WSJ What’s News

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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Host Might Not Like It. Where Did All the Las Vegas Tippers Go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Bonus Episode for Aug. 1. Logistics companies that deliver the goods you use everyday are grappling with rapid shifts in freight demand due to President Trump’s trade war. Warehouse operator Prologis, trucking giant J.B. Hunt and parcel carrier United Parcel Service are also still dealing with a yearslong slump in freight demand following the pandemic. Elsewhere in the industry, railroad giants Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern plan to merge in a deal that would create the first coast-to-coast rail operator in U.S. history. WSJ reporter Esther Fung discusses what companies are saying in earnings reports and analyst calls. Liz Young 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 1. As the deadline for many countries to clinch trade agreements expires, President Trump moves to hike levies on scores of countries, while delaying their implementation until Aug 7. WSJ finance editor Alex Frangos unpacks the ins and outs of this new trade order. Plus, WSJ data reporter Inti Pacheco takes a stroll down main street to explain how tariffs are affecting American businesses and consumers. And, Ray Dalio sells his remaining stake in Bridgewater, the hedge fund that made him a billionaire. 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 July 31. As President Trump’s deadline approaches for countries to establish trade agreements, an appeals court hears arguments about whether he can use emergency powers to impose tariffs. We hear from Jess Bravin, who covers the U.S. Supreme Court for the Journal, about where the case goes from here and the implications of a decision. Plus, Microsoft has become the second company in the world to notch a $4 trillion market capitalization. WSJ technology reporter Sebastian Herrera discusses how it achieved this milestone, and which company may be next. And shares of software company Figma jump 250% in the company's stock market debut, adding fuel to an IPO comeback already under way. 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 July 31. Ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for reciprocal tariffs to kick in, the U.S. confirms deals with South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia, with more expected today. WSJ editors Timothy Martin and Peter Landers explain how these last-minute deals will benefit some of the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs. On the other hand, President Trump casts doubt on a Canada pact, after Ottawa said it plans to recognize a Palestinian state. And, shares of Microsoft and Meta rally in off-hours trading as ad sales and core businesses make up for huge spending on artificial-intelligence. 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 July 30. As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve held rates steady for a fifth straight meeting. But in a rare move, two officials disagreed with the decision. WSJ investing columnist Spencer Jakab joins to discuss why, and what the Fed might be paying attention to ahead of its next meeting in September. Plus, President Trump announces new tariff rates for Brazil and India, and says he won’t extend the Aug. 1 deadline for countries to make trade deals with the U.S. And Amazon will pay the New York Times at least $20 million annually to license its content to train artificial intelligence. We hear from WSJ reporter Alexandra Bruell about the significance of that deal. 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 July 30. The magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Russia’s Pacific coast, triggering tsunami warnings in Hawaii and California. Plus, the Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates steady, but two governors appointed by President Trump are due to vote against Fed Chair Jerome Powell, something that hasn’t happened in more than three decades. Dow Jones Newswires economics editor Paul Hannon explains the significance. And, the Trump administration takes a big swing at toppling a landmark scientific finding on greenhouse-gas emissions. 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 July 29. The merger deal between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would create a single company controlling coast-to-coast rail shipments for the first time in U.S. history. WSJ reporter Esther Fung discusses why the deal isn’t totally done yet, and why it’s taken this long to get a coast-to-coast rail operator. Plus, JPMorgan Chase is nearing a deal to take over Apple’s credit-card program. We hear from WSJ banking reporter AnnaMaria Andriotis about why the deal would be significant. And as tech companies build more electricity-hungry data centers to power artificial intelligence, utilities want the companies to pay more. Journal reporter Katherine Blunt describes how the dynamic is playing out across the U.S. 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 July 29. At least sixteen children under five have died of hunger-related causes since mid-July, according to the UN-supported group the IPC. WSJ correspondent Margherita Stancati says it’s the most dire assessment of conditions in Gaza since the war began. Plus, in Midtown New York a lone gunman has killed four people including a police officer and a Blackstone executive. And, we look at how the Trump administration is looking to borrow 1 trillion dollars with a deluge of new government debt. 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 July 28. Business leaders on both sides of the Atlantic welcomed a trade deal between the U.S. and European Union, despite pushback from Europe. WSJ White House economic policy reporter Brian Schwartz discusses how the deal came to be and the reaction from around the world. Plus, workforces are getting smaller and CEOs want everyone to know. WSJ’s Chip Cutter explains why companies are bragging about staff reductions. And is Dubai chocolate the next pumpkin spice? WSJ’s Owen Tucker-Smith talks about the latest food craze and its possible staying power. Sabrina Siddiqui 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 July 28. The agreement avoids a damaging trade war with the U.S.’s largest trading partner. WSJ Brussels reporter Kim Mackrael explains the significance of the deal. Plus, Israel announces a pause in military activity in Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid. And Samsung will supply Tesla with chips in a $16.54 billion deal. Azhar Sukri hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices