The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios
432 episodes listed below
WSJ reporters unpack the Epstein files, surrogacy industry abuses, and true-crime court battles.
The Journal. follows money, politics, companies, and technology where decisions have real-world consequences. Recent episodes move from Ford’s mechanic shortage and Burger King’s turnaround to Iran cease-fires, IRS enforcement, inflation, and OpenAI’s Sora.
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The Journal is hosted by Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza, who typically interview a Wall Street Journal reporter about the investigation behind that day's episode. Alongside these daily interview episodes, the show runs serialized narrative series — such as 'Fertility Inc.' and 'Camp Swamp Road' — that unfold across multiple installments using tape-driven storytelling rather than studio dialogue. Recurring guests are WSJ staff reporters: examples include Emily Glazer and Khadijah Safdar on the Epstein court files, Catherine Long on the surrogacy industry, and Michelle Hackman on immigration enforcement. Subject matter centers on financial wrongdoing (insider trading tied to Jeffrey Epstein's network of billionaires, bankers, and officials), regulatory gaps (the largely unregulated U.S. surrogacy industry), the legal system (a stand-your-ground immunity hearing in South Carolina), and government policy (ICE enforcement operations and their political fallout). Episodes run roughly 25 to 55 minutes, with single-topic news episodes on the shorter end and narrative-series installments running longer. The tone is investigative and measured, grounded in documents, court records, and named sources rather than commentary or debate. Hosts primarily organize and elicit reporting rather than argue positions. Narrative series are released under a distinct sub-title across several episodes (e.g., 'Camp Swamp Road Ep. 6'), while daily news episodes stand alone. Listeners who already follow WSJ's print and digital reporting will recognize many of the same stories developed in audio form here.
Made for: Listeners who follow business, financial, and political news and want long-form, document-driven explanations of the reporting behind WSJ headlines.
What sets it apart: It draws directly on The Wall Street Journal's original investigative reporting and alternates daily interview episodes with serialized, tape-driven narrative series like Camp Swamp Road.
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: https://wsjshop.com/collections/clothing
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
The Journal. makes power legible by tracing financial relationships, institutional decisions and contested claims back to people, records and consequences.
The Journal. turns large questions about wealth, corporate power and government policy into reported narratives built around people, documents and pointed interviews.
Courtroom testimony, surrogacy contracts, and Epstein files meet reporters who have actually read the paperwork.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sharp DHS funding story hiding inside the TSA line.
Airport security lines become a funding story with real operational consequences. The Journal follows the backup from Atlanta and Houston into Washington, where TSA agents have gone more than a month without pay during a DHS funding standoff.
A sharp account of how war with Iran turns military pressure into oil-market strain and hard choices for Washington.
The Journal turns a war story into an energy and policy story, following how a U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran feeds through the Strait of Hormuz, oil supply, and Washington's narrowing choices.
A sharp look at Cuba's blackout crisis as energy scarcity turns into economic paralysis and rare public protest.
The episode turns Cuba's blackout into a tight study of economic failure under stress. With oil imports cut off for three months, already brittle infrastructure has buckled: buses have stopped, work weeks have been reduced, universities have closed, hospitals have canceled…
A sharp look at how narrow betting markets can turn college players into targets and erode trust in sport.
College basketball turns into a market-integrity story as The Journal follows an alleged effort to rig a Robert Morris first-half spread by getting players to underperform just long enough for bettors to cash in.
A crisp look at why the Ticketmaster breakup fight got messier after the Justice Department settled.
The Journal makes the Live Nation-Ticketmaster case less about courtroom drama than about incentives. The surprise is the Justice Department settling after what Dave Michaels describes as a strong first week at trial: new limits on exclusivity, fees, and venue access, but no…
A clear look at how a blocked oil corridor can become a global market problem fast.
The Journal treats the Strait of Hormuz crisis as an energy-market problem with a very small map and very large consequences. Jared Malson keeps the stakes concrete: a route that normally handles about one fifth of the world's oil is now tied to crude above $100 a barrel, rising…
A sharp look at why missile defense has become a manufacturing race the U.S. cannot quickly buy its way out of.
The Global Scramble for Patriot Missiles turns air defense into an industrial capacity story. The Journal tracks how the U.S. and its allies are burning through interceptor missiles as Iranian barrages strain stockpiles, while Ukraine's need for Patriot systems was already acute…
A sharp business-of-defense story about AI contracts, procurement pressure, and the cost of values clauses in wartime.
The Battle Over AI in Warfare treats a military AI fight as a business story with real procurement risk. The episode follows Anthropic as its technology remains tied into Pentagon work while the Trump administration moves to cancel contracts and label the company a security…
Sam Harris interviews scientists and journalists on AI risk, religion, and US politics.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway argue through tech, media, and Trump-era politics twice weekly.
Dan Carlin's solo essays connecting executive power, historical collapse, and American democracy.
Sharp political debate with policy detail and real disagreement.
Demetri Kofinas interviews specialists on geopolitics, energy markets, AI, and finance at length.
Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor track the US-Iran war and Trump's foreign policy moves.
This episode investigates Rev, a company that bought bankrupt mall brands like Radio Shack and Pier One with promises to turn them into digital successes, led by influencer Ty Lopez.
This episode explores the shortage of automotive mechanics despite high-paying opportunities, examining industry challenges and societal perceptions.
This episode discusses the sudden energy shock and inflation spike in the U.S.
This episode discusses how the shrinking of the IRS under the Trump administration has led to reduced tax enforcement and increased perceptions that tax cheating might be easier to get away with.
This episode analyzes the U.S.
This episode features an interview with Tom Curtis, president of Burger King US and Canada, discussing the brand's challenges, efforts to improve restaurants, and competition in the fast-food industry.
This episode explores the tense atmosphere in Iran as people brace for a potential U.S.
The episode covers the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the U.S.
This episode explores OpenAI's Sora, an AI model that generates high-quality video from text, and its implications for content creation.
The episode examines the booming hemp-derived THC drink industry, its regulatory challenges, and potential impact on the beverage market.
This episode examines Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation after his 2008 conviction, focusing on his coercion of adult women and the release of related documents.
The episode discusses the Supreme Court's ruling on Trump's tariffs and the complex process of refunding billions to companies.
This episode investigates Silicon Valley's push to genetically engineer babies, focusing on a secret dinner hosted by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and the emergence of companies like Preventive.
Wall Street Journal reporter Emily Glazer found, within recently released Epstein court files, that Jeffrey Epstein received confidential investment tips from Boris Nikolic (a senior Bill Gates advisor), Leon Black's family office CFO, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and JPMorgan executive Jess Staley, often trading on that information shortly after.
This episode investigates how ICE agents ended up staffing U.S.
This episode analyzes the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S., focusing on Iran's strategic control of the Strait of Hormuz as an economic weapon.
Wall Street Journal reporter Hannah Critchfield describes an investigation in which her team analysed over 200 videos and more than 100,000 social media posts tied to the Trump administration's claims of a 300-500% increase in assaults on federal immigration officers.
The Wall Street Journal's The Journal investigates the intersection of the American surrogacy industry and a subset of extremely wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs who are using it to have dozens or even over a hundred children simultaneously.
This episode investigates Cuba's escalating crisis, driven by a U.S.-led oil blockade that has paralyzed the economy, leading to blackouts, food shortages, and rare protests.
This episode investigates a college basketball point-shaving scandal where gamblers rigged games at small schools like Robert Morris, exploiting legal betting apps and vulnerable athletes.
Ryan Knutson reports on the escalating regulatory fight between major U.S.
This episode covers the surprise settlement in the Justice Department's antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which left many state attorneys general blindsided.
The second episode of The Journal's Fertility Inc.
Wall Street Journal correspondent Jared Malsin joins host Jessica Mendoza to explain why Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly one fifth of the world's oil typically passes, in response to an ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
This episode investigates the global shortage of Patriot missile interceptors, driven by high demand from conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
This episode investigates the unprecedented conflict between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic over ethical limits on using artificial intelligence in warfare.
This episode investigates Kristi Noem's tumultuous tenure as DHS secretary, focusing on her $200 million ad campaign, showboating leadership style, and ethical controversies with advisor Corey Lewandowski.
Over 10,000 times a year in America, someone agrees to carry a child for someone else.
This episode explores the intense bidding war between Paramount and Netflix to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery, detailing Paramount's persistent offers, political lobbying, and the strategic value of Warner's content library.
This episode examines how the Iran conflict is disrupting global oil supplies through attacks on the Strait of Hormuz and Middle Eastern energy facilities, leading to price spikes and economic risks.
This episode investigates the Trump administration's shifting justifications for the war with Iran, analyzing claims about imminent threats from nuclear weapons, missiles, and attacks.
This episode analyzes the immediate aftermath of U.S.-Israel military strikes on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and triggered Iranian retaliation across the Gulf.
Jennifer Spivey Foley weeps.
This special episode analyzes the overnight U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, featuring interviews with Wall Street Journal reporters Alex Ward and Jared Malson.
This episode investigates a viral AI doomsday report from Citrini Research that predicted massive unemployment and economic collapse, triggering a stock market sell-off.
Newell Brands CEO Chris Peterson discusses how the company navigates tariff uncertainty, having paid $170 million last year, and its strategy to reshore manufacturing to the US, exemplified by the successful Sharpie brand transformation in Tennessee.
The Journal's Jose de Cordoba reports on the killing of El Mencho — Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which Mexican and US authorities called the world's top cocaine trafficker.
This episode investigates how Fuyao, a Chinese glass manufacturer, set up a factory in Ohio and outcompeted the local U.S.
This episode investigates the escalating conflict between AI company Anthropic and the Pentagon over the military use of its technology.
The Supreme Court rules that most of President Trump's tariffs are illegal, citing overreach of emergency powers, forcing a recalibration of his economic and foreign policy.
This episode covers Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in a landmark trial where Meta is sued over social media's addictive design and harm to teenagers.
This episode investigates the FDA's back-and-forth on Moderna's mRNA flu shot, revealing internal conflicts led by regulator Vinay Prasad and political influences.
This episode investigates the rise of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, where users can bet on events from sports to geopolitics.
This episode follows Boythrob, a viral boy band with three members in the U.S.
Jeffrey Epstein left questions behind.
This episode investigates a proposed one-time 5% tax on California billionaires' assets to fund Medicaid, sparked by a healthcare union.
This episode features an interview with Doug McMillan, Walmart's former CEO, discussing his 35-year career and how he led the company's turnaround.
This episode investigates Maltbook, a social media platform where AI agents post and interact, leading to discussions on topics like a bill of rights and a digital religion.
This episode examines Elon Musk's merger of SpaceX and XAI into a $1.25 trillion company, focusing on his vision for orbital AI data centers to enable multi-planetary expansion.
February 5th gives the frame.
Wall Street Journal reporters Joanna Stern and Ben Cohen explore Claude Code, an AI tool that allows anyone to create software through 'vibe coding'.
This episode explores the recent weakening of the U.S.
This episode explores how Kraft lost its dominant position in the mac and cheese market after decades of control.
This episode analyzes the appointment of Kevin Walsh as the new Federal Reserve chair, exploring his background as a Fed insider turned critic, his shift to supporting Trump's policies, and the political and economic implications.
This episode investigates Howard Rubin, a former Wall Street star trader who made millions in the 1980s and 1990s but was later accused of running a sex trafficking ring from a penthouse sex dungeon in Manhattan.
This episode explores Disney's $60 billion investment in its theme parks division, which has become the company's primary profit driver.
This episode investigates a lawsuit against XAI over its AI chatbot Grok, which allegedly generated non-consensual sexually explicit images of women, including conservative influencer Ashley St.
Ten shots, five seconds.
This episode investigates how ADHD diagnoses in children can lead to a cascade of psychiatric medications, featuring personal stories from Danielle and her mother Nancy, along with data from a Wall Street Journal analysis.
This episode profiles Gwen Shotwell, the long-time president of SpaceX, exploring her crucial role in the company's success from its early days to its current consideration of a public offering.
This episode investigates how AI data centers are overwhelming the U.S.
Jason Zweig discusses the principles of intelligent investing and offers guidance for navigating the stock market in 2026.
WSJ economics reporters discuss the state of the US economy, describing it as uncertain and asymmetrical, with varying impacts on different age and income groups.
This episode explores the history, science, and modern resurgence of cloud seeding as a potential solution to drought in the western United States.
A reporter attends a Robinhood conference in Las Vegas where CEO Vlad Tenev compares trading to driving a race car, emphasizing the importance of the platform.
This episode explores the competitive dynamics between real estate platforms like Zillow and Compass, focusing on how Compass is challenging traditional home-selling strategies by promoting private listings and limiting public information.
This episode explores how Coca-Cola and the advertising industry are shifting from traditional creative methods to embracing artificial intelligence.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declares a code red after Google's Gemini app threatens ChatGPT's dominance, prompting a shift in strategy.
The episode discusses NVIDIA's dominance in the AI chip market and AMD's attempt to challenge that dominance under CEO Lisa Su.
An investigation into how businessmen, including Jared Kushner, drafted a peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war while also negotiating sanctions relief.
Investigative reporters explore the growing trend of young people sharing positive experiences with antidepressants on TikTok.
The episode examines the business model of Quince, a company that sells affordable luxury essentials by mimicking high-end brands.
Investigating the alleged theft of a $15 billion fortune from Hermès heir Nicolas Poitier by his financial advisor.
A journalist investigates how a fifth-generation Hermès heir claims to have lost a $15 billion fortune.
This episode explores the phenomenon of Pokemon trading cards becoming a lucrative alternative investment, outperforming traditional assets like stocks and crypto.
An analysis of the booming fast food chicken industry and KFC's struggle to maintain its market dominance against newer competitors.
A reporter rides along with a repo man to observe the process of repossessing cars from owners who can't make payments.
This episode analyzes the Supreme Court arguments in a case challenging President Trump's authority to impose sweeping global tariffs.
This episode features an interview with Michael Kratios, head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, discussing the U.S.-China AI competition and government strategies to maintain technological leadership.