Phrasal Verb News

A struggling shoe brand sold its entire shoe business for $39 million — a company once worth $4 billion — then announced it was pivoting to AI. Its stock jumped 600% in one day. In this episode we use the wild story of Allbirds to break down 8 essential business English phrasal verbs and expressions you'll hear in real workplace conversations. Vocabulary covered: → Set out to → Disillusioned → Fal...

Episode Summary A formidable winter storm is currently gripping the United States. But how do these weather terms apply to your next business meeting? In this episode of our Phrasal Verb News series, we broadcast from Medellin, Colombia, to break down the high-level English used to describe crisis management, extreme weather, and human behavior. What You’ll Learn: The Business of Weather: How term...

OpenAI just rolled out two controversial new updates that have users and investors asking, “What are they thinking?” The first is Sora 2 , a platform some call “TikTok for AI-generated content,” where users can make realistic videos of anyone — living or dead. The second is a new adult-content mode in ChatGPT, approved only for verified users. While OpenAI says these moves are about creative freed...

In broad daylight , a group of thieves blended in with construction workers, made off with $100 million worth of Napoleon-era jewels, and slipped through the cracks of one of the most secure museums in the world. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , Grant breaks down the shocking heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris — how it happened, why investigators are still looking into it, and what English...

After two years of war in Gaza, a historic ceasefire has finally been reached — brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and hammered out in Egypt. The deal was signed off on by both Israel and Hamas, marking what many are calling a rare diplomatic breakthrough. As part of the first phase, Hamas handed over 20 Israeli hostages while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange n...

The Nobel Peace Prize is supposed to honor integrity — but this year, it’s surrounded by controversy. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado shocked the world by winning the Nobel Peace Prize , but three traders weren’t surprised at all — because they had already cashed in on her victory, making more than $90,000 in profit. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , Grant breaks down how a...

Many say AI is the future — an industry worth trillions of dollars — but others say it’s a bubble , built on circular money loops where the same few companies are investing in and buying from each other. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , Grant breaks down how companies like OpenAI, Nvidia, AMD, and Oracle are caught in a cycle of mutual spending that looks great on paper but might be more fra...

France’s Prime Minister just threw in the towel after only 28 days in office — the third one to step down in less than a year. Once again, President Macron is up a creek without a paddle , trying to manage a government that can’t see eye to eye or get on the same page about how to fix France’s massive debt crisis. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , Grant breaks down the story and teaches 5 use...

Can painting zebra stripes on cows really help them avoid flies? Do rainbow lizards really prefer four-cheese pizza? And does alcohol actually help people get by in a foreign language? Welcome to Phrasal Verb News , the show where you learn real English through real stories. I’m Grant, and today we’re diving into the hilarious — and surprisingly useful — research celebrated at the Ig Nobel Prizes...

Meta wanted to knock it out of the park with their new $800 Ray-Ban smart glasses — but instead, the live demo dropped the ball . Twice. From failed video calls to cooking AI that ignored commands, the event didn’t go as planned. Luckily, Zuckerberg managed to roll with the punches , and now Meta will need to iron out the bugs before launch. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , you’ll learn 4 po...

The average person says sorry at least 8 times a day — no wonder the word has lost some of its power. So what do you do when you really screw up and need to apologize? In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , I’ll explain new research on why effort matters when asking forgiveness, and how word choice can make an apology come across as more sincere. You’ll also learn four powerful phrasal verbs and i...

Episode overview TikTok isn’t just a social media app anymore — it’s at the center of a billion-dollar power struggle . U.S. lawmakers forced ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations or shut them down, and now a deal is finally starting to come together . In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , I’ll explain the story behind TikTok’s negotiations and teach you 4 useful phrasal verbs/idioms you can...

Episode overview The U.S. Federal Reserve just cut interest rates by 0.25% (25 basis points) — but why does this matter, and how does it affect not just the U.S. but the entire world? In this finance edition of Phrasal Verb News , I’ll explain the Fed’s decision in simple terms, show how it impacts inflation, jobs, and global markets, and teach you 4 phrasal verbs/idioms to talk about economic cau...

Episode overview After the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk, the story has shifted to the aftermath — the public reactions, online comments, and professional consequences that followed. From late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to anonymous social media users, many discovered that words can backfire , damage reputations, and even cost jobs. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , I’ll explain the sto...

Episode overview Rudeness isn’t just bad manners — it’s expensive. A new study from the Society for Human Resource Management found that workplace rudeness costs U.S. businesses $2.1 billion every single day. That’s 208 million acts of rudeness: being short in an email, cutting someone off in a meeting, talking down to colleagues, putting others down, or even talking behind someone’s back. In toda...

Episode overview After a week of protests, violence, and heavy headlines, it’s time for something different. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , we focus only on positive, funny, and uplifting stories — no politics, no scandals, no negativity. Just good news that can brighten your day and help you learn useful English expressions. First, we go to Colorado, where hikers climbing a 14,000-foot mo...

Episode overview At a Hyundai factory in Alabama , agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out a dramatic raid. Workers on the assembly line were suddenly told to drop what they were doing and line up to be questioned. By the end of the day, 475 employees were arrested in what ICE described as a major undertaking . The raid is part of a sweeping policy to crack down on illega...

Episode overview The board of Tesla wants to pay Elon Musk one trillion dollars — yes, that’s a one followed by 12 zeros. But there are plenty of strings attached. Musk will only get the money if he hits ambitious milestones, from doubling Tesla’s market cap to launching self-driving taxis and humanoid robots. Even then, the payout comes with “ golden handcuffs ” — he must stay with Tesla for 10 y...

Episode overview Three brothers from Scotland just set a world record that few would even dare to attempt: rowing across the entire Pacific Ocean . Starting in Peru and finishing in Australia, they rowed over 9,000 miles (14,500 km) in just 139 days — completely unsupported. Along the way they faced storms, seasickness, food shortages, and even a terrifying moment when one brother went overboard ....

Episode overview This week, Nestlé’s CEO was forced out after an internal investigation revealed he had crossed the line with a subordinate. The scandal came to light thanks to a whistleblower hotline, and the board quickly moved to replace him. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , we look at what happens when leaders dip the pen in company ink — and we also learn many ways to talk about quittin...

Episode overview At the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, China and India surprised the world by agreeing to bury the hatchet after years of border tension. Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi met face-to-face, signaling a desire to patch things up and focus on trade and stability. The summit also included plans to set up a new Development Bank to reduce dependence on Western inst...

Episode overview It’s Friday, which means it’s time for our weekly review! In this recap of Phrasal Verb News , we revisit four big stories — from the US government buying into Intel, to new US tariffs, a tragic rescue mission on Victory Peak, and the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Along the way, we’ll review more than a dozen phrasal verbs and idioms with Spanish translations and business-frien...

In a rare move, the US government has acquired a 10% stake in Intel , converting over $11 billion in pledged funds into shares of the struggling chipmaker. Supporters say it’s a smart way for the US to cash in while boosting domestic chip production, but critics warn that Washington is getting into dangerous territory by mixing politics and business. In this episode of Phrasal Verb News , we expla...

Episode overview Today’s story is a tragic one about Russian mountaineer Natalya Negovista , who became stranded on Victory Peak after breaking her leg during descent. Despite repeated rescue missions and climbers dropping off supplies, brutal weather and icy conditions forced authorities to eventually call off the search. The story highlights both the dangers of extreme mountaineering and the cou...

Episode overview Why is the Bermuda Triangle still so mysterious? In today’s episode of Phrasal Verb News , we clear up the myth with science, not superstition. Australian scientist Karl Kruszelnicki argues that statistics and weather explain what happens in the region between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. What you will learn Five useful English phrasal verbs with Spanish translations and bus...