Goodbye 2025, Hello 2026! - The Journal Recap

Podcast: The Journal

Published: 2025-12-29

Duration: 10 minutes

Guests: Damian Palleta, Sarah Krauss, Amol Sharma, Kate Leimbaugh

Summary

The episode reviews 2025's defining stories and forecasts major themes for 2026, including President Trump's economic policies and the ongoing AI race. Hosts Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza also propose an unconventional holiday swap between Christmas and Valentine's Day.

What Happened

Ryan Knutson proposes a bold idea to switch Christmas to February 14th and Valentine's Day to December 25th due to the overcrowding of holidays in the fall. He argues that this change would alleviate the busy holiday season and provide something to look forward to during the winter months. Jessica Mendoza agrees with the idea philosophically but questions how it could be implemented, suggesting it would require approval from the Christian tradition.

The episode features insights from top editors at the Wall Street Journal on the major stories of 2025. Damian Palleta, the Washington Coverage Chief, discusses President Trump's economic agenda, highlighting the tax cut package and the ongoing Supreme Court review of his tariff powers. The economic disconnect felt by many Americans despite low gas prices and a high stock market is also noted as a significant issue.

Sarah Krauss, the technology and media editor, highlights the AI race as a major story of 2025. She discusses the battle for talent among AI labs like Meta, Google's DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic, as well as the safety concerns and financial investments in AI infrastructure. The potential for an AI bubble is also mentioned as a concern going into 2026.

Amol Sharma, the financial editor, focuses on the financing of the AI arms race and the potential for a bubble to form. He warns that if problems arise, companies may delay projects or reduce spending, which could spook the markets. The possibility of market jitters being just temporary is also considered.

Kate Leimbaugh, the corporate editor and former co-host, discusses the impact of Trump's policies on business in America, noting changes in tariff policy, EV policy, and food policy. She raises questions about whether jobs will return to America or if robots will take over, as well as the effects on profits and the global economy.

The episode concludes with a holiday treat for listeners: a playlist of Ryan and Jess's favorite episodes of 2025. They express gratitude to their audience for listening throughout the year and announce their return on January 5th, 2026.

Key Insights