Episode notes
Yields on U.S. Treasuries continued to rise this week, climbing near a 20-year high. There are many reasons why this is happening but the main driver of this run-up is inflation. As the cost of government borrowing keeps creeping up, it will trickle down to everyday Americans, impacting all kinds of consumer debt. WSJ's Jack Pitcher breaks down what's behind the bond market volatility. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Let’s Talk Bonds. Treasury Bonds. - The Economy Is Booming. Why Does It Feel Like a Bust? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad…
Podcast
The Journal.
The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios · News · English
The most important stories about money, business and power. Hosted by Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza. The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal. Get show merch here:
More from The Journal. All episodes →
-
11 Sep 2026 · 20 min
The MAHA Shake-Up at Steak ‘n Shake
Patriot Shakes. Huge American flags. Beef Tallow. Steak ‘n Shake, the classic fast food chain, is in the middle of an audacious turnaround strategy: a full embrace of the Make America Healthy Again movement. WSJ’s Heather Haddon spoke with the chain’s new “chief MAHA officer” and explains what’s behind the rebrand. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Breakfast Battle: The Cereal Industry vs MAHA - The Corporate Grudge Fueling Cracker Barrel’s Logo Fiasco Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
10 Sep 2026 · 19 min
What Happened to the Affordable Car?
New cars have gotten really expensive, with average prices hovering around $50,000. It's put potential buyers in a tough spot and instead, many drivers are keeping their cars for longer. WSJ’s Sharon Terlep explains the market and economic forces that squeezed out buyers on a budget and how the auto industry is adapting. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Confused About Automated Driving Features? You’re Not Alone. - Can the U.S. Keep Chinese Cars Out? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
9 Sep 2026 · 29 min
A Data Center Offered $26 Million for Her Land. She Said No.
Delsia Bare and her mother, Ida Huddleston, rejected $26 million dollars for their Kentucky farmland from the builder of an AI data center. Their stance has made them folk heroes across the country but has also divided their town. WSJ’s Erich Schwartzel spent a few days with the mother and daughter to better understand their resistance. Further Listening: - The Vanishing of an Anti-AI Activist - A Data Center Revolt in Missouri Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
8 Sep 2026 · 21 min
AI Companies Are Buying and Destroying Used Books
Something strange has been happening in the world of used books. Sales are up, but booksellers were initially confused about who was behind the purchases. We talked to one bookseller who decided to solve this mystery herself. WSJ’s Melissa Korn explains why at least some of the books are being bought, and then destroyed, by AI companies. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - AI Loves Reddit, but Redditors Aren’t So Sure - Readers Can’t Get Enough of BookTok. Publishers Are Cashing In. Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
-
6 Sep 2026 · 19 min
My Monday Morning: Lee Pace
Actor Lee Pace has made a name for himself playing bad guys and mythical beings, like a vampire in “Twilight” to an elvenking in “The Hobbit.” He’s starring in the new “Practical Magic 2” alongside Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock. In My Monday Morning, a new Journal video series inspired by the longstanding column of the same name, Lane Florsheim sits down with Lee to talk about his intense coffee habit, his belief in witches and his farm upstate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
3 Sep 2026 · 18 min
The Cardboard Box Economy Is Breaking Down
America is using less cardboard, which is bad news for the farmers who grow the pulpwood trees that get turned into paper products. WSJ’s Ryan Dezember explains how the cheapest, smallest trees in the forest hold up a much larger timber industry. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Bean at the Center of the Trade War - Is Jane Goodall Fighting a Losing Battle? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
2 Sep 2026 · 18 min
How Big Food Is Navigating the GLP-1 Era
For decades, food companies have relied on a proven playbook: cater to shoppers with sugar, salt and flavor. This approach has been so successful that some critics have accused the food industry of fueling an obesity epidemic. But with weight-loss drugs and health-conscious shopping on the rise, food companies have a whole new challenge. WSJ’s Amira McKee explores the new ways food makers are meeting the moment. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Trillion Dollar Shot - Weight-Loss Drugs Are Gobbling Up Small Town Budgets Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more…
-
1 Sep 2026 · 22 min
Inside the U.S. Deal to Get Venezuela’s Oil
President Trump called it “the biggest oil deal in world history.” After months of secretive negotiations there was a surprise announcement that the U.S. government was getting a direct stake in a private oil company in Venezuela. WSJ’s Vera Bergengruen reports on how the deal came together and the challenges facing what’s being billed as a big foreign policy win. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Oil Companies Aren't Sold on Venezuela - Was Maduro’s Capture About Oil? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
31 Aug 2026 · 21 min
AI Loves Reddit, but Redditors Aren't So Sure
Recently, Reddit has attracted a lot of attention from brands hoping to use the platform to influence chatbot results. That’s because Reddit, after big deals with AI companies, is often the most-cited website in AI answers. But as the WSJ Leadership Institute’s Katie Deighton reports, moderators on Reddit are pushing back against marketers’ growing interest in the website. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - Can Reddit’s IPO Survive Its Own Users?- ‘To the Moon’ - An Oral History of WallStreetBets Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.\ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
-
30 Aug 2026 · 21 min
My Monday Morning: Suze Orman
Suze Orman is one of the most famous financial advisors in America and she wakes up at 5 a.m. every single day. In the first episode of My Monday Morning, a new Journal video series inspired by the longstanding column of the same name, Lane Florsheim sits down with Suze to talk about the right age to retire, why eating out is still one of the biggest wastes of money, and why she doesn't trust AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
