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 freedom, critics warn they could open a can of worms around copyright, ethics, and profit motives. Some say the company had to resort to risky ideas to bring in new revenue while still banking on its long-term AI vision.

But with rising costs and public backlash, many believe OpenAI may now be on thin ice.

🎙️ In this episode of Phrasal Verb News, Grant breaks down the full story and teaches 6 key expressions from the headlines:

💡 Vocabulary You’ll Learn:

1️⃣ Roll out – to launch or introduce something new

2️⃣ Resort to – to do something extreme when there’s no better option

3️⃣ Open a can of worms – to cause new, complicated problems

4️⃣ Bring in – to attract or generate money, users, or attention

5️⃣ Bank on – to depend on or expect something to happen

6️⃣ On thin ice – to be in a risky or unstable situation

Each comes with real examples, Spanish translations, and practice questions to help you use them confidently at work or in conversation.

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📩 Contact: [email protected]

📚 Learn Real English Through Real Stories — new episodes weekly with news, idioms, and natural business English.

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 learners can take away (besides the jewels).

You’ll learn 5 natural English phrasal verbs that describe investigation, escape, and problem-solving — perfect for both business and everyday use:

💬 Vocabulary from the Episode:

1️⃣ Blend in – to mix into your surroundings and go unnoticed

2️⃣ Make off with – to steal something and escape

3️⃣ Look into – to investigate something carefully

4️⃣ Slip through the cracks – to go unnoticed due to a mistake

5️⃣ Piece together – to connect bits of information to understand a situation

🎙️ Why listen?

Because real stories make phrasal verbs unforgettable — and this one feels straight out of a movie.

🧠 Learn Real English Through Real News

👨‍🏫 Host: Grant from Phrasal Verb News

📅 New episodes every week: news, idioms, and business English explained clearly

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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 nearly collapsed when Hamas delayed sending the list of names, but negotiators managed to sort it out, and the transfer went off without a hitch.

Trump later bragged that this wasn’t the first time he had pulled off a big deal — calling it “the most beautiful peace agreement ever made.”

In this episode of Phrasal Verb News, Grant breaks down the story and teaches 6 powerful expressions used in business, politics, and everyday life — all connected to negotiation, problem-solving, and success.

1️⃣ Broker (a deal) – to arrange or mediate an agreement.

2️⃣ Sign off on (something) – to officially approve.

3️⃣ Hand over (something) – to give control or possession to someone else.

4️⃣ Go off without a hitch – to happen smoothly and successfully.

5️⃣ Sort out (something) – to resolve a problem or confusion.

6️⃣ Pull off (something) – to achieve something difficult or impressive.

🎙️ Learn real English from real headlines every week with Grant on Phrasal Verb News — the show that helps you sound confident, natural, and informed.

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish

📩 Contact: [email protected]

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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 few insiders may have driven up the odds on a crypto betting site — and how the scandal has brought to light big questions about money, ethics, and the gray areas of online prediction markets.

You’ll learn 5 natural English expressions you can use in both business and daily life, all taken directly from this week’s headlines.

1️⃣ Caught off guard – to be surprised by something unexpected.

2️⃣ Drive up – to increase quickly (prices, numbers, etc.).

3️⃣ Cash in – to profit from a situation.

4️⃣ Bring to light – to reveal something hidden.

5️⃣ Gray area – an unclear situation where the rules don’t fully apply.

🎙️ Learn real English through real news with Grant on Phrasal Verb News — the show that helps you sound professional, fluent, and informed about the world.

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish

📩 Contact: [email protected]

📺 Watch the video version on YouTube: Phrasal Verb News

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 fragile than it seems.

Learn how to talk about money, risk, and dependence in business English with today’s 5 key expressions:

1️⃣ Prop up – to support something artificially.

2️⃣ Shell out – to spend a large amount of money.

3️⃣ On paper – when something looks good in theory but not in practice.

4️⃣ Rely on – to depend on something or someone for success.

5️⃣ House of cards – something that looks stable but is actually fragile.

📘 In this episode:

• What “circular transactions” really mean in the AI industry
• Why Nvidia’s $100B investment in OpenAI might be self-reinforcing
• How these business idioms and phrasal verbs apply to your work

🎙️ Learn real English from real business stories every week with Phrasal Verb News — the podcast where headlines meet language learning.

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish

📩 Contact: [email protected]

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 useful expressions you can use in business, politics, and everyday life:

📘 Vocabulary You’ll Learn:

1️⃣ Throw in the towel – to give up or admit defeat.

2️⃣ See eye to eye / Get on the same page – to agree with someone.

3️⃣ Up a creek without a paddle – to be stuck in a difficult situation.

4️⃣ Last-ditch effort – a final, desperate attempt.

5️⃣ Step down – to resign or leave a position.

Each phrase includes:

✅ Real-life examples from the story

✅ Business English examples

✅ Spanish translations and practice questions

🎙️ Learn real English through real news with Phrasal Verb News — the show that helps you speak naturally, sound professional, and stay informed.

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish

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. These studies might make you laugh, but they also show how curiosity can lead to big discoveries.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• 🐄 How Japanese scientists came up with the zebra cow experiment.
• 🦎 Why rainbow lizards in Togo turned out to love pizza.
• 🍷 How alcohol helps people get by in another language.
• 🔬 Why even silly research can pave the way for breakthroughs.

• Come up with → Inventar / idear
• Turn out → Resultar / terminar siendo
• Get by → Arreglárselas / sobrevivir
• Lead to → Conducir a / dar lugar a

Each phrasal verb comes with English + Spanish examples, plus practice questions so you can use them immediately in work and daily life.

👉 Learn English. Laugh at science. Walk away with something interesting to share with your colleagues.

📩 Email me at [email protected]

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish

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 powerful expressions you can use in business and everyday English:

✅ Knock it out of the park – hacer algo excelente

✅ Drop the ball – meter la pata / fallar en algo importante

✅ Roll with the punches – adaptarse y seguir adelante

✅ Iron out the bugs – resolver problemas / ajustar detalles

👉 Listen to hear the full story, clear explanations, Spanish translations, and practice questions to use these verbs right away.

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish

Classes or Business Inquiries [email protected]

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 idioms you can use at work and in life:

• Screw up → meter la pata
• Come across as → dar la impresión de
• Get across → transmitir / comunicar
• Show up → aparecer / presentarse

👉 Practice questions included so you can start using these right away.

If you enjoy the show, you can support my work here: buymeacoffee.com/businessasusualenglish ☕

I’m Grant, and this is Phrasal Verb News — real English, real news.

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 use in business, politics, and everyday English — with Spanish translations and real examples.

What you’ll learn today

• come together – to gradually form or be completed
• En español: tomar forma / concretarse
• hold on to – to keep or retain something
• En español: conservar / mantener
• hammer out – to work hard to resolve or finalize details
• En español: negociar a fondo / resolver
• raise eyebrows – to cause surprise or disapproval
• En español: generar sorpresa / causar sospechas

Practice prompts

• Can you think of a project at work that finally came together after lots of effort?
• Is there something in your career you’d like to hold on to even if other things change?
• Have you ever had to hammer out a tough negotiation?
• What’s something that recently raised eyebrows in your workplace?

Key takeaway

TikTok’s U.S. future is more than just one company’s story — it could set the rules for how foreign tech firms do business in America. And for English learners, it’s the perfect way to pick up new phrasal verbs while following a story that’s making headlines.

Connect

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