Author: The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

Tonight, two presidents, one current and one former, are set to debate live on CNN. The stakes are high for the candidates and for the network that’s been struggling to win viewers. WSJ’s Isabella Simonetti reports on how CNN is remaking the debate, and Annie Linskey analyzes what the format change could mean for the candidates.

Further Reading:

- Presidential Debate Carries Great Opportunity—and Risk—for CNN 

- Biden-Trump Debate Takes Shape 

- We Rewatched the 2020 Trump-Biden Debates. Here’s What We Learned. 

Further Listening:

- The Downfall of CNN’s CEO 

- Behind Closed Doors, Biden’s Age is Showing 

- The Origin Story of Trump’s Guilty Verdict 

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Ukraine has sunk or damaged about two dozen Russian ships using a technical innovation: naval drones. WSJ’s James Marson unspools the story of the drones’ development and explores how they’re turning the tide in a key area of the war.

Further Reading:

- How Ukraine’s Naval Drones Turned the Tide in the Battle of the Black Sea 

Further Listening:

- Ukraine Makes a Deal with Wall Street 

- Ukraine's $30 Billion Problem 

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Rent has long been an expense people wanted to pay on credit cards. In 2022, Wells Fargo launched a credit card with Bilt Technologies that allowed users to pay for rent, avoid processing fees and earn points. But the partnership is costing Wells Fargo millions. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis reports.

Further Listening:

-The Fight Over Your Credit Card Swipe 

-The Deal That Could Change Credit Cards 

Further Reading:

-Wells Fargo Bet on a Flashy Rent Credit Card. It Is Costing the Bank Dearly. 

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An activist investor says Southwest Airlines is stuck in the past. Elliott Investment Management says it has amassed a $1.9 billion stake, making it one of Southwest’s biggest shareholders and one of its most vocal critics. WSJ’s Alison Sider explains what Elliott wants, and why critics say some of the things that made Southwest great are now holding it back. 

Further Reading:

- Southwest Changed Flying. Now It Can’t Change Fast Enough 

- Meet the Southwest Superfans Who Don’t Want the Airline to Change 

Further Listening:

- Ryanair: Cheap, Cramped and Making Its CEO a Fortune 

- The Love Triangle Over Spirit Airlines 

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For about a decade, Zyn, a brand of nicotine pouch, was a niche product used by former smokers. But now it’s exploded in popularity and is hard to find on store shelves. WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney explains how Zyn achieved social media virality and has found itself in the middle of a culture war.

Further Reading:

- Zyn Nicotine Pouches Take Off—and Land in the Culture Wars 

- Why America Is Running Low on Zyn Nicotine Pouches 

Further Listening:

- The Juul Paradox 

- The ‘Existential Threat’ Facing Big Tobacco 

- How Puff Bar Became the Most Popular Vape for Kids 

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a day job and a side gig. Only one of them makes him rich. WSJ's Berber Jin explains how Altman makes most of his wealth through investing in tech startups and how some of those startups' business relationships with OpenAI raise questions about conflicts of interest.

Further Reading:

- The Opaque Investment Empire Making OpenAI’s Sam Altman Rich 

Further Listening: 

- Artificial: The OpenAI Story 

- Tesla's Multibillion-Dollar Pay Package for Elon Musk 

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Gum arabic is a widely used but little-known ingredient found in products like soda, gum, makeup and beer. But as WSJ’s Nicholas Bariyo and Alexandra Wexler report, the product has been used for a darker purpose: helping to fund the civil war in Sudan.

Further Reading:

-How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan 

-What Is Happening in Sudan? The Fighting Explained 

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Yahya Sinwar is the Hamas leader inside Gaza who allegedly plotted the October 7th attacks. According to private messages reviewed by the WSJ, Sinwar believes that a rising Palestinian death toll—and the international condemnation it brings—is in the best interest of his cause. WSJ’s Rory Jones walks us through Sinwar’s strategy.

Further Reading:

- Gaza Chief’s Brutal Calculation: Civilian Bloodshed Will Help Hamas 

- The Hamas Leader Who Studied Israel’s Psyche—and Is Betting His Life on What He Learned 

Further Listening: 

- Why Israel and Hamas Could Be Headed Into a Forever War 

- Inside the White House's Scramble to Avert a Bigger Middle East War 

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Tesla shareholders voted to reapprove Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package, signaling support for the EV maker’s CEO and giving the board ammunition in its fight to preserve the court-rejected compensation plan. WSJ’s David Benoit explores the fight to get Musk billions and why the Tesla board is so invested in making the huge pay package happen.

Further Listening: 

- Elon Musk’s Unusual Relationships With Women at SpaceX 

- Why is Tesla Pulling Back on EV Charging? 

- Money, Drugs, Elon Musk and Tesla’s Board 

Further Reading: 

- Tesla Shareholders Vote to Uphold Elon Musk’s $48 Billion Pay Package 

- Elon Musk’s $55.8 Billion Tesla Pay Package Struck Down by Judge 

- Tesla Hits the Road to Persuade Shareholders to Pay Elon Musk $46 Billion 

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Joshua Wright was a star in the world of antitrust, from his time at the Federal Trade Commission to his work with some of the biggest tech companies. He was well respected and powerful until accusations of sexual misconduct came to light. WSJ’s Brody Mullins talks us through his reporting on Wright’s downfall.

Further Reading:

- The Hidden Life of Google’s Secret Weapon 

- For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire? 

- Hubris, Revenge and a Breakup Brought Down Big Tech’s Proudest Ally 

Further Listening:

- Elon Musk’s Unusual Relationships With Women at SpaceX 

- Lewd Photos, Booze and Bullying: Inside the FDIC’s Toxic Culture 

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