American Refugee

Ken Bradley
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Society & Culture
  • Biweekly

American Refugee An American living abroad looks back at home, at its problems, its beauty, and the lessons I've learned from the people around me. I'm Ken Bradley, a Minnesotan who sold almost everything in 2022 and now lives in a quiet corner of the world I call Shangri-La. I spent a career in electoral politics and policy advocacy, and years before that as a standup comic. Each episode starts with a personal story and follows it into a bigger question: politics, healthcare, money, faith, gratitude, and what it means to live a good life. Part commentary, part memoir, never just the news.

  1. 2d ago

    Face to Face

    Face to Face

 We were promised a world brought closer together and a global town square. We got algorithms that profit from our anger. 

In this episode, I trace my own path from Paul Wellstone's campaign trail and the Cree communities of northern Manitoba to my reluctant first social media account in 2009. I share how a joke on the road became the name of this show, what an Albanian code of honor called Besa taught me about trust, and why the promises coming out of Silicon Valley look like its opposite.

 Trust isn't built on a feed. It's built across a table. So this week, skip the comments and buy someone a cup of coffee.

 One ask. I don't ask for donations or payments through any platform, and I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or in the future.The only payment I'll ever ask for is this: follow or subscribe wherever you listen. And when you hear an episode that would speak to someone you know, share it with them. If you'd like to leave a like or a comment, I'd be honored to read it.For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugeeStay awake out there.American Refugee _____________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES

 Rathje, Van Bavel and van der Linden, "Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media," PNAS (2021): 2.7 million posts; out-group posts shared about twice as often; each out-group term raised the odds of a share by 67%.
 • Wall Street Journal, "Facebook Executives Shut Down Efforts to Make the Site Less Divisive" (May 2020).
 • Pew Research Center (Aug 2022): share calling the other party "more immoral" rose from 47% (R) and 35% (D) in 2016 to 72% and 63% in 2022. 
• Northern Flood Agreement (Dec 16, 1977): Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro, Canada, and five Cree Nations. informea.org; Cultural Survival
 • Yad Vashem, "Besa: A Code of Honor."
 • Peter Thiel, "The Antichrist" lecture series, San Francisco (Sept to Oct 2025), reported by The Guardian, Washington Post, and POLITICO.
 • Alex Karp, Palantir investor call (Feb 2025), reported by Mother Jones and Gizmodo.
 • Palantir and Israel Ministry of Defense strategic partnership (Jan 2024). Palantir denies involvement in the Lavender and Gospel targeting programs. 
• UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, "From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide" (A/HRC/59/23, 2025).
• UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Sept 16, 2025): 60,199 Palestinians killed Oct 7, 2023 to July 31, 2025, including 18,430 children and 9,735 women. Israel rejected the findings.

 Music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan. Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  2. 5d ago

    A Message to the Winners

    A Message to the WinnersTo every member of Congress who just won: congratulations. Now get to work.Tuesday night, Democrats swept the House and flipped Senate seats in places few thought possible: Texas, Kansas, Iowa, South Carolina, Ohio, North Carolina, and Maine. It was one of the most lopsided midterms in modern American history.But I spent years in electoral politics, and I know what happens the morning after. Leadership, donors, and lobbyists start calling the winners before the confetti's swept up. So this episode is my call.This wasn't a love letter to either party. It was a referendum on President Trump: a global tariff war, Middle East wars that pushed up gas prices, and a president more focused on his own name and legacy than on what anything costs. When deep red states go looking for a life jacket, that's not a love affair. It's a rescue call, and rescue calls come with expectations.My message to the newly elected: have the honest conversation about new leadership, even if it isn't the pragmatic thing to do. Learn from the candidates who won the hardest races by sounding like neighbors, not Washington. And start with four things: end the wars, build housing at Apollo-program scale, take on the healthcare industrial complex, and make every bill answer one question first. Does this lower costs for ordinary Americans?One ask. I don't ask for donations or payments through any platform, and I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or in the future.The only payment I'll ever ask for is this: follow the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen, and leave a star rating and a quick review. And when you hear an episode that would speak to someone you know, share it with them. If you'd like to leave a like or a comment, I'd be honored to read it.For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugeeStay awake out there.American Refugee————————SHOW NOTES• Results as of Nov 4–5, 2026: Democrats lead the Senate 54–44, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled; Democrats projected to win more than 250 House seats (CBS News, Forbes, MS NOW)• Democratic Senate flips: Texas (James Talarico), Kansas (Adam Hamilton), Iowa (Josh Turek), South Carolina, Ohio (Sherrod Brown), North Carolina (Roy Cooper), Maine• The Healthcare Industrial Complex, my series on Substack: @kbamericanrefugee• Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed 427 to 1: congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405• The U.S. and New Zealand are the only countries that allow prescription drug ads aimed at consumers.A huge thank you to Alex Kaplan for our music, "Awaken Child." Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  3. Nov 4

    The Shield of Certainty

    The Shield of Certainty When I was a boy, my divorced parents went to the same church every Sunday. Same service, same sermon. They never once sat together.Israel voted on October 27th, and as I recorded this, no one knew who would lead its next government. This episode starts there, with a short recap of why I stopped staying quiet about Israel. Then I go back to those pews to talk about faith, forgiveness, and why I'm agnostic. Not because I oppose religion, but because I oppose absolutism.From "an eye for an eye" to "turn the other cheek," from the Buddha to Confucius, I look at what happens when certainty becomes a shield, whether it's held by believers or atheists.One ask. I don't ask for donations or payments through any platform, and I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or in the future.The only payment I'll ever ask for is this: follow or subscribe wherever you listen. And when you hear an episode that would speak to someone you know, share it with them. If you'd like to leave a like or a comment, I'd be honored to read it.For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugeeStay awake out there.American Refugee————————SHOW NOTES• The Middle of the Mess: Why I Stopped Staying Quiet About Israel, with every source check out @kbamericanrefugee on Substack. • Love My Gay Dad, the episode about my father's story: [ADD EPISODE LINK]• Israel election results, as of October 28, 2026: Times of Israel, https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-85-of-votes-counted-netanyahu-bloc-has-53-seats-eisenkots-48-arab-parties-surge-to-19/• Bible passages quoted from the English Standard Version: Exodus 21, Deuteronomy 20, Psalm 137, Nahum 1, Matthew 5.A huge thank you to Alex Kaplan for our music, "Awaken Child." Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  4. Nov 1

    Closing the Blinds

    Closing the Blinds

 A kid born on the Fourth of July, raised on Walter Cronkite and the morning paper, growing up between Humphrey Democrats on one side of the family and Republicans on the other. Back then, the rule was simple. Argue with the people who'll still pass you the mashed potatoes. 

In this episode, the Sunday before Election Day, I look at how America went from neighbors who didn't know each other's politics to neighbors who know nothing but. In 1960, almost no one cared if their child married across party lines. Today, half of one party would be upset. And the algorithms learned that our anger pays.

 One ask. I don't ask for donations or payments through any platform, and I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or in the future.The only payment I'll ever ask for is this: follow or subscribe wherever you listen. And when you hear an episode that would speak to someone you know, share it with them. If you'd like to leave a like or a comment, I'd be honored to read it.For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugeeStay awake out there.American Refugee _______________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES

• Iyengar, Sood and Lelkes, "Affect, Not Ideology" (2012), on 1960 and 2010 attitudes toward cross-party marriage
• Pew Research Center, "As Partisan Hostility Grows, Signs of Frustration With the Two-Party System" (2022)
• Pew Research Center, "Political Polarization in the American Public" (2014)
• Rathje, Van Bavel and van der Linden, "Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media," PNAS (2021)
• Congressional votes on the Equal Rights Amendment (1971 to 1972)

 Music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan. Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  5. Oct 28

    Spidy, Fen-Phen, and the Next Miracle

    Spidy, Fen-Phen, and the Next Miracle

 A neighborhood dad once nicknamed me Spidy, all arms and legs. Decades and a hundred extra pounds later, I've learned one boring truth about weight: watch what you eat, and keep moving.

 Now the miracle shot is everywhere. About one in nine American adults is on a GLP-1 for weight loss. I've heard this pitch before: Rainbow Pills, Fen-Phen, Dexatrim, ephedra. Approved, celebrated, then pulled. In this episode, I look at why America got so heavy, why Japan and Vietnam didn't, what the commercials leave out about these drugs, and why the UK is reporting deaths the FDA isn't talking about.

 I'm not telling anyone what to put in their body. I'm asking you to hear the whole story before you sign up for the subscription. One ask. I don't ask for donations or payments through any platform, and I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or in the future.The only payment I'll ever ask for is this: follow or subscribe wherever you listen. And when you hear an episode that would speak to someone you know, share it with them. If you'd like to leave a like or a comment, I'd be honored to read it.For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugeeStay awake out there.American Refugee _______________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES

 U.S. obesity
• Trust for America's Health, State of Obesity 2025 (2024 CDC data): West Virginia 41.4%, Mississippi 40.4%; Colorado 25.0%, D.C. 25.5%. 19 states at or above 35%. tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-report-2025/
• CDC 2024 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps: Midwest 35.9%, South 34.5%. cdc.gov/obesity/data-and-statistics/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html
• CDC NHANES 2021 to 2023: 40.3% of U.S. adults with obesity.

Global comparison
• WHO and NCD-RisC estimates via World Obesity Federation: U.S. about 42%, Mexico 36%, U.K. 27%, Germany 20%, France 11%, Switzerland 14%, Japan 4 to 6%, South Korea 6 to 7%, Vietnam about 2%.

 GLP-1s
• Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (July 2026): 11% of U.S. adults on a GLP-1 for weight loss, up from 3% in 2024.
• STEP 1 trial extension (Wilding et al., 2022): about two-thirds of lost weight regained within a year of stopping semaglutide.
• UK MHRA Yellow Card data (Aug 2026): 216 death reports (Mounjaro 120, semaglutide 59, Saxenda 37). These are suspected reactions, not confirmed causes.
• MHRA pancreatitis warning (Jan 2026).
• FDA, "Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss." fda.gov

Drug ads
• Only the U.S. and New Zealand allow direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads; $10.8 billion spent in 2024 (MediaRadar, via Bloomberg Law).

Weight-loss drug history
• Rainbow diet pills: American Journal of Public Health (2012); 1968 Senate hearings.
• Fen-Phen: Mayo Clinic report (NEJM, Aug 1997); FDA withdrawal request Sept 15, 1997; PBS Frontline.
• PPA (2000), ephedra (2004), sibutramine (2010), lorcaserin (2020).
• Red Dye No. 3: FDA revoked food authorization in January 2025.

Music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan. Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  6. Oct 25

    Playing God

    Playing God As a kid delivering newspapers, I read every story before it hit a doorstep. That's where I first learned to spot a false prophet. Charles Manson. Jim Jones. David Koresh. Each one claimed a direct line to God. Each one left bodies behind. This spring, a sitting president posted an AI image of himself as Jesus Christ. Then he posted another one. In this episode, I look at the long American pattern of men who play God, the political and religious insiders building that same mythology around Donald Trump today, and the simple rule a lifetime of headlines taught me: anyone who tells you they're divinely anointed is not someone to follow. One ask. I don't ask for donations. I don't want your money through any platforms. I'm not taking advertising dollars, and I have no intention of ever doing so. What I do value is knowing these episodes are heard. So if this one meant something to you, follow American Refugee on Spotify, or subscribe wherever you listen. Then share it with one person who still reads past the headline. That's how a small, independent show grows, and it's the only support I'm asking for. For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugee Stay awake out there. American Refugee ———————— SHOW NOTES The images • April 12, 2026: Trump posts an AI image of himself as Jesus, deletes it the next day, and says he thought it showed him as a doctor. CNBC, Variety, Washington Post, The Hill • April 15, 2026: a second AI image of Trump embraced by Jesus, captioned "God... playing his Trump card." Forbes; The Hill • May 2025: an AI image of Trump dressed as the Pope, posted during the papal conclave. The reaction • Megan Basham and Riley Gaines, both conservative voices, publicly called the Jesus image blasphemy. CNBC The pattern • Charles Manson, Jim Jones and Jonestown (1978), David Koresh and Waco (1993), Marshall Applewhite and Heaven's Gate (1997), Warren Jeffs. • Claims of divine selection from Rick Perry, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Mike Pompeo, Brad Parscale, Paula White-Cain, and the "King Cyrus" framing from Lance Wallnau and Franklin Graham. A huge thank you to Alex Kaplan for our music, "Awaken Child." Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  7. Oct 21

    NBA Arena Economics

    NBA owners want a new arena. Taxpayers get the bill. In this episode, I run the actual math on who benefits, who pays, and why decades of economic research keep reaching the same uncomfortable conclusion. These deals almost never pencil out the way the pitch deck promises. One ask. I don't ask for donations. I don't want your money through any platforms. And I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or ever. What I do value is knowing these episodes are heard. So if this one meant something to you, follow American Refugee on Spotify, or subscribe wherever you listen. Then share it with one person who needs to hear it. That's how a small, independent show grows, and it's the only support I'm asking for. For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack at @kbamericanrefugee Stay awake out there.American Refugee Want to dig deeper? Two of the best places to start: • Brookings, "Sports, Jobs, & Taxes. Are New Stadiums Worth the Cost?" The clearest single explainer of why the standard "economic impact" pitch doesn't hold up, from one of the most credible policy institutions around. brookings.edu/articles/sports-jobs-taxes-are-new-stadiums-worth-the-cost/• Journalist's Resource, "Sports stadiums and taxpayer financing. A primer and research roundup." A well-organized summary of the peer-reviewed research, including recent studies on NBA and NHL arenas and foot-traffic data. journalistsresource.org/economics/sports-stadium-public-financing/ Music is "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan. Listen and follow him wherever you stream music.

  8. Oct 18

    Episode: Guns Don't Kill People, Lack of Sensible Laws Kills People

    Guns Don't Kill People, Lack of Sensible Laws Kills People I grew up hearing "guns don't kill people, people kill people" long before I understood what that phrase was asking me to ignore. In this episode, I trace three very different moments that shaped what I believe about guns in America: a childhood friend shot by accident, my own near-miss with a loaded gun as a teenager, and a friend's very real fear in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. Along the way, we look at the data on mass shootings and legally purchased weapons, and at how a country like Canada handles licensing differently than we do. No easy answers, just an honest look at what I've seen and what the numbers actually say. Music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan, coming soon wherever you stream music. Go find him and give him a follow. You're going to want this one. One ask. I don't ask for donations. I don't want your money through any platform. And I have no intention of taking advertising dollars, now or ever. What I do value is knowing these episodes are heard. So if this one meant something to you, follow American Refugee on Spotify, or subscribe wherever you listen. Then share it with one person who needs to hear it. That's how a small, independent show grows, and it's the only support I'm asking for. For the written word, with deeper dives, more receipts, and the same voice, find me on Substack: @kbamericanrefugee Stay awake out there.American Refugee Organizations working on gun violence prevention:• Everytown for Gun Safety: ⁠everytown.org⁠• Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: ⁠giffords.org⁠• Brady United: ⁠bradyunited.org⁠• March For Our Lives: ⁠marchforourlives.org⁠• Sandy Hook Promise: ⁠sandyhookpromise.org⁠ If you or someone you know is struggling:• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (US)• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741

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About

American Refugee An American living abroad looks back at home, at its problems, its beauty, and the lessons I've learned from the people around me. I'm Ken Bradley, a Minnesotan who sold almost everything in 2022 and now lives in a quiet corner of the world I call Shangri-La. I spent a career in electoral politics and policy advocacy, and years before that as a standup comic. Each episode starts with a personal story and follows it into a bigger question: politics, healthcare, money, faith, gratitude, and what it means to live a good life. Part commentary, part memoir, never just the news.

Information

  • Creator
    Ken Bradley
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ken Bradley
  • Show Website
    American Refugee