The Journal.

A couple in Los Angeles say they wanted a big family. Surrogates who carried their children say they were deceived. WSJ’s Katherine Long explains why an investigation into a family who say they have 22 children is raising alarm among the commercial surrogacy industry, a fast-growing and multibillion-dollar market. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - America's Maternal Mental Health Crisis - How Employer-Funded Child Care Can Work Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek Mobley spent years applying for jobs online after he got laid off. After more than 100 rejections, he started to wonder whether Workday – the popular online recruiting platform – was to blame. Now, Mobley is suing Workday, alleging that the company’s hiring algorithm discriminated against him. Derek shares his experience, and WSJ’s Lauren Weber explains how his lawsuit got this far. Annie Minoff hosts. Further Listening: AI Is Coming for Entry-Level Jobs What's the Worst AI Can Do? This Team Is Finding Out. Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump has called for the resignation of Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan. Tan played a key role in building up China’s chip industry, earning him the nickname “Mr. Chip.” Now his ties to China have opened him up to criticism, just as he’s struggling to turn Intel’s business around. WSJ’s Stu Woo explains how Tan attracted the President’s attention, and what it says about the ongoing U.S.-China tech rivalry. Annie Minoff hosts.Further Listening: - The Chip Business Is Booming. Why Isn't Intel?- Why Washington Went to Wall Street to Revive the Chips Industry - The U.S. Wants American-Made Chips. Can Intel Deliver?Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Europe has mostly been spared from the synthetic opioid crisis that has ravaged the U.S. over the past two decades. But now, a deadly new drug could be changing that: nitazenes. Up to 15 times stronger than fentanyl, nitazenes have been behind hundreds of overdose deaths in European countries over the past few years. WSJ's Sune Rasmussen on where the drug comes from and why it's doing so much damage. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: Fentanyl Is Bad. ‘Tranq’ Might Be Worse. The Push to Test Drugs for Fentanyl Why Some Opioid Victims Are Challenging Purdue’s Settlement Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Silicon Valley company Palantir spent years treading water as a tech outsider in the S&P 500. The company's recent success, as WSJ’s Heather Somerville reports, is due in large part to CEO Alex Karp’s ability to find opportunities in crises, as well as to the Trump administration. Michelle Hackman hosts. Further Listening: - Inside ICE’s Aggressive Approach to Arresting Migrants- Why Trump Is Ready to Send Missiles to Ukraine - Iran May Be Running Out of Options Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a new game selling out stadiums around the country: banana ball. The game’s founder, Jesse Cole, describes how he got started. And WSJ’s Jason Gay watched a game to see what Major League Baseball – and other pro sports – can learn from banana ball’s fan-first approach. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further listening: - NCAA President on New Era for College Sports - How Parlays Became the Biggest Bet in Sports - The Biggest Trade in Sports Wasn’t an Athlete –– It Was a TV Show Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An ugly-cute monster has become a global sensation. PopMart, the company behind Labubus, has leveraged blind-box packaging, scarcity and artist collaborations to turn these collectible plushies into a booming business. WSJ's Kaitlyn Wang explains the rise of the Labubu and a "Labubu influencer" describes the appeal. Michelle Hackman hosts. Further Listening: - How the Stanley Cup Became the Internet’s Favorite Water Bottle - Mattel Bets Big on Barbie - Is Supreme Still the King of Streetwear? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney is grappling with how to push forward into a new AI era without losing control of its valuable intellectual property. WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel takes us inside the company's complicated relationship with AI and its race to figure out how to leverage the new technology for maximum gain – without putting too much at risk. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - The Download That Led to a Massive Hack at Disney - Disney Gets Into Gambling - Why Florida is Fighting with Walt Disney World Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Marty Makary has criticized the Food and Drug Administration for being "captured" by Big Food and Big Pharma. Now, the surgeon and former professor is in charge. In an interview with host Jessica Mendoza, the new FDA head talks about food dyes, AI, vaccines and the big changes he has in store for an agency that regulates one-fifth of consumer spending. Further Listening: Why Coke Isn't Getting Rid of High-Fructose Corn Syrup MAHA Influencers Go to Washington Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, President Trump fired the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official after the government published new data showing that U.S. hiring slowed sharply this summer. The jobs report was the weakest in President Trump’s second term. WSJ’s Matt Grossman reports on the economist at the heart of the controversy, Erika McEntarfer, and on bigger concerns around data from the bureau. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Who Will Be the Next Fed Chair? Maybe Kevin ​​- Is Trump Winning His Trade War? - Is the Economy… OK? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last few months, President Donald Trump has struck numerous trade deals with countries and continues to negotiate with others. The European Union, Japan and South Korea all agreed to a tariff rate of 15%. WSJ’s Greg Ip says Trump has succeeded on his own terms and created a new trade world order, albeit a fragile one. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening:- A Pharmaceutical Executive on Trump’s Tariff Strategy- Why Trump Pushed His Tariff DeadlineSign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Donald Trump posted that he'd been in talks with Coca-Cola, and that the sodamaker would soon be making Coke with cane sugar, it sent the soda world into a fizz. WSJ's Laura Cooper explains why Coca-Cola and other sodamakers originally made the switch from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup and why it would be hard to go back. Annie Minoff hosts. Further Listening:- ‘It Came out of Nowhere’: The Rise of Dr Pepper - Can Pepsi Make a Comeback?- The Fight to Kick Soda Out of Food Stamps Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A delicious corporate rivalry is brewing! After an accounting fraud scandal nearly derailed its rise, Luckin Coffee has become the top-selling coffee chain in China. Now it’s expanding stateside, with two new locations in New York City. WSJ’s Hannah Miao explains why Luckin’s tech-forward business model made it a winner in China, and whether Starbucks can fend off the competition by returning to its coffee house roots. Annie Minoff hosts. Further Listening: Fraud Rocks China's Hottest Coffee Startup The Inside Story of Starbucks's CEO Drama The Underdog Coffee Bean That's Making a Comeback Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades, Volkswagen brought its iconic VW bus back to the U.S., this time as a fully electric vehicle. But after years of buzz, the new model is falling flat. WSJ’s Sean McLain explores the hype around the ID.Buzz and why it struggled to capture American hearts and dollars. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: -Kia and Hyundai’s ‘Kia Boyz’ Problem -Will Honda Be Nissan's Ride or Die? -Tesla Has a Problem: Elon Musk Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would impose up to a 200% tariff on imported pharmaceuticals, though he would give them up to a year and a half before fully implementing the tariffs. Trump’s goal is to bring more manufacturing to the United States, but one pharmaceutical CEO, Richard Saynor of Sandoz, says there is little incentive to build in the U.S. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening:- Why Trump Pushed His Tariff Deadline - Inside the Surprise U.S.-China Trade Deal Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, CBS cancelled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The network said that ending the show was “purely a financial decision.” Over the years, late-night audiences and profits have dwindled. But some fans have suggested the move was partly political: CBS pulled the plug just days after Colbert criticized Paramount, CBS’s parent company, for agreeing to settle a lawsuit with President Trump for $16 million. WSJ’s Joe Flint delves into the controversy and the economics of late-night TV. Annie Minoff hosts. Further Listening: -Will Paramount Settle With Trump? -Why Buying Paramount Global Won't Be Easy -’Love Is Blind' Is Back. Not All the Drama Is On-Screen. Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global diamond company De Beers spent decades convincing couples that true love required a diamond. But now, lab-grown diamonds that are identical to naturally-mined ones are flooding the market with cheaper options and reshaping the diamond business completely. WSJ’s Jenny Strasburg takes us inside the showdown in the diamond market, and we speak to a ring shopper weighing her options. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening:-One American Company Taking on China's Rare-Earth Dominance-Can Pepsi Make a Comeback?-How Target Got Off TargetSign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamie Dimon, the cautious head of JPMorgan Chase, has consistently warned that private credit, the hottest trend on Wall Street, could trigger a financial blowup. So why is America’s biggest bank pouring money into it? WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy explains JPMorgan’s strategy and why you should care. Annie Minoff hosts. Further Listening: - JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon on What’s Next for the Economy - Is the Economy… OK? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buc-ee's — the chain of road stops with a beaver mascot and a die-hard fanbase — is looking to expand westward. Its next stop is Palmer Springs, Colorado: a small, rural town known for its lush greenery and outdoor recreation. But some local residents are looking to “heave the beave.” And they have a powerful billionaire backing them: ‘cable cowboy' John Malone. WSJ’s Jim Carlton reports on this standoff over development and the future of the American West. Annie Minoff hosts. Further Listening: - The Fight Over Water in the West - The Rise of the Yimbys Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiny rare-earth magnets are used for building phones, electric cars, and submarines, but nearly all of them are mined and made in China. One U.S. company is trying to change that. WSJ’s Jon Emont spoke with MP Materials’ CEO about his goals for the mine, which has now made deals with the Pentagon, General Motors, and Apple. Can this industry come back the U.S.? Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: -Why Trump Wants Ukrainian Minerals -Greenland Has Tons of Minerals. So Where Are All the Miners? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices