The Journal‪.‬ The Wall Street Journal

Meme stocks took off last week after an unexpected tweet appeared from “Roaring Kitty,” a social media account associated with former financial consultant Keith Gill. He's credited with igniting the meme stock movement in 2021. WSJ’s Jon Sindreu explains the re-emergence of Roaring Kitty and what it means for the meme stock movement.



Further Reading:

- ‘Roaring Kitty’ Came Out of Hibernation. Is the Meme Stock Craze Bac k?

- Is Roaring Kitty the Internet’s Warren Buffett? 



Further Listening:

- To the Moon 

- Donald Trump’s Meme Stock Moment 



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As demand for the new class of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs skyrockets, one thing has stood in the way of many people trying to access them: cost. With a price tag around $1,000 a month for U.S. patients and many insurance companies refusing to cover these drugs for weight loss, patients are often turning to alternatives.



In episode two of “Trillion Dollar Shot,” we look at the roadblocks to making these drugs more affordable, concerns that their high cost will negatively impact U.S. insurance systems, and the sometimes risk-laden options people are turning to in desperation.



Listen: Trillion Dollar Shot, Episode 1: Birth of a Blockbuster  

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The Pacific Surfliner train in Southern California runs along some of the most beautiful coastlines in America. But some fear it might soon fall into the ocean. WSJ’s Jim Carlton reports on how coastal erosion is impacting an iconic train route and the controversial plans to move parts of the line inland.  



Further Reading:

- The Race to Keep an Amtrak Train From Falling Into the Pacific 



Further Listening:

- What Caused a Train to Derail in East Palestine, Ohio? 



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Jim Simons pioneered a revolution in financial trading, embracing a computer-oriented, quantitative style in the 1980s well ahead of Wall Street. Following Simons’ recent death, WSJ’s Gregory Zuckerman unpacks his legacy from financial algorithms to philanthropy. 



Further Reading:

-How Did Jim Simons’s Firm Make $100 Billion? He Told His Secrets to Our Reporter 

-Jim Simons, a Pioneer of Quantitative Trading, Dies at 86 

-The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution 



Further Listening:

-Charlie Munger: Curmudgeon, Sage and Investing Legend 

-Rise and Revolt at Renaissance, Part 1 

-Rise and Revolt at Renaissance, Part 2 

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If the upcoming presidential election could be summed up by a song, what would it be? And will voters cast their ballots based on a bright future or a gloomy one? In a live-taping before an audience at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson sat down with WSJ political reporter Molly Ball to discuss these topics and more. To watch the video, check out the episode on Spotify.
Further Reading:
-Biden and Trump, In Two Speeches, Speak to Two Visions of America 
-Arizona is Booming, But Restless Voters Feel Downbeat About Economy
Further Listening:
-Trump Allies Draft Plans to Rein in the Fed
-Why the Fed Is Steering Away From Rate Cuts
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For six decades, one man has been largely responsible for creating North Korea’s propaganda machine: Kim Ki Nam. He served all three North Korean dictators and is the architect of many of the myths that have helped to keep the Kim family in power. Last week, Kim Ki Nam died at the age of 94. WSJ’s Timothy Martin reports on his controversial legacy. 



Further Reading:

-The Original Mastermind Behind North Korea’s Cult-of-Personality Propaganda Dies 

-Kim Jong Un’s New Look Is More Man Than Superhuman 



Further Listening:

-How North Korea’s Hacker Army Stole $3 Billion in Crypto 

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