The Journal. – Details, episodes & analysis

The most well-known cryptocurrency thefts involve online hacks or phishing attempts via text messages. But WSJ's Sam Schechner has been reporting on a new wave of violent crypto thefts: wrench attacks. Brutal physical attacks against the crypto elite are on the rise. Annie Minoff hosts.  Further Listening: -Pig-Butchering: A Texting Scam With a Crypto Twist  -How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto   Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deportation fears and economic uncertainty is driving changes in shopping behavior in Latino communities. Job losses in industries like construction have also left Hispanics with less money to spend. WSJ’s Laura Cooper travels to Texas and reports that some Hispanic shoppers are forgoing their regular shopping trips and restaurant meals. Companies are now saying they’re seeing the pullback in their sales. Jessica Mendoza hosts.  Further Listening: - Inside ICE’s Aggressive Approach to Arresting Migrants  - Deportations Could Upend This Parachute Factory  Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medicare Advantage was designed to save the government money. But a Wall Street Journal investigation found that private insurers used the program to generate extra payments through questionable diagnoses. The investigation uncovered instances of potentially deadly illnesses like AIDS, where patients received no follow-up care, as well as diagnoses that were medically impossible. This happened in part when insurers sent nurse practitioners into Medicare Advantage recipients’ homes. Jessica Mendoza discusses the investigation with WSJ’s Christopher Weaver as well as a nurse who participated in the program.  Further Listening: -A Life-or-Death Insurance Denial  -Even Doctors Are Frustrated With Health Insurance  Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Barnett worked at Boeing for nearly 30 years. Before he left the company, he filed a whistleblower complaint, alleging he was retaliated against for raising safety concerns. Last March, after two days of testimony, he was found dead in his truck. Police ruled his death a suicide. We tell the story of Barnett’s life, and death, as a Boeing whistleblower.  Further Reading: - Boeing CEO Apologizes to MAX Crash Families, Calls Culture ‘Far From Perfect’ - The Disarray Inside Boeing’s 737 Factory Before the Door Plug Blowout  - Can Boeing Be Fixed? Aerospace Leaders Offer a Repair Manual  Further Listening: - The Failures Inside Boeing's 737 Factory  - A Hole in a Plane and a Headache for Boeing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re off for Presidents Day, but we wanted to reshare this episode.Walmart is offering higher pay, bonuses and more stock options this year to retain and attract managers. WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer spent a day with one manager, Nichole Hart, to understand why the job is commanding such a high salary these days, and why Hart logs about 20,000 steps a day.This episode was originally published in May 2024. Further Reading: -A Day in the Life of a Walmart Manager Who Makes $240,000 a Year  -Walmart Takes On Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods With New Premium Brand  Further Listening: -What Walmart’s Aisles Say About the American Consumer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump suspended most U.S. foreign aid, causing vast confusion and concern around the world. One affected program was PEPFAR, the bipartisan initiative that works to fight HIV/AIDS globally. WSJ’s Nicholas Bariyo from Uganda and Michael M. Phillips from Kenya report. And we hear from Karl Hoffman, the CEO of the public health organization HealthX Partners.  Further Listening: -Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart  Further Reading: -Trump Aid Whiplash Hits Refugees, AIDS Patients Worldwide  -Trump Order Freezing Foreign Aid Halts Programs Worldwide, Prompts Confusion and Rush for Waivers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a busy month in D.C. for Elon Musk. WSJ’s Tim Higgins joins Ryan Knutson and Molly Ball to discuss what Musk’s strategies as a CEO can tell us about his plans for DOGE and the federal government. Plus, we get into Trump’s relationship with the judiciary and take a question from a listener about American expansionism.  Further Reading: -Musk Brings His Business Playbook to Washington: Move Fast and Claim Victory  -DOGE, Musk and Trump—Our Reporters Answered Your Questions  Further Listening: -R.I.P. CFPB?  -Trump 2.0: Less Foreign Aid, More Tariffs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating app companies are seeing a decline in demand, so they’re looking to recruit a new matchmaker: AI. WSJ’s Belle Lin reports on Grindr’s big bet that its new AI “wingman” will help its users find love. And we talk to someone who tried it.  Further Reading: - Grindr Aims to Build the Dating World’s First AI ‘Wingman’  Further Listening: - The Price of Dating Apps   - ‘Love Is Blind’ Is Back. Not All the Drama Is On-Screen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix’s hit reality show “Love is Blind” returns this Friday with its eighth season. But behind the scenes, there is a legal battle brewing over the treatment of cast members looking for love. We spoke to a former participant and others in the industry about how this could change reality TV.  Further Reading: -How ‘Love Is Blind’ Helped Netflix Crack the Reality-TV Code  Further Listening: -James Bond Is Missing. He's Trapped in a Fight With Amazon.  -Why 'Yellowstone' Is One of TV's Most Expensive Shows  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration's newly installed acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief Russell Vought is closing the agency and has ordered staff to halt all work. WSJ’s Brian Schwartz explores what the agency does and why it’s become the next target for Trump allies like Vought and Elon Musk. Further Listening: - Trump 2.0: Less Foreign Aid, More Tariffs  - Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart  - Trump’s Tariff Whiplash  Further Reading: - CFPB to Close Office After Vought Tells Staff to Halt All Supervision  - Russell Vought Taking Over as New Acting Head of CFPB  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices