BookTok, the corner of TikTok that’s all about books, has shaken up the publishing world. Over the last few years, the platform has pulled in new readers, especially in the romance and fantasy genres. And now some of the largest publishers in the U.S. are finding new talent and rethinking their strategies because of TikTok. We hear from an author, a bookstore owner and a publisher about how TikTok has transformed the book industry.

Further Listening:

-The Rise of the Tween Shopper 

-Inside One Publisher’s Fight Against Book Bans 

-Scholastic's Succession Drama 

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After nearly a decade and $10 billion in development, General Motors is ending its robotaxi program. WSJ’s Christopher Otts explains why Cruise wasn’t working for the legacy car company.

Further Reading:

-General Motors Scraps Cruise Robotaxi Program 

-GM’s Self-Driving Car Unit Skids Off Course 

Further Listening:

-How Waymo Won Over San Francisco 

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Intel—the company whose chips were “inside” your ‘90s desktops—has fallen behind in recent years. Now, the CEO hired to turn things around is suddenly out. WSJ’s Asa Fitch explains how the once-dominant chip brand lost its edge.

Further Reading:

- He Was Going to Save Intel. He Destroyed $150 Billion of Value Instead. 

- Intel Co-CEOs Outline Strategy Following Pat Gelsinger’s Ouster 

Further Listening:

- America’s Answer to the Chip Shortage 

- Why Washington Went to Wall Street to Revive the Chips Industry 

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Since the war in Ukraine began, strange attacks have been happening across Europe, including a plot to set DHL packages on fire. WSJ’s Bojan Pancevski on Russia’s escalating shadow war in Europe.  

Further Reading:

-Chinese Ship’s Crew Suspected of Deliberately Dragging Anchor for 100 Miles to Cut Baltic Cables 

-Russia Suspected of Plotting to Send Incendiary Devices on U.S.-Bound Planes 

-The Misfits Russia Is Recruiting to Spy on the West 

Further Listening:

-Elon Musk’s Secret Conversations with Vladimir Putin 

-How Ukraine Built a Weapon to Control the Black Sea 

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This week, a federal judge blocked a proposed $20-billion merger between the U.S.’s two largest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons. WSJ’s Patrick Thomas reports on what happened in the trial, why the two chains turned on one another and what’s next for the grocery business.

Further Listening:

- The Fight for 7-Eleven 

- Why the FTC is Challenging a $25 Billion Supermarket Merger 

Further Reading:

- Albertsons Sues Kroger, Terminates Merger After Judge Blocks Supermarket Megadeal 

- Kroger-Albertsons Merger Blocked by Court, Handing Victory to Biden Antitrust Enforcers 

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Last week, the price of Bitcoin reached $100,000 per coin, an all-time-high as President-elect Donald Trump promises his administration will be crypto-friendly. WSJ’s Alexander Osipovich breaks down the outlook for cryptocurrency.

Further Reading:

-Bitcoin Hits $100,000, Lifted by Hopes of a Crypto-Friendly Washington 

-Crypto Players Celebrate SEC Pick, Bitcoin Touches $100,000 

Further Listening:

-Inside the Trump Crypto Bromance 

-Coinbase’s CEO on the Future of Crypto 

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After a manhunt lasting nearly a week, authorities have arrested and charged a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson. WSJ’s Joshua Chaffin unpacks what we know about the alleged killer, his possible motivations, and the public rage that has bubbled up as the search continued. 

Further Reading:

- Suspect in UnitedHealth Killing Was Ivy Leaguer With Anticapitalist Leanings 

- Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer Meets Unexpected Obstacle: Sympathy for the Gunman 

- Murder at Dawn: A Top Executive’s Final Moments in Manhattan 

Further Listening:

- The Story Behind the Stabbing of a San Francisco Tech Exec 

- Why So Many Emergency Rooms Are Failing Kids in America 

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After decades of brutal dictatorship in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell in a matter of days. WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov reports on the rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani and how regional players are responding to political change in Syria.

Further Listening:

- What the Ceasefire in Lebanon Means for the Middle East 

- Ten Days That Shifted Power in Syria 

Further Reading:

- The 11-Day Blitz by Syrian Rebels That Ended 50 Years of Assad Rule 

- Assad’s Downfall Marks a New Realignment in the Middle East 

- How a Syrian Rebel Went From an American Jail to Seizing Aleppo 

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Last month, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian,” a piece of conceptual art that consists of a banana duct taped to a wall, sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $6.2 million. WSJ’s Kelly Crow traces the banana’s origins from Art Basel Miami in 2019 to the top of the art market this year.

Further Listening:

- A Russian Billionaire, an Art Dealer and an Epic Feud 

- The Basquiat Sisters on Managing One of Art's Hottest Brands

Further Reading:

- A $6.2 Million Banana and the Unexpected Return of the Art Market 

- Someone Just Paid $6.2 Million for a Banana Duct-Taped to a Wall 

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Target used to be a cheap and chic place to shop, but now the retailer is in a sales funk, losing market share to competitors like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon. WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer explores what happened to the beloved box store’s numbers and the strategies executives may be discussing to get back on target.  

Further Reading:

-Target’s Slide From Cheap Chic to Dull Chore 

Further Listening:

-What Went Wrong at Bed Bath & Beyond? 

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

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President-elect Donald Trump has proposed radically downsizing the federal government, and two of his allies are going to be in charge: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. WSJ’s John McCormick walks us through the plans for DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency.

Further Reading:

- Musk, Ramaswamy Want Federal Workers in the Office Full Time. There’s a Hitch. 

- Vivek Ramaswamy’s Marching Orders: Cut Trillions for Trump 

Further Listening:

- Uncovering Elon Musk's Secret Political Donations 

- The Scramble Is on to Fill Trump’s Cabinet 

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