NPR's Book of the Day - A new biography tells the twin stories of James Gandolfini and Tony Soprano

James Gandolfini starred in The Sopranos for six seasons. The show, which ended in 2007, was considered an instant classic and permanently linked Gandolfini to his character, Tony Soprano. Gandolfini died in 2013, but a new biography tells the story of his life. In Gandolfini, Jason Bailey portrays the actor as an unlikely star who struggled after The Sopranos to grow as an artist. In today's episode, the author joins NPR's Scott Simon for a conversation about Gandolfini's path to HBO stardom, a famous pay negotiation, and the actor's struggle with personal demons.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Bond market nightmares

In early April, the bond market gave people a scare. Investors began selling off their historically secure U.S. Treasuries in large quantities. It reportedly encouraged President Trump to pause his flurry of liberation day tariffs. These jitters offered a glimpse into what could go wrong for U.S. Treasuries if economic uncertainty gets worse. On today's show, we take a peek at some nightmare scenarios for the bond market.

Related episodes:
Who's advising Trump on trade (Apple / Spotify)
IRS information sharing, bonds bust, and a chorebot future (Apple / Spotify)
Bond vigilantes. Who they are, what they want, and how you'll know they're coming (Apple / Spotify)
Is the reign of the dollar over? (Apple / Spotify)

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Tech Won't Save Us - Elon Musk is Remaking the US Space Program w/ Tim Fernholz

Paris Marx is joined by Tim Fernholz to discuss how Elon Musk’s influence in the White House is shaping the US Space Program, why he’s pushing NASA toward Mars instead of the Moon, and whether the Starship rocket is in trouble.

Tim Fernholz is a senior reporter at Payload Space and the author of Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - The Qatari Plane Is Just The Start

Between the crypto ventures, real estate deals, and a gift-wrapped tricked-out 747, it feels like Donald Trump is more open-for-business than ever this term. And since no one seems able or willing to stop him, why wouldn’t he be?

Guest: Andrea Bernstein, investigative journalist and host of Trump Inc and author of “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.”

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Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.


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The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester - Breaking the Huddle: The State of Social Services – Navigating Change to Preserve Critical Programs (Part 1)

Andrew McClenahan, Senior Director of Government Relations at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and former program leader at the Florida Department of Children and Families joins the show to dissect the growing concerns surrounding program integrity and fraud mitigation in federal and state benefit programs. We dive into what’s happening on Capitol Hill—from executive orders and agency mandates to the shifting dynamics of federal-state collaboration—and discuss the implications of recent USDA guidance on eligibility oversight, performance standards, and funding threats for underperforming states—particularly as pandemic relief funds dry up.

It Could Happen Here - The Gang Reviews Andor Season 2, Ep. 7-9

Robert, Mia, and Garrison discuss the third arc of Andor Season 2, covering the Ghorman Massacre. Terrorist cells are uniting under the boot of the Empire, a riot pits undercover agents vs outside agitators, and we see the consequences of bending the truth.

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Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova - What Should Colleges Do about ChatGPT?

Nate and Maria revisit their conclave predictions, and discuss Maria’s recent win in Monte Carlo. Then the talk about college students’ rampant use of ChatGPT to cheat on assignments, and how colleges and professors might be able to catch up.

Further Reading:

From New York Magazine: Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College

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Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver 


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CBS News Roundup - 05/14/2025 | World News Roundup Late Edition

 The nation's midsection begins days of what could be record heat. Secretary of Health and Human Services grilled on Capitol Hill about cuts in the agency. President Trump signs deal with Qatar and meets with Syria's president, who once fought against the U.S. in Iraq. CBS News Correspondent Jennifer Keiper with tonight's World News Roundup.

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