The Journal.

The Journal.

The most important stories about money, business and power. Hosted by Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza. The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal. Get show merch here: https://wsjshop.com/collections/clothing

Episodes

December 29, 2025 9 mins
The stories that defined 2025, the themes to watch in 2026. Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza hear from top editors across the paper. Plus, Ryan's bold proposal to switch Christmas and Valentine's Day.Thanks for listening to the show in 2025. We’ll see you in 2026! Listen to Ryan and Jess’s playlist of their Greatest Hits of 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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According to a WSJ analysis, the epicenter for Stand Your Ground killings is in the state where the laws were first enacted: Florida. From 2021 through 2024, the Jacksonville area had a larger share of its homicides classified as justifiable killings by civilians than any U.S. city or county with a population greater than 500,000. WSJ’s Hannah Critchfield reports on the law’s unintended consequences and one case labelled as a self-...
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Federal officials say Chinese money launderers moved more than $300 billion in illicit transactions through U.S. banks and other financial institutions in recent years. WSJ’s Dylan Tokar explores the rise of these highly lucrative schemes and former federal prosecutor Julie Shemitz takes us inside the federal investigation to bring them down. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Money Laundering Behind TD Bank's $3 Bil...
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December 19, 2025 22 mins
How did the U.S. economy do in 2025? With unemployment ticking up, tariffs shaking up global trade and the stock market booming, it has been hard to make sense of it all. Ryan Knutson talks with three WSJ economics reporters–Justin Lahart, Rachel Wolfe and Jeanne Whalen– about the state of the economy as we wrap up the year, and about what to expect in 2026.  Further Listening: - The Era of AI Layoffs Has Begun - Is the Econom...
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December 18, 2025 19 mins
After a historic church in the heart of Nashville was taken over by a businessman, the family of the church’s original founder, including Christian pop star Amy Grant, says the building was “steeple-jacked.” The businessman leading the church denies the allegations. WSJ’s Cameron McWhirter explains to Ryan Knutson why many American churches are vulnerable to a hostile takeover. Further Listening: - ‘Exmo’ Influencers Are Taking ...
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Cloud seeding is a decades-old rain-making technology, and it’s making a comeback in drought-stricken western states. Utah is partnering with a startup called Rainmaker as they try to stabilize the Great Salt Lake, assisted by drones and AI. But those efforts are colliding with weather conspiracy theories that have only gotten more persistent after some blamed Rainmaker for deadly floods in Texas last year. Jessica Mendoza spoke to...
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December 16, 2025 20 mins
Risky investing strategies are on the rise, and Robinhood’s CEO Vlad Tenev is leading the charge. He’s built the company’s trading app not just to buy and sell ordinary stocks, but to make it easier to invest in more exotic financial products. WSJ’s Hannah Erin Lang profiles Tenev and explores the extraordinary success his company has had over the past year. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Free Trading Isn't Free: How R...
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December 15, 2025 21 mins
Compass CEO Robert Reffkin wants to change the way Americans buy and sell homes by encouraging sellers to list their homes privately when they first hit the market. That strategy is challenging companies like Zillow, which have made information about home listings accessible to buyers. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman explains why Compass wants to overhaul the real estate market, and why Zillow is putting up a fight. Jessica Mendoza hosts. ...
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December 12, 2025 20 mins
While some viewers complain that AI-generated ads look uncanny, brands like Coca-Cola are making them anyway. WSJ’s Katie Deighton explains how Coke remade their iconic “Holidays Are Coming” ad with artificial intelligence, and what that signals for the ad industry’s future. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - The Era of AI Layoffs Has Begun - How a $1.5 Billion Settlement Could Alter the Course of AISign up for WSJ’s f...
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December 11, 2025 20 mins
OpenAI kickstarted the AI race, but is it now at risk of falling behind Google? As the company behind ChatGPT releases its latest update to fend off Google's Gemini, WSJ’S Berber Jin explains OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's urgent "code red" memo to all employees and why the strategy will come at a cost. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Is the AI Boom… a Bubble? - AI Is Coming for Entry-Level Jobs - The Journal. Sign up for...
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Starting next year, babies born from 2025 to 2028 can receive $1,000 to start investment accounts. The initiative has gotten corporate America excited, with financial institutions vying for a role in the program, and philanthropists like Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell pledging billions of dollars in donations. WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy unpacks how the accounts work and why Wall Street is buzzing about them. Jessica Mendoza hosts. ...
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December 9, 2025 22 mins
Earlier this year, OpenAI and chip-designer Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, announced a multibillion-dollar partnership to collaborate on AI data centers that will run on AMD processors, one of the most direct challenges yet to industry leader Nvidia. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan spoke to the CEO of AMD Lisa Su about the deal, her company and the prospect of an AI bubble. Ryan Knutson hosts.  Further Listening: - CoreWeave, the Compan...
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This morning, Paramount Skydance launched a $77.9 billion hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery. It occurred just days after Warner had agreed to a $72 billion deal with Netflix. WSJ’s Joe Flint reports on the twists and turns of the battle to control Warner and, if Netflix succeeds, how it would change Hollywood. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Will Paramount Settle With Trump? - She Swore Off Legacy...
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The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace in Ukraine through business deals. To Europe’s dismay, President Trump and his envoy are on board. WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson take us inside the Trump administration's new approach to diplomacy with Russia and how it could shake up the U.S.'s longstanding alliances. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Why Trump Is Ready to Send Missiles to Ukraine - Inside the Hunt f...
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December 4, 2025 19 mins
The U.S. wine industry hasn’t had it this bad since Prohibition. WSJ’s Laura Cooper reports from Sonoma County, California, a major region for American wine production, on why growers are drowning in unsold grapes, shrinking demand and trade-war fallout. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Who Wants Non-Alcoholic Beer? Everyone, Apparently. - Why Coke Isn't Getting Rid of High-Fructose Corn Syrup Sign up for WSJ’s...
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December 3, 2025 22 mins
As part of a year-long investigation, WSJ’s Shalini Ramachandran and Betsy McKay have been reporting on two of the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medications in America: benzodiazepines and antidepressants. These drugs weren’t intended for long-term use, but some Americans end up on them for years. Betsy and Shalini spoke to many patients who experienced the downsides. So a basic question popped up: Is America overmedicated? ...
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An escalating artificial intelligence race between China and the U.S. is drawing comparisons to the Cold War, and is likely to be just as consequential. As the technology barrels ahead from ChatGPT to DeepSeek and beyond, the competition is now primarily focused on advanced computer chips, but some worry that the race to innovate will lead to loosening safety regulations. WSJ’s Josh Chin explains China’s strategy to Ryan Knutson. ...
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Quince is seemingly everywhere. Since launching in 2018, the brand has built an e-commerce empire that brings in $1.1 billion annually, and has catapulted to the top of the "dupe" economy. But the company’s strategy of making its own versions of best-selling products has run into some pushback from competitors. WSJ’s Chavie Lieber takes us inside Quince’s strategy and ensuing legal battles. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening...
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After Hermès heir Nicolas Puech announced his $15 billion fortune was missing, accusations started flying. Who had taken the money? Was it his handyman? His financial advisor? Puech himself? In this second episode, WSJ’s Nick Kostov reveals the answer in what could be the fraud of the century. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: The Case of the Missing $15 Billion Fortune: Part 1 The World's Richest Person Is Planning for...
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Hermès is one of Europe’s most storied luxury brands, known for its Birkin bags and expensive silk scarves. One of the company’s biggest shareholders had been fifth-generation Hermès heir Nicolas Puech. But a few years ago, Puech made a shocking admission: he was out of money. And Puech’s Hermès shares, worth some $15 billion, were missing. In this first episode, WSJ’s Nick Kostov digs into one of the most baffling and epic financi...
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