for Dec. 22. Congress breaks for the holidays without renewing enhanced ACA subsidies. The WSJ’s Sabrina Sidiqui explains what could break the impasse, as millions face higher healthcare premiums and lingering uncertainty. Plus, after seizing a second tanker over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard hunts another ship involved in moving Venezuelan oil. And a former Tesla staffer who clashed with Elon Musk shakes up the race to run General Motors. Daniel Bach hosts. Listen to the full interview with Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack on WSJ’s Take On the Week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Struggle to Keep America’s Workers Safe
21/12/2025 Duration: 29minFor over 100 years, keeping Americans safe on the job has challenged the country's free-market economy. Businesses often preferred to regulate their workplaces without government oversight. But that track record is mixed. And federal efforts at safeguarding job sites at times have fallen short. Host Katherine Sullivan explores how far we've come since Frances Perkins helped put employee safety in the spotlight and what American workers still face now when they go to work. This episode is part of The Wall Street Journal’s USA250: The Story of the World’s Greatest Economy, a collection of articles, videos and podcasts aiming to offer a deeper understanding of how America has evolved. Additional reading and listening: A Timeline of Key Moments in the History of Work in America Coal Miners’ Trade Off: Trump Boosts Production but Slashes Safety Programs An Economy Built on Speculation—for Better and for Worse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What’s News in Markets: Memory Chips, Corporate Drama, Mega IPO
20/12/2025 Duration: 05minWhat did Micron’s earnings tell us about the AI boom? And what’s behind the corporate drama at Warner Bros. Discovery and Lululemon? Plus, does Medline's IPO splash bode well for future offerings? Host Francesca Fontana discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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DOJ Releases First Batch of Jeffrey Epstein Files
19/12/2025 Duration: 14minP.M. Edition for Dec. 19. The Justice Department releases the first batch of files tied to its investigation of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. home sales rise to their highest level since February. And WSJ’s Kelly Crow explains how the art market is adapting younger buyers. Sabrina Siddiqui hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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EU Backs $105 Billion Ukraine Loan
19/12/2025 Duration: 12minA.M. Edition for Dec. 19. Europe throws Kyiv a fiscal lifeline in a move officials say could give Kyiv more leverage in negotiations over ending the war, but fail to agree on a plan to tap frozen Russian assets. Plus, OpenAI aims to raise as much as $100 billion to pay for its ambitious growth plans in a market that has started to cool on the artificial-intelligence boom. And WSJ Tokyo bureau chief Jason Douglas explains how interest-rate rises in Japan could push up borrowing costs in the U.S. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Economists Are Urging Caution About November’s Inflation Report
18/12/2025 Duration: 12minP.M. Edition for Dec. 18. Inflation eased to 2.7% in November, lower than economists expected. WSJ’s Chao Deng explains why they are taking the report with a grain of salt. President Trump’s media company and a fusion energy company announced a merger valued at $6 billion. Read more about the Trump family’s growing business empire. And WSJ security reporter Benoit Faucon discusses what the attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach reveals about the threat posed by ISIS. Sabrina Siddiqui hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The ‘New Silk Road’ of Cheap Chinese Goods
18/12/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for Dec. 18. WSJ reporter Chelsey Dulaney says the redirection of China’s export machine caused by a U.S. crackdown on low-value imports is one of the most dramatic examples of how President Trump’s trade war has rewired global trade. Plus, Trump uses a prime-time address to announce tariff-funded dividends for troops. And Warner Bros. Discovery demands a stronger personal guarantee from Larry Ellison in Paramount Skydance’s $77.9 billion takeover bid. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices