The Journal.

Mariah Carey released "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994 to moderate success. Today, the song is a megahit and Christmas playlist staple. What happened? WSJ's John Jurgensen called up the "Queen of Christmas" to find out. This episode was originally published on December 11, 2020.We'll return with something new on January 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Bond This could be James Bond is one of Hollywood's most famous characters. So when Amazon bought the rights to distribute Bond, executives had big plans for the brand’s intellectual property. But so far, Amazon hasn't made a single Bond movie. WSJ’s Erich Schwartzel takes us inside the feud that’s tying up the franchise. Further Reading: -Where Is James Bond? Trapped in an Ugly Stalemate With Amazon Further Listening: -Why Hollywood Is Betting Big on 'Wicked' -Why 'Yellowstone' Is One of TV's Most Expensive Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The killing of a top health insurance executive outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel this month triggered an outpouring of public anger at private health insurance companies. WSJ’s Julie Wernau reports that many doctors are among the aggrieved. And two doctors explain how dealing with health insurers is getting worse. Further Listening: - The Suspect in the UnitedHealth Killing Further Reading: - Doctors Say Dealing With Health Insurers Is Only Getting Worse - Clues Left by a Killer Echo Widespread Anger at Health Insurers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BookTok, the corner of TikTok that’s all about books, has shaken up the publishing world. Over the last few years, the platform has pulled in new readers, especially in the romance and fantasy genres. And now some of the largest publishers in the U.S. are finding new talent and rethinking their strategies because of TikTok. We hear from an author, a bookstore owner and a publisher about how TikTok has transformed the book industry. Further Listening: -The Rise of the Tween Shopper -Inside One Publisher’s Fight Against Book Bans -Scholastic's Succession Drama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After nearly a decade and $10 billion in development, General Motors is ending its robotaxi program. WSJ’s Christopher Otts explains why Cruise wasn’t working for the legacy car company. Further Reading: -General Motors Scraps Cruise Robotaxi Program -GM’s Self-Driving Car Unit Skids Off Course Further Listening: -How Waymo Won Over San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intel—the company whose chips were “inside” your ‘90s desktops—has fallen behind in recent years. Now, the CEO hired to turn things around is suddenly out. WSJ’s Asa Fitch explains how the once-dominant chip brand lost its edge. Further Reading: - He Was Going to Save Intel. He Destroyed $150 Billion of Value Instead. - Intel Co-CEOs Outline Strategy Following Pat Gelsinger’s Ouster Further Listening: - America’s Answer to the Chip Shortage - Why Washington Went to Wall Street to Revive the Chips Industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the war in Ukraine began, strange attacks have been happening across Europe, including a plot to set DHL packages on fire. WSJ’s Bojan Pancevski on Russia’s escalating shadow war in Europe. Further Reading: -Chinese Ship’s Crew Suspected of Deliberately Dragging Anchor for 100 Miles to Cut Baltic Cables -Russia Suspected of Plotting to Send Incendiary Devices on U.S.-Bound Planes -The Misfits Russia Is Recruiting to Spy on the West Further Listening: -Elon Musk’s Secret Conversations with Vladimir Putin -How Ukraine Built a Weapon to Control the Black Sea Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, a federal judge blocked a proposed $20-billion merger between the U.S.’s two largest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons. WSJ’s Patrick Thomas reports on what happened in the trial, why the two chains turned on one another and what’s next for the grocery business. Further Listening: - The Fight for 7-Eleven - Why the FTC is Challenging a $25 Billion Supermarket Merger Further Reading: - Albertsons Sues Kroger, Terminates Merger After Judge Blocks Supermarket Megadeal - Kroger-Albertsons Merger Blocked by Court, Handing Victory to Biden Antitrust Enforcers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the price of Bitcoin reached $100,000 per coin, an all-time-high as President-elect Donald Trump promises his administration will be crypto-friendly. WSJ’s Alexander Osipovich breaks down the outlook for cryptocurrency. Further Reading: -Bitcoin Hits $100,000, Lifted by Hopes of a Crypto-Friendly Washington -Crypto Players Celebrate SEC Pick, Bitcoin Touches $100,000 Further Listening: -Inside the Trump Crypto Bromance -Coinbase’s CEO on the Future of Crypto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a manhunt lasting nearly a week, authorities have arrested and charged a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson. WSJ’s Joshua Chaffin unpacks what we know about the alleged killer, his possible motivations, and the public rage that has bubbled up as the search continued. Further Reading: - Suspect in UnitedHealth Killing Was Ivy Leaguer With Anticapitalist Leanings - Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer Meets Unexpected Obstacle: Sympathy for the Gunman - Murder at Dawn: A Top Executive’s Final Moments in Manhattan Further Listening: - The Story Behind the Stabbing of a San Francisco Tech Exec - Why So Many Emergency Rooms Are Failing Kids in America Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades of brutal dictatorship in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell in a matter of days. WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov reports on the rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani and how regional players are responding to political change in Syria. Further Listening: - What the Ceasefire in Lebanon Means for the Middle East - Ten Days That Shifted Power in Syria Further Reading: - The 11-Day Blitz by Syrian Rebels That Ended 50 Years of Assad Rule - Assad’s Downfall Marks a New Realignment in the Middle East - How a Syrian Rebel Went From an American Jail to Seizing Aleppo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian,” a piece of conceptual art that consists of a banana duct taped to a wall, sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $6.2 million. WSJ’s Kelly Crow traces the banana’s origins from Art Basel Miami in 2019 to the top of the art market this year. Further Listening: - A Russian Billionaire, an Art Dealer and an Epic Feud - The Basquiat Sisters on Managing One of Art's Hottest Brands Further Reading: - A $6.2 Million Banana and the Unexpected Return of the Art Market - Someone Just Paid $6.2 Million for a Banana Duct-Taped to a Wall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Target used to be a cheap and chic place to shop, but now the retailer is in a sales funk, losing market share to competitors like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon. WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer explores what happened to the beloved box store’s numbers and the strategies executives may be discussing to get back on target. Further Reading: -Target’s Slide From Cheap Chic to Dull Chore Further Listening: -What Went Wrong at Bed Bath & Beyond? -Old Navy Tried to Make Sizes for All. It Backfired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed radically downsizing the federal government, and two of his allies are going to be in charge: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. WSJ’s John McCormick walks us through the plans for DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency. Further Reading: - Musk, Ramaswamy Want Federal Workers in the Office Full Time. There’s a Hitch. - Vivek Ramaswamy’s Marching Orders: Cut Trillions for Trump Further Listening: - Uncovering Elon Musk's Secret Political Donations - The Scramble Is on to Fill Trump’s Cabinet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As President-elect Donald Trump lays out his plan for increasing tariffs on goods made in China and Mexico, some U.S. businesses are stockpiling. Small business owner Jason Junod explains what he thinks the impacts of the proposed tariffs will be, and why he hasn’t been able to go fully “Made in America.” Further Reading: -American Companies Are Stocking Up to Get Ahead of Trump’s China Tariffs -Trump Fires Salvo on North American Trade Pact Further Listening: -China, an Alabama Business and a 20-Year Battle -Why China Is Risking a Trade War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To ease flight delays and staffing shortages in the New York City area, the FAA shifted oversight of Newark Airport’s airspace to Philadelphia earlier this year. But WSJ’s Andrew Tangel reports that problems remain and new risks have surfaced. Further Listening: -How Spirit Airlines Landed in Bankruptcy -How Southwest Airlines Melted Down Further Reading: -Why Fixing New York Air Traffic Has Been a Bumpy Ride -To Ease Newark Flight Delays, the FAA Turned to Philly. Here’s Why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ocean Spray’s farmers are responsible for 65% of the world’s cranberries. It’s not a publicly traded company. It’s not a traditional private company, either. It’s a cooperative founded nearly a century ago and owned by roughly 700 families. WSJ’s Ben Cohen tells the story of how the cranberry got into the can, and how the company is planning for a future beyond your Thanksgiving table. Further Reading: -These People Are Responsible for the Cranberry Sauce You Love to Hate Further Listening: -Are Rotisserie Chickens 'Inflation-Proof'? -The Twinkie: From Bankruptcy to Billions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel and Lebanon have reached a ceasefire agreement that ends more than a year of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah. WSJ’s Jared Malsin takes us inside the deal and explores what it could mean for the region. Further Reading: -Israel Says Cease-Fire Takes Effect in Lebanon -Israel Approves Cease-Fire With Lebanon Aimed at Ending Hezbollah Conflict Further Listening: -The Risk of an All-Out War in the Middle East -Exploding Pagers and the Risk of a Spreading War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After two weeks of uncertainty, Donald Trump nominated Scott Bessent, a longtime Wall Street investor, as his next Treasury secretary. The pick capped a behind-the-scenes battle one advisor called a “knife fight.” WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia takes us inside the decision, explores why Bessent triumphed and unpacks what his tenure could mean for the U.S. economy. Further Reading: -How Scott Bessent Won the ‘Knife Fight’ to Be Trump’s Treasury Secretary -Scott Bessent Sees a Coming ‘Global Economic Reordering.’ He Wants to Be Part of It. Further Listening: -Gaetz, Bondi and Trump's Department of Justice -The Scramble Is on to Fill Trump's Cabinet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The movie musical “Wicked” collected a blockbuster $114 million in its opening weekend. Over the past year, Universal and its parent company Comcast have launched an all-out marketing blitz to blanket the world in “Wicked.” WSJ’s Erich Schwartzel reports on how it is the new Hollywood playbook. Further Listening:- The Curtain Closes on Phantom of the Opera - The Rise of the Minions - Why 'Yellowstone' Is One of TV's Most Expensive Shows Further Reading: - Inside Hollywood’s Big ‘Wicked’ Gamble - ‘Wicked’ Flies High on Big Screen, With $114 Million Opening Weekend Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices