Less than six years after a Supreme Court ruling paved the way for legal sports gambling, U.S. sports leagues are facing an onslaught of betting scandals. The latest example is Jontay Porter, a little-known NBA player, who has been given a lifetime ban for betting on games. WSJ?s Jared Diamond unpacks how major leagues are confronting the darker sides of sports betting with alarming frequency. Further Reading: -NBA Player Banned for Life for Betting on Games  -America Made a Huge Bet on Sports Gambling. The Backlash Is Here.  Further Listening: -How a Psychiatrist Lost $400,000 on Gambling Apps  -Disney Gets Into Gambling  ??-FanDuel CEO on Sports Gambling's Big Boom  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of 19 days, U.S. officials raced to contain escalating tensions between Israel and Iran amid a series of attacks. WSJ?s Michael R. Gordon on what was going on behind the scenes as the White House worked to prevent a bigger conflict. Further Reading: -Inside the White House?s Frenetic Scramble to Avert a Full-Blown Middle East War  -How the U.S. Forged a Fragile Middle Eastern Alliance to Repel Iran?s Israel Attack  Further Listening: -A Deadly Strike on Aid Workers in Gaza  -A Deadly Drone Attack and Iran?s ?Axis of Resistance' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump is expected to spend the next six weeks in a Manhattan courtroom, defending himself against accusations he covered up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. WSJ?s Corinne Ramey was in the courtroom for opening statements and WSJ?s Molly Ball unpacks what this trial could mean for Trump?s 2024 presidential campaign.  Further Reading: -Trump?s Hush-Money Trial: What to Know as the Case Begins  -Donald Trump Played Central Role in Hush Payoffs to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal  Further Listening: -Donald Trump Is Charged on 34 Felony Counts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reports of freight fraud are on the rise, vexing trucking companies and regulators. And victims say that they aren?t getting any real help from law enforcement. WSJ?s Inti Pacheco unpacks one form of this fraud, called double brokering, and a trucking executive explains his personal efforts to stop the scammers. Further Reading: - A Brazen Yogurt Heist Shows How Cyber Gangs Are Hijacking U.S. Goods  - Growing Freight Fraud is Peeling Millions From the U.S. Shipping Market  Further Listening: - Nike?s Sneaky Sneaker Thieves  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It?s not just the cost of buying a home that?s going up. It?s also the hidden costs ? like taxes, maintenance and insurance ? that are going through the roof. WSJ?s Nicole Friedman explains why these prices are rising so fast, and what it means for the housing market. Further Listening: -'It's on Fire': Why the Housing Market Is Booming  Further Reading: -The Hidden Costs of Homeownership Are Skyrocketing  -Home Buyers Are Ready to Buy. But Sellers Aren?t Selling.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called into question whether the Fed will be able to lower interest rates this year as hoped. WSJ?s Nick Timiraos on how the Fed?s outlook on the economy has changed.  Further Reading: - Powell Dials Back Expectations on Rate Cuts  - Fed Rate Cuts Are Now a Matter of If, Not Just When  Further Listening: - Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy  - Inflation Is Down. Unemployment Is Low. Is This a Soft Landing?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cities such as San Francisco and Chicago are trying to save their downtown office districts from spiraling into a doom loop. St. Louis is already trapped in one, with abandoned buildings, vacant offices and shuttered shops and restaurants. WSJ?s Konrad Putzier unpacks the lessons from downtown St. Louis?s doom loop. Further Reading: -The Real Estate Nightmare Unfolding in Downtown St. Louis  -Commercial Real-Estate Woes Run Deeper Than in Past Downturns  -Can San Francisco Save Itself From the Doom Loop?  Further Listening: -The Downfall of a Real Estate Empire  -What?s Keeping Zombie Malls Alive?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SpaceX?s satellite-internet devices are ending up in the hands of American adversaries and accused war criminals. WSJ?s Thomas Grove and Micah Maidenberg explain how the technology is being used illegally in multiple conflicts around the world.   Further Listening: - Amazon Takes On SpaceX in Battle for Space Internet  - When Elon Musk Moves In Next Door  Further Reading: - The Black Market That Delivers Elon Musk?s Starlink to U.S. Foes  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Clark has lifted women?s college basketball to new heights, setting records on and off the court. Now the Iowa superstar is going pro and joining the WNBA. WSJ?s Rachel Bachman on what Caitlin Clark?s huge popularity might mean for the sometimes-struggling women?s league.  Further Reading: - Caitlin Clark Drew 18.7 Million Viewers to Women?s Basketball. Will It Last?  - Before Caitlin Clark Dominated Women?s Basketball, She Dominated These Boys  Further Listening: - The TikTok That Changed College Hoops  - The Kiss Rocking Women?s Soccer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Providing child care for employees may not seem like a savvy business choice, but some companies swear by it. WSJ?s Harriet Torry explores the different approaches ? and the benefits ? at businesses both large and small. Further Listening: - The Labor Shortage That's Causing More Labor Shortages  Further Reading: - What One Employer Found When It Started Providing Child Care  - More Companies Start to Offer Daycare at Work  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Arizona Supreme Court revived an abortion ban enacted in 1864, decades before the state's formation. WSJ's Laura Kusisto explains how the 160-year-old law could impact the 2024 election. Further Listening: -The Abortion Pill?s Uncertain Future  -Kansas? Big Abortion Vote  -The Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade  Further Reading: -Arizona Supreme Court Bans Nearly All Abortions, Reviving 160-Year-Old Law  -Why Arizona Will Be Ground Zero for the 2024 Abortion Fight  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration is proposing a sweeping initiative to slash student debt for nearly 30 million borrowers. WSJ?s Andrew Restuccia unpacks the proposal and explains why it marks a major new White House effort to try to appeal to progressives and young voters seven months before the November election.  Further Listening: - Breaking Down Student Debt Relief  - How Biden Plans to Tackle Student Debt  Further Reading: - Biden?s Student-Loan Plan Seeks to Slash Debt for 30 Million Americans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Labels, the centrist group which was trying to field a third-party presidential candidate, is abandoning its efforts to find someone to lead its ?unity ticket.? WSJ?s Ken Thomas explains how the group spent millions of dollars and months of work but ultimately came up short.  Further Reading: - How the No Labels 2024 Presidential Campaign Failed to Launch  Further Listening: - Donald Trump?s Meme Stock Moment  - Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is in China trying to discourage government officials and business leaders from flooding the world with cheap goods. WSJ?s Andrew Duehren is traveling with Yellen, and explores how her thinking on China has changed with shifting global market forces.   Further Listening: - Janet Yellen on Inflation and the U.S. Economy  - How China's BYD Overtook Tesla  Further Reading: - Janet Yellen Missed the First ?China Shock.? Can She Stop the Second?  - China Shock 2.0 Sparks Global Backlash Against Flood of Cheap Goods  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January, a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 MAX plane during an Alaska Airlines flight. Informal communication logs between workers at the Boeing plant where the plane was assembled reveal disarray, repeated production delays and crews who apparently didn?t follow procedures. WSJ's Sharon Terlep reviewed the logs and explains what they reveal. Further Reading: - The Disarray Inside Boeing?s 737 Factory Before the Door Plug Blowout  - Boeing?s Next CEO Will Have ?Massive Job? at Company in Crisis  - Justice Department Opens Probe, Interviews Crew in Alaska Airlines Blowout  Further Listening: - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  - The Pressure Inside Boeing  - How the Grounded Boeing Jet Shook the Airline Industry  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli airstrike. WSJ?s Stephen Kalin takes listeners inside the increasingly challenging process to get aid to civilians in Gaza. Further Listening: - Chef José Andrés: How to Feed People in an Emergency  - The Hospital at the Center of Israel?s War on Hamas  - For Palestinians Trapped in Gaza, There's No Way Out Further Reading: - Israel Confronts Fallout After Strike That Killed Seven Gaza Aid Workers  - Celebrity Chef José Andrés Says Aid Workers Killed in Gaza  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney's business has been struggling in recent years, and there's a fight over how to fix it. On one side is Nelson Peltz, an activist investor, who is campaigning for a seat on Disney's board of directors. On the other side is CEO Bob Iger, who doesn't want Peltz anywhere near his company. WSJ?s Robbie Whelan explains who might win and what it could mean for the iconic brand. Further Reading: -Disney Winning Proxy Fight Against Trian With More Than Half of Votes Cast  -Nelson Peltz Wins Key Endorsement in Disney Battle  -Nelson Peltz Fights Disney?and Turmoil at His Own Fund  Further Listening: -The Troubled Second Act of Disney CEO Bob Iger  -Disney Wars: Attack of the Activist Investor  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael O?Leary has been running Ryanair for the past 30 years ? the longest tenure of any major airline boss. During that time he has turned a paltry operation that flew 200,000 customers a year into a low-cost behemoth, with passenger numbers set to reach close to 200 million this year. WSJ?s Benjamin Katz profiles the colorful CEO, who is now on the verge of earning a more than $100 million bonus.  Further Reading: - The F-Bomb-Dropping Airline CEO About to Earn a $100 Million-Plus Bonus  Further Listening: - How Southwest Airlines Melted Down  - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  - The Love Triangle Over Spirit Airlines  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A gang of young criminals. A more than $30 million ransom. Casinos in disarray. WSJ?s Robert McMillan brings us inside a cyberattack that brought mayhem to the Las Vegas Strip.  Further Reading: - The Audacious MGM Hack That Brought Chaos to Las Vegas  Further Listening: - How North Korea?s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto  - Hacking the Hackers   - Hack Me If You Can  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys attend Sam Bankman-Fried?s sentencing hearing and parse through the reasoning behind Judge Lewis Kaplan?s ruling and what a 25 year sentence could mean for the former CEO of FTX.  Further Listening: - The Trail of Crypto?s Golden Boy  Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence-And Long Odds On Appeal  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not long ago, Donald Trump?s social-media company, Truth Social, seemed like it was on life support. But when the company went public this week, its stock soared. WSJ?s Amrith Ramkumar explains how Truth Social?s valuation shot up despite its weak revenue and user numbers, and what it could mean for Trump?s financial and political future. Further Reading: - Truth Social Stock Price Surges on First Day of Trading, Increasing Trump?s Fortune  - Trump Can Post Smaller $175 Million Bond in Civil Fraud Case  - Dear Donald Trump, Here?s How to Manage Your Stock-Market Fortune  Further Listening: - Trump Needs $450 Million He Doesn?t Have  - Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early Tuesday morning, a 1,000-foot container ship lost power and plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge leaving six people still unaccounted for. The bridge collapsed, cutting off the port and a major traffic artery for Baltimore. WSJ?s Cameron McWhirter discusses the potential impact of the collapse on the local community and the wider region. Further Reading: -Baltimore Bridge Crash Investigators to Examine Whether Dirty Fuel Played Role in Accident  -Bridge Collapse Resets U.S. Supply Chains  -How a Night Shift on Baltimore Bridge Turned Deadly  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys dive into a mountain of court filings to understand the arguments that will be made at Sam Bankman-Fried?s sentencing hearing. His defense team is arguing for a 6-year sentence, but the government thinks Bankman-Fried should serve 40 to 50 years. Which side will win out? Further Listening: - The Trail of Crypto?s Golden Boy  Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence-And Long Odds On Appeal  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bayer is throwing out the corporate playbook to try a radical experiment: getting rid of a huge swath of its bosses. After years of tumbling stock prices, the company has decided to give workers more decision-making power. WSJ's Chip Cutter talks about how this boss-less plan is being implemented among Bayer's 100,000 employees. Further Reading: -One CEO?s Radical Fix for Corporate Troubles: Purge the Bosses  -The Boss Wants to Make You More Efficient  Further Listening: -The New Layoff: On a Wednesday On Zoom  -The End of the GE Era  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We?re back for Sam Bankman-Fried?s sentencing. After the crypto golden boy was found guilty on all counts in November, this week he?ll find out how long he will serve in federal prison. Caitlin Ostroff and Rachel Humphreys get an insight into Bankman-Fried?s life for the past few months, from unappetizing prison food to tutoring inmates. Further Listening: - The Trial of Crypto?s Golden Boy  Further Reading: - Sam Bankman-Fried?s Life Behind Bars: Crypto Tips and Paying With Fish  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Justice announced a landmark lawsuit against Apple, alleging that it has built a monopoly in smartphones by thwarting innovative apps and accessories that would make users less dependent on Apple?s technology. WSJ?s Tim Higgins breaks down the lawsuit and what it could mean for the company and its CEO Tim Cook.  Further Reading: - Ghost of Microsoft Stalks Apple as DOJ Takes Its Shot  - Monopoly Case Pits Justice Department Against Apple?s Antitrust Winning Streak  Further Listening: - One Company?s Quest to Burst Apple?s Blue Bubble Texts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump?s finances are under stress. He faces a $454 million judgment against him in a civil-fraud case. Meanwhile, his campaign fundraising is trailing President Biden?s. WSJ?s Peter Grant unpacks the developments and a potential windfall for Trump. Further Reading: -Trump Is in a Race Against Time to Protect His Fortune  -Trump Makes a New Fortune With Truth Social Listing  Further Listening: -Biden vs. Trump: The Rematch Nobody Wants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Supreme Court is considering whether the Biden administration unlawfully pressured tech companies to suppress social media posts opposed to Covid vaccines. We talk to WSJ?s Jess Bravin about the latest in a series of cases that could set important ground rules for free speech and online content moderation.  Further Reading: - Covid-Era Case on Free Speech to Test Supreme Court  - Supreme Court Voices Skepticism Over Social-Media Censorship Claims Against Government  Further Listening: - Inside One Publisher?s Fight Against Book Bans  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The social-media platform Reddit is making its stock-market debut Thursday and is offering a chunk of shares in its initial public offering to users, who are the lifeblood of its operations. But those same passionate users could cause trouble for the company. WSJ's Corrie Driebusch explains, and a moderator for the popular Reddit forum WallStreetBets weighs in. Further Reading: - Reddit Fueled Meme-Stock Mania. Now Its CEO Is Overseeing His Own Company?s IPO.  - They?re Reddit Die-Hards. Do They Want to Be Shareholders, Too?  - Reddit Eyes Valuation of Up to $6.5 Billion in IPO  Further Listening: - ?To the Moon?  - An Oral History of WallStreetBets  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When David Solomon became CEO of Goldman Sachs just over five years ago, he made promoting women to senior levels of the firm a priority. But female executives are heading for the door?among them, Stephanie Cohen, one of the most senior executives at the company, who announced her departure Monday. WSJ?s AnnaMaria Andriotis unpacks what?s happening at the Wall Street giant. Further Reading: -Women Aren?t Getting the Big Jobs at Goldman Sachs, and They?re Heading for the Exits  -Stephanie Cohen Is Latest Senior Goldman Executive to Depart  -Goldman Sachs to Pay $215 Million to Settle Female Employees? Discrimination Case  Further Listening: -The War Inside Goldman Sachs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Binance employees, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, are being held by Nigerian authorities in a guarded house. According to their families, they haven?t been charged with any crimes. WSJ?s Caitlin Ostroff explains how the two men ended up there and why crypto is being blamed for a country?s currency collapse. Further Listening: - The Fall of (Another) Crypto King  - A Crypto Exchange Crackdown  - The Rise of Binance ? And the Effort to Reel It In  Further Reading: - Crypto Gets Blamed for a Real-Life Currency Crisis  - Binance Employees to Remain in Custody in Nigeria  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 2022, Kavita Fischer downloaded a casino app from DraftKings, one of the top online betting companies in the U.S. Kavita was looking for relief from the stress of a recent divorce and the isolation of working from home during the pandemic. In less than a year, Kavita gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars. We speak to Kavita and to WSJ?s Katherine Sayre about how online betting companies keep customers coming back by giving them bonus credits and VIP treatment.  Further Reading: - A Psychiatrist Tried to Quit Gambling. Betting Apps Kept Her Hooked.  Further Listening: - Disney Gets Into Gambling   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hospitals, pharmacies and medical groups have been reeling in the wake of last month?s ransomware attack on a company widely used for insurance billing and payments. WSJ's James Rundle unpacks how the cyberattack on Change Healthcare has left thousands of providers scrambling to pay their bills and some wondering if they can keep their doors open. Further Reading: - Change Healthcare Rival Onboards Hundreds of Thousands of Customers During Hack Crisis  - U.S. Health Department Intervenes in Change Healthcare Hack Crisis  - UnitedHealth Aims to Restore Change Healthcare Systems Within Two Weeks  Further Listening: - The Ruthless Group Behind Ransomware Attacks on Hospitals  - Ransomware, a Pipeline and a Gas Shortage  - Why Crypto is Key to Stopping Ransomware  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today the House voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. or force a sale. For years politicians have threatened a ban, but this latest attempt finally gained traction. WSJ's Georgia Wells on the long push to ban the Chinese-controlled platform and how the company is fighting back. Further Listening: -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  -Exclusive: TikTok?s CEO on the App?s Future in the U.S.  -What's Up With All the TikTok Bans?  Further Reading: -How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It  -TikTok Crackdown Shifts Into Overdrive, With Sale or Shutdown on Table  -The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Phones in the U.S.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About a year after a major train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, an activist investor is trying to oust Norfolk Southern?s CEO, Alan Shaw. But as WSJ?s Esther Fung explains, the CEO has some unlikely allies in his corner. Further Reading: -Railroad Workers Were Ready to Strike. Now They?re Fighting to Save Their CEO.  Further Listening: -What Caused a Train to Derail in East Palestine, Ohio?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 80% of ship-to-shore cranes at U.S. ports are made by ZPMC, a Chinese state-owned company. In recent years, U.S. officials have grown concerned that these giant cranes could be used for spying on the U.S. China says these concerns are ?paranoia-driven.? WSJ?s Aruna Viswanatha reports on why cranes have become the latest point of contention in U.S.-China relations.  Further Reading: - Pentagon Sees Giant Cargo Cranes as Possible Chinese Spying Tools  - Espionage Probe Finds Communications Device on Chinese Cranes at U.S. Ports  Further Listening: - The Billionaire Keeping TikTok on Your Phone  - How a Balloon Burst U.S.-China Relations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the Dartmouth men?s basketball team voted to unionize, setting up a fight with the school over whether its athletes are students or employees. WSJ?s Laine Higgins talks about how this move upends decades of NCAA precedent and could change college sports forever. Further Listening: - A League of Champions Implodes  - A Tipping Point for Paying College Athletes?  Further Reading: - Dartmouth Basketball Players Vote to Unionize in New Challenge to NCAA?s Amateurism Model  - Dartmouth Men?s Basketball Team Makes Latest Bid for Unionization by College Athletes  - College Sports Powers Stall Bid to Share Revenue With Athletes in California  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman once called Elon Musk, one of his OpenAI co-founders, his hero. Now Musk is suing Altman, accusing him of abandoning OpenAI?s founding mission in pursuit of profit, which OpenAI denies. WSJ?s Berber Jin reports on the highs and lows of a Silicon Valley?s bromance.  Further Reading: - How the Bromance Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman Turned Toxic  - Elon Musk Sues OpenAI, Sam Altman, Saying They Abandoned Founding Mission  Further Listening: - Artificial: The OpenAI Story  - Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla?s Board  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley suspended her bid for the Republican presidential nomination.That sets the stage for another matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November. WSJ?s Eliza Collins looks at the new shape of this old rivalry. Further Reading: - Biden vs. Trump: A Familiar Matchup in an Unprecedented Election   - Nikki Haley Exits Republican Presidential Race  Further Listening: - Does Nikki Haley Have a Chance At Beating Trump?  - A Messy Start to the 2024 Presidential Election  - The Deepfake Election Has Arrived  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2017 Bill Shufelt was desperate. He?d quit his job at a hedge fund to start a business that sounded absolutely nuts: a non-alcoholic beer that people would actually want to drink. WSJ?s Ben Cohen uncovers how Shufelt?s idea has led to one of the fastest-growing movements in the beer industry.   Further Listening: -Canned or Homemade? America?s Biggest Cranberry Company Wins Either Way  Further Reading:  -The Hottest Beer in America Doesn?t Have Alcohol  -Bud Light Missed Out on the Super Bowl Party  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Russian troops invaded his hometown in 2022, Ukrainian teenager Denys Kostev filmed TikTok videos cursing Vladimir Putin and praising Ukrainian courage. But a few months later, Kostev suddenly began appearing in Russian propaganda videos. WSJ?s Matthew Luxmoore spoke to the Ukrainian teenager about how he became part of the Kremlin's propaganda machine.  Further Reading: -A Ukrainian Teen?s Dark Transformation Into Russian Propaganda Star  Further Listening: -The Grim Story of a Russian Prisoner Turned Recruit  -Actors Recorded Videos for ?Vladimir.? It Turned Into Russian Propaganda.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has come under fire in recent years for comments she?s made about gender and sex that some say are transphobic. WSJ?s Erich Schwartzel reports on how Warner Brothers Discovery, the company that owns the rights to Harry Potter, is calling upon the controversial author to make more magic. Further Listening: ? The Media Mogul Taking an Ax to Hollywood  Further Reading: ? Can Warner Bros. Uncancel J.K. Rowling?  ? How the Minions Became Hollywood?s Mightiest Franchise  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block a $25 billion merger between two supermarket giants: Albertsons and Kroger.WSJ?s Patrick Thomas unpacks the deal and what it would mean for the companies, workers and shoppers. Further Reading: -FTC Sues to Block $25 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Merger  -It?s Been 30 Years Since Food Ate Up This Much of Your Income  Further Listening: -Food Fight: PepsiCo vs. Carrefour  -Are Rotisserie Chickens ?Inflation-Proof?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice Media was a digital-media pioneer, built on provocative journalism and the promise of reaching younger audiences, a boon for advertisers. In its heyday, the company was valued at $5.7 billion. But last week, Vice Media said it would stop publishing content on its website and plans to cut hundreds of jobs. WSJ?s Keach Hagey and Alexandra Bruell on the rise and fall of Vice. Further Reading:  - Vice Media to Stop Publishing on Vice.com, Plans to Cut Hundreds of Jobs  - Vice Media to Be Acquired Out of Bankruptcy by Fortress, Soros Fund  - Essence in Talks to Buy Refinery29 From Embattled Publisher Vice Media  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

School districts and state legislatures have been ramping up efforts to ban certain books from school libraries and curricula. Last year, Penguin Random House decided to do something to stop them. We speak to WSJ?s Jeffrey Trachtenberg and to the man leading Penguin Random House's efforts, Skip Dye. Further Reading: - A Publishing Giant?s Risky Fight Against Book Bans  - Penguin Random House, Authors Sue Iowa Officials Over Book Ban  - Scholastic Planned to Segregate Diverse Titles at School Book Fairs. Then Came the Backlash.  Further Listening: - Scholastic?s Succession Drama  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days before the presidential primary in New Hampshire, thousands of people received a call from someone who sounded like President Joe Biden, telling them not to vote. The call was a deepfake, and as WSJ's Bob McMillian reports, the rapid advancement of AI technology will likely have profound implications for elections around the world. Further Reading: - New Era of AI Deepfakes Complicates 2024 Elections  Further Listening: - The Company Behind ChatGPT  - The Hidden Workforce That Helped Filter Violence and Abuse Out of ChatGPT  - OpenAI?s Weekend of Absolute Chaos  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arielle Charnas is a fashion blogger turned influencer with over 1 million Instagram followers. In 2020, she launched her clothing brand Something Navy with about $10 million from investors. She hoped to turn it into a $100 million venture. That?s not what happened. WSJ?s Chavie Lieber and Sara O?Brien report on a cautionary tale for influencer brands.  Further Reading: - Investors Poured Millions Into Her Fashion Brand. Then It All Fell Apart.  - Her Brand Had $100 Million Ambitions. Now It?s Being Sold in a Fire Sale.  Further Listening: - Shein Took Over Fast Fashion. Then Came the Backlash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capital One announced plans to buy Discover Financial Services in a $35 billion deal that marries two of the largest credit-card companies in the U.S. and has the potential to shake up the credit card industry in a major way. WSJ?s AnnaMaria Andriotis explores what makes this deal such a game changer. Further Reading: - Capital One Is Buying Discover Financial for $35 Billion  Further Listening: - Inside the Capital One Hack  - The Fight Over Your Credit Card Swipe  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The animal tranquilizer xylazine, also known as ?tranq,? is finding its way into opioid supplies and wreaking havoc all over the country. It?s rotting people?s flesh, leading to amputations and complicating drug treatment. WSJ?s Julie Wernau takes us to Robeson County, N.C., the new ?ground zero? for xylazine addiction. Further Reading: - Flesh-Rotting ?Tranq? Undermines Fight Against Fentanyl  - Recovering From Drug Addiction Was Hard. Tranq Made It Worse.  - Nurses Make House Calls to Treat ?Tranq? Wounds for Users at Society?s Edge  Further Listening: - Why Some Opioid Victims Are Challenging Purdue?s Settlement  - How a Drug Maker Plans to Cut Off Money for Opioid Victims   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meilin Keen was diagnosed with stomach cancer at 26. She?s part of a growing demographic of people who are getting cancer diagnoses before the age of 50. And doctors don?t know why. WSJ?s Brianna Abbott explains what we know so far. Further Reading: -Cancer Is Striking More Young People, and Doctors Are Alarmed and Baffled.  -Many Cancers Are on the Rise in the U.S., Even as Overall Deaths Fall.  -Uterine Cancer Was Easy to Treat. Now It?s Killing More Women Than Ever.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices