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Tonight’s MET Gala is the most controversial yet

The MET Gala 2026 is already off to a controversial start, and no one has even shown up yet.

That’s because Anna Wintour has been buddying up with a certain billionaire, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos. The couple are the lead sponsors of this year’s gala. To be clear, the wealthiest people have always been involved with fashion’s biggest night, but this year some folks feels its more in the spotlight – at a time when many Americans feel like life is getting more and more unaffordable. 

Brittany is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith to lay out the stakes of this year’s MET Gala – from the billionaires to the best dressed.

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How taxing the wealthy could work

Tax cuts for the middle and working classes, and tax hikes for the rich. What’s behind this trend? We ask Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to explain his bill that eliminates federal income tax for many workers while hiking taxes for high earners. We also hear from a tax policy expert who has some reservations. 

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Related episodes: 
What if our income was taxed … totally differently? 
Will the tax cuts pay for themselves? 

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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Adam Scott checks in to a haunted inn in ‘Hokum’

In the satisfying new horror movie Hokum, Adam Scott plays a misanthropic writer who takes his parents’ ashes to the lonely Irish inn where they honeymooned many years ago. There’s just a few things dampening his stay: surly staff, a local eccentric and a witch haunting the hotel. Hokum was directed by Damian McCarthy, known for making similarly spooky films like Caveat and Oddity. 

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