Last year, a massive cyberweapon terrorized the internet. It launched thousands of DDoS attacks, threatening tens of millions of people around the world. The weapon came to be known as Kimwolf. WSJ’s Robert McMillan reports that cybersecurity experts were stumped. Kimwolf’s attacks seemed to be launched from millions of internet-connected devices like TV boxes, cameras and picture frames. Eventually, the experts got help from an unlikely ally: a 22-year-old college senior named Benjamin Brundage. Jessica Mendoza talks to Ben about how he might have saved the internet.

To check if your network is secretly connected to a residential proxy network, here are a few tips.

Further Listening:

- Cybersecurity Braces for AI ‘Bugmaggedon’

- ‘Hack Me If You Can’ from The Journal

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Tariffs, inflation and an energy crisis have driven up the cost of nearly every consumer good. Despite those economic headwinds, IKEA has tried to keep its furniture affordable. Juvencio Maeztu is the CEO of the Ingka Group, IKEA’s largest franchise, and he explains how the company is making the numbers work. Ryan Knutson hosts. 

Further Listening:

• Can Burger King Regain Its Crown?

• The Battle to Be the King of Retail: Walmart vs. Amazon

• Etsy: Big Commerce or Crafters' Community?

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In China, humanoid robots are on the rise. Robots with heads and torsos have been spotted staffing the front desk at hotels, working factory floors, and serving lattes. It's all thanks to an investment boom and subsidies from the Chinese government, which is betting on "embodied AI" as the next frontier in a global arms race. WSJ's Yoko Kubota explains how China's robots got so good, and what the US is doing to catch up. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- China and the U.S. Are in a Race for AI Supremacy

- The Man Leading Trump’s AI Charge Against China

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Meta is kicking its AI transformation into high gear. The Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram parent is getting aggressive about AI talent, integrating AI technology into employees’ workflows and even developing an AI agent to help its CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Last week, the company announced a 10% cut in its global workforce. WSJ’s Meghan Bobrowsky unpacks what the pivot means for the AI race and the company’s employees. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

Why Meta Is Offering $100 Million for AI Geniuses

The Battle Within Meta Over Chatbot Safety

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The war in Iran has sparked a global jet fuel crunch, sending prices soaring. Now, airlines are passing costs onto travelers, with higher ticket prices and additional fees. WSJ’s Matthew Dalton and Alison Sider explain how jet fuel has been caught up in the crisis and why airlines aren't planning to lower prices anytime soon. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- How China Keeps Iran's Oil Industry Afloat

- The Airline Industry Has a Toxic Fume Problem

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Four days before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, an Emirati royal known as the “spy sheikh” secretly purchased a stake in Trump's cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial for half a billion dollars.

In the second of two episodes about World Liberty Financial, WSJ’s Rebecca Ballhaus details what the Sheikh received from the Trump Administration following his deal with the Trump family’s crypto company. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza.

Further Listening:

- The Crypto President: Part 1

- Private Equity and Crypto Could Be Coming for Your 401k

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At the height of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for re-election in 2024, Trump gathered with his sons and longtime friend Steve Witkoff to launch a new money machine: a crypto company called World Liberty Financial. Since its launch less than two years ago, the company has earned the Trump family at least $1.2 billion dollars. It turns out much of that has come from secret business dealings with foreign-owned companies. 

In the first of two episodes diving into World Liberty Financial, WSJ’s Angus Berwick explains how a billionaire felon boosted Trump’s crypto company en route to a presidential pardon. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza.

Further Listening:

- Big Banks vs. Big Crypto

- Severed Fingers and Wrench Attacks: A New Era in Crypto Crime

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After 15 years as the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook announced this week that he will be stepping down. During his tenure, Cook quadrupled Apple’s revenue and transformed the company’s supply chain, building a complex global network that churns out hundreds of millions of devices each year. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler reports on Cook’s legacy, and the new guy that’s set to replace him. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- China and the U.S. Are in a Race for AI Supremacy

- The Company Taking on Apple’s Watch Technology

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In the first Trump administration, the U.S. launched a “maximum pressure” campaign to cut Iranian oil from the global market and eliminate Tehran’s biggest source of revenue. Today, Iran sells billions of dollars’ worth of oil every month via a shadow fleet of ships that have been passing through the Strait of Hormuz. WSJ’s Rory Jones takes us inside Iran’s underground network for shipping, processing and selling oil in China. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- How Iran's Regime Changed... for the Worse

- The Strait of Hormuz Showdown

- In Iran, an Uneasy Calm Amid a Cease-Fire

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AI models like Anthropic's Mythos are finding software bugs at an unprecedented rate, kicking off a cybersecurity scramble to prevent what experts are calling “bugmageddon.” Thanks to these new models, hackers will be able to exploit those bugs more quickly than ever before. WSJ’s Robert McMillan explains why major corporations and the White House are scrambling to patch their systems. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - The Battle Over AI in Warfare - AI Is Coming for Entry-Level JobsSign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.

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At the outset of the U.S.-Iran War, the U.S. and Israel assassinated key figures in the Iranian regime, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But the killings of high-ranking officials have failed to spark the popular uprising President Trump initially called for. WSJ’s Margherita Stancati explores the current regime and reports that Iran’s theocratic dictatorship not only remains in control, but is more conservative, more radical, and more entrenched than ever before. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- The Strait of Hormuz Showdown

- The Energy Shock Is Here

- In Iran, an Uneasy Calm Amid a Cease-Fire

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