Author: The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

It was supposed to be the highlight of New York’s spring auction week: Sculptor Alberto Giacometti’s masterpiece “Large Thin Head” was this year’s most hotly anticipated piece up for sale. But when the bidding opened, collectors went silent. WSJ’s Kelly Crow explains what this unexpected auction week bust reveals about today’s art market. Annie Minoff hosts. 

Further Listening:

- The $6 Million Banana's Appeal 

- Is This Painting a Masterpiece? AI Is On the Case 

- The Basquiat Sisters on Managing One of Art's Hottest Brands 

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A global team of betting whizzes hatched a scheme to take down the Texas Lottery. The plan was led by a London banker-turned-bookmaker and a mysterious professional gambler nicknamed ‘The Joker.’ The duo partnered with a Texas company and local retailers to print more than 99% of all the lottery tickets sold. And the jackpot was worth almost $100 million. The WSJ’s Brad Reagan explains how they pulled off the heist. Jessica Mendoza hosts. 

Further Listening:

- How an Antiques Dealer Uncovered a Massive Museum Heist 

- Inside an iPhone Heist 

- How Investigators Cracked a $3.4 Billion Crypto Heist 

- Six Days of Chaos at MGM’s Casinos 

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Air traffic controllers for Newark Liberty International Airport have recently experienced several frightening incidents. Their radars and radios have gone dark, potentially risking the lives of hundreds of passengers. The resulting chaos and delays are forcing government officials to address staffing shortages and outdated tech at the Newark facility, and nationwide. WSJ’s aviation reporter Andrew Tangel talks with one air traffic controller about the difficulties of the job. Annie Minoff hosts.  

 

Further Listening:

-Your Flight Delay Is Probably New York’s Fault 

-The Life and Death of a Boeing Whistleblower 

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Billions of health insurance claims are processed every year, and around 19% of them are denied. Very few people appeal, but those that do have a chance at a different outcome. Jessica Mendoza speaks to one family about the insurance denial that threw them into a life-or-death crisis, and WSJ’s Julie Wernau on the system they navigated.

Further Listening:

- Even Doctors Are Frustrated With Health Insurance 

- The Cyberattack That's Roiling Healthcare 

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On Monday, to the surprise of global investors, the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day trade deal. The deal slashed tariffs between the two countries and sent stocks surging. 

Leading the negotiations on the U.S. side was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. WSJ’s Brian Schwartz, who covered the talks in Geneva, explains how Bessent became President Trump’s man on trade policy and got China to ‘yes’ on a temporary truce. Jessica Mendoza hosts.  

Further Listening:

-Made In America? Shoe Companies Already Tried That. 

-Taking Stock of the ‘Sell America’ Trade 

-China Unleashes A Trade War Arsenal 

-Tariff Trade-Off: Jobs vs. Higher Prices 

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Last week, President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means to be surgeon general. Means is a wellness influencer and, along with her brother, a prominent advocate for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement. WSJ’s Kristina Peterson reports on how Means’s nomination makes her the latest figure from the lightly regulated wellness industry who has been elevated by Kennedy. Jessica Mendoza hosts.    

Further Listening: 

- The Fight to Kick Soda Out of Food Stamps 

- The Fight Over Fluoride 

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AI innovator and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sees a big problem on the horizon: As AI becomes more and more intelligent, how can anyone tell the humans from the bots? Altman’s World project thinks it has a solution. WSJ’s Angus Berwick unpacks the plan and explores some of the problems that have cropped up during the rollout. Annie Minoff hosts. 

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President Donald Trump sees tariffs as a way to bring more manufacturing to the United States. But Nike and other sneaker companies have tried to move production out of Asia before. WSJ’s Jon Emont describes the cautionary tale of Nike’s attempt to make tens of millions of sneakers using high-tech manufacturing in Guadalajara, Mexico. Annie Minoff hosts. 

Further Listening:

-A Tariff Loophole Just Closed. What That Means for Online Shopping. 

-China Unleashes a Trade War Arsenal 

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Just days before his death, Pope Francis wrestled with an enormous problem: the Vatican’s dire finances. The world’s smallest country is now facing a budget deficit of millions, and a looming crisis in its pension fund. As the Papal conclave meets this week to vote for a new leader, WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw pieces through how centuries of financial mismanagement have culminated into a mess that the next pope will inherit. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Pope Francis Has Died. What’s Next for the Catholic Church? 

- The Mormon Church’s $100 Billion Secret Fund 

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For months, questions have been swirling about the economy. And last week, we finally got some answers when all kinds of economic data was released. Some of those numbers seemed to say that the economy is headed toward a downward slump, but WSJ’s Jeanne Whalen explains that the picture may not be as dark as it seems at first glance. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

-Trump 2.0: Where Is The Economy Headed? 

-A Tariff Loophole Just Closed. What That Means for Online Shopping 

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