The Journal.
Hosted by Jessica Mendoza & Ryan Peterson · 52 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
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
Episodes 52
- Aug 26, 2026 · 24 minCanada turns tariff pressure into political leverageThe standoff tests whether Canada can resist U.S. demands without allowing a limited tariff dispute to become a wider trade war.
- Aug 25, 2026 · 20 minSanctions test whether economic pressure can end Iran’s warThe episode weighs whether sanctions can force Iran back to negotiations without provoking retaliation that widens the conflict.
- Aug 24, 2026 · 18 minBlue Apron’s fulfillment gamble leaves customers with spoiled mealsThe breakdown shows how a fragile outsourced supply chain can turn meal-kit convenience into customer losses and threaten the category’s already difficult economics.
- Aug 21, 2026 · 20 minTreasury turmoil exposes the cost of unpredictable interventionTreasury yields shape borrowing costs across the economy, making market confidence and the government’s financing choices consequential far beyond Wall Street.
- Aug 20, 2026 · 20 minLicense-plate cameras turn local security into a national privacy fightFlock’s searchable vehicle histories can help solve serious crimes while exposing innocent people to mistakes, misuse, and potentially unconstitutional monitoring.
- Aug 19, 2026 · 24 minStubHub’s growth exposes cracks in ticket buyer protectionThe episode shows how failed ticket transfers, overwhelmed support, and hard-to-use arbitration can turn a marketplace’s promise of protection into a fight for basic redress.
- Aug 18, 2026 · 18 minCostco turns good hourly jobs into a business advantageThe episode examines whether generous pay and benefits can make frontline work financially secure while strengthening a retailer’s long-term performance.
- Aug 17, 2026 · 17 minKratom’s promise collides with addiction and overdose risksKratom is filling gaps left by opioid treatment and pain care while regulators confront limited evidence, concentrated products, and mounting reports of harm.
- Aug 14, 2026 · 28 minWhatnot turns card collecting into a high-speed spending spiralSean Harding’s collapse shows how live-commerce design can blur the line between entertainment, shopping and gambling before safeguards catch up.
- Aug 13, 2026 · 23 minPrivate-market funds obscure the fate of ordinary investors’ sharesThe episode shows how indirect access to private companies can leave investors exposed to opaque intermediaries, unclear disclosures, and limited regulatory safeguards.
- Aug 12, 2026 · 26 minFrench police test DNA privacy to solve a cold caseThe investigation exposed a conflict between victims’ demand for answers and Europe’s strict limits on genetic genealogy.
- Aug 11, 2026 · 22 minKushner’s Albania resorts collide with land disputes and protestsThe projects test Albania’s property system, environmental safeguards, political stability and European Union ambitions while developers press ahead.