Latest Episodes

As the Delta variant spreads, more companies are requiring their employees to get vaccinated. WSJ's Chip Cutter discusses the legal precedents behind these policies, and an HR executive explains how her company handled the issue.

Used cars are more expensive now than they've ever been, and car dealerships are having to go to great lengths to find inventory. WSJ's Nora Naughton explains the shortages that are driving up prices and what it means for dealers and consumers.

This week, we’re re-heating one of our ooey-gooey all-time favorite eps to re-trace the delicious and X-rated history of... cheese. With cheese biochemist and historian Paul Kindstedt. Plus, tips on how to make the most of the dairy aisle from processed cheese expert Lloyd Metzger. And a cicada killer update from cicada killer wasp biologist Chuck Holliday. Thanks to callers Kurt and Judy.

Even before her appointment, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan had made a name for herself by criticizing Amazon's market dominance. Her stance has already provoked backlash from the tech industry and congressional Republicans. WSJ's Ryan Tracy explains.

Earlier this week, star gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of two Olympic competitions after she experienced a dangerous case of the "twisties." WSJ's Louise Radnofsky explains how one of the Olympics's biggest stars is helping change attitudes towards mental health and physical safety.

We're tackling a sibling debate: Do your individual actions matter when it comes to climate change? Or is it all about big, systemic change? In this episode, we break down both sides of the argument. We lay out the actions that have the biggest impact on your carbon footprint – and then ask if there's a better way to think about our individual role in climate change. (This episode originally aired ...

In part one of their season finale, the Story Pirates meet a queen (Gabrielle Dennis) and find out, once and for all, if the underwater city of Nethernabosia is real. Featuring two new stories: “If Dogs Could Do The Boogie,” the newest, hottest dance craze to sweep the doggy nation, performed by MOZIAH and Koo Koo Kanga Roo and written by Etta, a 7 year old from Michigan, and “Cheese Monkey With A ...

Robinhood built its business around the idea of making it easier than ever for everyday people to invest. Now the company's betting it can "democratize" initial public offerings, too - including its own. WSJ's Peter Rudegeair explains the thinking behind Robinhood's unconventional IPO this week.

Ever heard of lady crime boss, Ma Barker? On July 26, 1932, her alleged gang of thieves stole over $200,000 from a Kansas bank without firing a single shot. The Barker-Karpis gang stole millions before Ma was killed in a shootout with the FBI. But was she a criminal mastermind or just a scapegoat?

DJ Screw’s rise ends in tragedy. But the sound he created just keeps spreading, from stereos to streaming, screwing up the world on its way up.

Jerome Powell has led the U.S. economy through its pandemic-induced crash and turbulent recovery. But with his first term ending soon, WSJ's Nick Timiraos says some in Washington are questioning whether Powell should be reappointed.

Crime Show introduces Stolen: The Search for Jermain.

Covid has taken a toll on South Africa. Successive lockdowns have led to deep economic suffering across the country. And when political protests broke out recently, the economic hardship took a violent turn leading to riots and looting. WSJ's Gabriele Steinhauser explains how South Africa could be a warning to other countries.

Who put the tension in reality TV? ELT tracks down the man behind the nail-biting sound you can’t unhear. Plus, a listener’s backyard horror story turns into an intervention, with cicada killer wasp expert Chuck Holliday. Thanks to callers Caitlin and Stephanie.

Richard Brown Winters: bestselling author and legendary recluse. It’s been almost a decade since anyone’s heard from him, and most of his readers have given up hope of ever finding out the fate of wasteland warrior Casio Zook and his loyal falcon. But that doesn't stop one ardent fan from joining a ragtag group journeying to Winters’ desert cabin — and what they find threatens to destroy the Winter...

Taylor’s fate is sealed.

Superstar gymnast Simone Biles could become the first woman since 1968 to repeat as the gold medalist in the individual all-around competition. But WSJ's Louise Radnofsky says that, for Biles, continuing to compete at the sport's highest level is also about keeping a spotlight on the crimes committed by former team doctor Larry Nassar. As the last self-identified survivor on the team, Biles is stil...

Richard Brown Winters: bestselling author and legendary recluse. It’s been almost a decade since anyone’s heard from him, and most of his readers have given up hope of ever finding out the fate of wasteland warrior Casio Zook and his loyal falcon. But that doesn't stop one ardent fan from joining a ragtag group journeying to Winters’ desert cabin — and what they find threatens to destroy the Winter...

Last year, PJ Pereira got a big assignment: to help market new Covid-19 vaccines to the public. Pereira explains what he learned trying to convince vaccine-hesitant Americans to get the shot.

Human migration is nothing new, but the scale at which people will need to relocate due to climate change will be different than ever before. A World Bank report estimates that over the next thirty years, 143 million people will be displaced within three of the most vulnerable regions alone: sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. To handle such shifts in population, our governments and ...

Producer Anna Foley tries to answer a question that’s been bothering her for a long time: What makes the TikTok algorithm so good at knowing what she wants to watch? On her quest to find out, her sister asks another, more unexpected, question.

For more from the Story Pirates, visit storypirates.com/news

Major banks performed well while employees worked remotely. But executives at some banks are bringing their workers back to the office full time. WSJ's David Benoit explains what it could mean for the industry and the rest of corporate America.

From the creator of Crimetown and Morally Indefensible comes a new podcast, Firebug. In the early 1990s, a manuscript for a novel called “Points of Origin” lands at literary agencies across the country. It tells the story of a fictional serial arsonist who lights up southern California. The thing is… the fires described in the novel may actually be real. Was Points of Origin a work of fiction, or t...