Americans who moved to Vietnam and Thailand say their lives are now lower-stress and lower-cost. But glamorous videos on TikTok don’t tell the whole story.
NPR
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Democrats dominate midterm fundraising, but Republicans have a huge cash advantage
The latest campaign finance reports show Democratic enthusiasm in key House and Senate races, but national Republican groups have far more in the bank to potentially spend down the road.
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Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve $110B merger with Paramount Skydance
Paramount CEO David Ellison must now make his case to regulators and a wary Hollywood that the merger is good for the industry.
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The billionaires’ utopia blueprint
Starbase. Prospera. California Forever. Mars. From private cities to interstellar colonies, tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have backed experiments designed to operate beyond the borders — and laws — most of us live by. So we wondered: has this happened before? In this episode, we visit an Arctic archipelago, homesteads floating in the ocean, and a startup city in Honduras to explore where places built with the ultra-rich in mind leave all the rest of us.
Guests:
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, author of The Cosmopolites and The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World
Wayne Gramlich, retired computer engineer
Dan Girma, producer on NPR’s Embedded podcast
Jacob Silverman, author of Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley
To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.
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What do we think of Michael Jackson now?
Michael Jackson remains one of the most influential and celebrated musicians in modern history, yet his legacy continues to inspire both intense criticism and fascination. The new film, Michael, is set for release this week, raising the question of whether an estate-approved biopic can truly redefine an artist’s legacy. Aisha Harris explores the various music videos and biopics related to this generational talent, whose narrative was crafted throughout his lifetime and long after his death, especially in the wake of sexual abuse allegations.
Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour
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How to get your tariff cash back
Businesses might finally see some tariff money refunded to them. That’s because this week, the federal government officially rolled out a process that allows businesses to apply for a refund.
Today on the show, we speak with three business owners about the unexpected simplicity and frustration of the Trump tariff refund process.Â
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Related episodes:Â
Can I get my tariff money back now?
Trump’s backup options for tariffs
Three ways companies are getting around tariffs
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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Trump administration flies 10-year-old back from Cuba amid custody fight
President Trump’s Department of Justice sent a plane this week to Cuba to return a 10-year-old from Utah who is at the center of a custody fight involving the child’s gender identity.
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Chemical leak at a W.Va. plant kills 2 people, sends 30 more to hospitals, officials say
The leak occurred at the Catalyst Refiners plant, a silver recovery business. An emergency management official says workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility when the leak occurred, causing a chemical gas reaction.
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Pentagon says Navy secretary is leaving, the latest departure of a top defense leader
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said John Phelan, the Navy’s top civilian official, was “departing the administration, effective immediately.” Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will become acting secretary of the Navy.
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Tesla’s profits beat expectations, but Elon Musk says big costs are ahead
Tesla’s profits were up from this time last year. But the company warned investors to prepare for expensive investments in next-generation technology like humanoid robots and AI.
