Podcasts about The Wall Street Journal

A.M. Edition for Aug 5. Michigan awaits the results of a Democratic Senate primary seen as a referendum on the party's identity. We'll get the latest as the vote count continues. Plus, SpaceX shares slide after the company discloses huge AI investments. And struggling private colleges are increasingly tapping restricted donor endowments to cover day-to-day operating expenses, something WSJ's Douglas Belkin reports is in many cases being done without donor knowledge or consent. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bonus Episode for Aug. 5. Restaurant chains this quarter are focusing on affordability and trying to bounce back from food-safety scares. WSJ reporter Heather Haddon discusses what's going on at McDonald's, Chipotle and Taco Bell owner Yum Brands, and why consumers are so interested in drinks like dirty sodas. WSJ reporter Laura Cooper hosts this special bonus episode of What's News in Earnings, where we dig into companies' earnings 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW.  8-4-2026.1900 ST. LAWRENCEColonel Jeff McCausland, United States Army (Retired), discusses the critical depletion of United States missile stockpiles, particularly Patriot and THAAD systems, due to the intensifying war with Iran. He notes that these shortages might force a transition toward piloted bombing missions using heavy aircraft like the B-2 and B-52 for deep penetration. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, McCausland highlights that Iran's ability to deploy sea mines and drones makes military reopening difficult. Turning to Ukraine, he predicts Vladimir Putin will escalate through mobilization rather than negotiation as both sides increasingly target food supplies in the Black Sea. (1)Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, describes a Europe struggling with record heat, wildfires, and critically low river levels that are hampering nuclear power and agriculture. She argues these patterns reflect a deteriorating climate requiring a global response. The conversation shifts to a massive migration incident where 60,000 young men attempted to enter a Spanish exclave from Morocco. Dempsey explains that this surge is being exploited by far-right parties across Europe, such as the AfD in Germany, who capitalize on voter dissatisfaction. She notes that despite bilateral labor agreements, the political fallout is fueling nationalism. (2)Joseph Sternberg, Editorial Board Member of the Wall Street Journal, examines the release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's pandemic-era diaries, which reveal a dichotomy between his private doubts and public pronouncements regarding COVID-19's origins. Sternberg suggests Fauci became pathologically obsessed with his media coverage, positioning himself as an antagonist to Donald Trump to maintain his "star" status. The discussion also covers the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Sternberg notes that young voters, disillusioned by the economy, are increasingly drawn to the DSA's radical, government-led solutions. He questions whether this movement can succeed in purple states. (3)Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, discusses the alarming shortage of US defensive munitions needed to intercept Iranian threats. He notes that Iran, coached by Russia and China, is exploiting this crisis to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and drive up energy prices. Schanzer also addresses the significant weakening of Hezbollah after sustained Israeli operations and the complexities of disarming Hamas in Gaza. He highlights that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu faces a political tightrope balancing military goals with international pressure. Finally, he observes the unraveling of Chinese-brokered agreements as Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia resurface. (4)Gregory Copley, Publisher of Defense & Foreign Affairs, analyzes global efforts to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Russia and China are seeking alternative trade corridors to undermine Washington's strategic influence. He suggests China is using current tensions to project American impotence before high-level diplomatic visits. Copley also discusses the "war on food" in the Black Sea, where blockades are forcing a diversification of global supplies. Turning to Ethiopia, he describes a brutal civil conflict involving ethnic factions and the use of Turkish drones against civilian targets. He concludes with the success of King Charles III at the Commonwealth Games. (5)Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies discuss the Houthis' re-entry into the regional war by declaring a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Roggio criticizes the Trumpadministration's lack of a forceful military response, arguing that two US destroyers are insufficient to secure vital waterways. Toomey explains that the Houthis use these attacks to re-establish domestic norms and pressure the global oil market. They note that while the Houthis operate independently, their actions align with Iranian goals to use control over maritime chokepoints as a strategic "nuclear weapon." (6)Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, outlines the proliferation risks associated with a proposed US-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement. She expresses concern over uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, which could enable a nuclear weapons pathway. Stricker warns that granting enrichment rights would destroy the "gold standard" for non-proliferation and likely trigger a nuclear arms race involving Turkey and Egypt. Although President Trump has added caveats regarding the Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia has threatened to turn to China for technology. Stricker notes the deal faces a difficult 90-day congressional review starting in September. (7)Conrad Black, distinguished biographer and National Post columnist, discusses the "aberrant" trade tensions between the US and Canada following the imposition of tariffs based on allegations of forced labor in Chinese imports. Black argues these tariffs are a legal workaround for the Trump administration to bypass the Supreme Court by declaring a national emergency. He characterizes the policy as arbitrary and offensive, noting it has dampened cross-border tourism and led to retaliatory tariffs on items like hockey sticks. Despite the current friction, Black remains optimistic that the dispute will be resolved through negotiation because he believes President Trump fundamentally likes Canada. (8)

Joseph Sternberg, Editorial Board Member of the Wall Street Journal, examines the release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's pandemic-era diaries, which reveal a dichotomy between his private doubts and public pronouncements regarding COVID-19's origins. Sternberg suggests Fauci became pathologically obsessed with his media coverage, positioning himself as an antagonist to Donald Trump to maintain his "star" status. The discussion also covers the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Sternberg notes that young voters, disillusioned by the economy, are increasingly drawn to the DSA's radical, government-led solutions. He questions whether this movement can succeed in purple states. (3)1918 ST LOUIS RED CROSS

Felicity Carter a journalist, researcher, and analyst who's spent more than 20 years covering the global drinks industry. Not one to shy away from controversy, Felicity covers some of the thorniest issues in wine: health and alcohol policy, alcohol research and bias, the mainstream media and alcohol, the effect of GLP-1s on drinking, and global wine industry trends overall.  She is the best writer in wine – well researched, truthful, credible and very balanced. Felicity was on Ep 509 in 2024 discussing these issues and revealing the link between the World Health Organization and the temperance group, Movendi. She is on the forefront of investigative journalism for wine and health and she is a persistent and thorough researcher who looks at all sides of the story before writing up what she finds. She's also awesome. And we're friends. So, you know how the intro says that we're wine friends and this is a conversation and we'll interrupt each other and stuff? That's what you're going to hear. We are both excited, passionate and both kind of forgot we were recording because when we catch up with each other, we have these conversations. Take it for what it's worth – a little insight into what two very honest people, each with two decades in wine, have to say about various issues from the WHO to the UN and EU policies, to junk science, and the economics of wine.  I loved recording this and listening to it! Hope you do too!   Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!!  This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/   

Plus: a U.K. government-backed research institute finds AI models went rogue during routine tests. And new White House AI guidelines exempt U.S. open models from government review. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You know the feeling. The world that once held shape around you — the role, the identity, the thing you built or pursued or believed about yourself — has come apart. And instead of leaning into the chaos and learning what it has to teach you, you've found a more comfortable option. You've constructed a story. A controlled version of events where you're still the hero, where the failure makes sense, where the disruption is somebody else's fault. The snow globe stays intact on the countertop. You shake it and admire the beauty. And you tell yourself the simulation is real. Geoffrey Cain joins me for one of the most unusual and honestly riveting conversations this show has ever produced. Geoffrey is a national columnist and the author of Steve Jobs in Exile, the definitive account of the twelve wilderness years between Jobs's ousting from Apple in 1985 and his legendary return in 1997. What emerged from that research is something that has far less to do with Silicon Valley than it does with the interior architecture of every human being who has ever hit rock bottom and had to decide what to do next. We cover four lessons the wilderness teaches every person who enters it — how it harnesses potential, tests motivation, forces maturity, and compels you to finally confront yourself. We dig into ego death: what it actually is, why the ego is not the enemy it's made out to be, and why the unchecked ego eventually destroys every relationship it touches. We examine the moment Jobs stood at the edge of personal bankruptcy, nearly broken by his own brilliant volatility, and chose — slowly, painfully, imperfectly — to start releasing control and trusting the people around him. And we talk about the universal human tendency to choose fantasy over reality, comfort over confrontation, and the seductive lie that we can trick ourselves into maturity without ever doing the actual work of being transformed. Here is what this conversation will ask of you: it will ask you to look honestly at the place where you are substituting the snow globe for the actual world. It will ask you to name the interior flaw you have been circling and avoiding rather than confronting. It will ask you to consider that the wilderness you are in right now is not a detour from your story but the very place where your story is being written. You can leave this conversation inspired, or you can leave it changed. Those are two very different exits. Guest Bio Geoffrey Cain is an award-winning author and national journalist whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Time, The Economist, Wired, and The Spectator. His previous books — Samsung Rising and The Perfect Police State — established him as one of the most rigorous and compelling chroniclers of technology, power, and human behavior writing today. His newest book, Steve Jobs in Exile, draws on previously unpublished documents, unbroadcast footage, and new interviews with Jobs's closest colleagues to tell the definitive story of the twelve years that transformed a volatile, brilliant young founder into one of the most consequential leaders in modern history. Geoffrey writes the Substack newsletter The Burner Files and is a managing partner at Alembic Partners. Show Partner SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

➡️ Want To Learn More About Partnering With Me at eXp (Get all my Training & Coaching For Free) Schedule a Zero Pressure, Fully Confidential Zoom Call with me: https://go.oncehub.com/PartnerwithJoshuaSmithGSD   ➡️ Connect With Me On Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaSmithGSD Instagram: https://instagram.com/joshuasmithgsd/   About Joshua Smith: -Licensed Realtor/Team Leader Since 2005 -Voted 30th Top Realtor in America by The Wall Street Journal -NAR "30 Under 30" Finalist -Named Top 100 Most Influential People In Real Estate -Top 1% of Realtors/Team Leaders Worldwide -6000+ Homes Sold & Currently Selling 1+ Homes Daily -Featured In: Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Inman & Realtor Magazine -Realtor, Team Leader, Coach, Mentor

Day Break | Primaries, Power, and a Nation Under Pressure --- 00:00 - Monologue 19:12 – Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal contributor and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Green discusses the unusual migration and geopolitical tensions surrounding Ceuta, examining how the situation reflects broader issues involving border security, international relations, and European immigration policy. 28:14 – Nicolas Hulscher, MPH, Epidemiologist and Administrator at The McCullough Foundation. Hulscher discusses the ongoing salmonella outbreak affecting multiple states, explaining what salmonella is, why a significant number of cases have required hospitalization, and the recent egg recall tied to the outbreak. He also examines food safety, industrial agriculture, treatment options, and the importance of preparedness for foodborne illnesses. 38:21 - Monologue 47:26 – Ilan Wurman, Julius E. Davis Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and constitutional law scholar. Wurman discusses modern constitutional interpretation, exploring how judicial philosophy has evolved over time and examining the role of originalism and the Fourteenth Amendment in today's legal landscape. 57:30 – Bethany S. Mandel, conservative columnist and political commentator. Mandel discusses Representative Brandon Gill's use of the Socratic method in political debate, examining how questioning and public dialogue can shape political messaging and influence public discourse. 1:06:28– Steve Bonta, Executive Senior Editor at The New American magazine. Bonta discusses the economic realities facing the electric vehicle industry, examining consumer demand, production costs, government incentives, and the long-term viability of EV adoption. 1:16:35 - Monologue 1:25:40 – Ron Rademacher, travel writer, author, storyteller, and host of Around Michigan. Rademacher highlights festivals, local attractions, and unique destinations across Michigan, encouraging listeners to explore the state's communities and seasonal events. 1:35:48 – Kaitlyn Buss, columnist for The Detroit News. Buss analyzes the results of Michigan's primary elections, discussing the major races, key takeaways from the results, and what they could signal for the state's political landscape heading into the general election. --- Check out our brand new podcast, 'Forgotten America'... Episode 24 is live NOW at Steve Gruber on YouTube! Link below: https://youtu.be/UrGZQdE62jA

This was the first summer that Chris and his family took their annual road trip in an electric vehicle through the Midwest. It was doable, but not without some challenges. Where are we with regards to EVs in the U.S. and where do we go from here? Patrick George is the Detroit Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. He joins WITHpod to discuss the logistics, policy and infrastructure hurdles that still stand in the way of broader EV adoption. As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here.  Leopold Aschenbrenner, age 24, was hailed as the ‘Nostradamus of AI.' With that reputation, the wunderkind built a multi-billion dollar hedge fund called Situational Awareness, taking on an enormous amount of debt. WSJ's Gregory Zuckerman explains how the fund crashed while Aschebrenner was preparing for his wedding. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Republican Megadonor Ken Griffin on Trump's Economy - Is the AI Boom… a Bubble? Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters head to the polls in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, a race that could shape control of the chamber. The Atlantic's Russell Berman explains how a progressive candidate and an establishment favorite are battling over Israel policy and electability in a key battleground. RFK Jr. is defending the administration's measles response and says families should vaccinate their kids. The Wall Street Journal's Liz Essley Whyte breaks down the pressures he's facing behind the scenes. Baltimore is overhauling 911 to send social workers, not police, to certain crisis calls. WYPR's Scott Maucione explains what's driving that effort. Plus, Michigan health officials reported the first deaths in the cyclosporiasis outbreak, two key Senate Republicans cleared the way for Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general, and a tiny Pacific nation changed its name. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

P.M. Edition for Aug. 4. Millions of Americans are going without health insurance after the end of federal subsidies that kept their Affordable Care Act premiums down. WSJ reporter Anna Wilde Mathews discusses how that's weighing on hospital profits. Plus, strong earnings and hopes for an Iran deal send markets soaring. McDonald's aims to shake up its U.S. operations with a new boss after the U.S. division fell short in its most recent quarter. And SpaceX's revenue rose 92% in the first quarter since its IPO, while it reported a net loss of $541 million. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.M. Edition for Aug 4. A Journal investigation finds the government has paid millions to private contractors to track down critics of ICE. WSJ's Hannah Critchfield says agents have confronted Americans at home and work, asking them to sign letters agreeing their posts “may” be a crime. Plus, SpaceX is set to release its first earnings report, with the rocket company needing strong Starlink growth to fund its ambitions. And ahead of primaries in a handful of states, including a bitter Senate battle in Michigan, WSJ's Terell Wright explains why some Democratic voters are embracing insurgent progressive and socialist candidates. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Tuesday will report its first quarterly earnings as a public company. In the wake of the company's post-IPO stock drop and Tesla's negative quarterly cashflow, what can investors expect? WSJ reporter Becky Peterson sets the scene. Plus, WSJ's Sharon Terlep on the anti-tech automotive movement, and the extreme measures some are taking to avoid features like driving-assistance technology. Katie Deighton hosts. Were you fooled into thinking an AI-generated post was real? Are you worried AI is looking more and more real? We want to hear from you! Record a voice memo and send it to tnb@wsj.com or leave us a voicemail at (212) 416-2236. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Wells Fargo plans to roll out tokenized deposit service for corporate clients. And Anduril considers shipyard investment to build drone boats. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

 Plus: the World Bank says developing economies have more to gain and less to lose from AI. And New Jersey sues Amazon for allegedly suppressing delivery wages. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What did you think of this episode?Have you considered writing an action-adventure technothriller? PeggySue Wells shares tips for writers, along with the story behind The Patent. Welcome to Your Best Writing Life, an extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference held in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. I'm your host, Linda Goldfarb. Each week, I bring tips and strategies from writing and publishing industry experts to help you excel in your craft. It's great to have you listening in. During this episode, we continue a new addition to Your Best Writing Life with The Story Behind the Stories series.Today's guest, PeggySue Wells, is the award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of nearly 50 books, including the mystery suspense title of the year, Unnatural Cause. Known for her captivating novels spanning action and adventure, romantic suspense, military romance, and cozy mystery genres—such as Chasing Sunrise, Homeless for the Holidays, and The Patent—she also empowers readers with practical nonfiction, including The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make. A prolific writing coach, collaborator, and independent publishing strategist, PeggySue's mission is to fill the world with stories and guides that take readers to places they've never been before.PeggySue shares her fabulous writing journey of The Patent.Writer's tips.  1) Keep learning about anything and everything so you have something to write about. Always have fresh experiences so you have fresh content to include and influence your writing. 2) Write the story. No preaching, no worries about themes or word count. Trust the power of the story. After it is roughly put down, the natural themes appear. Write first. Polish after you know the project works. As with raising children, the writing often turns out 50 percent as anticipated, and the rest takes on a direction of its own.  3) Readers are not fond of being told what they must, should, or need to be, do, or think. They prefer to watch how things work out and then apply what fits in their own life. Don't save anything for the next book. The reader can sense when a writer withheld. Give your best and your all. Pour out, and the Lord refills you for the next project. Quick Guides to Writing Well Set - check this out!!!What Listeners Will Gain – when they buy your bookGiveaway - https://authorpswells.myshopify.com/products/preorder-cohen-code-with-bonus-set-5-quick-guides-to-writinghttps://authorpswells.myshopify.com/products/preorder-cohen-code-get-3-bonus-novelsYou can find out more below:SOCIAL LINKS:Preorder Cohen Code, and be the first to read the next novel in the Marc Wayne Action Adventure seriesPeggySueWells.comChasing SunriseThe PatentSecrecy OrderUnnatural Cause, best mystery suspense of the yearThe Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make SingleMomCircle.com Visit Your Best Writing Life website.Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing LifeYour host - Linda Goldfarb#4 Podcast 2026 "Million Podcasts Top 30 Christian Writers Podcasts"#1 Podcast 2024 "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers.Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo PodcastAwarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast

They say “It takes a village.” But how do you build it? For all our technology, tools, and ways to stay “connected,” many of us are feeling more isolated than ever. And that lack of connection is showing up everywhere.Florence Ann Romano believes the answer isn't doing more; it's rebuilding what we've lost.Florence Ann is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and author. Her work has been featured across more than 900 national and local media outlets, including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and major network affiliates.We talk about why you need a village now more than ever and why that village matters just as much at work as it does in our personal lives. Florence Ann shares why people are struggling to create meaningful connections, how loneliness quietly undermines performance and mental health, and why rebuilding community is foundational to growth.We dive into what actually makes a village work, including the six types of villagers needed for a fully functioning, supportive community. We also explore the reciprocal nature of connection: how supporting others enriches your own life, and how a true village becomes a network of mutual growth, trust, and purpose.If you're looking for a reset that centers humanity, collaboration, and belonging, this conversation is a powerful place to start.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com and search by episode title.Listen in for…Why both men and women are struggling to make meaningful connections. What it takes to make a village work properly.The six types of villagers needed for a functional community.Why you should bring your authentic self to work to strengthen your leadership and build a stronger work village. "If you are feeling this isolation, maybe you need to lean in to those relationships that you do have at work - that could be a place that could deepen or strengthen and feel like you're not reinventing the wheel." — Florence Ann Romano Episode References: Prentis Hemphill quoteBook: Women Holding Things by Maira KalmanThe Empathy Edge podcast: Jamie Greenwood: Why Empathy for Others Starts with Compassion for YourselfShasta Nelson: Why Successful Leaders Encourage Work FriendshipsClaude Silver: Be Yourself at Work for the Ultimate Leadership AdvantageAbout Florence Ann Romano, Speaker and Author of Build Your Own Village:Florence Ann Romano is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and author, known for her ability to cultivate meaningful connections. She is passionate about helping others create their own community to be seen, heard, and understood. As an acclaimed author, Florence Ann's insights are captured in her book, Build Your Village: A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Every Stage of Life (Beyond Words), which has been celebrated as a top 10 in its category. Her expertise and charismatic delivery have earned her features across over 900 national and local esteemed media outlets across the country, including SHERRI, ABC/CBS/ NBC and FOX TV affiliates, Home & Family, Forbes Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and more. She is also currently a regular expert on over 10 various national TV affiliates across the U.S.Connect with Florence Ann Romano:Website: https://florenceann.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlorenceARomano/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/florenceann.romano Build Your Village: A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Every Stage of Life: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158270886X Connect with Maria:Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/booksHire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader LinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red Slice

Six months after Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy was kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Ariz., investigators have little to show beyond a trail of tragic missteps and bad luck. WSJ's Valerie Bauerlein reports on how early errors, attention from amateur sleuths and public feuding have complicated the case. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Camp Swamp Road Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump said the U.S. brokered a deal for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to leave Gaza, but neither side has moved on it yet. The Washington Post’s Michael Birnbaum explains why. Wall Street firms can now pay up to $100,000 a month for early access to Trump’s Truth Social posts. The Wall Street Journal’s Caitlin Ostroff breaks down the edge this new service gives investors — and the insider-trading concerns it’s raising. Tens of thousands of migrants rushed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa last week, only to be turned away almost immediately. Reuters’s Victoria Waldersee unpacks the factors that contributed to the surge. Plus, how a bitter family feud between two Ohio lawmakers over abuse allegations is threatening an otherwise likely safe GOP seat, why FIFA's president is facing a mutiny, and women’s professional baseball players have a new league of their own.

A.M. Edition for Aug 3. President Trump's latest walkback came just hours after saying he was prepared to launch the biggest attack since World War II, and as Gulf countries grow frustrated over a lack of a clear U.S. strategy to end the war. Plus, the Japanese Yen rises after Washington and Tokyo launch their first joint intervention in a generation after the currency fell to a 40-year low against the dollar. WSJ Tokyo bureau chief Jason Douglas breaks down the worries that drove Washington to get involved. And California's Democratic Party endorses the state's proposed billionaire tax. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

P.M. Edition for Aug. 3. Ford spent decades producing ho-hum workhorse cars–the Taurus, the Focus. WSJ autos reporter Ryan Felton explains why the company is hitting reverse. Plus, Michigan public health officials say two people have died in connection with the cyclosporiasis outbreak. And WSJ business reporter Natasha Khan discusses why Kimberly-Clark is embarking on a moonshot effort to make paper towels and toilet paper out of a spiny desert plant called hesperaloe. Danny Lewis hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb shares swing on reports of a potential tie up. And Nissan reports its first quarterly profit in two years. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics closes a $1 billion fundraising round. And Alibaba's new AI model impresses analysts. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back from vacation, Erick sounds the alarm on a confirmed Wall Street Journal story about a Trump fundraiser pressing corporations like Apple for cash and doling out tariff carve-outs, warning his own side is now perceived like the Biden crime family while wages slip behind inflation and independents consider staying home in November. He then […]

Barry Eichengreen is a is well known author, economist, and economic historian from the University of California, Berkeley. Paul Blustein is a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal journalist who has authored several acclaimed books on global economic institutions. Brendan Greeley is a veteran journalist from the Financial Times and current PhD student at Princeton studying monetary history. They all return to the show for a special roundtable discussion where they discuss the history of dominant currencies, whether we will always end up with a single reserve currency, whether monetary sovereignty is earned or given, the question of exorbitant privilege, what there is to do about a second China Shock, the future of dollars in the digital age, and much more. Watch the full length video on our new YouTube Channel! Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on May 11th, 2026 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Barry Eichengreen on X: @B_Eichengreen Follow Paul Blustein on X: @PaulBlustein Follow Brendan Greeley on X: @BHGreeley Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our Macro Musings merch! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:01 - On Each Author's Book 00:11:12 - Globally Dominant Currencies 00:25:37 - Single Reserve Currency 00:28:34 - Fed's Control Over Global Dollar System 00:38:39 - Exorbitant Privilege 00:46:30 - China Shock 2.0 00:49:23 - Future of the Global Dollar System 00:58:16 - Outro

Plus: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally rescinds ‘anti-weaponization' fund in a bid to smooth his confirmation. And California's billionaire tax wins support from state democratic party. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Howie Kurtz on U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropping felony vandalism charges against a former Olympian over the Reflecting Pool repair timeline, a WSJ investigation revealing President Trump's high-pressure fundraising tactics, and RFK Jr.'s tense CNN confrontation over vaccine safety and autism studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Religious-ethics scholar Liz Bucar, author of Beyond Wellness, joins us to discuss the religious roots of wellness practices, why bringing religion back into “spiritual” wellness spaces might be the key to promoting true well-being (even for non-religious people), and how the very human need for control shows up in diet and wellness culture. For paid subscribers, we do a deeper dive into how religion has contributed to Americans' troubled relationship with food and how religious foodways can also help us heal from diet culture, with some detours into the longevity movement, GLP-1s and the thin ideal, and more.   Liz Bucar is a religious ethicist and professor of religion at Northeastern University, as well as a certified intenSati and Kripalu yoga instructor and the author of the new book Beyond Wellness. Her popular writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, and The Wall Street Journal, and she is the author of four books, including the award-winning Stealing My Religion and Pious Fashion. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. For more about how religion shapes us all, even if we don't believe, subscribe to Liz's newsletter at LizBucar.com. To hear the full episode including the deep dive, upgrade to paid at rethinkingwellness.substack.com. More from Christy:Christy's second book, The Wellness Trap, is available wherever books are sold! Order it here, or ask for it in your favorite local bookstore. If you're looking to make peace with food and break free from diet and wellness culture, check out Christy's Intuitive Eating Fundamentals online course.Subscribe on Substack for full interviews and more! Support the podcast by becoming a paid subscriber, and unlock great perks like extended interviews, subscriber-only Q&As, full access to our archives, commenting privileges, and a place to connect with other listeners.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethinkingwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Most men do not lose their marriage in one big blowup. They lose it slowly, by being in the house but not actually in the room. In this episode, Chris Anderson sits down with Thomas Edwards Jr, founder of The Professional Wingman and author of The One Up Effect: Gamify Your Life to Win and Have Fun Playing, to talk about why so many high performing men feel like a stranger in their own home, and what it takes to come back. Thomas built a career the media called the real life Hitch, with more than 400 marriages and engagements to his name, features in The Wall Street Journal and People magazine, and appearances on The Steve Harvey Show and ABC Nightline. Then he imploded. Drugs, alcohol, a business falling apart, and a marriage on the edge. He got sober on January 14, 2019, rebuilt from the ground up, and just celebrated 12 years of marriage. In this episode: Why disconnection in your marriage usually starts as disconnection from yourself The four worlds of purpose, play, passion, and performance, and why most men live in only one Emotional awareness, emotional literacy, and emotional intelligence explained in plain language Why anger is often the only word men have for sadness, and how to get more words What to share with your wife, what to take somewhere else, and how to say "I need time to process" Why having emotions is not weakness, but letting emotions drive your behavior is The thermometer principle: stop reacting to the room and start setting the temperature How to acknowledge what your wife is feeling without trying to fix it Why work life balance is a lie, and what harmony and one identity look like instead The case for play, fun, and things to look forward to, including video games without the guilt Are you playing your game of life, or running someone else's program Thomas closes with the story of the night he cried out for help, and the promise he has carried ever since. Connect with Thomas: theoneup.com and thomasedwardsjr.com. The book is The One Up Effect. If this one hits, share it with a man who needs it. Follow the show so we can keep making them. Stay upgraded. This episode may or may not be sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, meaning we'll receive a small commission if you buy something.===========================⚡️ PODCAST: Subscribe and listen on all major platforms⚡️ Want to be a guest on The Upgraded Man? Apply here ➡ https://upgraded-man.com/guest⚡️ For support or business inquiries, email us ➡ chris@upgraded-man.com Our mission at The Upgraded Man is simple — help men upgrade every area of their life through real conversations, honest stories, and actionable insight from men who have done the work.The content on The Upgraded Man is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not constitute professional legal, financial, medical, or therapeutic advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on information discussed on this podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Day Break | The Fight for America's Future --- 00:00 - Monologue 19:18 – Phil Kerpen, President of American Commitment. Kerpen discusses the unintended consequences of federal drug price controls, arguing that policy changes under the Biden administration have weakened pharmaceutical innovation, distorted market incentives, and made prescription drug pricing issues more difficult to address. 28:18 – Steven Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project. Moore provides an update on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, discussing the latest developments involving Iran, the ongoing conflict with Russia, and the broader geopolitical challenges facing U.S. allies. 38:32 - Monologue 47:32 – William Fry, Founder and CEO of American Operator. Fry discusses succession planning for small business owners, explaining why private equity is not always the best exit strategy and exploring alternative paths that preserve company culture, employee opportunity, and long-term business success. 57:51 – Philip Wegmann, White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Wegmann discusses reports that Hamas has agreed to a broad framework for disarmament, examining the latest diplomatic developments, the role of the United States, and what the proposal could mean for stability in the Middle East. 1:06:47 – Tom Simon, spokesperson for Home Title Lock and former FBI Special Agent. Simon discusses how artificial intelligence is fueling increasingly sophisticated cyber scams, explaining the latest fraud tactics criminals are using and offering practical steps homeowners can take to protect themselves from identity theft and property fraud. Go to HomeTitleLock.com/GRUBER to learn more.  1:17:03 - Monologue 1:26:06 – Dr. Michelle Perro, pediatrician and author of Raising Healthy Kids in a Toxic World. Dr. Perro discusses environmental factors that may affect children's health, including nutrition, food quality, chemical exposures, and practical strategies families can use to support healthier childhood development. 1:36:22 – Bradley A. Thayer, author of America's 100 Years' War: How to Win Against Communism, American Freedom Alliance Fellow, and founding member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China. Thayer discusses the long-term ideological and geopolitical competition between the United States and communist regimes, examining the strategic challenges posed by China and outlining his recommendations for protecting American interests and national security. --- Check out our brand new podcast, 'Forgotten America'... Episode 24 is live NOW at Steve Gruber on YouTube! Link below: https://youtu.be/UrGZQdE62jA

In this episode of One Vision Podcast, Theo chats with Huyen Tran from US Bank and founder/investor at Elys Ventures. Huyen shares her path from computer engineering and early real-estate investing to two decades in banking product leadership and P&L ownership. She discusses why banks can appear slow due to resilience, regulation, legacy systems, and trust requirements, and how AI will accelerate prototyping, testing, data analysis, and iterative product development while meeting customer expectations for personalization and security amid rising fraud. A must-listen episode on startup, innovation, relationship building, and ecosystem thinking.

A reading of articles and features from the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal

Brianna Labuskes is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Amazon Charts best-selling author of psychological thrillers and historical fiction. Her books have been translated into several languages worldwide. She grew up in Pennsylvania, lived in Washington D.C. for many years and now calls Asheville, N.C. home. She enjoys traveling, hiking and spending time with her pup. For more: visit her at briannalabuskes.com.

Chuck Todd opens with the Iran war's arrival on American soil: hackers have hit water systems across multiple states in one of the most serious cyberattacks on U.S. water infrastructure in years and investigators probing an Iranian link. Trump's response tells you everything about the presidency in its current state — he didn't blame the attacker, he blamed the victim, using the hack as an occasion to attack Minnesota Democrats. Chuck’s question hangs over the whole segment: was Trump briefed on the Iranian connection and went after Minnesota anyway? Either way, the first instinct was to find a Democrat to blame, which Chuck calls a kind of polarization disease that leaves a president caring more about his narrative than about American citizens drinking the water. It fits a pattern the episode keeps circling: Jeanine Pirro presented false evidence to a grand jury blaming a former Olympian for damage to the White House reflecting pool, dropped the case when Interior produced documents proving otherwise, and Trump publicly disagreed with dropping it because he still insists it was vandals. Chuck argues negative information never reaches Trump, and people who bring him bad news don't last long — which is how you end up with a president insisting affordability is a Democratic scam Then, Chuck highlights a Wall Street Journal piece that lays out Trump's corruption — roughly $800 million raised through what amounts to an advertised pay-to-play scheme. Anti-corruption is a devastating midterm message sitting right there for Democrats to pick up… then Chuck Schumer rolled out a bill that Chuck calls a piece of garbage: it wouldn't even cover the conduct in the WSJ story, it's likely unconstitutional because it names individuals, and — most absurdly — it creates a new anti-corruption agency inside the executive branch, meaning a corrupt president would appoint its director and seven board members and, per the Supreme Court, could fire them at will. Congress can already do every bit of the oversight the agency would perform and Schumer's answer to executive corruption is to hand the executive more power and write Congress out of its own job. He closes on Michigan and Wisconsin as the clearest signals of where the Democratic Party is headed — Abdul El-Sayed running a movement inside a Senate race with the explicit goal of changing the party, DSA-endorsed Francesca Wong leading in Wisconsin while the establishment fails to coordinate against her — and on the DSA's new call to abolish the Senate, which Senate Democrats pushed back on without ever defending the institution. Chuck defends it himself: the Senate is a feature, not a bug, a brake on political extremism, and the right response to losing an argument is to win it rather than rewrite the rules. Then, Dr. Brian King — the former director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, who was placed on administrative leave in April 2025 as part of the mass HHS layoffs joins the Chuck Toddcast to explain what happens to public health when the agency charged with protecting it gets deliberately dismantled. King walks through the extraordinary progress America made reducing cigarette smoking over decades, and how quickly that's being unwound: the tobacco industry donated millions to Trump's PAC, executives pressured the White House directly, and the payoff has been regulatory capture and mounting pressure on the FDA to bring flavored products back to market. He's clear-eyed rather than absolutist on the science — combustible products are far and away the most harmful, nicotine itself is highly addictive but isn't what's killing people, though it's genuinely not risk-free for the adolescent brain — and he walks Chuck through the comparison to caffeine, the data on whether vaping serves as a gateway back into smoking, and what's actually known about nicotine pouches, where youth usage isn't high but stubbornly isn't declining either. The industry, meanwhile, is spending roughly a million dollars an hour advertising its products while fighting every government action to reduce smoking. The conversation turns to what actually works and what's being abandoned. King argues the two most effective interventions available are reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes and banning menthol, credits Congress for getting the Tobacco Control Act right, and stresses that Congress — not the FDA acting alone — has to be the one to regulate tobacco, which is precisely why sidelining the agency is so damaging. He and Chuck get into the questions nobody in Washington wants to answer: why are cigarettes legal at all, how are sugary alcoholic beverages not treated in the same category, and where did the money from the 1998 master settlement actually go. King is pointed that the MAHA movement, for all its rhetoric about chronic disease, has done nothing prominent on tobacco, and that the FDA is now actively undermining both the science and the law it was built to enforce. His closing warning is the bleakest note of the episode: America is in a public health apocalypse that will take decades to repair, it will be enormously hard to recruit a next generation into the field, the entire world will be harmed by the collapse of American public health infrastructure — and the impacts are only just beginning to show up. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit Watergate and Richard Nixon’s resignation, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Play ball and swing for the fences on FanDuel, an official partner of the MLB at https://FANDUEL.COM. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck /*Paid Partnership Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:15 The Iran war has become a global conflict 06:45 Once again Trump issues threats, then walks them back 08:15 War is one of biggest strategic mistakes in decades 09:00 Increased gas prices have cost households additional $560 10:30 CISA warns that Iranian hackers are targeting water infrastructure 11:15 Iran could cause unreliability to the American water supply 13:00 Trump used hacking attacks to blame Minnesota Democrats 13:45 Trump didn’t blame the attacker, he blamed the victim 15:30 Jeanine Pirro blamed former Olympian for damage to reflecting pool 16:00 Dept. of Interior had documents proving otherwise, Pirro dropped case 17:00 Pirro presented false evidence to a grand jury 18:30 Trump publicly disagreed with Pirro dropping case, says it was vandals 19:30 Trump’s staff is shielding him from the truth 21:00 Trump’s lack of understanding reality is terrible for him 21:30 Trump’s low approval is a midterm disaster in the making 23:00 Stephanie Grisham says 85% of negative info is kept from Trump 24:15 People who bring Trump bad news don’t last very long 25:30 Republicans aren’t campaigning like things are going well 26:00 Ken Paxton puts out an affordability agenda, looks like a Dem proposal 27:15 Trump still saying affordability is scam made up by Democrats 28:15 Trump can’t understand the reality of the situation 28:45 Was Trump briefed on Iran hack… then attacked Minnesota anyway? 30:00 Trump’s first instinct was to find a Democrat to blame 30:45 Trump is demented with polarization disease 31:15 Trump cares more about his narrative than American citizens 32:15 Trump is bragging about his grifting an Americans are tired of it 33:15 Anti-Corruption is a massively effective midterm strategy 33:45 Chuck Schumer rolls out a stinker of an anti-corruption bill 34:45 WSJ publishes airtight piece about Trump’s overt corruption 35:45 There’s no buffer or plausible deniability for Trump in the corruption story 36:45 Trump is basically advertising that government is a pay to play scheme 37:45 There’s a list of presidential promises for favors that have been bought 38:15 Trump has raised $800m in pay for play schemes with little accounting 39:00 There is no law outlawing a president from raising unlimited money 39:30 Trump is now the biggest alligator in the swamp 40:15 Schumer’s bill is a piece of garbage, why many senators didn’t sign on 41:45 Jamie Raskin is performing oversight, Schumer wants agency to do it for him 42:30 The bill wouldn’t even cover the corruption outlined by the WSJ story 44:00 The bill is unconstitutional because it names individuals 45:00 Laws can target behavior, not individuals. It’d be thrown out in court 45:45 The agency Schumer proposed would live in the executive branch 46:15 Agency to stop a corrupt president would be staffed by the president?? 47:15 SCOTUS says president can fire the heads of exec branch agencies 48:45 If bill passed, Trump would pick agency head and 7 members of board 49:15 Congress can perform all the oversight the proposed agency would do 50:30 Congress could stop all this corruption if it wanted to 52:00 Schumer’s idea is to hand more power to the executive branch??? 54:30 The plan from congress is to write themselves out of oversight? 57:00 Schumer’s bill will never see the light of day 57:45 Michigan & Wisconsin will show where the Democratic party is headed 59:30 Abdul El-Sayed made clear his goal is to change the Democratic party 1:00:15 His campaign is a movement inside a senate race 1:01:00 Francesca Wong in Wisconsin is frontrunner & endorsed by DSA 1:01:45 Establishment hasn’t coordinated well to stop Wong 1:02:15 Movement politicians are usually right about the future, wrong about present 1:03:30 Sometimes the movement comes first, sometimes the coalition does 1:04:00 DSA has become a force, and is now calling for abolishing the senate 1:05:00 Senate democrats pushed back, but didn’t defend the senate 1:05:45 The senate is a feature, not a bug 1:06:30 The senate is a brake on political extremism 1:07:15 The response is to win the argument, not rewrite the rules 1:08:00 Movement nominees are easier to defeat than governing ones 1:14:15 Brian King (FDA center on tobacco) joins the Chuck ToddCast 1:18:00 We made incredible progress reducing cigarette smoking 1:18:30 Tobacco companies donated and received regulatory capture 1:19:15 Flavored vapes appeal more to kids & are problematic 1:20:45 Trump was pressured by executives from tobacco industry 1:21:30 There were multimillion dollar donations to Trump’s PAC 1:23:00 What’s the actual health data on nicotine outside of smoking? 1:23:30 Combustible products are the most harmful 1:24:00 Nicotine is highly addictive but isn’t causing the harm and deaths 1:24:45 Nicotine can harm the adolescent brain, it’s not risk free 1:25:30 Comparing nicotine vs. caffeine 1:27:15 Vaping typically isn’t a gateway back into smoking 1:28:30 There’s been pressure on FDA to bring back flavored products 1:31:00 $1M dollars an hour is being spent advertising tobacco products 1:31:45 Industry has been fighting all government action to reduce smoking 1:33:15 The FDA has been sidelined in the fight against smoking 1:33:45 Why are cigarettes even legal at all? 1:35:15 Tobacco farmers have transitioned to other crops in other countries 1:37:15 Reducing nicotine levels is highly effective 1:37:45 Outlawing menthol is also highly effective 1:39:30 Congress got it right with the Tobacco Control Act 1:41:15 How are sugary alcoholic beverages not in the same category? 1:42:15 What is age gating technology and how does it work? 1:44:15 Do we have good data on usage for people under 18? 1:46:45 Nicotine pouch usage isn’t high amongst kids, but isn’t going down 1:47:15 What is the data about health impacts from pouches? 1:48:45 Nicotine has a strong stimulant effect, helps with attention 1:49:30 Settlement in ‘98 required tobacco companies to pay costs in perpetuity 1:50:00 States have diverted those funds to other purposes 1:51:00 Did the tobacco industry actually take a hit from the settlement? 1:51:45 If still at FDA, what changes would you implement? 1:52:15 FDA has been undermining the science and the law 1:53:15 Effectiveness of banning indoor smoking 1:54:30 Should preventing underage addictions be the north star? 1:56:45 Congress has to regulate tobacco, FDA can’t do it on its own 1:57:30 MAHA hasn’t done anything prominent on tobacco 1:59:45 Is there litigation that could be pursued here? 2:01:00 We’re in a public health apocalypse, will take decades to repair 2:01:45 It will be hard to recruit people into public health 2:03:30 The entire world will be harmed by collapse of American public health 2:05:15 The impacts are just beginning to show up, will get worse 2:07:00 Toddcast Time Machine - The five days that ended Richard Nixon 2:07:30 Nixon resigned 52 years ago, this week 2:08:15 Why is Nixon the only president that paid a price for his corruption? 2:09:15 We tell the story of Watergate backwards and start with resignation 2:10:30 The June arrests weren’t the beginning of Watergate 2:12:15 We don’t know what Nixon’s operation learned before the arrests 2:14:00 We never got full answer on the missing 18 minutes 2:14:45 Supreme Court stayed in session during summer to oversee Watergate 2:15:15 Smoking gun tape goes public six days after the break-in 2:16:00 Nixon needed 34 votes in the senate to survive, only had 16 2:16:45 Impeachment in the house was a foregone conclusion 2:17:15 Senators didn’t demand he resign, just showed Nixon the numbers 2:20:30 How different would history have looked had Nixon survived? 2:21:15 Ask Chuck 2:21:30 Is presidency becoming more powerful in a way that could outlast Trump 2:24:30 Can the U.S. government create a true unbiased media source? 2:28:15 Would mandatory voting create better political participation? 2:32:45 Would Illinois make for a better early primary state? 2:34:30 Why not hold every primary on the same day? 2:36:45 Personal anecdote about AI job displacement and fearSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the Iran war's arrival on American soil: hackers have hit water systems across multiple states in one of the most serious cyberattacks on U.S. water infrastructure in years and investigators probing an Iranian link. Trump's response tells you everything about the presidency in its current state — he didn't blame the attacker, he blamed the victim, using the hack as an occasion to attack Minnesota Democrats. Chuck’s question hangs over the whole segment: was Trump briefed on the Iranian connection and went after Minnesota anyway? Either way, the first instinct was to find a Democrat to blame, which Chuck calls a kind of polarization disease that leaves a president caring more about his narrative than about American citizens drinking the water. It fits a pattern the episode keeps circling: Jeanine Pirro presented false evidence to a grand jury blaming a former Olympian for damage to the White House reflecting pool, dropped the case when Interior produced documents proving otherwise, and Trump publicly disagreed with dropping it because he still insists it was vandals. Chuck argues negative information never reaches Trump, and people who bring him bad news don't last long — which is how you end up with a president insisting affordability is a Democratic scam Then, Chuck highlights a Wall Street Journal piece that lays out Trump's corruption — roughly $800 million raised through what amounts to an advertised pay-to-play scheme. Anti-corruption is a devastating midterm message sitting right there for Democrats to pick up… then Chuck Schumer rolled out a bill that Chuck calls a piece of garbage: it wouldn't even cover the conduct in the WSJ story, it's likely unconstitutional because it names individuals, and — most absurdly — it creates a new anti-corruption agency inside the executive branch, meaning a corrupt president would appoint its director and seven board members and, per the Supreme Court, could fire them at will. Congress can already do every bit of the oversight the agency would perform and Schumer's answer to executive corruption is to hand the executive more power and write Congress out of its own job. He closes on Michigan and Wisconsin as the clearest signals of where the Democratic Party is headed — Abdul El-Sayed running a movement inside a Senate race with the explicit goal of changing the party, DSA-endorsed Francesca Wong leading in Wisconsin while the establishment fails to coordinate against her — and on the DSA's new call to abolish the Senate, which Senate Democrats pushed back on without ever defending the institution. Chuck defends it himself: the Senate is a feature, not a bug, a brake on political extremism, and the right response to losing an argument is to win it rather than rewrite the rules. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit Watergate and Richard Nixon’s resignation, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Play ball and swing for the fences on FanDuel, an official partner of the MLB at https://FANDUEL.COM. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck /*Paid Partnership Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:15 The Iran war has become a global conflict 06:45 Once again Trump issues threats, then walks them back 08:15 War is one of biggest strategic mistakes in decades 09:00 Increased gas prices have cost households additional $560 10:30 CISA warns that Iranian hackers are targeting water infrastructure 11:15 Iran could cause unreliability to the American water supply 13:00 Trump used hacking attacks to blame Minnesota Democrats 13:45 Trump didn’t blame the attacker, he blamed the victim 15:30 Jeanine Pirro blamed former Olympian for damage to reflecting pool 16:00 Dept. of Interior had documents proving otherwise, Pirro dropped case 17:00 Pirro presented false evidence to a grand jury 18:30 Trump publicly disagreed with Pirro dropping case, says it was vandals 19:30 Trump’s staff is shielding him from the truth 21:00 Trump’s lack of understanding reality is terrible for him 21:30 Trump’s low approval is a midterm disaster in the making 23:00 Stephanie Grisham says 85% of negative info is kept from Trump 24:15 People who bring Trump bad news don’t last very long 25:30 Republicans aren’t campaigning like things are going well 26:00 Ken Paxton puts out an affordability agenda, looks like a Dem proposal 27:15 Trump still saying affordability is scam made up by Democrats 28:15 Trump can’t understand the reality of the situation 28:45 Was Trump briefed on Iran hack… then attacked Minnesota anyway? 30:00 Trump’s first instinct was to find a Democrat to blame 30:45 Trump is demented with polarization disease 31:15 Trump cares more about his narrative than American citizens 32:15 Trump is bragging about his grifting an Americans are tired of it 33:15 Anti-Corruption is a massively effective midterm strategy 33:45 Chuck Schumer rolls out a stinker of an anti-corruption bill 34:45 WSJ publishes airtight piece about Trump’s overt corruption 35:45 There’s no buffer or plausible deniability for Trump in the corruption story 36:45 Trump is basically advertising that government is a pay to play scheme 37:45 There’s a list of presidential promises for favors that have been bought 38:15 Trump has raised $800m in pay for play schemes with little accounting 39:00 There is no law outlawing a president from raising unlimited money 39:30 Trump is now the biggest alligator in the swamp 40:15 Schumer’s bill is a piece of garbage, why many senators didn’t sign on 41:45 Jamie Raskin is performing oversight, Schumer wants agency to do it for him 42:30 The bill wouldn’t even cover the corruption outlined by the WSJ story 44:00 The bill is unconstitutional because it names individuals 45:00 Laws can target behavior, not individuals. It’d be thrown out in court 45:45 The agency Schumer proposed would live in the executive branch 46:15 Agency to stop a corrupt president would be staffed by the president?? 47:15 SCOTUS says president can fire the heads of exec branch agencies 48:45 If bill passed, Trump would pick agency head and 7 members of board 49:15 Congress can perform all the oversight the proposed agency would do 50:30 Congress could stop all this corruption if it wanted to 52:00 Schumer’s idea is to hand more power to the executive branch??? 54:30 The plan from congress is to write themselves out of oversight? 57:00 Schumer’s bill will never see the light of day 57:45 Michigan & Wisconsin will show where the Democratic party is headed 59:30 Abdul El-Sayed made clear his goal is to change the Democratic party 1:00:15 His campaign is a movement inside a senate race 1:01:00 Francesca Wong in Wisconsin is frontrunner & endorsed by DSA 1:01:45 Establishment hasn’t coordinated well to stop Wong 1:02:15 Movement politicians are usually right about the future, wrong about present 1:03:30 Sometimes the movement comes first, sometimes the coalition does 1:04:00 DSA has become a force, and is now calling for abolishing the senate 1:05:00 Senate democrats pushed back, but didn’t defend the senate 1:05:45 The senate is a feature, not a bug 1:06:30 The senate is a brake on political extremism 1:07:15 The response is to win the argument, not rewrite the rules 1:08:00 Movement nominees are easier to defeat than governing ones 1:13:30 Toddcast Time Machine - The five days that ended Richard Nixon 1:14:00 Nixon resigned 52 years ago, this week 1:14:45 Why is Nixon the only president that paid a price for his corruption? 1:15:45 We tell the story of Watergate backwards and start with resignation 1:17:00 The June arrests weren’t the beginning of Watergate 1:18:45 We don’t know what Nixon’s operation learned before the arrests 1:20:30 We never got full answer on the missing 18 minutes 1:21:15 Supreme Court stayed in session during summer to oversee Watergate 1:21:45 Smoking gun tape goes public six days after the break-in 1:22:30 Nixon needed 34 votes in the senate to survive, only had 16 1:23:15 Impeachment in the house was a foregone conclusion 1:23:45 Senators didn’t demand he resign, just showed Nixon the numbers 1:27:00 How different would history have looked had Nixon survived? 1:27:45 Ask Chuck 1:28:00 Is presidency becoming more powerful in a way that could outlast Trump 1:31:00 Can the U.S. government create a true unbiased media source? 1:34:45 Would mandatory voting create better political participation? 1:39:15 Would Illinois make for a better early primary state? 1:41:00 Why not hold every primary on the same day? 1:43:15 Personal anecdote about AI job displacement and fearSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Big Tech earnings are pushing valuations in opposite directions, reflecting differences in business mix and AI monetization timing. This public market split is influencing private financing terms and diligence focus on margins, cash generation, and concentration risk. Capital spending plans for AI infrastructure are affecting hyperscaler pricing, commitment structures, and startup compute costs. Platform policy changes are elevating distribution and channel concentration risks for smaller companies. Go to market efficiency, labor benchmarks, and compensation dynamics are shifting alongside these market moves. Founders are responding by tightening unit economics, diversifying channels, and planning for changes in cloud costs and sales cycles.Learn more on this news by visiting us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're bringing you an episode of WSJ's Take On the Week. Host Telis Demos and guest host Spencer Jakab, investing columnist and writer of the Markets A.M. newsletter, are joined by Kaitlin Hendrix, asset allocation research director at Dimensional Fund Advisors, to decode investors' surging interest in private markets. They break down how investors may already have exposure in their investment portfolios to private companies like Anthropic, Stripe and Flipkart, through holdings in companies like Alphabet's Google, Amazon and Nvidia. Hendrix explains why your public index fund might already provide the diversification you're looking for, without the high fees. Plus, Jakab explains the way that big tech's private company investments are boosting earnings to near-unprecedented levels.  To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Further Reading:  Earnings Forecasts Are on Steroids For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ's Heard on The Street Column, and WSJ's Live Markets blog. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of WSJ's Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos is joined by guest co-host and Wall Street Journal reporter David Uberti to break down the Federal Reserve's latest moves, and what oil's volatile pricing—exacerbated by the U.S.-Iran conflict—might mean for inflation and the Fed going forward.  Then, BCA Research's chief commodities strategist Roukaya Ibrahim joins the show to break down what's behind oil's volatile pricing. They discuss what current geopolitical tensions mean for oil and whether recent inventory data suggests a looming supply crunch. Plus, Ibrahim explains why the traditional link between gold and inflation has fractured, and how oil price shocks may impact the Fed. This is WSJ's Take On the Week where co-hosts Telis Demos, writer for WSJ's Heard on the Street, and Miriam Gottfried, WSJ's investing and wealth management reporter, cut through the noise and dive into markets, the economy and finance—the big trades, key players and business news ahead. Have an idea for a future guest or episode? How can we better help you take on the week? We'd love to hear from you. Email the show at takeontheweek@wsj.com. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com Further Reading Kevin Warsh Asked the Market to Speak. It Answered. Two Wars Put Stranglehold on Global Energy Supplies U.S. Emergency Oil Reserve Hits Lowest Levels Since 1983: Why It Matters For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ's Heard on The Street Column, and WSJ's Live Markets blog. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter.  Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump wants American women to have more babies. But despite policies like offering a baby bonus of a thousand dollars, birthrates continue to fall. So why are fewer Americans choosing to have children? And what does the answer reveal about the country today?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Louise Callaghan, US correspondent, The Sunday TimesHost: Manveen RanaProducers: Emily Webb, Jennifer KennedyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why can't Trump persuade US women to have more children?Clips: Washington Post, NBC News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, CBS Chicago, Bloomberg.Photo: Getty Images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The human part is 99 percent. The AI part is maybe 1 percent — even if 100 percent of the manuscript was dumped onto the page by AI.” — Keith Teare on writing with AI What is “real” authorship in our AI age? For That Was The Week publisher Keith Teare, all authorship, even the most AI-enabled, is real. It's the cave-dwelling Luddites who are the sloppy ones. For Keith, true creativity, in our age of Claude and Gemini, almost requires the use of AI. A couple of weeks ago Keith confessed, or perhaps boasted, that he is writing an AI-assisted book entitled Who Owns Intelligence. This week, publishing discovered what happens when others play the same game without public acknowledgement. So we have the case of the “red-hot” debut novel, fought over by fourteen publishers, dropped overnight when the agent found AI in the mix. “It's a fantastic book,” the book's agent acknowledged, before firing its less than transparent author. Which, for Keith, is precisely the scandal. His position, argued in this week's editorial “AI Detected,” is pretty absolute. Nothing is written by AI, Keith argues, because AI has no will. It doesn't produce a single word unless asked. The human part is 99 percent, he says, even when 100 percent of the manuscript is spat out by the machine. So the real sin isn't using AI but not acknowledging its use. So, on Who Owns Intelligence, Keith makes it crystal clear that “AI was heavily used in the writing of this book.” I'm not so sure. Amazon is now infested with AI slop that requires no authorship. Besides, Keith clearly has no love of reading books. He admits to reading only a single volume in the last couple of years. And he's still smarting from being, in his mind at least, ripped off by the publishing industry for his last published book some 40 years ago. He no longer needs to read books, he pronounces, because his world-view is already set. For a man who thinks he knows everything, AI isn't scary. Maybe we should rename him Claude. Postscript. Full Keith-style disclosure: these shownotes were produced with the help of Anthropic. When I fed Claude my draft, it responded: “‘Maybe we should rename him Claude' is a closer I'm contractually obliged to enjoy.” Nothing, as Keith says, is written by AI. Although some algorithms seem to have cheeky opinions of their own. Maybe Anthropic should rename it Keith. Five Takeaways •       Nothing Is Written by AI. Keith's absolutism starts from the machine's lack of will: AI won't produce a word unless a human asks. His Who Owns Intelligence — fifteen chapters, arguments, and references — was structured in ninety minutes from years of thinking; the AI produced a manuscript he then shaped, like a color grader working sliders in Photoshop. The human part is 99 percent even when the machine types every word. And authorship was never solitary anyway: Plato's contemporaries thought writing itself degraded ideas, and no publisher will touch a book that hasn't passed through an editor and a subeditor. If editing doesn't change authorship, Keith asks, why would AI?•       Transparency, Not Technology. The week's cautionary tale: a debut novel fought over by fourteen publishers, dropped when the agent discovered AI — while conceding, in the same breath, “it's a fantastic book.” For Keith the scandal is concealment, not composition: own the tool, as he now does with a strapline under his byline. The detection regime, meanwhile, is collapsing on its own inaccuracy — universities dropped their AI detectors this week, and Substack's new detection partner scored Keith's human-shaped editorial as 100 percent AI when a fair reading was 40. Cheating exists only against obsolete rules: the question is moving from did you use AI to how well did you use it.•       “The Publishing Industry Is Basically a Scam.” Keith's response to Andy Hunter's ban on AI-generated books — from last week's Keen On interview — was one word: outrageous. There is no such thing as an AI-written book, only good and bad ones; and the true victim of publishing is not the bookstore but the author. Exhibit A: his own 1988 book sold 50,000 copies at £3.99 and earned him roughly £10,000 — about 5p a copy — while Penguin took the rest. The future he wants is direct, author-to-reader, without the middlemen. As for “organic” artisanal literature: real, elite, and tiny — the new vinyl, which is itself cut these days from digital masters.•       Sharks, Playing Their Own Book. Leopold Aschenbrenner — fired young from OpenAI, transfigured by one prophetic essay into the “Nostradamus of AI” — saw his $45 billion, heavily leveraged Situational Awareness fund lose $600 million, get margin-called, and sell to Ken Griffin's Citadel. (He is, Keith suspects, still super rich.) Zuckerberg's sudden conversion to open source as “the distribution of wealth to the people” struck us both as a bit rich; Amodei's “I'm not against open source as long as it's safe” — from a man on record that no AI is safe — translates as: against. Keith's deeper complaint, from an admiring Claude user: you can't trust Dario. And China, hardware-constrained, has made open source its national strategy — undermining American foundation-model revenue one cheap routed prompt at a time.•       Money Won't Matter by 2036? Elon Musk predicts money becomes irrelevant within a decade; Vinod Khosla — our post of the week — thinks he might just have a point. Keith, ever the economics tutor, reaches for tendency and ceteris paribus: money is a means of exchange and a store of value, and if abundance drives the labor-value of things toward zero, its irrelevance is not illogical — though between tendency and reality lies a whole ton of variables. I bet the opposite: that by 2036 money will matter more than ever. The problem, we discovered, is the stake — you can't bet money on money not mattering. Wives and children were proposed and hastily withdrawn (“We'd be losing, Andrew”). Loser buys dinner — at a free restaurant. About the Co-Host Keith Teare is the publisher of That Was The Week, the essential weekly tech newsletter, and founder and CEO of SignalRank Corporation. A serial entrepreneur — co-founder of, among others, EasyNet and RealNames — he was present at the creation of the UK internet and has spent four decades at the intersection of technology, capital, and ideas. He joins Keen On America every Sunday to make sense of the week in tech. His AI-assisted book in progress is titled Who Owns Intelligence. References: •       That Was The Week — Keith's newsletter, including this week's editorial, “AI Detected.”•       The Wall Street Journal — on the red-hot debut novel at the center of publishing's AI mystery: fourteen publishers, one discovery, one dropped author.•      ...

Between Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Amazon, who emerged from a big week for tech earnings unscathed? And how did Jersey Mike's stock trade post-IPO? Plus, why did Universal Music Group lose a quarter of its value? Host Shradha Dinesh 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, Ralph, along with our constitutional law expert, Bruce Fein, organized another symposium in Washington DC on impeaching Donald Trump. On today's program, we play you highlights from that symposium with eight of the participants, each of whom are going to give listeners their perspective on why Donald Trump should be impeached even before the midterm elections.The rhetoric from many Democratic leaders has not kept up with the horror and the urgency of what [Donald Trump] is inflicting on America and the American people. He has moved very, very quickly to develop a fascist dictatorship embodying a kleptocratic corporate state that is marked by non-regulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, and tax escapes for the wealthy and major corporations, as well as expanded corporate welfare in the midst of personal and institutional two-way bribery and extortion. It's very important to punctuate the seriousness of what he's already done.Ralph NaderCelinda Lake is a political strategist and president of Lake Research Partners.What I love about polling is: conventional wisdom is wrong about 90% of the time, plus or minus 5%. Beltway conventional wisdom is wrong about 100% of the time, plus or minus 5%. So, “Everybody knows impeachment is unpopular.” No, it's not. It's very popular. A majority of people support it. “Everyone knows that it'll energize the other side.” No. The other side, to the extent they're going to be energized, they're already energized. We need to energize our side. We need to get our people out to vote… “Everyone knows it's very volatile.” No, it's not. Attitudes about impeachment track with job performance… And finally, “Everybody knows that nobody understands impeachment.” Well, frankly, voters understand it better than a lot of elected officials.Celinda LakeSuparna Reddy is the Senior Counsel for Free Speech For People.Let us be clear: Congress should impeach and remove Trump for each and every one of these hundreds of offenses. And we have a duty to record his every abuse of power. But in the process, we should not miss the forest for the trees— Trump is intentionally and systematically dismantling our democratic institutions to consolidate his own power and line his own pockets.Suparna ReddyRichard Painter is the S. Walter Richey professor of corporate law at the University of Minnesota Law School and was the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007.We have seen serious, indeed, tragic financial conflicts of interest in the executive branch never before seen in the history of our country—unless we look at our very early Presidents who held vast plantations with slave labor, a clear economic conflict of interest with their official duties. A conflict of interest shared by many Senators and Representatives and Justices of the Supreme Court, and indeed a tragic conflict of interest for the first eighty years of our history that ended only with a bloody civil war. But since then, we have not had at least a President who is embroiled in financial conflicts of interest with his official duties.Richard PainterDoug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties.We need to make a persuasive argument for people, whether they like Donald Trump or not, to understand the Constitution transcends this President. The Constitution transcends future Presidents and future crises. We need to convince Americans across the political spectrum to stand with the rule of law, to stand with accountable government, to stand with an accountable executive, responsible legislatures. History tells us that one person making these decisions is not good. Plenty of authoritarians in the past have made these decisions and brought their countries to disaster.Douglas BandowErwin Chemerinsky is the Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.We're now at a moment when the federal government is a threat to our rights. The actions of the Trump administration are unprecedented in the violations of the Constitution. And so I think it's crucial that state and local governments step in so as to protect rights. It's interesting that through American history, Federalism has always been equated, states' rights have always been equated with regressive policies… But now it's time for progressives to use states' rights and look for the opportunities for states to safeguard our constitutionErwin ChemerinskyKeira Havens is a United States Air Force veteran, a former scientist, and a longtime political activist. She is the executive director of Citizens' Impeachment.Everybody has agency. Everybody has a role that they can play. Everybody can take action. As a private citizen, I can say, “Man, there are a lot of things wrong with what's happening.” In fact, I wrote several articles of impeachment: tyranny, treason, obstruction of justice, and of course, corruption, right? Members of Congress have more power than that. They need to do more than say things. They have to take action. Courage is an action. It's what you do after you say the words that really matters. And every single member of Congress is able to take action. They are able to introduce articles of impeachment, and they are refusing.Keira HavensJessica Denson is a former Trump staffer and founder of the Removal Coalition.The American people (and particularly Democratic primary voters) are looking for fighters. For God's sake, what could you do better than to exert the power that you have—this one privilege in the House, Rule 9, that gives any member of the Congress, including the minority, the ability to force a vote any time. Why would you sit on that? Why would you wait? Instead, in my activism, I've had to resort to relying on literally one Congressman. This is so pathetic. He is a dear friend, and I am so grateful for him. But to this day, I think it is pathetic that I have to rely on one Congressman to bring forth articles of impeachment and force votes, and that's Representative Green.Jessica DensonNews 7/31/26* Our top stories this week have to do with the Democratic National Committee. Several stories have recently come out about DNC Chair Ken Martin, ranging from interpersonal issues to his utter failure to raise money for the Democratic Party. The most stunning example of this comes from NOTUS, which reports that Martin “put [the DNC's] physical headquarters up for collateral last year in order to obtain a $15 million line of credit to help invest in off-year elections.” While the party has used this mechanism before, it underlines the gaping disparity between the DNC, which is currently over $2 million in debt compared to the Republican National Committee (RNC), which can boast $128.5 million cash on-hand.* Compounding the issues of the already cash-strapped DNC, the New Republic reports the Democratic National Committee was scammed out of nearly $29,000 by an email from someone pretending to be Chair Ken Martin last year. DNC spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg is quoted saying “The DNC takes seriously our duty to protect the funds provided to us by millions of patriotic Americans chipping in to fund our mission…this was a one-off mistake that was promptly caught and addressed, and no similar issues have occurred since.” That said, only $7,000 worth of this money has been recovered. As TNR puts it, “This has all been very embarrassing. Martin can't raise money, can't keep money, and can't unite the base under the big tent' he likes to talk about.” Martin may also be facing an outright rebellion led by party insiders.* One surprising proposal to this effect is coming from a very unlikely source. The Hill reports veteran Democratic strategist James Carville, while tearing into Martin, opened the door to former DNC Vice-Chair David Hogg taking the reins. Carville said the DNC appears “dysfunctional” and that the committee needs to “figure out a way maybe they could be somewhat relevant,” adding that “If David Hogg wants to take it over, I ain't stopping you…Go ahead, man, I don't really care.” This is a stark turnabout from Carville's position on Hogg when the latter was in DNC leadership; back then, Carville dismissed him as “a contemptible little twerp.” In an interview, Hogg highlighted this exact reversal, while simultaneously saying that he did not want to lead the crumbling Democratic Party organization. Ben Wikler, the former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair who challenged Ken Martin in 2025 has also resisted calls to take over the DNC, with rumors circulating that he is gearing up to run for Senate in the Badger State next cycle. While pressure continues to mount on Martin, alternative leadership remains elusive.* Speaking of lackluster leadership, Sources Say News reports Capitol CNCT has launched The Scoop which they describe as “a confidential rating system that lets current and former Hill staffers weigh in on the members and offices they have worked for.” As one might imagine, some reviews are extremely scathing. This piece cites one that reads, “Leadership is abusive. Lies about promotions and bonuses…This place will leach at your mental health like a vampire…Beware.” Sources Say highlights the fact that “Unlike most workplaces, Congress has no HR department, which means bad behavior by members and senior staff can go unreported and unchecked for years.” The new site verifies that the posters are or were real employees of these offices, but keeps their names anonymous to protect them from retaliation.* In more news from Congress, POLITICO reports Maryland Representative and House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin is launching a new investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, this time focusing on whether the deceased sex offender and financier acted as an unregistered foreign agent. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Raskin writes that “Jeffrey Epstein never registered as a foreign agent…Yet numerous recently released documents now show he acted aggressively on behalf of multiple foreign governments, including several with interests adverse to the United States, in order to influence policies of the first Trump Administration.” The declassified files reveal that Epstein “offered to serve as a conduit between Saudi Arabia and members of the Trump administration, consulted with Russian officials on engaging with the president and advised former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.” This inquiry is likely to raise fresh questions about not only Epstein's role working on behalf of foreign governments, but his possible connections with intelligence and espionage organizations including the CIA and Mossad.* Other progressive members of Congress, led by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, have issued a formal response to a new Trump administration report on Cuba. These members interpret this report – which claims that the tiny Caribbean nation of 10 million people has “waged a sustained campaign” to “conquer” the United States and is backing “left-wing terrorism on American soil” – is in fact an instrument the administration plans to use to persecute “Trump's perceived political enemies.” Omar, joined by Representatives Jim McGovern, Delia Ramirez, Rashida Tlaib, AOC and more, contend that Trump is “hell-bent on taking America back 70 years to the height of Cold War McCarthyism, when hawkish foreign policy was paired with unsubstantiated accusations of communist subversion and political repression against dissidents at home.” The administration report singled out several organizations and activists, including the National Lawyers Guild, Hasan Piker, and campus activist Isra Hirsi, daughter of Congresswoman Omar. This from Common Dreams.* In more news from the left, POLITICO reports Donavan McKinney – who is challenging incumbent Congressman Shri Thanedar in Detroit – picked up a major batch of endorsements this week from members of the Congressional Black Caucus. These new endorsers include Representatives Steven Horsford, the former chair of the CBC, along with Lateefah Simon and Ayanna Pressley. These endorsements, particularly that of Congressman Horsford, are notable because Thanedar retains the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his deputies, Representatives Pete Aguilar and Katherine Clark. McKinney said he was “honored” by these endorsements, adding that he “[looks] forward to working alongside these incredible leaders to pass critical legislation to protect voting rights, get big money out of our politics, and ensure all families have access to the resources they need to not just survive, but to truly thrive.” McKinney's primary will be held on August 4th, along with the more closely watched Senate primary between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and his moderate, establishment-backed opponent Haley Stevens.* Meanwhile, in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to fulfill campaign promises at an astonishing rate. First, Forbes reports that Mamdani has officially introduced a $124.7 billion city budget which includes funding for five city-run grocery stores which will sell staple foods at a 30% discount compared to private grocery stores. These staples are set to include produce, dairy, bread, select meat and seafood, and approximately 20 other products. Being city-owned, these stores will not have to pay rent or property taxes, ensuring they can operate more cheaply than their competitors in the private sector. This piece notes that similar experiments in smaller cities like Baldwin, Florida, and Erie, Kansas proved unsustainable financially, while proposals in Chicago and Kansas City struggled to get off the ground. There is reason to believe New York will prove a different matter entirely, but that remains to be seen. At the same time, Jacobin reports Mamdani is launching a new initiative called “Talk to Tenants,” which will “send volunteers door-to-door in buildings with chronic housing code violations, connecting renters with organizing resources, neighborhood organizations, and training on tenants' rights and how to build tenant associations.” This effort will be led by the Office of Mass Engagement in partnership with the Office to Protect Tenants. It is extremely encouraging to see Mamdani utilizing a varied array of tools at his disposal – including both direct action by the city as on grocery stores or using city resources to promote the formation of non-governmental organizing efforts – in order to achieve his vision of a just and affordable American metropolis.* In more troubling, if not surprising, news, the Wall Street Journal is out with a new report finding that the Department of Justice is giving a green light to corporate criminals. The Journal cites examples ranging from Alibaba to Boeing and EagleBank to Abbott Laboratories where the Trump DOJ “declined to charge companies even when prosecutors thought executives or managers were involved in the wrongdoing.” This follows from directives given by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has “said prosecutors shouldn't view prosecuting companies as their goal and should instead focus on holding individual wrongdoers accountable.” This piece cites a December speech by Blanche in which he stated that “Companies don't go to jail, people do.” Yet, it seems that under the Trump Justice Department, neither do.* Finally, in more corporate news, the antitrust lawsuit filed by over a dozen state attorneys general has at least temporarily succeeded in halting the mega-merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Ellisons' media conglomerate, Paramount Skydance. After the lawsuit was filed, a federal judge in Oakland ordered a pause on the deal, and since then, the Ellisons themselves have agreed to put the merger “on ice” pending the outcome of the trial, Variety reports. This piece also highlights the private sentiments of anonymous Warner Bros. executives who apparently hope that the deal hits a “legal landmine” and is ultimately “nixed.” However, in an internal memo, David Ellison maintained that “the facts and the law are on our side, and a full hearing will demonstrate why the plaintiffs' arguments should not prevail.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

As more AI-generated images and sounds fill our screens, our sense of reality is being distorted. In a special three-part series of Tech News Briefing, WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen sits down with researchers, content creators and an AI character to ask how AI is changing our perceptions. This is episode one of TNB's “AI and the Blurring of Reality.” Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Between Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Amazon, who emerged from a big week for tech earnings unscathed? And how did Jersey Mike's stock trade post-IPO? Plus, why did Universal Music Group lose a quarter of its value? Host Shradha Dinesh 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite Donald Trump's endless talking about the vandalism he said was done to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Poll, U.S. attorney and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was forced to drop the Justice Department's case against former Olympian David Hearn and admit that the problem with the pool's liner was the fault of the contactor Donald Trump selected.   The Wall Street Journal reports that after receiving a gift of a massive ring covered in diamonds and other jewels, Donald Trump made an exception from his tariffs for the diamond industry. Rep. Greg Casar discusses how Donld Trump's corruption and self-dealing, especially in contrast with the higher prices Americans are struggling with, has become a key issue for Democrats to campaign on as midterm elections approach. Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket, joins to discuss Donald Trump's efforts to use voter data to undermine the upcoming midterm elections. Donald Trump is so bitter about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz that he rejects the suggestion that his inexplicable war with Iran has led to a hacking attack on the water systems of several U.S. states and instead bizarrely insists that Minnesota somehow hacked its own water system. Rep. Seth Moulton joins to discuss Trump's apparent inability to take U.S. national security seriously. Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa joins to talk about how Democrats are surging in Texas and the stakes of the Texas elections for national politics. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About a month ago, the Antwerp World Diamond Center, which deals with a large percentage of the world's diamonds, made Donald Trump a very special gift purportedly for America's 250th birthday. Then, just last week, the Trump Administration coincidentally exempted natural diamonds from its new sweeping global tariffs. Not a great look. It's no secret that the Trump Administration is steeped in deals aimed at getting the President, his family, and his political organizations paid. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Trump is routinely asking for cash from companies and donors so he can build his ballroom or future design projects. The funnel of money aimed at this White House can be almost overwhelming. So what can we do about it? We spoke to Amanda Carpenter, a writer and editor at Protect Democracy, who has some ideas.And in headlines, July is on track to become the hottest month on record for the entire United States, about 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain's tiny Ceuta territory in just 24 hours, and oil companies are profiting from the Iran war and the rising cost of gas.Show Notes: Check out Amanda's piece – tinyurl.com/3uk54psp Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com

July 31, 2026; 5pm: Nicolle Wallace and friends discuss the Wall Street Journal's stunning new report about the Trump administration's massive level of fundraising and how private companies yield to his requests. Later, Rep. Jamie Raskin joins Nicolle to discuss the staggering amount of corruption from the Trump administration. For more, follow us on Instagram @deadlinewh To listen to this show and other MS NOW podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. For more from Nicolle, follow and download her podcast, “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace,” wherever you get your podcasts.To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tickets for our live show in New York are on sale now! Get yours here.  Sam Kirchner, the founder of an anti-AI protest group, was on a mission to stop AI's development. Then he mysteriously disappeared. WSJ's Zusha Ellinson takes us inside the growing anti-AI movement. As violent threats against AI companies are on the rise, the backlash has tech executives and employees fearing for their lives. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Inside a Debate at OpenAI Over Mass Shootings - The Killing Spree Tied to a Silicon Valley Intellectual Movement - Artificial: The Open AI Story Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices