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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The Task Force Taking On American Universities
15/04/2025 Duration: 13minP.M. Edition for April 15. The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is a cross-government group with unprecedented leverage to push for change at elite U.S. universities. WSJ higher education reporter Sara Randazzo tells us about the group, and how universities are responding to it. Plus, Beijing has told Chinese airlines not to place new orders with Boeing, the U.S.’s largest exporter. We hear from WSJ Heard on the Street columnist Jon Sindreu about what this means for Boeing’s business. And big-bank earnings for the first quarter showed that U.S. consumer spending remained resilient, despite economic uncertainty. 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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Harvard Hit With $2 Billion Government Funding Freeze
15/04/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for April 15. The Trump administration freezes billions in funding for Harvard University, after the school said it would resist demands to change its governance structure over antisemitism concerns. Plus, confusion in Detroit as automakers struggle to claim tariff relief on U.S.-sourced products. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping heads overseas, pitching stability to Asian countries facing high reciprocal tariffs from Washington. WSJ reporter Austin Ramzy explains what Beijing can realistically offer amid broader trade tensions. 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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Trump Administration Backs Away From White-Collar Criminal Enforcement
14/04/2025 Duration: 13minP.M. Edition for April 14. The U.S. administration is backing away from cases involving foreign bribery, public corruption, money laundering and crypto markets. WSJ reporter Dave Michaels says the administration is effectively redefining what business conduct constitutes a crime. And WSJ reporter Peter Grant says Trump’s appetite for tariffs is threatening a post-Covid bounce for the U.S. office space market. Plus, what’s at stake for Meta Platforms—which owns Instagram and WhatsApp—in its antitrust trial brought by the Federal Trade Commission. Pierre Bienaimé 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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Investors Cheer a Tariff Rollback for the Tech Industry
14/04/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for April 14. Global stocks rise after a Friday filing showed that smartphones, computers and other categories of tech products will be exempt from sweeping tariffs imposed earlier this month. WSJ markets reporter Caitlin McCabe surveys how equities are responding. Plus, data news editor Anthony DeBarros breaks down the Journal’s latest survey of economists, which featured an unusual lack of consensus about future U.S. growth prospects. And a Trump official who oversaw the closure of USAID has left the State Department. 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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Trump Prompts Rethink of Nuclear-Weapons Deals
13/04/2025 Duration: 14minAmid doubts about Washington’s commitment to defending its allies, countries in Europe and elsewhere are asking whether America’s nuclear umbrella offers enough protection from Russia and countries looking to build their arsenals, such as North Korea and Iran. WSJ reporter Laurence Norman and Marion Messmer, senior research fellow at Chatham House, discuss what might drive some countries to seek the protection of others or consider building their own nukes. Then, Debak Das, assistant professor at the University of Denver, shares the proliferation risks of a renewed arms race, and what the process of actually building a nuclear program could look like. Luke Vargas hosts. Further Reading Trump Prompts European Calls for a Homegrown Nuclear Umbrella The Bomb Is Back as the Risk of Nuclear War Enters a New Age Trump’s Embrace of Putin Has Germany Thinking of Nuclear Weapons Iran Has Enough Highly Enriched Uranium for Six Nuclear Weapons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What’s News in Markets: Banks' Warnings, CarMax Stalls, Delta Shares Fly
12/04/2025 Duration: 05minWhy did banks report higher profit but also warn of a recession risk? And how did President Trump’s tariff announcements affect CarMax? Plus, what caused Delta’s shares to rise? 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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Banks Warn of Risk to U.S. Economy Because of Tariffs
11/04/2025 Duration: 13minP.M. Edition for April 11. In earnings calls today, executives warned that President Trump’s tariffs were sending the U.S. economy into the unknown, hurting consumers and businesses. WSJ Heard on the Street columnist Jonathan Weil joins to discuss how banks are gauging what’s ahead. Plus, results of the latest consumer sentiment survey show that Americans have a pessimistic view of the economy, with the highest expectations for unemployment and inflation in years. And small U.S. businesses are looking to be the biggest losers in Trump’s trade war. We hear from WSJ senior special writer Ruth Simon about how they are weathering higher costs from tariffs. Alex Ossola hosts. See How Government Spending Is Up Even as Musk Touts Savings 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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China Hits U.S. Goods With 125% Tariff
11/04/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for April 11. Beijing unveils another round of trade countermeasures against Washington, saying its latest duties on U.S. products will make them no longer marketable in the country. Rathbones’ Ed Smith joins us to discuss how investors can prepare for the road ahead after a volatile week for markets. Plus, the WSJ’s Benoit Faucon previews high-stakes U.S.-Iran nuclear talks. And the Supreme Court orders the return of a man mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Correction: The White House on Thursday said U.S. tariffs on China add up to 145%. An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly referenced 150% tariffs on China. (Corrected on April 11) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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U.S. Stocks Fall Sharply as Global Economic Outlook Remains Uncertain
10/04/2025 Duration: 14minP.M. Edition for April 10. Yesterday’s market rally gave way to declines as the impact of a trade war with China sinks in. Plus, services are a major U.S. export now being pulled into Trump’s trade wars. WSJ economics reporter Konrad Putzier joins to discuss. And the House passes a budget blueprint for President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.” We hear from Journal tax policy reporter Richard Rubin about what the blueprint lays out and what it leaves up for debate. 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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China Readies Its Trade-War Arsenal
10/04/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for April 10. Relief sweeps through global markets after President Trump blinked on reciprocal tariffs yesterday, even as the U.S. and China hurtle toward an all-out trade showdown. China bureau chief Jonathan Cheng explains Beijing’s options as it prepares to hit the U.S. where it hurts. Plus, the U.S. and Russia complete a prisoner swap. And Kyiv claims more than 150 Chinese citizens are fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. 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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U.S. Stocks Soar as President Trump Pauses Some Tariffs
09/04/2025 Duration: 11minP.M. Edition for April 9. U.S. stocks stage a furious rally after Trump announces a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. WSJ investing columnist Spencer Jakab discusses the market reaction, and markets reporter Ryan Dezember breaks down what the tariff pause means in practice, as China was a big exception to the pause, with Trump saying the tariff rate on Chinese goods was now 125%. And, no matter what the tariff rate is, putting new levies into practice will make the act of importing much more complicated. Liz Young, who covers logistics and the supply chain for the Journal, walks us through how it works. 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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Bonds Sell Off as New U.S. Tariffs Upend Global Trade
09/04/2025 Duration: 14minA.M. Edition for April 9. As U.S. tariffs targeting nearly 100 nations take effect, WSJ reporters Jason Douglas and Kim Mackrael explain how America’s trade partners are responding to the levies, including a 104% tariff on China. Plus, markets reporter Chelsey Dulaney breaks down an intensifying selloff in usual safe haven U.S. Treasurys. And President Trump vows to bring back the declining U.S. coal industry. 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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U.S. Stocks Sink Ahead of Trump’s 104% Tariffs on China
08/04/2025 Duration: 13minP.M. Edition for April 8. U.S. stocks gyrated today but ultimately ended down as investors’ hopes for tariff resolution turned out to be unfounded. WSJ markets reporter Jack Pitcher walks us through what happened. Plus, investors looking for a guide to trading in turbulent times are turning to a book first published in 1997. Kevin Dugan, who covers business culture for the Journal, talks about why it is still resonating with investors. And Journal reporter Peter Grant discusses the potential impact of President Trump’s tariff blitz on the coastal industrial-property sector. 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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China Vows to Fight U.S. Tariffs ‘To The End’
08/04/2025 Duration: 14minA.M. Edition for April 8. Beijing pledges more countermeasures if President Trump follows through on a threat for an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods. Despite signs of an intensifying trade war, the WSJ’s Alex Frangos explains why global equities are regaining ground today. Plus, the U.S. and Iran plan high-stakes nuclear talks. And correspondent Kejal Vyas takes us to the U.S.-Mexico border as the normally-bustling frontier braces for new trade barriers. 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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The Impact of Trump’s Tariffs on the Rest of His Agenda
07/04/2025 Duration: 12minP.M. Edition for April 7. Amrith Ramkumar, who covers tech policy for the Journal, discusses how President Trump’s tariffs risk undercutting his goals of curbing inflation, supporting U.S. manufacturing and boosting a build-out of AI data centers. Plus, Trump threatens China with an additional 50% levy if Beijing doesn’t withdraw its retaliatory tariff by tomorrow. And U.S. markets went on a wild swing that added—and then erased—more than $2 trillion in value in a matter of minutes. WSJ markets reporter Hannah Erin Lang walks us through what happened. 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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Market Turmoil Deepens as Trump Stands By Tariffs
07/04/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for April 7. Declines in global markets are snowballing into one of the worst routs in recent memory, with Hong Kong’s benchmark index recording its worst trading day in decades and the S&P 500 now poised to follow the NASDAQ into bear-market territory. The WSJ’s Peter Landers and Katy Barnato survey the damage and explain how big names on Wall Street are beginning to push back. Plus, reporter Hannah Miao breaks down how China is responding to U.S. tariffs as it stares down a major hit to its growth forecasts if it can’t find buyers for its exports. 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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What to Watch for This Earnings Season as Trump’s Tariffs Come Into Play
06/04/2025 Duration: 31minPresident Trump’s latest tariff policy announcement has rocked companies, markets and investment portfolios. To get into what they mean for Americans from Main Street to Wall Street, What’s News brings you an episode of our sister podcast WSJ’s Take On the Week, where co-hosts Telis Demos and Miriam Gottfried discuss tariffs, Trump’s trade war and the upcoming first quarter earnings season. Christine Short, head of research of Wall Street Horizon, which is part of the financial services company TMX Group, discusses how companies are dealing with tariffs. You can also listen to this episode on WSJ’s Take On the Week. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com. Further Reading To read more from our co-hosts, catch up on Wall Street Facing Toughest Test in Years and Banks Don’t Pay Tariffs, but Tariffs Will Cost Them. What to Know About Trump’s Latest Tariffs A Market-Rattling Attempt to Make the American Economy Trump Always Wan
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What’s News in Markets: Nike Tariff Turmoil, The Not-So-Magnificent Seven, Newsmax’s Wild Debut
05/04/2025 Duration: 05minWhy did President Trump’s tariff announcements send Nike stock spinning? And what’s weighing on the Magnificent Seven tech stocks? Plus, how did shares of conservative news outlet Newsmax do in their first trading week? Host Krystal Hur 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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Most Voters Oppose Trump’s Tariffs, But His Supporters Are Still Behind Him
04/04/2025 Duration: 14minP.M. Edition for April 4. A Wall Street Journal poll shows that most voters were already souring on President Trump’s handling of the economy even before Wednesday’s raft of tariffs. WSJ reporter and editor Aaron Zitner joins us to discuss the poll results. Plus, a 2,200-point drop in the Dow ends a brutal week for U.S. stocks. Krystal Hur, who covers markets for the Journal, breaks down what happened. And Trump signs an executive order granting a 75-day extension to work out details on a potential deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. Alex Ossola hosts. Your New Lunch Habit Is Hurting the Economy 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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Recession Fears Rise as Global Selloff Continues
04/04/2025 Duration: 13minA.M. Edition for April 4. Global markets extend their declines following yesterday's tariff-driven Wall Street rout, with several indicators now pointing to a heightened risk of a global recession. Plus, the chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, Bernd Lange, explains how the bloc is responding to new U.S. tariffs and what it’s not willing to compromise on. And the WSJ’s Dasl Yoon has the latest from Seoul, as South Korea’s impeached president is removed from office. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices