The Journal.

Steve Happ was packing to leave Tennessee for an evangelical mission to Uganda in 2023 when Bank of America told him it was canceling his church’s bank account and his credit cards. Happ soon became the symbol of a conservative complaint: Financial institutions are allegedly ’debanking’ people because of their religious or political views. WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy on President Trump’s fight with the banks over debanking. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: -How a New 'Anti-Woke' Bank Stumbled -Outcry at Bank of America Over Dangerous Workloads Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, one of the biggest questions fueling conspiracy theories has been: is the U.S. government hiding secret knowledge of extraterrestrial life? But when the Pentagon started investigating, it uncovered a different kind of coverup. WSJ's Joel Schectman reports on what's in that investigation, and what the government ultimately decided to leave out of it. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How a Balloon Burst U.S.-China Relations Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 days into the government shutdown, services are unavailable and federal workers are facing instability. Both sides have dug in, with Democrats and Republicans pointing fingers at each other. WSJ’s Siobhan Hughes explains what it would take to end the shutdown. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: -Why This Government Shutdown Is Different -Kathy Hochul on Mamdani, Trump and Where Democrats Went Wrong Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep in a heavily guarded mountain hideout in the heart of the Sierra Madre mountains, a new drug king is reigning. He is 59-year-old Nemesio “Mencho” Oseguera and his cartel has achieved dominance capitalizing on America’s resurgent love of cocaine and the Trump administration’s escalating war on fentanyl. WSJ’s José de Córdoba recounts the rise. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Drug You’ve Never Heard of Wreaking Havoc Across Europe- A Cocaine Kingpin and the Rise of Drug Violence in Europe Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech giants are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on an AI building boom, constructing massive data centers like a sprawling new complex in Texas. Is this a necessary investment for the future, or are we witnessing the next tech bubble? WSJ’s Berber Jin and Eliot Brown follow the money and consider whether or not it adds up. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: -Artificial: The OpenAI Story -The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT -The Unraveling of OpenAI and Microsoft's Bromance Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re off today for the holiday, but wanted to share this episode. Sonos, the high-end speaker company, is still reeling from its disastrous app update over a year ago. WSJ’s Ben Cohen explains how the company lost revenue and approximately $600 million in market capitalization. Then came the layoffs and a CEO exit. Jessica Mendoza hosts. This episode was first published in March 2025. Further Listening: The Glitch That Crashed Millions of Computers The Snowballing Problems at Vail Resorts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has a lot to juggle, from a federal government shutdown to immigration enforcement to the state’s affordability crisis. In a conversation taped at The Journal live event, Hochul joins host Ryan Knutson to talk about how she’s managing those challenges, what her private conversations are like with President Donald Trump, and her take on New York City’s next potential mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Further Listening: - Why This Government Shutdown Is Different - Is NYC’s Mayoral Race All About Rent? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to end the war in Gaza. The deal would free the remaining hostages held by Hamas. The Trump administration hopes it is the first step towards a longer term peace. WSJ’s Shayndi Raice explains how all the parties got to the table and what big hurdles remain. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: -The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza -A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paramount has acquired news and opinion website the Free Press for $150 million. The company's co-founder, Bari Weiss, has a new job as editor in chief of CBS News. She's a polarizing figure, known for her outspoken support of Israel and strong views on topics like gun rights and DEI. WSJ’s Joe Flint on why Paramount thinks CBS News needs a shakeup. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: -Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension and Trump’s FCC -What Killed 'The Late Show'? -Will Paramount Settle With Trump? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2021, Tamar Veatch won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes competition run by Publishers Clearing House, the company best known for delivering oversized checks to winners. But then last April, Publishers Clearing House went bankrupt. WSJ’s Akiko Matsuda explains why the company went under, and what it means for winners like Tamar. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How ‘The Joker’ Rigged the Texas Lottery- How Parlays Became the Biggest Bet in Sports Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the brand after 47 years, accusing parent company Unilever of not allowing the company to speak out on social issues. Host Jessica Mendoza talks to Ben Cohen, the co-founder who stayed, about why he’s not leaving, what he wants next for the company, and why political messaging is important for his ice cream brand. Further Listening: - Why Ben & Jerry’s Is Suing its Parent Company Over Israel - Kraft Heinz’s Big Breakup Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than two years, Jennifer Foley has been an advocate for her brother Scott Spivey. But to get the criminal investigation into his death reopened, Jennifer has to convince some of the most powerful leaders in South Carolina that this was not a Stand Your Ground case. WSJ’s Valerie Bauerlein reports. Read the Reporting: Police Say He Killed in Self-Defense. His Phone Tells Another Story. ‘You’re Taken Care of’: Did Police Promise to Shield a Killer? Nobody Suspected Police Shielded a Killer Until the Dead Man’s Sister Dug In Follow the Story: Camp Swamp Road Playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A group of investors including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner’s investment firm are acquiring videogame maker Electronic Arts. The $55 billion deal is the largest leveraged buyout of all time. WSJ’s Lauren Thomas takes us inside the historic buyout, exploring the company's fandom and legacy. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: Camp Swamp Road Series Why Microsoft Is Paying $75 Billion for Activision Blizzard Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gen X is barreling toward retirement with an excruciating student-loan burden. The generation that came of age in the ’80s and ’90s is now also the generation with the most student debt per borrower. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin explains how federal policies around student debt left Gen X with such a big burden. And one Gen Xer talks about the impact student debt has had on his life. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - For Millions of Student-Loan Borrowers It's Time to Pay - Biden’s New Plan to Cancel Student Debt Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Government funding lapsed early Wednesday morning after the White House and lawmakers failed to reach a spending deal, triggering a shutdown that is expected to halt some federal services and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers on furlough.​​ WSJ’s Natalie Andrews takes us inside the contentious dispute and explains why the gulf between Democrats and Republicans is wider than ever. Ryan Knutson hosts.Further Listening: - Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy- DOGE: The Plan to Downsize the GovernmentSign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, President Donald Trump warned that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is a potential cause of autism. Many medical professionals say the relationship between acetaminophen and autism is inconclusive, and Trump's comments went beyond what his own administration officials recommend. Still, the press conference caused a crisis at the company that makes Tylenol, Kenvue. WSJ’s Peter Loftus on Kenvue CEO Kirk Perry’s attempts to manage the Trump Administration and the new corporate crisis. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - The FDA Commissioner on Vaccines and Public Trust - Why Coke Isn’t Getting Rid of High-Fructose Corn Syrup Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After former FBI director James Comey was indicted last week, Trump said that there may be more indictments coming. WSJ’s Sadie Gurman takes us inside the President’s push to prosecute the people he views as enemies and what this may mean for the future of the Justice Department. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Federal Reserve Under Siege - Trump’s Letter to Jeffrey Epstein - Trump 2.0: A Fast Start to a Second Term Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Super Bowl Sunday, Jennifer Foley opened a police file and discovered 90 recorded phone calls from her brother’s killer. To Jennifer, what she heard completely undermined Weldon Boyd’s self-defense claims. But the calls also revealed that Boyd had a powerful friend. WSJ’s Valerie Bauerlein reports. Read the Reporting: Nobody Suspected Police Shielded a Killer Until the Dead Man’s Sister Dug In Follow the Story: Camp Swamp Road Playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the forests of Tanzania to the halls of power, Jane Goodall has spent her life fighting to protect wildlife. But as the planet warms and some governments retreat from environmentalism, is her mission slipping out of reach? Ryan Knutson interviews the renowned conservationist. Further Listening The Head of the EPA on the Future of the Agency How the U.S. Fell Behind China on Climate Diplomacy Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's officially harvest season in the American heartland. But sixth-generation Iowa farmer Scott Dierickx says he won’t be making a profit on soybeans this year. WSJ’s Patrick Thomas explains how China is using soybeans as a weapon in the trade war with the United States. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: Can a Farming Community Resist a Development Boom? Why Farmers Are Breaking Eggs and Dumping Milk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices