Wsj What's News

A.M. Edition for Nov. 26. A new leak shows how U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff advised a Putin aide on the Ukraine peace plan. A plan that now seems to be gaining momentum, as President Trump clears the way for a meeting between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, next week. Plus, good news for Medicare patients: prices for more than a dozen widely-used drugs just got cheaper - including Ozempic. And, ever wonder what happens to those giant balloons in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? WSJ’s Amira McKee has got the inside scoop. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 25. It’s been a brutal month for tech companies. But the stock of Google parent Alphabet is up nearly 18% since the Nasdaq’s peak on October 29. WSJ Heard on the Street columnist Dan Gallagher talks about what Google is doing differently. Plus, Character.AI, which makes popular chatbots, is cutting off access for users under 18 because of mental-health concerns. We hear from Journal tech reporter Georgia Wells about how the company arrived at the decision. And U.S. officials say Ukraine is open to signing a newly crafted peace deal. However, diplomatic hurdles remain. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 25. Talks to end the war in Ukraine move into a new phase, as a top U.S. Army official meets with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi. WSJ national security reporter Robbie Gramer breaks down how peace talks got to this point. Plus, WSJ economics reporter Konrad Putzier unpacks how a reversal in AI euphoria could hit the U.S. economy hard. And Amazon bets that customers are finally ready to buy big-ticket items like cars and Chanel bags on its website. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 24. In an exclusive interview, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly says she supports a rate cut at the Fed’s next meeting in December. She has rarely been in public opposition with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Plus, WSJ national security correspondent Michael Gordon discusses the sticking points in negotiations over President Trump’s Ukraine peace plan. And, in an unusual diplomatic move, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called President Trump to discuss Taiwan. Alex Ossola hosts. Correction: A new report said the share of movies that included tobacco products last year was 10 percentage points higher than in 2023. An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly said it was 10 percent higher. (Corrected on November 25) Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 24. After fears from Kyiv and U.S. allies that many of the points in President Trump’s peace plan conformed with key Russian demands, the White House says officials held constructive talks with Ukraine toward ending the war. Plus, markets and stock futures have bounced back, boosted by hopes the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month. And ahead of a key budget announcement in Britain this week, WSJ’s U.K. bureau chief David Luhnow outlines the stakes for the Labour government, which is expected to raise taxes and cut spending. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re bringing you an episode of Bold Names, which presents conversations with the leaders of the bold-named companies featured in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. On this episode, hosts WSJ’s Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims speak with Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state, the current leader of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a founding partner at the strategic consulting firm Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC. She explains why she says the U.S. needs to “run hard and run fast” and win the tech race with China. She also discusses why executives can no longer afford to think of foreign policy as separate from strategy. For additional information on the Bold Names podcast and more episodes click here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which of the major home improvement stores came out on top this week? And why is Target investing $1 billion more in store upgrades? Plus, how did the Trump administration’s loan to Constellation Energy affect its stock this week? Host Telis Demos 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

P.M. Edition for Nov. 21. It’s mostly tech companies that have hit the milestone of a $1 trillion valuation. As WSJ Heard on the Street columnist David Wainer explains, Eli Lilly’s entrance into this elite club is for a completely different reason: weight-loss drugs. Plus, New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the U.S., but it’s planning to spend millions of dollars per year to be the first state to offer universal childcare. We hear from WSJ economics reporter Harriet Torry about how the plan will work, and what critics say. And now that the U.S. has presented its 28-point peace plan to Ukraine, President Trump says he expects an answer by Thanksgiving, leaving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with what he calls a very difficult choice. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode for Nov. 21. Chipmakers are raking it in, but investors are getting nervous over “circular” AI semiconductor deals, the potential for an AI bubble and the pop that could follow. How grounded are those concerns about the AI boom? WSJ chips reporter Robbie Whelan discusses how the biggest names in chipmaking performed last quarter and what it could mean for markets. WSJ Heard on the Street writer Asa Fitch hosts this special bonus episode of What's News in Earnings, where we dig into companies’ earnings reports and analyst calls to find out what’s going on under the hood of the American economy. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Further Reading: Nvidia’s Strong Results Show AI Fears Are Premature Nvidia Profits Soar, Countering Investor Jitters on AI Boom The AI Boom Is Looking More and More Fragile AMD Reports Sharply Higher Profits, Sales AMD Is an Increasingly Formidable Competitor to Nvidia Intel Surges as First Earnings Report Since U.S. Investment Shows Mo

A.M. Edition for Nov. 21. Asian semiconductor stocks tumbled, a day after Nvidia’s gains were erased on U.S. markets as investors continue to question AI valuations. Plus, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup pull out of a planned $20 billion bailout to Argentina that was pushed by the Trump administration. And WSJ chief China correspondent Lingling Wei details how China is ramping up a new pressure campaign on Taiwan. Kate Bullivant hosts.Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 20. Walmart reported strong quarterly earnings and raised its outlook for the year as shoppers across income levels look for value. Plus, a delayed jobs report showed that the U.S. labor market added more jobs than expected in September, but that and strong earnings from Nvidia didn’t assuage jittery investors. WSJ markets reporter Hannah Erin Lang discusses what’s driving today’s market reversal. And a preliminary report into the deadly UPS cargo plane crash earlier this month found signs of metal fatigue and stress in a piece that connected the plane’s left engine to the wing. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 20. Nvidia's highly-anticipated earnings report did not disappoint with soaring profits soothing investor jitters over the AI boom. Seema Shah from Principal Asset Management explores what this all means for markets going forward. Plus, the White House drafts a peace plan for ending the war in Ukraine, featuring major concessions from Kyiv. And with bids for Warner Bros. Discovery due today, WSJ entertainment reporter Joe Flint looks at the potential buyers and who’s the likely frontrunner. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 19. Traders have used debt to maximize their gains as they bought and sold crypto this year—now, with prices dropping, they’re turbocharging losses too. WSJ crypto reporter Vicky Ge Huang tells us what makes those bets so risky. Plus, Target says it will invest billions in its stores as it seeks to turn around slumping sales. And minutes from October’s Federal Reserve meeting show deepening divisions, putting a rate cut at the next meeting in question. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all want a little treat—even if we’re on a budget. That desire may be part of what’s shaping U.S. liquor sales; big spirits companies are seeing growth in the sales of their smaller bottles of liquor, while sales of the pricier larger sizes decline. What does that tell us about how consumers are feeling about their wallets? Host Alex Ossola discusses with Nadine Sarwat, director and equity research analyst at brokerage firm Bernstein. And finally, in this last episode of our alternative economic indicator series, WSJ investing columnist Spencer Jakab joins Alex to take stock of all four indicators in this series—Nevada employment, copper, heavy trucks and liquor—and the picture they paint about the broader U.S. economy.  Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Further Listening Alternative Indicators: Can Nevada Employment Predict Where the Economy is Headed? Alternative Indicators: What’s Dr. Copper’s Prognosis for the U.S. Economy? Alternative Indicators: What Big-Rig Truck Sales Reve

A.M. Edition for Nov. 19. After dropping for four straight sessions, markets are now bracing for today’s earnings report from AI-bellweather Nvidia. Plus, WSJ’s Anne Tergesen explains why millions of Americans are leaving behind old 401(k) accounts - costing savers billions in missed investment gains. And a rare Gustav Klimt portrait has shattered records, becoming the most expensive modern artwork ever sold at auction. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 18. A federal judge has dismissed the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against Meta Platforms, which alleged that the company has a social-media monopoly. We hear from WSJ tech reporter Meghan Bobrowsky about what that means for Meta. Plus, President Trump said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ”knew nothing about” the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, rejecting a CIA assessment at the time. Plus, the House has passed a bill to release government files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 18. As the market rout hits everything from stocks to crypto, WSJ’s Hannah Miao explains how concerns over missing government data and lofty AI valuations are fueling the downturn. Plus, a House vote on releasing the Epstein files is expected later today, as President Trump’s grip on the GOP seems to be slipping. And companies begin pushing out employees who aren’t using AI in their day to day work. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 17. As companies are laying off thousands of workers, they’re using new tactics like texting and emails and listen-only video calls to communicate to workers that they’ve lost their jobs. Chip Cutter, who covers workplace issues for the Journal, discusses what’s driving these new strategies and how workers are responding. Plus, the head of FEMA has resigned after about seven months on the job. And “Baby Shark Dance”—every toddler’s favorite jam—is YouTube’s most watched video ever. But that mind-blowing popularity hasn’t translated to major sales for the South Korean company behind it. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is U.S. manufacturing driving off a cliff or into the sunset—and taking the economy with it? Look no further than sales of heavy trucks. Trucking companies buy more of these big rigs when they expect they will have more stuff to ship, so declines in heavy truck sales often match up to economic contractions dating back to the 1960s. Now the data show that sales have been going downhill since 2023, falling off more dramatically since June of this year. Host Alex Ossola talks with Bob Tita, who covers manufacturing for The Wall Street Journal, and Avery Vise, vice president of trucking for data analysis and forecasting firm FTR Transportation Intelligence, about what that says about this moment in the economy, and what might be clouding the picture. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter.Further Listening Alternative Indicators: Can Nevada Employment Predict Where the Economy is Headed? Alternative Indicators: What’s Dr. Copper’s Prognosis for the U.S. Economy? Learn more about your ad choices.

A.M. Edition for Nov. 17. The White House throws its weight behind the House vote to release DOJ files related to Jeffrey Epstein. WSJ’s Scott Patterson explains what’s behind President Trump’s surprising reversal. Plus, good news for travelers: the FAA is set to lift flight restrictions today. And WSJ Paris bureau chief, Stacy Meichtry on why France is seeing a disturbing wave of museum heists and details the frightening fate of priceless crown jewels. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices