Author: The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

Shortly after taking office on Monday, President Trump signed several immigration executive orders. WSJ’s Michelle Hackman reports on the new administration’s plans to curtail legal and illegal immigration and on the new border czar who’s leading the efforts.

Further Listening:

- Trump Declares a ‘Golden Age’ for America 

- Why Biden Is Cracking Down on Asylum at the Border 

Further Reading and Watching:

- Why Trump’s Immigration Plans Will Upend U.S. Agriculture 

- The Trump Border Czar Who Wants to Combine MAGA With Realism 

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President Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first term, but now he’s being hailed as the app’s savior. WSJ’s Georgia Wells explains the saga to make a deal with the Chinese-owned social media app. 

Further Reading:

-TikTok Restoring Service for U.S. Users, After Trump Signals He Will Save It 

-What Happens Now That TikTok’s Gone Dark? 

Further Listening:

-The TikTok Ban Goes to the Supreme Court 

-Readers Can’t Get Enough of BookTok. Publishers Are Cashing In. 

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Today, Donald Trump was sworn in as president for a second time. WSJ’s Natalie Andrews discusses Trump’s inaugural address. And we hear from Trump supporters who gathered in Washington D.C. to celebrate. 

Further Listening:

-The Scramble Is on to Fill Trump’s Cabinet 

-What a Republican Congress Could Mean for Trump

Further Reading:

-President Declares New 'Golden Age' for the U.S. 

-Trump Trashed Washington for Years. Now He’s Vowing to Make Over the City. 

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In a special video edition of The Journal, WSJ's Ryan Knutson sits down with Ben Shapiro of The Ben Shapiro Show and Preet Bharara of Stay Tuned with Preet in the Spotify mobile studio in Washington DC. We discuss how new media has shaped politics and how politics has shaped a new era of media. 

Further Listening: 

• Corporate America’s Embrace of Trump 2.0
• The End of Facebook’s Content Moderation Era

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CEOs of major companies are preparing for a second Trump administration, taking trips to Mar-a-Lago and contributing millions to his inauguration fund. WSJ's Chip Cutter explains corporate America's new strategy for engaging with the incoming U.S. president.

Further Reading:

-The CEOs Who Are Tearing Up the Policies Trump Hates 

-Corporate America Drew Back From DEI. The Upheaval Isn’t Over. 

Further Listening:

-DOGE: The Plan to Downsize the Government 

-How One Business Owner Is Getting Ahead of Trump's Tariffs 

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On Wednesday, mediators announced a deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip, opening up a pathway to end the 15-month war. But Israel has yet to finalize the deal. WSJ’s Anat Peled unpacks what we know about the deal and the sticking points to getting it done. 

Further Listening:

-The Risk of an All-Out War in the Middle East 

-What the Ceasefire in Lebanon Means for the Middle East 

-The Brutal Calculation of Hamas's Leader

Further Reading:

-Israel, Hamas Agree to Deal to Pause Fighting in Gaza 

-Netanyahu Strikes Cautious Tone on Gaza Cease-Fire as He Tries to Hold Government Together
-Israel Delays Cabinet Vote on Cease-Fire Deal, Blames Hamas for Reneging 

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After harrowing probes in the 1990s, Swiss banks thought they’d come to terms with their WWII-era ties to Nazis. But WSJ’s Margot Patrick explains how documents newly unearthed from bank archives include shocking revelations. 

Further Reading:

-Nazi Ties to Credit Suisse Ran Deeper Than Was Known, Hidden Files Reveal 

Further Listening:

-What Just Happened at Credit Suisse? 

-The Financial Legacy of the Nuclear Tests on Bikini Atoll 

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How close is artificial intelligence to building a catastrophic bioweapon or causing other superhuman damage? WSJ's Sam Schechner reports on the team at Anthropic testing for AI dangers. And the team leader, Logan Graham, explains how the tests work. 

Further Listening:

-Artificial: The OpenAI Story 

-The Big Changes Tearing OpenAI Apart 

Further Reading:

-Their Job Is to Push Computers Toward AI Doom 

-AI Startup Anthropic Raising Funds Valuing It at $60 Billion 

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The Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles has been decimated by some of the worst fires in U.S. history. On Friday, WSJ’s Katherine Sayre accompanied two residents who went back to see what is left of their homes.

Further Reading:

-The Palisades Residents Who Took Long Journeys to See What’s Left of Their Lives 

-Their Wealth Is in Their Homes. Their Homes Are Now Ash. 

Further Listening:

-The Race to Save an Iconic Train From Falling Into the Ocean 

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Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments challenging the federal law that requires TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, to either shut down or find a new owner. WSJ’s Jess Bravin breaks down the arguments from each side.

Further Listening:

-How TikTok Became The World’s Favorite App 

-A TikTok Star Wrestles With the App's Possible Ban 

-What's Up With All the TikTok Bans? 

-House Passes Bill to Ban TikTok
 

Further Reading:

-Supreme Court Questions TikTok’s Arguments Against Ban 

-How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It 

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