Author: The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

How did the U.S. economy do in 2025? With unemployment ticking up, tariffs shaking up global trade and the stock market booming, it has been hard to make sense of it all. Ryan Knutson talks with three WSJ economics reporters–Justin Lahart, Rachel Wolfe and Jeanne Whalen– about the state of the economy as we wrap up the year, and about what to expect in 2026. 

Further Listening:

- The Era of AI Layoffs Has Begun

- Is the Economy Getting Better or Worse? The Fed Says It's Hard to Tell

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After a historic church in the heart of Nashville was taken over by a businessman, the family of the church’s original founder, including Christian pop star Amy Grant, says the building was “steeple-jacked.” The businessman leading the church denies the allegations. WSJ’s Cameron McWhirter explains to Ryan Knutson why many American churches are vulnerable to a hostile takeover.

Further Listening:

- ‘Exmo’ Influencers Are Taking On Mormonism

- The Financial Mess Facing the Vatican

- Why the New Pope Is Taking on AI

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Cloud seeding is a decades-old rain-making technology, and it’s making a comeback in drought-stricken western states. Utah is partnering with a startup called Rainmaker as they try to stabilize the Great Salt Lake, assisted by drones and AI. But those efforts are colliding with weather conspiracy theories that have only gotten more persistent after some blamed Rainmaker for deadly floods in Texas last year. Jessica Mendoza spoke to the company’s CEO Agustus Doricko about their projects, and WSJ’s Kris Maher explains the growing movement for states to ban weather modification despite scientific consensus.

Further Listening:

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

- Is Asheville No Longer a 'Climate Haven?'

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Risky investing strategies are on the rise, and Robinhood’s CEO Vlad Tenev is leading the charge. He’s built the company’s trading app not just to buy and sell ordinary stocks, but to make it easier to invest in more exotic financial products. WSJ’s Hannah Erin Lang profiles Tenev and explores the extraordinary success his company has had over the past year. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- Free Trading Isn't Free: How Robinhood Makes Money

- ‘To The Moon’ From the Journal

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Compass CEO Robert Reffkin wants to change the way Americans buy and sell homes by encouraging sellers to list their homes privately when they first hit the market. That strategy is challenging companies like Zillow, which have made information about home listings accessible to buyers. WSJ’s Nicole Friedman explains why Compass wants to overhaul the real estate market, and why Zillow is putting up a fight. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- A Case of Conspiracy in Real Estate

- Think It's Expensive to Buy a Home? Try Owning One.

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While some viewers complain that AI-generated ads look uncanny, brands like Coca-Cola are making them anyway. WSJ’s Katie Deighton explains how Coke remade their iconic “Holidays Are Coming” ad with artificial intelligence, and what that signals for the ad industry’s future. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- The Era of AI Layoffs Has Begun

- How a $1.5 Billion Settlement Could Alter the Course of AI

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OpenAI kickstarted the AI race, but is it now at risk of falling behind Google? As the company behind ChatGPT releases its latest update to fend off Google's Gemini, WSJ’S Berber Jin explains OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's urgent "code red" memo to all employees and why the strategy will come at a cost. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Is the AI Boom… a Bubble?

- AI Is Coming for Entry-Level Jobs - The Journal.

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Starting next year, babies born from 2025 to 2028 can receive $1,000 to start investment accounts. The initiative has gotten corporate America excited, with financial institutions vying for a role in the program, and philanthropists like Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell pledging billions of dollars in donations. WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy unpacks how the accounts work and why Wall Street is buzzing about them. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Closing the Wealth Gap With a Trust Fund for Babies

- The Nvidia CEO’s Quest to Sell Chips in China

- Inside Intel's Deal With the U.S. Government

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Earlier this year, OpenAI and chip-designer Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, announced a multibillion-dollar partnership to collaborate on AI data centers that will run on AMD processors, one of the most direct challenges yet to industry leader Nvidia. WSJ’s Robbie Whelan spoke to the CEO of AMD Lisa Su about the deal, her company and the prospect of an AI bubble. Ryan Knutson hosts. 

Further Listening:

- CoreWeave, the Company Riding the AI Boom

- Is the AI Boom… a Bubble?

- The Unraveling of OpenAI and Microsoft's Bromance

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This morning, Paramount Skydance launched a $77.9 billion hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery. It occurred just days after Warner had agreed to a $72 billion deal with Netflix. WSJ’s Joe Flint reports on the twists and turns of the battle to control Warner and, if Netflix succeeds, how it would change Hollywood. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- Will Paramount Settle With Trump?

- She Swore Off Legacy Media. Now She's Running CBS News.

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