The Wall Street Journal
What’s News
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026
3/25/2026 5:07:00 PMShare This Episode
Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social Media Trial
P.M. Edition for Mar. 25. A Los Angeles jury found that Meta and YouTube were negligent for operating products that harmed kids and teens, and failed to warn about those dangers. We hear from WSJ tech reporter Meghan Bobrowsky about what the decision means for the future of social media companies. Plus, after years of notoriously high crime rates, Venezuela is now much safer. WSJ reporter Kejal Vyas recently traveled there and explains why and what it means for Venezuela’s economic future. And while airports are snarled in security chaos, one company is coming out a winner. Alex Ossola hosts.
• landmark trial /ˈlændˌmɑːrk ˈtraɪəl/ 画期的な裁判
• jury /ˈʤʊri/ 陪審（団）
• negligent /ˈnɛɡlɪʤənt/ 過失のある
• operate /ˈɑːpəˌreɪt/ 運営する
• fail to do /feɪl tuː/ ～することに失敗する／～しない
• warn about ~ /wɔːrn əˈbaʊt/ ～について警告する
• what it means for ~ /wʌt ɪt miːnz fɔːr/ ～にとって何を意味するか
• notoriously /noʊˈtɔːriəsli/ 悪名高く
• crime rate /kraɪm reɪt/ 犯罪率
• much safer /mʌʧ ˈseɪfər/ はるかに安全な
• economic future /ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk ˈfjuːʧər/ 経済の将来
• be snarled /bi snɑːrld/ 混乱・渋滞している
• security chaos /sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈkeɪɑːs/ セキュリティの混乱
• come out a winner /kʌm aʊt ə ˈwɪnər/ 勝者として浮上する
• host /hoʊst/ 司会を務める
fail to do は「～しない（義務違反）」の定型。what it means for ~ はニュース頻出の抽象表現。while は「～する一方で（対比）」の意味。come out a winner は結果として「勝ち組になる」というイディオム。
Alex Ossola: A landmark decision in California where a jury finds Meta and YouTube negligent and says the way their apps are designed hurts kids. Plus, after more than a decade of rampant violence and crime, Venezuela is starting to feel safer. We get into why.
Kejal Vyas : Around 10, 15 years ago, streets were so barren at night. People couldn't go out. We'd call a taxi just to go a few blocks. People were very, very scared of being robbed, mugged, kidnapped. It's really one of the most remarkable changes.
Alex Ossola: And security lines at airports are growing. One company is a clear winner.
It's Wednesday, March 25th. I'm Alex Ossola for The Wall Street Journal. This is the PM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today.
In Los Angeles, a jury ruled today that Meta, which owns Instagram and Google's YouTube were negligent for operating products that harmed kids and teens and failing to warn about those dangers. The jury ordered the companies to pay $6 million in damages. The decision comes just a day after another verdict in New Mexico that found Meta liable for failing to protect young people from online dangers. On that decision, Meta said it would appeal. For more on the outcome of the Los Angeles trial, I'm joined now by WSJ Tech reporter, Meghan Bobrowsky. Meghan, what does today's verdict mean for the two companies in question, Meta and YouTube?
Meghan Bobrowsky: Meta has lost two cases in the span of two days accusing them of social media harms towards children and being responsible for the design of their apps. So this is a landmark case, both these cases had financial penalties attached to them. And so in the case yesterday, Meta was ordered to pay $375 million. For reference, that is one 1/60th of the revenue they made in the last quarter. So a very, very small amount of the money they actually made. What these cases are really about is about setting precedent that these companies are not shielded by Section 230 as much as people might have thought they've been.
Alex Ossola: To remind listeners, Section 230 is part of a 1996 communications law that's been really important for internet companies. It's broadly protected them from being held liable for things like the videos and other posts on their platforms. So Meghan, what does this verdict mean for social media companies? Will they have to change their business practices?
• be held liable /bi hɛld ˈlaɪəbl/ 法的責任を問われる
be held liable は受動態で「責任を負わされる」。from being held ~ のように前置詞の後は動名詞。
Meghan Bobrowsky: This is all happening in real time. There are thousands of other cases similar to these ones that are going to trial in California. And so at a certain point, if they're losing these cases, do they keep going to trial with these, right? Or do you settle, make changes and do something else? That's what we're looking to see here is what the fallout is from this.
• fallout /ˈfɔːlaʊt/ 影響・余波
Alex Ossola: That was WSJ Tech reporter, Meghan Bobrowsky. Meta and Google say they plan to appeal.
In California, a battle is underway over a proposed billionaire tax. We've talked before on the show about a ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires. And the billionaires are fighting back with ballot measures of their own, and unsurprisingly, they've got deep pockets. The organization that proposed those countermeasures has collected nearly $80 million from tech and business leaders since January. Journal enterprise reporter, Laura Nelson is based in Los Angeles and joins me now. Laura, the organization, which is called Building a Better California, describes itself as a nonpartisan organization working to tackle long-term issues. How is it pushing back against the proposed wealth tax?
• ballot measure /ˈbælət ˌmɛʒər/ 住民投票案
Laura Nelson: That's right. So they have proposed three ballot measures of their own, each of which would take aim at a certain portion of the billionaire tax proposal. One of them would require more auditing of special tax programs in the state and would also set up a possible collision course with the billionaire tax over how some types of tax revenue can be spent. Another would bar retroactive taxes and new taxes on personal property. And then there's a third that would bar new taxes from bypassing rules that California has about how tax revenue needs to be spent for schools. So all three of these, none of them would directly negate the entire billionaire tax, but they would kick out legs from under the stool, if that makes sense.
• collision course /kəˈlɪʒən kɔːrs/ 衝突コース（対立の可能性）
• retroactive taxes /ˌrɛtroʊˈæktɪv ˈtæksɪz/ 遡及課税
• personal property /ˈpɜːrsənəl ˈprɑːpərti/ 個人資産
• bypass /ˈbaɪpæs/ 回避する
• negate /nɪˈɡeɪt/ 無効にする
• kick out legs from under ~ /kɪk aʊt lɛɡz frəm ˈʌndər/ ～の土台を崩す
Alex Ossola: Who are some of the people who are pushing back on this proposed billionaire tax?
Laura Nelson: So the main funder of this group is Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google. He has given about $45 million, more than half of the funding to this nonprofit that's been disclosed. But there's a lot of other scions of tech and business that have contributed as well, well-known venture capitalists from the Bay Area, including Michael Moritz and John Doerr, the co-founder of Stripe, Patrick Collison, and more than $3 million from the former chief executive of Google, Eric Schmidt.
• disclose /dɪsˈkloʊz/ 公開する
• scion /ˈsaɪən/ 名家の出身者・御曹司
Alex Ossola: Let's talk about where the proposals actually stand. So the billionaire tax is still getting signatures from voters. How likely does it seem to become a ballot measure and then potentially law?
Laura Nelson: We are about two months away from being able to answer that question. Campaigns that want to make sure that they will qualify their measures for the November ballot have about six weeks left to gather the signatures that they need. And I think it's safe to say that with both the billionaire tax and with the countermeasures, it will be down to the wire. We are within weeks of the deadline passing and they're all still out there.
• it’s safe to say (that) ~ /ɪts seɪf tuː seɪ/ ～と言ってよい
• countermeasure /ˈkaʊntərˌmɛʒər/ 対抗策
• down to the wire /daʊn tuː ðə ˈwaɪər/ ぎりぎりまで 「土壇場まで」
Alex Ossola: That was WSJ Enterprise reporter, Laura Nelson. Thanks, Laura.
Laura Nelson: Thank you.
Alex Ossola: Coming up, the latest on when the White House says the war with Iran will end, and the company that's offering travelers a way around those hours long wait times at airports. That's after the break.
Today, the White House threatened more attacks on Iran if Tehran doesn't make a deal to end the conflict. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the US is negotiating to end the war, but declined to say who it's been talking to. Iran has publicly rejected the US proposal to end the war, but Arab mediators say the country's leaders are willing to listen to diplomatic efforts. Still, both sides are far apart and discussions could fail. During a news briefing today, Leavitt said the war was on track to end by the time President Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May.
Karoline Leavitt : We've always estimated approximately four to six weeks, so you could do the math on that, Mario, but we do look for... I know the president looks forward to going to China on May 14th and 15th.
Alex Ossola: Levitt also said that the Trump administration doesn't plan to seek congressional authorization for the war in Iran. Cautious optimism that the war in the Middle East may be nearing a resolution lifted stocks. The NASDAQ led the gains and closed up 0.8%. Brent Crude, the international benchmark, fell below $100 a barrel.
For years, Venezuela was one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Drivers ran red lights to avoid carjackings. Public spaces like bars and parks would empty as night fell so people wouldn't get kidnapped. The country's capital Caracas was called the murder capital of the world by several crime tracking organizations, now, though, crime has dropped dramatically. Journal reporter Kejal Vyas was recently in Caracas and joins me now with more. Kejal, why did the crime situation get so bad in Venezuela in the first place?
Kejal Vyas : So Venezuela's had problems with urban violence going back decades, but it got significantly worse under Hugo Chavez. It was easy to find guns, gasoline was free. So between that and very lax law enforcement, you saw an absolute surge in kidnapping and homicide rates.
Alex Ossola: Fast-forward to today, the government of Delcy Rodriguez says the homicide rate in 2025 fell to 3 per 100,000, which is lower than the US. Now, criminologists were pretty skeptical of that number, but you report that life on the ground does seem to speak to a drop in the crime rate. How are we seeing that play out across the country?
• homicide rate /ˈhɑːmɪsaɪd reɪt/ 殺人率
• fast-forward to ~ /ˈfæst ˌfɔːrwərd tuː/ ～に話を進めると
• criminologist /ˌkrɪməˈnɑːlədʒɪst/ 犯罪学者
• on the ground /ɑːn ðə ɡraʊnd/ 現地では・実地で
• speak to ~ /spiːk tuː/ ～を示している
• play out /pleɪ aʊt/ 展開する・現れる
Kejal Vyas : Absolutely. So Venezuela peaked about a decade ago at a rate of 90 homicides for 100,000 inhabitants. The government has its version of 3 per 100,000, independent criminologists who estimate somewhere in the low 20s range. It's still high comparable to neighboring Colombia or even Mexico, but it's a huge improvement and you see it in the way people live their daily lives. Around 10, 15 years ago, streets were so barren at night. People couldn't go out. You'd call a taxi just to go a few blocks. People were very, very scared of being robbed, mugged, kidnapped. It's really one of the most remarkable changes. People aren't running panicked when they see a motorcyclist pass by these days, which in years past would have been probably a guaranteed robbery. And now it's more likely they're bringing you a delivery or they're your motor taxi driver.
Alex Ossola: It sounds like quite a transformation. Why this drop?
Kejal Vyas : So the drop has a few different explanations, but the mass migration that the country saw is probably the number one reason that you see criminologists cite. Over the last 10, 12 years, we saw roughly eight million people from Venezuela leave, that's between a quarter and a third of the general population. And cataclysmic economic collapse under Nicolás Maduro actually made the life of a gangster also difficult. There was less money to steal. Another major factor is these police sweeps. The Venezuelan government ran for several years, large security teams going into the slums and going on killing sprees. And so from that era, we've had thousands of allegations of extrajudicial killings. However, it also did contribute to a major shift in city life in Venezuela.
• cataclysmic /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/ 壊滅的な
• economic collapse /ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk kəˈlæps/ 経済崩壊
• police sweep /pəˈliːs swiːp/ 掃討作戦
• slum /slʌm/ スラム
• killing spree /ˈkɪlɪŋ spriː/ 無差別殺害行為
• extrajudicial killing /ˌɛkstrəʤuˈdɪʃəl ˈkɪlɪŋ/ 超法規的殺害
Alex Ossola: You mentioned that mass migration from Venezuela was a big factor in reducing crime there. President Trump has blamed migrants from Venezuela for crime in the US. How have politicians in other countries reacted?
Kejal Vyas : When you have an exodus of eight million people, there's going to be a small fraction of society that will be prone to criminal life. And so certainly around the Americas, from Chile to Peru, to Colombia, all the way up to the US, we saw local authorities complain about activities from Venezuelan criminal syndicates that moved in and these became really hot button political issues.
• exodus /ˈɛksədəs/ 大量流出
• a fraction of ~ /ə ˈfrækʃən əv/ ～の一部
• criminal life /ˈkrɪmɪnəl laɪf/ 犯罪的な生活
• criminal syndicate /ˈkrɪmɪnəl ˈsɪndɪkət/ 犯罪組織
• hot-button issue /ˈhɑːt ˌbʌtən ˈɪʃuː/ 議論を呼ぶ敏感な問題
Alex Ossola: But back in Venezuela, the security situation we've been talking about is going to be put to the test soon, right? Because investment scouts are going to be there looking at business opportunities. What does the changing security situation mean for Venezuela's economic growth?
• put ~ to the test /pʊt tuː ðə tɛst/ ～を試す
• investment scout /ɪnˈvɛstmənt skaʊt/ 投資調査担当者
Kejal Vyas : Improving security is a crucial step to getting investors confident enough to explore opportunities and eventually sign deals that the country badly needs for its economic development. We've spoken to a number of people who are organizing investor trips in the upcoming weeks, and yes, they are hiring armored cars, hiring bodyguards, following corporate protocol in many cases. It's interesting to watch that happen at the same time that the country, at least the capital city, feels safer than it has at any time in 15 years.
Alex Ossola: That was WSJ reporter, Kejal Vyas. Thanks, Kejal.
Kejal Vyas : Thank you, Alex.
Alex Ossola: And finally, it's been more than six weeks since the Department of Homeland Security funding lapsed, and airport security lines have gotten frustratingly long. That's benefiting one company in particular, CLEAR Secure. That's behind the CLEAR fast lane through airport security, it costs a couple hundred dollars per year. Since the beginning of March, passengers have downloaded the CLEAR app 289,000 times. Data from the market intelligence firm SensorTower shows that's more than triple the number from a year ago, and CLEAR stock is up 60% from last month.
And that's What's News for this Wednesday afternoon. Today's show is produced by Pierre Bienaimé and Imani Moise with supervising producer, Tali Arbel. I'm Alex Ossola for The Wall Street Journal. We'll be back with a new show tomorrow morning. Thanks for listening.
WSJ: 20260326
• buckle /ˈbʌkəl/ 崩れかける・耐えきれなくなる
• ambivalence /æmˈbɪvələns/ 曖昧な態度・相反する感情
• deter /dɪˈtɜːr/ 抑止する
• bedrock /ˈbɛdrɑːk/ 基盤・根幹
• markedly /ˈmɑːrkɪdli/ 著しく
• far-reaching /ˌfɑːr ˈriːʧɪŋ/ 広範囲に及ぶ
WSJ: 20260325
The Oil Supply Crunch Is Spreading From the Gulf to the Rest of the World
• oil supply crunch /ɔɪl səˈplaɪ krʌnʧ/ 原油供給の逼迫
• spread from A to B /sprɛd frəm eɪ tu bi/ AからBへ広がる
• unless /ənˈlɛs/ ～でない限り
• peace talks /pis tɔks/ 和平交渉
• pan out /pæn aʊt/ うまくいく、結果が出る
• traders /ˈtreɪdərz/ トレーダー、市場関係者
• crude cargoes /krud ˈkɑrɡoʊz/ 原油貨物
• cascade to /kæsˈkeɪd tu/ ～へ連鎖的に波及する
• elsewhere /ˌɛlsˈwɛr/ 他の場所で
Wall Street Enlists a Marine Veteran to Take On Mamdani’s Tax Hikes
• enlist /ɪnˈlɪst/ 起用する、参加させる
• marine veteran /məˈrin ˈvɛtərən/ 海兵隊出身の退役軍人
• take on /teɪk ɑn/ ～に立ち向かう
• tax hikes /tæks haɪks/ 増税
• warn that /wɔrn ðæt/ ～と警告する
• business elites /ˈbɪznəs ɪˈlits/ ビジネス界のエリート
• flee /fli/ 逃げる、離れる
Dozens of Close Calls on Runways Preceded Deadly LaGuardia Crash
• dozens of /ˈdʌzənz əv/ 数十の
• close call /kloʊs kɔl/ 危機一髪
• runway /ˈrʌnˌweɪ/ 滑走路
• precede /prɪˈsid/ ～に先立つ
• near collision /nɪr kəˈlɪʒən/ ニアミス
• persist /pərˈsɪst/ 続く
• amid /əˈmɪd/ ～の中で
• operating constraints /ˈɑpəˌreɪtɪŋ kənˈstreɪnts/ 運用上の制約
• communication shortfalls /kəˌmjunəˈkeɪʃən ˈʃɔrtˌfɔlz/ 通信不足
OpenAI Scraps Sora Video Platform Months After Launch
• scrap /skræp/ 廃止する
• months after /mʌnθs ˈæftər/ ～か月後に
• release /rɪˈlis/ 公開する
• insert oneself into /ɪnˈsɜrt wʌnˈsɛlf ˈɪntu/ 自分を～に入り込ませる
• among other functions /əˈmʌŋ ˈʌðər ˈfʌŋkʃənz/ 他にも様々な機能がある
They’re Rich but Not Famous—and They’re Suddenly Everywhere
• be worth ～ /bi wɜrθ/ ～の価値がある（資産がある）
• eight figures /eɪt ˈfɪɡjərz/ 8桁（千万単位）
• nine figures /naɪn ˈfɪɡjərz/ 9桁（億単位）
• markedly /ˈmɑrkɪdli/ 著しく
• transform /trænsˈfɔrm/ 変革する
Anduril, Palantir Are Developing Golden Dome Missile Shield’s Software
• develop /dɪˈvɛləp/ 開発する
• missile shield /ˈmɪsəl ʃild/ ミサイル防衛システム
• consortium /kənˈsɔrʃiəm/ 共同事業体
• operating system /ˈɑpəˌreɪtɪŋ ˈsɪstəm/ OS
Danish Prime Minister in Limbo After Poor Election Result
• in limbo /ɪn ˈlɪmboʊ/ 宙ぶらりん状態
• suffer /ˈsʌfər/ 被る（損害など）
• in over a century /ɪn ˈoʊvər ə ˈsɛnʧəri/ 100年以上で
• despite /dɪˈspaɪt/ ～にもかかわらず
• confrontation /ˌkɑnfrənˈteɪʃən/ 対立
U.S. Government’s Ban on Anthropic Looks Like Punishment, Judge Says
• ban on /bæn ɑn/ ～に対する禁止
• look like /lʊk laɪk/ ～のように見える
• punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ 処罰
• challenge /ˈʧælɪndʒ/ 異議を唱える
• designation /ˌdɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən/ 指定
• national security risk /ˈnæʃənəl sɪˈkjʊrəti rɪsk/ 国家安全保障上のリスク
WSJ: 20260324
• back-channel diplomacy /ˈbæk ˌʧænəl dɪˈploʊməsi/ 非公式外交
• U-turn /ˈjuː tɜːrn/ 方針転換
• backtrack /ˈbækˌtræk/ 発言・方針を撤回する
backtrack on ~「～を撤回する」、
• edge toward ~ /ɛʤ təˈwɔːrd/ 徐々に～に近づく
• war chest /ˈwɔːr ʧɛst/ 豊富な資金
• kingmaker /ˈkɪŋˌmeɪkər/ 実力者、影の支配者
• come back to bite /kʌm bæk tuː baɪt/ 後で悪影響を及ぼす
what's new
• steer clear of /stɪr klɪr əv/ ～を避ける
• peel back the lid /piːl bæk ðə lɪd/ 実態を明らかにする
• if anything /ɪf ˈɛniˌθɪŋ/ どちらかといえば／ほとんど～ない 実際は “ほぼない” の強調
• vote with one’s feet /voʊt wɪð wʌnz fiːt/ 行動で意思表示する 「足で投票」＝行動で判断
ballet（比喩）「バレエ」＝繊細な調整
it's a delicate balancing act-> difficult ballet の自然な言い換え
• pony up /ˈpoʊni ʌp/ お金を払う
• caught in the crosshairs /kɔːt ɪn ðə ˈkrɔːsˌhɛrz/ 板挟みになる
WSJ: 20260323
dissident 人 -dent = 人っぽい（student系）
dissent 反対 動詞/抽象
descent 下降 de（下）
decent まとも 発音が長い /diː/
- in kind = 同じ方法で（特に報復）
- as well = ～も（単なる追加）
- ニュースでは in kind = ほぼ報復表現