NPR's Book of the Day - In two noir novels, crime lurks beneath small town life in Norway and New England

In their new noir novels, authors Joseph Finder and Jo Nesbø choose small towns as the settings for dark plotlines. First, Finder's The Oligarch's Daughter follows a man named Paul who has built a new life under a new name in New Hampshire. He's on the run from a Russian oligarch, who happens to be his father-in-law. In today's episode, Finder speaks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about the difficulty of disappearing in today's era of surveillance technology, the difference between typical wealth and oligarch wealth, and how the Russian oligarch class' status has shifted under President Vladimir Putin. Then, one of the protagonists in Nesbø's Blood Ties is Roy, a 35-year-old mass murderer who's ready to start a family. Nesbø says his challenge was to make Roy someone readers could root for. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's Kelly about a piece of advice he received from Christopher Nolan, the way small towns hold secrets, and how writing lyrics prepared him to write novels.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - A new-ish gold rush and other indicators

It's Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at interesting numbers from the news.

On today's show, we welcome back co-host Adrian Ma.

We also have the price of gold going up, German defense stocking up, and U.S. mergers and acquisitions slowing down.

Related episodes:
NPR's Adrian Ma remembers girlfriend, Kiah Duggins, who died in D.C. plane crash
Europe's NATO members take an economic hit (Apple / Spotify)

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Fact-checking by
Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | Trump’s War on Scientific Research

The National Institutes of Health is the primary engine of biomedical research around the world, which makes the Trump administration's dramatic cuts to its grant program both confusing and potentially incredibly harmful.


Guest: Katherine J. Wu, staff writer for the Atlantic.


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What Could Go Right? - The Progress Report: Construction: It’s Electric!

In this episode of The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma discuss some encouraging developments around the world, including a new nasal surgery in London that restores smell for long COVID patients, promising advancements in HIV prevention with the lenacapavir injection, and Oslo’s push to electrify construction sites for a quieter, more sustainable future. The conversation underscores recent positive advances in technology.


What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.


For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org


Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork


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The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester - 174: The One with the DoD Chief Experience Officer

Savanrith Kong, the First Chief Experience Officer for the United States Department of Defense joins the show to discuss why customer experience is critical in defense and national security. He also shares personal reflections on his leadership journey, insights from building the DoD's CX office from the ground up, and the strategic importance of storytelling, data-driven decisions, and user-centric design within large government organizations.

It Could Happen Here - Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #8

The gang discuss the rendition of Venezuelan migrants, attacks on trans people in the military, more arrests of graduate students, and the bird flu.

Sources:

https://www.laprensagrafica.com/internacional/Venezuela-dice-que-no-descansara-hasta-rescatar-a-migrantes-secuestrados-en-El-Salvador-20250317-0046.html

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/17/politics/deportation-flights-judge-timeline/index.html

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/doj-alien-enemies-act-deportation-flights-rcna196907

https://x.com/PressSec/status/1901584664906682833

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114183576937425149

https://www.foxnews.com/media/tom-homan-calls-out-federal-judge-defying-logic-ruling-stall-trump-deportations

https://x.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1902394620748657019

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436.38.0_1.pdf

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/columbia-university-signals-will-comply-trump-administrations-demands-rcna197110

https://archive.ph/SjG4h

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.41845/gov.uscourts.cadc.41845.01208721711.0.pdf

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/columbia-is-nearing-agreement-to-give-trump-what-he-wants-14315bb3

https://insideevs.com/news/753730/tesla-insurance-vandalism-elon-musk/

https://archive.ph/TwgRG

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/18/donald-trump-tariffs-recession-trade-war-updates/82495189007/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/us/politics/trump-tariffs.html

https://archive.ph/3erM8

https://www.lbc.co.uk/world-news/diplomatic-row-french-trumpr-researcher-expelled-from-terrorism-us/

https://thehoya.com/news/developing-gu-researcher-detained-by-immigration-agents/

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/trump-deportation-georgetown-graduate-student-00239754

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/trump-tariffs-live-updates-no-steel-aluminum-tariff-exemptions-coming-trump-says-191201285.html

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African Tech Roundup - From Policy to Independent Media: Fatu Ogwuche on Creative Storytelling in Tech

Episode overview: In this conversation, Fatu Ogwuche shares insights into her transition from working at Meta and consulting for Nigeria's Electoral Commission to launching her own media platform, Big Tech This Week. She discusses her entrepreneurial spirit, creative approach to storytelling, and the unique position independent creators hold in today's media landscape. Andile Masuku describes Ogwuche as "low-key the industry's head of intelligence" - a title earned through her knack for asking the right questions, journalistic research methods, and ability to get people comfortable enough to share meaningful insights about the African tech ecosystem. Key topics: - Transitioning from corporate roles to independent media ownership - The power of personality-driven content creation - Building authentic connections with interview subjects - Research as a foundation for compelling storytelling - The growth and evolution of Africa's tech media landscape - The balance between reporting ecosystem challenges and celebrating wins Notable points: 1. Ogwuche started Big Tech This Week as a hobby while working at Meta during the pandemic, seeking creative expression outside her corporate role 2. Her experience representing Nigeria's Electoral Commission on television at age 24-25 shaped her understanding of effective communication 3. The African tech and media ecosystems are both relatively young—many major startups and publications are only 10-16 years old 4. Independent creators are increasingly collaborating across borders to tell stories in fresh, compelling ways 5. Thorough research and genuine curiosity are central to Fatu's interview approach, allowing for deeper conversations with tech leaders Projects mentioned: - The Crossover Show 2024 - Ogwuche's year-end review featuring conversations with ecosystem leaders about significant trends and looking ahead to 2024 | Link: https://youtu.be/s31x58-EnJU?si=dvGqM9PDDnHFkSJP - "If Weekend Go Sweet" - A collaborative op-ed between Ogwuche and Masuku examining African tech's 2024 "Wednesday signals" | Link: https://www.africantechroundup.com/op-ed-if-weekend-go-sweet-fatu-ogwuches-reading-of-african-techs-2024-wednesday-signs-2/ - Backstories with Fatu - Ogwuche's interview series featuring tech entrepreneurs who don't typically do many interviews | Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFlwhyjoaXiZl0M34txzp8ACjqAQt8wC&si=v3XWNApO8Hik1rWo Fatu approaches her work with an authenticity that makes interview subjects comfortable sharing insights they might not reveal elsewhere. As both she and Andile note, what sets her apart is her combination of strategic intelligence, legal background, natural curiosity, and creative spark—along with a commitment to presenting information in ways that engage and inform. As the African tech ecosystem continues to develop alongside its media landscape, voices like Fatu's provide not just reporting but vital context and nuance, helping audiences understand both challenges and opportunities in a balanced way.

CBS News Roundup - 03/20/2025 | World News Roundup Late Edition

President Trump signs executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education.

NTSB says Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse could have been prevented, and issues warning for 68 other bridges. Judge calls Trump administration's latest response on deportation flights "woefully insufficient." CBS News Correspondent Jennifer Keiper with tonight's World News Roundup.

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