WSJ What’s News

The U.S. pioneered early nuclear technologies—not only for war, but also for peacetime, in the form of abundant nuclear energy. After a surge in new reactor construction, the 1979 partial meltdown at Three Mile Island precipitated the end of nuclear energy’s expansion in America. But recent calls for reliable, clean energy to fuel AI data centers have shifted attitudes and increased investment and innovation in the industry. Will the AI race be enough to reboot nuclear energy in the U.S.?

This episode is part of The Wall Street Journal’s USA250: The Story of the World’s Greatest Economy, a collection of articles, videos and podcasts aiming to offer a deeper understanding of how America has evolved.

Listen to previous installments of our USA250 podcast:

The Struggle To Keep America’s Workers Safe

An Economy Built on Speculation

America’s Road to a DIY Retirement

Further Reading:

Why Fusion Is Considered Energy’s Elusive Holy Grail

America’s First Commercial Nuclear-Power Projects in a Decade Just Broke Ground

‘Three New York Cities’ Worth of Power: AI Is Stressing the Grid

Inside the Audacious Plan to Reopen Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant

Five Things to Know About AI’s Thirst for Energy

‘It’s Time for Nuclear’ to Meet Growing U.S. Power Needs, Trump Declares

Nuclear Power Is Making a Comeback

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How is the AI trade different from the dot-com bubble? And why wasn’t Wall Street impressed by Palantir’s blowout quarter? Plus, what does a glass company and a luxury toilet maker have to do with AI? Host Imani Moise discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them.

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P.M. Edition for May 8. The U.S. economy added 115,00 jobs in April, beating analyst expectations for the second month in a row. WSJ economics reporter Chao Deng explains how this could be a turning point for the labor market–and what that means for the Federal Reserve. Plus, the Virginia Supreme Court threw out Democrats’ efforts at redistricting ahead of the midterm elections. We hear from Journal national political reporter Ken Thomas about how this could affect Democrats’ chances at retaking the House. And we’re exclusively reporting that Intel will supply some chips for Apple devices—a deal that could be huge for the chipmaker’s attempt to turn around its business. Alex Ossola hosts.

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Bonus Episode for May 8. Financial results from pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and AbbVie show strong demand continuing for weight-loss drugs and autoimmune treatments. Wall Street Journal pharma reporter Peter Loftus discusses which drugmakers have the upper hand in the race to dominate those markets. 

WSJ Heard on the Street columnist David Wainer hosts this special bonus episode of What's News in Earnings, where we dig into companies’ earnings reports and analyst calls to find out what’s going on under the hood of the American economy.

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A.M. Edition for May 8. Early U.K. election results point to a surge in populism and deep voter dissatisfaction with the incumbent Labour party. WSJ U.K. correspondent Max Colchester explains how voters are becoming increasingly polarised and what that means for governments around the world. Plus, President Trump’s tariffs face another legal setback. And WSJ’s Te-Ping Chen details the extremes writers go to, in order to prove that they are not AI. Luke Vargas hosts.

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