Author: The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

Over the summer, an outbreak of listeria in Boar’s Head products killed 10 people and sickened dozens more. In the months after the crisis, the family that runs the company has said little. WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer dug through court documents to piece together a decades-long story of a family fighting over ownership of a deli meat empire.

Further Reading:

- Inside the Half-Century Feud Dividing the Boar’s Head Family 

- Boar’s Head Closing Virginia Factory Tied to Deadly Listeria Outbreak 

Further Listening:

- Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food 

- Food Fight: PepsiCo vs. Carrefour 

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

TD Bank’s U.S. entity pleaded guilty and agreed to pay more than $3 billion in penalties, acknowledging it failed to properly monitor money laundering by drug cartels and other criminal groups. WSJ’s Dylan Tokar unpacks the investigation that led to such a historic deal.

Further Listening:

-The Suitcases Full of Cash Flowing Through Airports 

Further Reading:

-TD Bank Agrees to $3 Billion in Penalties and Growth Restrictions in U.S. Settlement 

-TD Pays Hefty Penalties as Prosecutors Detail Nearly a Decade of Lax Controls 

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

Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball explore what we know about both candidates’ approach to foreign policy. Plus, Molly shares what she learned about the future of MAGA from an interview with Donald Trump Jr. and JD Vance.

Further Listening:

- Red, White and Who? Playlist 

- Red, White and Who? Veep Veep! All Eyes on Vance and Walz 

- Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy! 

Further Reading:

- How Donald Trump Jr. Became the Crown Prince of MAGA World 

- JD Vance’s Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing 

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

The U.S. budget deficit topped $1.8 trillion in the last fiscal year. Meanwhile, both candidates for president are proposing plans that would increase the deficit for years to come. WSJ’s Richard Rubin explains how the deficit got so large and why the candidates don’t talk about it. 

Further Listening:

-The Economy: Trump vs. Harris 

-The Clock Is Ticking on the Debt Ceiling 

Further Reading:

-Federal Deficit Hit $1.8 Trillion for 2024, CBO Says 

-Federal Debt Is Soaring. Here’s Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About It. 

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

Elon Musk's financial support for Republican causes has been much more extensive and started earlier than previously known. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli reports on Musk’s rightward political shift and explains how he hid his donations. 

Further Listening:

- Elon Musk and Silicon Valley Turn Towards Trump 

Further Reading:

- Elon Musk Gave Tens of Millions to Republican Causes Far Earlier Than Previously Known 

- Inside Elon Musk’s Hands-On Push to Win 800,000 Voters for Trump 

- How Elon Musk Broke With Biden and the Democrats

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

WSJ reporting has revealed a major cyberattack from a group tied to the Chinese government. Hackers penetrated the networks of several broadband providers and gained access to the U.S. domestic wiretapping system. Dustin Volz unpacks what the attack could mean for national security.

Further Listening:

- ‘Hack Me If You Can’ 

- Hacking the Hackers 

Further Reading:

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

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

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

Asheville, North Carolina, was thriving until floodwaters and heavy wind from Hurricane Helene ripped through the region and destroyed large parts of the city's commercial districts. We talk to two business owners who are trying to figure out what comes next. 

Further Reading:

-The Hurricane That Threatens to Sink Asheville’s Feel-Good Success 

-North Carolina in Crisis Mode as Helene Rescues Continue 

Further Listening:

-Hot, Dry and Booming: A Texas Climate Case Study 

-‘Everything Is Gone’ — One Resident on the Maui Wildfires 

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

Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy announced a deal to restart Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island, the site of the country’s worst nuclear power accident. WSJ’s Jennifer Hiller reports that the goal is to power the tech giant’s growing artificial intelligence ambitions.

Further Listening:

- Artificial: The OpenAI Story 

- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's Big Bet on AI 

Further Reading:

- Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant to Reopen, Help Power Microsoft’s AI Centers 

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

The vice-presidential candidates took center stage at a debate this week. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the important takeaways, and Rachel Humphreys speaks to a listener about why she’s thinking about climate change this election. 

Further Listening:

- Red, White and Who? Playlist 

- Red, White and Who? It's Always the Economy! 

- Red, White and Who? Why Ohio Could Decide the Senate 

Further Reading:

- JD Vance’s Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing 

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

Under CEO John Donahoe, Nike pulled away from retailers and ramped up production of its classic sneaker lines. Now sales have plummeted, the company has lost market share to competitors and Donahoe is stepping down. WSJ's Inti Pacheco discusses what went wrong.

Further Reading:

-Nike CEO John Donahoe Stepping Down After Rocky Tenure 

-How Nike Missed the Boom in Running Culture 

-Nike Reverses Course as Innovation Stalls and Rivals Gain Ground 

Further Listening:

-Nike’s Sneaky Sneaker Thieves 

-How Allbirds Lost Its Footing 

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