Wsj What's News

P.M. Edition for Aug. 11. Speaking from the White House this morning, the president compared the homicide rate in Washington with capitals around the world and said he would also put D.C. police under federal control. Plus, 50% tariffs on aluminum imports went into effect in June, and beverage, auto and manufacturing companies are hurting. Ryan Dezember, who covers commodities for the Journal, discusses how the U.S. aluminum industry’s answer to boosting the domestic supply of aluminum might currently be in your recycling bin. And Ford Motor has announced a $2 billion investment in a Louisville, Kentucky factory to build high-tech, affordable electric vehicles. WSJ reporter Sharon Terlep discusses how that might help the company take on the makers of cheap Chinese electric vehicles. 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 Aug. 11. Shares of publicly traded private-equity firms like Blackstone and Apollo are down year-to-date, trailing the broader market, while shares of traditional asset managers like BlackRock have outperformed. Heard on the Street columnist Telis Demos discusses this divide and how it relates to the firms’ second-quarter earnings. WSJ reporter Miriam Gottfried 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Aug 11. In a highly unusual deal, chip giants Nvidia and AMD will give the Trump administration 15% of their AI chip sales to China. Plus, Israel’s military kills five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, according to the network. This comes as Prime Minister Netanyahu revealed his new war plans include fighting in refugee camps. And, WSJ editor Aaron Zitner explains why the division between red and blue states is becoming deeper than ever. Azhar Sukri hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A surge in cyber attacks is increasingly hitting small businesses, the backbone of the U.S. economy. According to a forthcoming survey from Mastercard, nearly half of business owners have experienced a cyber attack, and nearly one in five that suffered an attack then filed for bankruptcy or closed their business. WSJ cybersecurity reporter James Rundle and Seyoung Jeon, lead cyber analyst at Security Intelligence Provider Dragonfly, discuss the vulnerabilities of small enterprises, what these attacks mean for the greater economy and what businesses can do to defend themselves. Kate Bullivant hosts. Further Reading Hackers Target Eldercare Homes For Some Companies, the Real Cost of a Cyberattack Is Telling Everyone About It New York Orders Local Governments to Start Reporting Cyberattacks Microsoft Alerts Firms to Server-Software Attack U.S. Tells Companies to Prepare for Iranian Cyberattacks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did Apple avoid tariffs on its chips? And are mortgage lenders Fannie and Freddie set to go public? Plus, what caused Crocs shares to plunge? Host Jack Pitcher 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 Aug. 8. In an exclusive, we’re reporting that the Trump administration is preparing an IPO for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac later this year, which it estimates could raise $30 billion. But WSJ capital markets reporter Corrie Driebusch says that key questions remain—including whether the companies will remain under government conservatorship. Plus, gold futures briefly surpassed a 45-year record before paring gains after the White House said it would clarify tariffs on gold. And nicotine is in, beer is out: What Americans’ changing vices mean for the companies behind the goods, and their stock prices. WSJ reporter Laura Cooper discusses how the companies are responding. 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 Aug 8. Wall Street is finally getting what it’s long hoped for - the ability to invest pension funds in assets like real-estate, crypto and private equity. But as WSJ deputy editor Quentin Webb explains, that doesn’t come without its risks. Plus, Israel’s cabinet approves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to take over Gaza City. And, why using old-school ways to land a job might be more effective than using AI to spray your resume all over the net. Azhar Sukri 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 Aug. 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his country will take control of the entire Gaza Strip. WSJ correspondent Dov Lieber fills us in on what we know about the plan so far. Plus, President Trump has called for Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign over his ties to China. Amrith Ramkumar, who covers tech policy for the Journal, joins the podcast to discuss what this might mean for the troubled chip maker. And Firefly Aerospace becomes the third space or defense company to make its stock market debut this year. We hear from WSJ capital markets reporter Corrie Driebusch about what makes this sector so appealing to investors. 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 Aug 7. President Trump’s sweeping levies kicked in on dozens of countries just after midnight. But behind the scenes, negotiators are still racing to secure exemptions for key exports. Among them, chips, which are now subject to a 100% tariff - unless the importer invests in the U.S. And, the WSJ’s Stephen Wilmot and Jon Emont look at the outsize impact the trade war has had on the auto industry and the world’s poorest countries. Azhar Sukri 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 Aug. 6. President Trump’s tariffs have so far only caused minor disruptions. WSJ economics reporter Jeanne Whalen joins to discuss why we haven’t seen an economic earthquake. Plus, President Trump plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. And American carmakers are focusing less on electric vehicles and more on gas-guzzling vehicles like pickups and SUVs. We hear from Sharon Terlep, who covers the auto industry for the Journal, about what’s changed. 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 Aug. 6. It’s tough sledding in the food business as costs rise but consumers aren’t having higher prices. How are food companies balancing inflation and tariffs on one hand and the need to appeal to budget-conscious buyers on the other? WSJ Heard on the Street editor Aaron Back discusses the latest earnings reports for Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra, Campbell and J.M. Smucker tell us about the food business and the future of how we eat. WSJ food reporter Jesse Newman 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Aug 6. With scores of countries facing steep reciprocal tariffs tomorrow, WSJ markets reporter Chelsey Dulaney says governments without a U.S. trade deal are either rushing to Washington for talks or taking on the fight. Plus, special envoy Steve Witkoff meets President Putin just days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties. And, RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for U.S. vaccine research. Azhar Sukri 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 Aug. 5. Nearly 10 million American children are living in poverty, the most since 2018. Tens of millions more are precariously close, their families pushed to the brink by a storm of economic factors. Dan Frosch, who covers the U.S. economy with a focus on income inequality and poverty for the Journal, talked with a number of families in this position and joins us to discuss. Plus, with the resignation of a Federal Reserve official, President Trump has an opportunity to reshape the Fed. We hear from WSJ chief economics correspondent Nick Timiraos about what the president might do. And a House committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department for reports of its investigation into 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

Bonus Episode for Aug. 5. Six of the so-called Magnificent Seven companies have reported quarterly earnings, with only Nvidia, the most-valuable of them all, yet to release its results. Heard on the Street’s Asa Fitch talks about how much better it can get for the stocks harnessing AI-mania to propel the stock market. Asa, who also writes the Journal’s new AI newsletter, says that the hyperscalers show no sign of slowing their furious pace of capital investment in infrastructure, but he cautions that continuing to top investors’ lofty expectations is becoming more of a challenge. Markets AM writer Spencer Jakab 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. Sign up for the WSJ's free WSJ AI & Business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Aug 5. President Trump is looking to step up pressure against banks for dropping clients over perceived discrimination against conservatives and crypto companies. WSJ editor Alex Frangos says it comes as investors are increasingly worried about political interference on Wall Street. Plus, The Justice Department tasks a grand jury with reinvestigating the intelligence community’s findings over Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. And, in a bid to deter foreigners from overstaying their visas, The State Department might require travelers entering the U.S. to post a bond of up to $15,000. Azhar Sukri 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 Aug. 4. Tesla’s board has approved an interim pay package for CEO Elon Musk to incentivize him as he is dividing his time between several companies, with plans for a longer-term pay strategy. WSJ special writer Theo Francis reports that Musk wouldn’t be the only chief executive to enter the exclusive club of gaining stock-based pay worth more than $1 billion in a single year. Plus, though President Trump only signed his tax-and-spending megabill into law last month, some companies are already starting to feel the impact by having more cash on hand. We hear from the Journal’s Heard on the Street columnist Jonathan Weil about what that means for companies, their investors and the federal deficit. And as consumer spending stagnates, Americans are on the hunt for a good deal. WSJ corporate news reporter Katherine Hamilton discusses how U.S. consumers are trying to save money, and how companies are responding. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about

A.M. Edition for Aug 4. China has gained leverage over the U.S. military supply chains by choking off the exports of critical minerals to Western defense companies. The WSJ’s Jon Emont explains how these restrictions from China will have significant consequences for the U.S. military. Plus, the Trump administration defends the president’s decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following Friday’s weaker-than-expected jobs numbers. And, dozens of Texas House Democrats flee the state in a bid to block Republican plans to redraw the state’s congressional map. Azhar Sukri hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are in the heat of the summer travel season, and many travelers are finding that it’s getting more expensive to take a vacation. Airlines, whose hopes for this year were rattled by tariff uncertainty, have started adapting to more upscale consumers; Southwest, for example, has adopted new bag fees and started selling tickets with assigned seats. Hotels are seeing a decline in foreign visitors as domestic travelers scale back their plans, even as short term rental services like Airbnb are broadening their offerings to include services. Allison Pohle covers travel and tourism for the Wall Street Journal, and she joins host Alex Ossola to discuss how travel is looking different these days, and what this means for travel in the future. Further Reading:  Europe Is Out. Road Trips Are In. Welcome to the Scaled-Back Vacation.  Airlines Are Having a Bruising Year. Delta and United Are Doing Better. New York City’s Hotel Market Is Envy of the Country  Airbnb Lets You Add a Private Chef to Your Rental. Your Ho

Is Novo Nordisk losing its lead in the weight-loss market? And what caused Meta’s shares to jump? Plus, why did shoppers rush to buy Apple’s iPhones? 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

P.M. Edition for Aug. 1. The jobs report, which showed sharply lower revised numbers for May and June, may open the door for the Fed to cut interest rates at its next meeting in September. WSJ finance news editor Christina Rexrode joins to discuss. Plus, software company Figma’s stock market debut yesterday saw its stock price jump 250% in its first day of trading, leaving some $3 billion on the table. We hear from Corrie Driebusch, who covers U.S. capital markets for the Journal, about why that happened. And President Trump says he will position two nuclear submarines “in the appropriate regions” in response to criticism from a former Russian leader. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices