The Journal.

At the height of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for re-election in 2024, Trump gathered with his sons and longtime friend Steve Witkoff to launch a new money machine: a crypto company called World Liberty Financial. Since its launch less than two years ago, the company has earned the Trump family at least $1.2 billion dollars. It turns out much of that has come from secret business dealings with foreign-owned companies. 

In the first of two episodes diving into World Liberty Financial, WSJ’s Angus Berwick explains how a billionaire felon boosted Trump’s crypto company en route to a presidential pardon. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza.

Further Listening:

- Big Banks vs. Big Crypto

- Severed Fingers and Wrench Attacks: A New Era in Crypto Crime

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After 15 years as the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook announced this week that he will be stepping down. During his tenure, Cook quadrupled Apple’s revenue and transformed the company’s supply chain, building a complex global network that churns out hundreds of millions of devices each year. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler reports on Cook’s legacy, and the new guy that’s set to replace him. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- China and the U.S. Are in a Race for AI Supremacy

- The Company Taking on Apple’s Watch Technology

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Get your tickets to our L.A. live show here!In the first Trump administration, the U.S. launched a “maximum pressure” campaign to cut Iranian oil from the global market and eliminate Tehran’s biggest source of revenue. Today, Iran sells billions of dollars’ worth of oil every month via a shadow fleet of ships that have been passing through the Strait of Hormuz. WSJ’s Rory Jones takes us inside Iran’s underground network for shipping, processing and selling oil in China. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- How Iran's Regime Changed... for the Worse

- The Strait of Hormuz Showdown

- In Iran, an Uneasy Calm Amid a Cease-Fire

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AI models like Anthropic's Mythos are finding software bugs at an unprecedented rate, kicking off a cybersecurity scramble to prevent what experts are calling “bugmageddon.” Thanks to these new models, hackers will be able to exploit those bugs more quickly than ever before. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains why major corporations and the White House are scrambling to patch their systems. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - The Battle Over AI in Warfare - AI Is Coming for Entry-Level JobsSign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.
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Get your tickets to our L.A. live show here!At the outset of the U.S.-Iran War, the U.S. and Israel assassinated key figures in the Iranian regime, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But the killings of high-ranking officials have failed to spark the popular uprising President Trump initially called for. WSJ’s Margherita Stancati explores the current regime and reports that Iran’s theocratic dictatorship not only remains in control, but is more conservative, more radical, and more entrenched than ever before. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- The Strait of Hormuz Showdown

- The Energy Shock Is Here

- In Iran, an Uneasy Calm Amid a Cease-Fire

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