The Journal. — latest episode summaries
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.
About this show
About 5 episodes a week.
Recently covered: Women must stop avoiding money conversations and stop apologizing for the trade-offs required to succeed, because openness about financial realities and honest acceptance of hard work are necessary to increase women's earnings and place more women in positions of power, Neither the U.S. nor China is willing to unilaterally slow AI development, because both see it as essential to national security and economic dominance, and each fears falling behind the other, much like the early nuclear arms race where no rival wanted to disarm first, AI systems are improving at a rapid pace and achieving capabilities like recursive self-improvement and autonomous hacking, prompting industry leaders to call for a slowdown and safety measures to prevent potential existential and immediate harms.
Part of the daily Morning News dossier — read today’s edition.
Episodes
Inside Canada's EU Courtship
The World is Running Out of Fuel
Fashion Mogul Says Working Moms Need to Stop Apologizing
Women must stop avoiding money conversations and stop apologizing for the trade-offs required to succeed, because openness about financial realities and honest acceptance of hard work are necessary to increase women's earnings and place more women in positions of power.
Should Everyone Get a Prenup?
Inflation Forces the Fed’s Hand
Why China Isn’t Panicking About AI Armageddon
Neither the U.S. nor China is willing to unilaterally slow AI development, because both see it as essential to national security and economic dominance, and each fears falling behind the other, much like the early nuclear arms race where no rival wanted to disarm first.
Are Budget Airlines Facing Extinction?
The Great AI Freakout Has Begun
AI systems are improving at a rapid pace and achieving capabilities like recursive self-improvement and autonomous hacking, prompting industry leaders to call for a slowdown and safety measures to prevent potential existential and immediate harms.
My Monday Morning: Twiggy
A Data Center Offered $26 Million for Her Land. She Said No.
AI Companies Are Buying and Destroying Used Books
My Monday Morning: Lee Pace
How the Bond Market Will Affect Your Wallet
The Cardboard Box Economy Is Breaking Down
How Big Food Is Navigating the GLP-1 Era
Inside the U.S. Deal to Get Venezuela’s Oil
Trump is determined to turn Venezuela into a landmark foreign policy and economic win, using every tool at his disposal to make it a reality he can sell, even though most benefits will not materialize until after he leaves office.
AI Loves Reddit, but Redditors Aren't So Sure
My Monday Morning: Suze Orman
The Cancer Vaccine That Could Save Moderna
Will Meta's $18 Billion Settlement Change Social Media?
Why Canada Won't Back Down to Trump
Can an ‘Economic D-Day' End the Iran War?
The Bankruptcy That's Ruining Dinner
Let’s Talk Bonds. Treasury Bonds.
The Trump administration's reliance on unpredictable, short-term market interventions to address rising bond yields risks eroding long-term investor trust and the U.S. reputation for economic stability, as these tactics fail to address fundamental issues like persistent deficits and inflation.
Why Flock Cameras Are Facing Backlash
Why Are Some StubHub Customers So Mad?
He's Been a Costco Cashier for 40 Years. Now He's a Millionaire.
Costco demonstrates that paying hourly workers well and providing strong benefits creates a virtuous cycle of low turnover, high customer satisfaction, and sustained profitability, proving that rank-and-file jobs can be financially secure and dignified while also serving as a successful business strategy.
This Opioid Alternative Is Fueling an Addiction Crisis
Stronger, synthetic kratom concentrates like 7-OH are driving addiction and health risks, while natural kratom remains a debated but accessible alternative for pain relief.
The Live Auction App Where People Can Bid ‘Til They’re Broke
He Thought He Invested in SpaceX. Then His Shares Vanished.
Special purpose vehicles allow retail investors to access pre-IPO shares but operate with minimal oversight, often leaving investors with unexpected losses when funds sell holdings early.
To Solve a Cold Case, French Police Bent DNA Privacy Law
Across the episode, the recurring argument is that French (and Swedish) police pushed past their own countries' strict DNA privacy laws to solve cases they viewed as otherwise unsolvable, betting that the moral and practical necessity of catching violent offenders outweighed uncertain legality. That tension resurfaces at the end unresolved: even after the technique cracked the Predator of the Woods case, France's constitutional court blocked formal authorization of the method, leaving victims of other cold cases pressing for its use while the legal framework across Europe remains contested.
Jared Kushner's Albania Headache: Flamingos, Contested Land and Cocaine
Jared Kushner leveraged his political connections from the Trump family to move quickly into an under-invested, corruption-prone market in Albania, striking deals directly with the prime minister and a landowner with alleged organized-crime ties without fully reckoning with the country's chaotic land-ownership system. As reporter Elliot Brown frames it, what began as an opportunistic bet to get ahead of a coming tourism boom has instead exploded into a legal, political, and reputational 'dumpster fire,' yet Kushner is pressing forward regardless, reflecting a broader pattern of indifference to criticism from both his real estate and government careers.
Y Combinator CEO on How AI is Changing What Startups Build
Across the conversation, Gary Tan repeatedly argues that AI collapses the cost and headcount needed to build things, shifting the scarce resource from execution to human judgment about what to build and for whom - a theme he applies to startups, YC's own operations, and hard-tech ventures alike. He also consistently resists calls to slow down or regulate AI, whether through new laws, restricting access to foreign open-weight models, or fear of backlash and violence, arguing instead that maximal access, competition, and use - not caution - will determine who benefits most from the technology.
Jersey Mike's Journey From the Shore to Wall Street
Follow The Journal. and up to nine more shows. One briefing a day, every claim attributed.
Free for 30 days. No card needed. $4.99 a month after.
Automated summaries of what was said on each show — not claims by DailyDossier and not independently verified.