Wsj What's News

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

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

Startups are aiming for an audacious reboot of America’s nuclear energy program. With massive energy demand for data centers and recent executive orders from President Trump that aim to quadruple nuclear-power generation in the next 25 years, the industry is having a moment. What will it take to meet these goals, and is it even possible? X-energy CEO Clay Sell and WSJ reporter Jennifer Hiller discuss how small modular nuclear reactors could lower the cost of building nuclear while meeting America’s energy needs and what the electric grid of the future could look like. Alex Ossola hosts. Further Reading:  The Audacious Reboot of America’s Nuclear Energy Program Trump Wants to Expand Nuclear Power. It Won’t Be Easy New York to Build One of First U.S. Nuclear-Power Plants in Generation A Nuclear Power Plant in Your Backyard? Future Reactors Are Going Small Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which companies’ shares are under the sway of meme traders this summer? And why did Chipotle’s sales alarm investors? Plus, why did a trade-war development boost shares of Japanese automaker Toyota? 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 July 25. American corporations have paid much of the additional $55 billion in tariffs that the U.S. has collected this year. WSJ economics reporter Jeanne Whalen explains why these companies are footing the bill, and when we might expect to see those costs passed on to consumers. Plus, earlier this week Columbia University agreed to pay the Trump administration $200 million to restore its federal funding. We hear from WSJ White House reporter Natalie Andrews about how this agreement may provide a blueprint for negotiations with other schools. And banks are getting picky about who they want as credit card customers. WSJ personal economics reporter Imani Moise discusses what kinds of customers they’re looking for, and the impact this higher bar could have on consumers. 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 25. The latest setback in the Trump administration’s drive to end the war between Israel and Hamas comes amid acute food shortages in Gaza, with the WSJ’s Feliz Solomon saying child hunger is rapidly increasing across the enclave. Plus, a new Wall Street Journal poll finds President Trump’s political standing has been buoyed by voters’ improving views of the economy. And LVMH chief Bernard Arnault is working friendships on both sides of the Atlantic in a bid to avert a trade war - and insulate his luxury empire. 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 24. President Donald Trump took a rare step visiting the Federal Reserve. The $2.5-billion renovation to its headquarters has gotten renewed attention this month as Trump has ramped up pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. WSJ White House reporter Meridith McGraw discusses what this might mean for the Fed’s meeting next week. Plus, Walmart has built dozens of artificial intelligence agents to interface with everyone from customers to suppliers. Now the retailer is overhauling its approach; WSJ enterprise technology reporter Isabelle Bousquette explains why. And, for the first time, UnitedHealth Group has confirmed it’s responding to Justice Department probes. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices