WSJ What’s News

P.M. Edition for Dec 1. Georgia's runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker is drawing droves of early voters even though the race will not determine control of the Senate, which Democrats have already secured. The Wall Street Journal's Cameron McWhirter joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss why enthusiasm - and exhaustion - are running high.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Dec. 1. Vessels linked to Russia's largest grain trader shipped thousands of tons of stolen Ukrainian grain to global buyers, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal. Journal reporter Anna Hirtenstein explains the sophisticated system involved in the smuggling and whether it can be stopped. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 30. The Biden Administration is investing billions in a national charging network for electric vehicles, but disagreements on how to build it out and a lack of rural infrastructure are slowing progress. WSJ energy reporter Jennifer Hiller explains the roadblocks to host Daniella Cheslow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 30. President Biden is hosting the first state visit of his presidency beginning today, as French President Emmanuel Macron kicks off a four-day trip to the U.S. American officials say Biden has a close relationship with Macron despite disagreements between the two countries. Wall Street Journal reporter Noemie Bisserbe takes a look at the complex state of transatlantic relations and how they tie into Macron's visit. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 29. In occupied Kherson, a Ukrainian hospital held its ground as Russian forces tried to take over. The Wall Street Journal's Ian Lovett tells host Daniella Cheslow how the staffers did it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 29. China's Belt and Road Initiative has seen Beijing spend billions of dollars across the developing world in order to expand its influence. But WSJ correspondent Saeed Shah says Beijing is now being forced to contend with a host of problems from corruption to political instability and violence in the countries where it operates. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 28. China's leader faces mounting pressure over his zero-Covid policy, which has stifled normal life and the country's economy with tight restrictions. Wall Street Journal's chief China correspondent Lingling Wei joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 28. Demonstrators took to the streets in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities over the weekend in a show of defiance over President Xi Jinping's zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19. WSJ senior China correspondent Brian Spegele explains what sparked the protests, their broad demands and wide geographic scope, and how security forces have responded so far. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 25. Inflation has loomed large over much of the past year, and higher prices could dampen the holiday season, from spending on gifts to giving to charities. WSJ consumer trends reporter Rachel Wolfe joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 25. Economists are projecting a weak start to 2023 for the global economy, but those forecasts are not as bleak as economists previously feared. Wall Street Journal reporter Paul Hannon explains why new data suggests slumps in the U.S. and Europe are forecast to be relatively short and how much stock to put in economists' projections in the first place. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 23. Iran's hardline government secretly reached out to the founding families of the Islamic Republic who had been pushed out of power in a bid to stabilize public unrest. The Wall Street Journal's Benoit Faucon joins host Daniella Cheslow to explain why they met and what comes next for Iran's protesters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 A.M. Edition for Nov. 23. Russia's military has been burning through equipment, ammunition, and weaponry at rates that are now raising questions about how effectively and for how long Moscow can continue to prosecute its war in Ukraine. Wall Street Journal bureau chief at large Stephen Fidler explains what the state of Russia's military inventories means for the future course of the war. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 22. Beyond Meat garnered a lot of investor enthusiasm when it went public in 2019. But now the business is losing money as U.S. grocery sales of plant-based meat substitutes fall. Agriculture reporter Jesse Newman joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss what is behind the company's struggles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 22. A looming U.S. tax on share repurchases was supposed to inspire a 2022 buyback bonanza that some predicted to cross the $1 trillion threshold. WSJ Heard on the Street editor Spencer Jakab explains why that hasn't transpired.Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 21. In a surprise decision, Disney's board ousted CEO Bob Chapek and tapped longtime leader Bob Iger to return to the role. The move sent Disney's stock up on Monday, but the company still faces a raft of challenges, including competing in the streaming space. Disney reporter Robbie Whelan joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 21. Senior Western officials say cracks have begun to emerge in the international economic pressure campaign meant to isolate Russia after its February invasion of Ukraine. Wall Street Journal reporter Ian Talley says U.S. officials are jetting around the globe in a quiet diplomatic push to get Russia's major trading partners to enforce sanctions and trade controls. Will that work? Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 18. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Plus: After already laying off about half of Twitter's workforce, Elon Musk gave its remaining employees an ultimatum: commit to working “long hours at high intensity,” or leave. Many more chose the latter option. So where does that leave Twitter, as a platform and as a company? Tech reporter Sarah E. Needleman joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 18. The FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, one of the world's most watched sporting events, is set to kick off this weekend in Qatar. Wall Street Journal Middle East reporter Rory Jones says Qatar is bracing for a culture clash as rowdy soccer fans, two thirds the size of the country's population, descend on a capital with scant western tourism experience. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 17. John J. Ray took over the cryptocurrency platform FTX last week. In a filing to federal bankruptcy court Thursday he pointed to a “complete failure of corporate controls” and added he'd never seen anything this bad in 40 years of restructuring firms. Finance reporter Eliot Brown joins Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 17. Washington D.C. is set for a return to divided government after Republicans won a majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Wall Street Journal deputy politics editor Emily Stephenson discusses what split control of Congress could mean for a host of legislative priorities and for the U.S. economy. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 16. U.S. retail sales rose 1.3% in October, according to the Commerce Department, but reports from major retailers, including Target and Walmart, paint a mixed picture. Retail reporter Sarah Nassauer joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 16. Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential bid on Tuesday night, pledging to turn around what he described as a “failing nation.” WSJ politics reporter Alex Leary explains what advantages the Trump team sees in an early campaign launch and how his Republican opponents are likely to react. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 15. Russian forces launched dozens of missiles across Ukraine Tuesday, targeting the country's infrastructure and residential buildings in Kyiv, according to government officials. The assault followed Russian troops' retreat from the city of Kherson days earlier. WSJ foreign correspondent Thomas Grove joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 15. The collapse of crypto exchange FTX has dealt a blow to the crypto industry's hopes of pushing favorable legislation through Congress in the near term. WSJ reporter Paul Kiernan explains how FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried became the face of the crypto industry in D.C. and the challenges that industry now faces, as lawmakers and regulators grow more skeptical. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 14. The collapse of exchange FTX continues to reverberate across the crypto world and beyond. At the center of FTX's fall is its little-traded digital coin, FTT. Markets reporter Caitlin Ostroff joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 11. President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping began a closely watched meeting on Monday that officials on both sides said was intended to repair ruptured lines of communication and stabilize the relationship between the two powers. WSJ White House reporter Andrew Restuccia explains the issues likely to divide Biden and Xi, and how the two leaders are being received at a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 nations in Indonesia. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 11. Cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, capping what has been a tumultuous week for crypto markets. Now, investors are trying to get their money back - but it's unclear when, or if, that will even happen. Markets reporter Vicky Ge Huang joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 11. Ukraine's forces swept toward the southern city of Kherson today, as Russian forces said they had completed a withdrawal from the regional capital in one of the largest symbolic defeats for the Kremlin since it launched its invasion. However, WSJ Brussels bureau chief Dan Michaels says that Ukraine is likely to face mounting obstacles in achieving further battlefield gains as winter approaches and it faces more-entrenched Russian forces. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 10. U.S. stocks stage their biggest rally since 2020, on new inflation data. Plus, cryptocurrency exchange FTX is in dire straits, after a deal with its rival, Binance, fell through. Concern that the damage could spread has sent cryptocurrency prices down, in what's already been a tough year. Cryptocurrency reporter Paul Vigna joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 10. The European Commission this week proposed loosening lending rules to give highly indebted governments more room to spend money. Wall Street Journal European economics correspondent Tom Fairless discusses whether Europe's strategy of adding hundreds of thousands of public-sector jobs, subsidizing bills and splurging on key industries will work and how it differs from the U.S. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 9. After Election Day, control of Congress is still up in the air. But Republican gains so far have been less than the party's anticipated “red wave.” Gerald F. Seib, resident fellow at the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas and the WSJ's former executive Washington editor, joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss what the results mean for Democrats and Republicans as we look ahead to 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 9. With several key races still to be decided, Republicans are favored to take control of the U.S. House, while control of the Senate remains up for grabs. Wall Street Journal politics reporter Eliza Collins discusses the political landscape based on early national results, and WSJ national legal affairs reporter Laura Kusisto discusses the outcome of the several closely-watched ballot measures on abortion. Visit the Journal's live blog for election results and analysis throughout the day. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 8. Across the country, voters headed to the polls on Tuesday. We check in on key races in Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia, with reporters Scott Calvert, Alicia Caldwell, Daniella Cheslow and Cameron McWhirter. Annmarie Fertoli hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 8. Americans are likely to reshape the leadership of a divided nation in today's midterm elections, with Republicans favored to win a majority in the House of Representatives while the Senate remains a tossup. WSJ reporter and editor Aaron Zitner breaks down the dynamics to watch in races across the country. Visit the Journal's midterm election live blog for updates throughout the day. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 7. Control of the Senate will come down to just a handful of key races across the country. And while much of the attention is going to battlegrounds like Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania -- another state with high-stakes contests is North Carolina. WSJ audio reporter Daniella Cheslow joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss one of the tightest Senate races in the country, and what it may tell us about the national picture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 7. World leaders have begun gathering for COP27 climate talks in Egypt. But WSJ reporter Matthew Dalton says the war in Ukraine and energy market turmoil have upended prospects for accelerating emissions cuts. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 4. The U.S. labor market is still going strong, with employers adding 261,000 jobs in October, according to the Labor Depar tment. But what does that mean for the Federal Reserve, as it works to cool the economy? Economic reporter David Harrison joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 4. U.S. and EU officials are set to hold an urgent meeting today to defuse rising tensions that threaten to upset a trade relationship that leaders had pledged to rebuild. WSJ reporter Kim Mackrael explains why U.S. clean-technology subsidies have EU officials and business leaders on edge. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 3. With less than a week to go before the midterm elections, officials across the country are bracing for potential problems including intimidation and threats to voters and poll workers. WSJ legal affairs reporter Jan Wolfe joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 3. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to travel to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, becoming the first G-7 leader to visit China since the start of the pandemic. WSJ Germany correspondent Bojan Pancevski explains that the visit will be a key test for Scholz as he attempts to balance responding to China's diplomatic support for Russia with preserving economic ties as Germany teeters on the brink of a recession. Luke Vargas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Nov. 2. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis points today, for the fourth time in a row this year. Personal finance reporter Julia Carpenter joins host Annmarie Fertoli to talk about the hikes' cumulative effect on Americans' wallets and financial planning, from credit card debt to savings and whether to hold off on a down payment for a home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.M. Edition for Nov. 2. Last weekend, Russia withdrew from an international agreement meant to safeguard Ukraine's grain exports through the Black Sea. WSJ Middle East correspondent Jared Malsin says Russia's warning that it couldn't guarantee the safety of export vessels has already led to rising food prices as Turkey and the U.N. push hard to get Moscow back into the deal. Luke Vargas hosts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices