Author: The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

Election night is here, and the U.S.–and the world–is watching as the votes come in. WSJ's Politics Editor Ben Pershing walks us through what he's keeping a close eye on, and how long it might take before a winner is called.

Further Reading:

-Election Day 2024 Live: It's Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump as America Votes 

-A (Don’t Hold Us to It) Hour-by-Hour Guide to Election Night 

Further Listening: 

-Harris, Trump and the Inflation Election 

-Red, White and Who? An Electoral College Blowout? 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tomorrow is Election Day, and both Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump have campaigned on bringing down inflation. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos breaks down how both candidates’ plans will impact everyday costs.

Further Listening:

-Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About the $1.8 Trillion Deficit 

-Red, White and Who? Playlist 

Further Reading:

-Economists Warn of New Inflation Hazards After Election 

-Inflation Continues Its Bumpy Decline With Mixed September Reading 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, activists and lawmakers have tried to change the way child care works in the U.S. But they haven’t had much success. More recently, a fight has been brewing at the local level. This Tuesday, several places around the country will vote on whether to subsidize childcare. WSJ’s Harriet Torry explains what that could mean for one county in Texas.

Further Reading:

-Are American Taxpayers Ready to Foot the Bill for Child Care? 

-Child Care, Rent, Insurance: Where Inflation Hits Hardest Now 

Further Listening:

-How Employer-Funded Child Care Can Work 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Humphreys and Molly Ball share dispatches from two major campaign events with Ryan Knutson. Molly analyzes the closing arguments and outlines what to expect on election day. Plus, we finally answer listeners’ most asked question: What’s up with the electoral college? 

Further Listening:

- Red, White and Who? Playlist 

- Red, White and Who? The Undecided Voters Who Could Decide The Election 

- Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage 

Further Reading:

- America Is Having a Panic Attack Over the Election 

- Pennsylvania Has Already Become Ground Zero for Election-Fraud Claims 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a rocky start, self-driving car company Waymo seems to have won over riders in San Francisco. WSJ’s Meghan Bobrowsky talks about the company’s push to convince the public its robotaxis are safe and the challenges of replicating that progress elsewhere.

Further Reading:

-How San Francisco Learned to Love Self-Driving Cars 

-America’s Most Tech-Forward City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars 

Further Listening:

-The Future of Self-Driving Cars Is Here 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For four generations, the Merwin family has worked in Boeing’s factories in Washington state. But for the last six weeks, Tony Merwin and his son Patrick have been on strike, along with 33,000 machinists. They explain why they’re demanding higher wages and pension benefits. 

Further Reading:

-For This Boeing Family, the Job Is the Same. The Payoff Isn’t 

-Boeing Strike Extended After Union Machinists Reject Contract 

-Boeing’s CEO Is Shrinking the Jet Maker to Stop Its Crisis From Spiraling 

Further Listening:

-Why 33,000 Boeing Workers Walked Off the Job 

-Boeing's Long Flight Delay – in Space 

-Boeing Agrees to Felony Plea. Now Its Future Is Up in the Air. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the Trump administration, Chris Krebs was the top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security. He spoke with WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler at WSJ Tech Live about the upcoming U.S. election and growing cyber threats from foreign governments.

Further Listening:

-The Chinese Hackers Spying on U.S. Internet Traffic 

-Red, White and Who? Playlist 

Further Reading:

-China-Linked Hackers Breach U.S. Internet Providers in New ‘Salt Typhoon’ Cyberattack 

-U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past two years, tech billionaire Elon Musk has been having regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. WSJ’s Thomas Grove reports on what we know about the nature of their conversations and why that contact raises potential national security concerns for some in the current administration.

Further Reading:

- Elon Musk’s Secret Conversations With Vladimir Putin 

- Musk Says He Thwarted Attack on Russian Fleet in Ukraine’s Crimea 

Further Listening:

- Uncovering Elon Musk's Secret Political Donations 

- The Russian Military is Using Elon Musk’s Starlink 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hans Zimmer, Academy Award-winning composer, and Golnar Khosrowshahi, CEO of Reservoir Media, discuss AI in the music industry, why human creation is still unique and whether or not Zimmer approves of “The Journal” theme music.

Further Listening:

-Artificial: The OpenAI Story

-When AI Comes for Your Art

Further Reading:

-Hans Zimmer, Movie Maestro

-Music Labels Take On AI Startups With New Lawsuits

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five undecided voters in swing states speak to Rachel Humphreys about how they're feeling as election day looms. Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball unpack the stakes. Plus, will betting markets predict the winner?

Further Listening:

- Red, White and Who? Playlist 

- Red, White and Who? The Desperation Stage 

- How Betting on U.S. Politics Is Getting Big 

Further Reading:

- Trump Takes Narrow Lead Over Harris in Closing Weeks of Race 

- Meet the Traders Making Money Off the Trump Shooting and Biden’s Stumbles 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices