Why Asia’s Sinking Consumer Confidence is the World’s Problem

WSJ What’s News

The Wall Street Journal

Daily News, News

4.1 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2026

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A.M. Edition for April 24. Twin shortages of fertilizer and fuel in the wake of the Iran war are spooking consumers across Asia and raising fears of weak harvests. But as HSBC’s Frederic Neumann tells us, the effects of rising food prices are likely to spread around the world and linger well into 2027. Plus, U.S. authorities charge a U.S. soldier who took part in the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro with using classified information to earn more than $400,000 on Polymarket. And Intel shares surge more than 20 percent in off hours trading, as the chip maker beat earnings estimates. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:24.3	Subscribe and start listening today. Published by Capital Client Group Inc.
0:33.3	Talk of a Washington takeover of Spirit Airlines hits Republican opposition.
0:39.3	Plus, authorities charge a member of U.S. Special Forces with using classified Intel to bet on Nicholas Maduro's ouster.
0:46.3	Because he kept him out of the Hall of Fame because he bet on his own team.
0:50.3	Now, if he bet against his team, that would be no good. But he bet on his own team, I'll look into it.
0:55.3	And global consumers beware.
0:57.4	We'll look at why the effects of Asia's diesel and fertilizer shortages won't stay there.
1:02.3	It's Friday, April 24th.
1:04.0	I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal.
1:05.9	And here is the AM edition of Watts News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.
1:16.7	U.S. authorities have charged an American soldier who took part in the operation to capture
1:21.7	Nicholas Maduro with using classified information to earn more than $400,000 on Polymarket. The Justice Department
1:29.6	says the master sergeant, who'd signed an NDA, took part in the execution and planning of
1:34.5	Operation Absolute Resolve, and after making several well-time bets, then tried to cover his tracks
1:40.4	by sending most of his gains to a foreign cryptocurrency account and asking
1:44.5	polymarket to delete his account. Journal Finance editor Alex Francoz says the charges mark a shift
1:50.6	in how the government views insider information being used on prediction markets.
1:54.9	What's really significant with the Venezuela case is that it's a Department of Justice case
1:59.3	against him. The government is basically saying,
	...

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