WSJ What’s News

Ever since the Homestead Act of 1862, the U.S. government has worked to help everyday Americans own a piece of their nation. One important innovation was the 30-year fixed rate mortgage, a uniquely American loan that helped supercharge homeownership in the U.S. after World War II. But not every effort by the government to increase homeownership has paid off. Now as younger homebuyers face an affordability crisis, can the U.S. government keep that American dream alive

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:

Nuclear Power’s Reboot

The Struggle To Keep America’s Workers SafeAn Economy Built on Speculation

America’s Road to a DIY Retirement

And check out our special series:

Can Anything Kick-Start the U.S. Housing Market?

With Homeownership Out of Reach, Some Are Choosing to Rent Forever

What’s in the New Bipartisan Housing Bill That Congress Just Passed

The Housing Market Slumped This Spring. Where Does It Go From Here?

The Fight for Affordable Housing

Mamdani Won on Housing. Will Democrats Follow His Lead?

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Why are Micron and Cerebras telling two different AI stories? And why is Oracle one of the worst stocks this week? Plus, who’s behind Wendy’s big rally? Host Jack Pitcher discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them.

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P.M. Edition for June 26. Iran’s missiles and drones have inflicted extensive damage on the U.S.’s naval base in Bahrain—destruction that the Pentagon hasn’t publicly acknowledged. The WSJ’s Shelby Holliday walks us through an exclusive analysis of the strikes, and how they’ve pushed the U.S. to recalculate its military’s footprint in the region. Plus, two U.S. senators call for regulators to open an investigation into Polymarket’s deceptive marketing practices following the Journal’s reporting on social-media promotion of fake bets. And Volkswagen is working on a radical overhaul that will likely result in thousands of additional job losses. We hear from Journal European autos reporter Stephen Wilmot about the carmaker’s challenges. Alex Ossola hosts.

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A.M. Edition for June 26. California’s proposed billionaire’s tax heads to November's ballot, teeing up a fight among Democrats over wealth, affordability and the future of their party. Plus, a New York City board approves Mayor Mamdani's rent freeze. And WSJ real estate bureau chief Craig Karmin answers listener questions about the U.S. housing shortage in the final episode of our special series. Luke Vargas hosts.

Listen to all episodes in our series on ideas for fixing the housing crisis.

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P.M. Edition for June 25. More Americans are trading deeds for leases as homeownership becomes harder to achieve. We hear from WSJ personal finance reporter Veronica Dagher about the rise of the "forever renter" and what it means for the future of housing and the American Dream. And the Supreme Court handed down a number of big decisions today. Supreme Court reporter James Romoser says two of them enable President Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Plus, reporter Kejal Vyas gives us an update on Venezuela, where the death toll is rising after yesterday’s earthquakes. Alex Ossola hosts.

Listen to all episodes in our series on ideas for fixing the housing crisis.

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