Author: The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

Last year, a popular Utah influencer with six children went to prison for child abuse. Now the state has put a new law into place to protect the children in these videos. WSJ’s Zusha Elinson on the Ruby Franke scandal and her daughter’s efforts to keep it from happening again.

Further Reading:

- A Former Child Star Is Taking On the Dark Side of Utah’s Mommy Bloggers 

Further Listening:

- The Rise of the Tween Shopper 

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

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A family of deep-cover Russian spies hiding in the heart of Europe. A Slovenian spycatcher with a daunting mission. After months of reporting, WSJ's Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson unspool the story of the global hunt for Vladimir Putin's sleeper agents, and how it culminated in the biggest game of hostage diplomacy since the Cold War.

Further Reading:

-The Global Hunt for Putin’s ‘Sleeper Agents’ 

-Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich 

Further Listening:

-The Historic U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap 

-Inside Russia’s Spy Unit Targeting Americans 

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A journalist was added to a text thread with high-level Trump administration officials revealing plans for the timing and weapons to be used in a military strike against Houthi militants. Administration officials disputed that any classified information about the military operation had been shared. WSJ’s Nancy Youssef joins the chat with Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss the fallout of the group chat pinged ‘round the world. 

Further Reading:

-An Annotated Analysis of Signal Group Chat With Top Trump Officials 

-Hegseth Comes Under Scrutiny for Texting Strike Details as Fallout Grows 

-Democrats Are Taking Their Anger Out on Chuck Schumer 

Further Listening:

-Trump’s Attack on Big Law 

-Trump’s College Crackdown 

-Trump 2.0: A Showdown with the Judiciary 

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President Trump’s unprecedented effort to shrink the federal labor force is impeding work at government sites across the country. Three laid-off federal employees tell their story and WSJ’s Lindsay Ellis reports on the wider impact of the layoffs.

Further Listening:

- Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy 

- Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart 

Further Reading:

- The Collateral Damage of Trump’s Firing Spree 

- The Federal Workers Who Are Not Quite Fired, Not Quite Working 

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The White House is waging a pressure campaign against some of the country’s most prominent law firms. WSJ’s Erin Mulvaney on how the firm Paul, Weiss came to the decision to make a deal with President Trump.

Further Reading:

-Trump Signs Order Targeting Law Firm Jenner & Block 

-Law Firms Scramble to Avoid Being Trump’s Next Target 

-Why Law Firm Paul Weiss Pleaded Its Case With Trump, and Not With a Court 

Further Listening:

-Trump 2.0: A Showdown With the Judiciary 

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After nearly three decades as creative director, Donatella Versace is stepping down from her role at her family’s fashion house. The announcement comes after years of clashes between the designer and the American businessman who acquired her family’s brand. WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner unpacks the drama and discusses what it means for the fashion house. 

Further Reading:

-Inside the Versace Clash Between Donatella and the ‘American Cowboy’ CEO 

-Donatella Versace to Step Down as Chief Creative Officer of Versace 

-The Plan to Revive Michael Kors and Versace Tanked Their Sales Instead

Further Listening:

-The Resurrection of Abercrombie & Fitch 

-Old Navy Tried to Make Sizes for All. It Backfired. 

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Columbia University gave in to President Trump’s demands after he revoked roughly $400 million in federal funding. WSJ’s Douglas Belkin explains how the university made its decision, and the impact that may have on campuses across the country.

Further Reading: 

- Universities Sprint from ‘We Will Not Cower’ to Appeasing Trump 

- Columbia Yields to Trump in Battle Over Federal Funding 

Further Listening: 

- Pro-Palestinian Protests and Arrests at U.S. Colleges  

- The 2024 College Financial Aid Mess 

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After it was approved in 2019, Spravato, a depression treatment derived from the club drug ketamine, was looking like a dud. But recently it has taken off, and it surpassed $1 billion in annual sales last year for its maker, Johnson and Johnson.

Further Listening:

-A Lawyer Says He Doesn't Need Help for Psychosis. His Family Disagrees. 

-America's Maternal Mental Health Crisis 

Further Reading:

-J&J’s Ketamine-Derived Drug Is Taking Off 

-Big Pharma Walked Away From Mental Health. Why Some Are Coming Back. 

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A battle has been brewing between President Trump and the judicial system as courts delay some of the administration's rapid fire executive orders. WSJ’s Jess Bravin joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss the recent clashes between Trump and the courts. 

Further Reading:

- Chief Justice Roberts Criticizes Trump’s Call to Impeach Judges 

- Trump Escalates Push Against Legal Norms 

- A Presidency of Upheaval Emboldens Trump 

Further Listening:

- A New Phase in Trump’s Immigration Fight 

- Trump 2.0: The Uncertainty Economy 

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Greenland could satisfy the world’s hunger for minerals, if miners could just start digging. WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen explains why Greenland’s minerals remain mostly untapped, and what bringing these rare earths to the surface could mean to the global supply chain.

Further Reading:

- Greenland Has the Makings of a Mining Boom. So Where Is Everyone? 

- Greenlanders Reject Trump’s Overtures at the Ballot Box 

Further Listening:

- Why Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals 

- Why an Arctic Treasure Is Spurring Hope and Dread 

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