American Refugee

Ken Bradley

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.

Episodes

  1. 16h ago

    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.

  2. 3d ago

    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

  3. Oct 14

    Love My Dead Gay Dad

    Love My Gay Dad A closeted father. A limp-wrist confession I mocked instead of heard. And years of quiet, buried grief hiding behind a good handshake. This one's personal, and it's got teeth. Music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan. Listen and follow him wherever you stream music. One ask. I don't ask for donations. I don't want your money through Patreon, Venmo, or any other 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 If any part of this story is yours, whether you're the one still in the closet, the one who loves someone who is, or the one who didn't listen when it mattered, these people can help: • LGBT National Help Center: peer support and information for all ages, including people still closeted. ⁠1-888-843-4564⁠ · ⁠lgbthotline.org⁠• SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline: for older LGBTQ+ adults and those who love them. ⁠1-877-360-5428⁠ · ⁠sageusa.org⁠• PFLAG: support for LGBTQ+ people and their families. ⁠pflag.org⁠• The Trevor Project: 24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people, ages 13–24. ⁠1-866-488-7386⁠ · text START to 678-678• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 for crisis support (US)

  4. Oct 11

    Dreaming Again

    Dreaming Again

 My report cards all said the same thing: "He appears to be daydreaming a lot." They were right.

 This episode is about the dreams we chase and the ones we let go. I walked away from the Carson dream to be home for my kids. Then in 2022, a "now or never" moment brought my dreams back, literally. And one night in Phuket, I followed the sound of "Beat It" into a parking lot and found a little girl in a school uniform, busking under a tip jar that read "Pay for School."

That girl was Nene Royal. She just won America's Got Talent. Her dream that night wasn't fame. It was school. I haven't stopped thinking about that since.

 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's still chasing a dream. 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

  5. Oct 7

    E - Embarrassed to Be a Minnesotan, and Even More an American

    Embarrassed to Be a Minnesotan, and Even More an American Michele Tafoya says people keep telling her they're embarrassed to be from Minnesota. So I checked. Turns out the embarrassment is real. It's just not built on rumors. It's built on the record: a state legislator's assassination, a mother shot by ICE, a nurse who cared for veterans killed by federal agents, children gunned down at a Catholic school, and a national picture that gets darker the further you zoom out. And that rhetorical trick Tafoya runs, "people tell me," is the same one that's been running this whole country for years. I checked that too. Sources & further reading:• Michele Tafoya's "people tell me" quote (FOX 9): fox9.com/news/michele-tafoya-fraud-affordability-immigration-minnesotas-us-senate-race• 2025 shootings of Minnesota legislators: Hortman, Hoffman, Boelter (Wikipedia): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_shootings_of_Minnesota_legislators• Killing of Renée Good (CNN): cnn.com/2026/01/08/us/renee-nicole-good-minneapolis-ice-shooting-hnk• Killing of Alex Pretti (NPR): npr.org/2026/01/25/nx-s1-5687361/minneapolis-shooting-latest-alex-pretti• Annunciation Catholic School shooting (AP/PBS): pbs.org/newshour/nation/shooting-reported-at-minnesota-school• National debt interest surpassing the defense budget (Washington Post): washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2026/08/31/why-americas-interest-payments-are-suddenly-spiking• Trump's 21,000+ disclosed stock trades (ABC News): abcnews.com/Politics/trump-discloses-21000-securities-trades-year-office/story?id=134427666• Trump's disclosed crypto income and family holdings (CBS News): cbsnews.com/news/trump-over-1-billion-on-crypto-ventures-financial-disclosures• Regional death toll since October 2023 in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Iran: UN OCHA / UNRWA situation reports; Wikipedia, "Casualties of the Gaza war" One ask. I don't ask for donations. I don't want your money through Patreon, Venmo, or any other 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

  6. Oct 4

    E- Doing Time — Age Discrimination

    Doing Time: Age Discrimination After a certain age, the job market can start to feel like a sentence you didn't earn. The interviews dry up, the "overqualified" emails roll in, and you start wondering if it's you. It's not. In this episode of American Refugee, I talk about age discrimination: what it looks like, why it's so easy to dismiss, and what it does to people who still have plenty to give. If you're dealing with it right now, you're not imagining it. Here are a few real resources: • AARP: Age Discrimination Fact Sheet & Rights: aarp.org/work/age-discrimination/fact-sheet/• AARP Foundation: free legal resources for older adults facing workplace age discrimination: aarp.org/aarp-foundation• U.S. EEOC: file an age discrimination charge: 1-800-669-4000 · eeoc.gov• Know your rights: the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects workers 40 and older in hiring, firing, pay, promotions, and layoffs, at employers with 20 or more employees. If this one hits home, follow American Refugee Substack or on Spotify, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you've lived this yourself, hit reply. I'd like to hear your story. Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan, used with the artist's permission. New music from Alex is coming soon; listen wherever you stream music. Stay awake out there. American Refugee

  7. Sep 30

    AR - Abesentee Voting - E6

    I just voted from thousands of miles away — birthdate, state ID, Social Security number, signature, the works, just to get a ballot mailed to me. So when someone claims foreigners are sneaking into American elections, I have some thoughts. This episode is the actual math on voter fraud, the real security checks your ballot goes through, and why the people repeating the "rigged election" line the loudest usually haven't checked their own state's rules — or their own voting history. More from me: find the full essays and everything else at @kbamericanrefugee on Substack. Show Notes — How to Check Your Own State's Absentee Voting Rules: • Vote.org — Absentee Ballot Rules by State: vote.org/absentee-voting-rules/ (clear breakdown of excuse vs. no-excuse states, deadlines, ID requirements) • USA.gov — Absentee Voting & Voting by Mail: usa.gov/absentee-voting • U.S. Vote Foundation — built specifically for overseas and military voters: usvotefoundation.org • AARP's 2026 state-by-state voting guide: aarp.org/government-elections/how-to-vote-2026/ Rules, deadlines, and ID requirements vary significantly by state — always double-check directly with your state's official election site before you vote. Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan — used with artist permission. New music from Alex, coming soon wherever you stream.

  8. Sep 27

    E-5 Healthcare Industrial Complex

    Eisenhower warned us about the military-industrial complex. He never got to meet it's replacement - an industry which swallowed up a fifth of our entire economy and still can't keep us as health as almost anywhere else on Earth. The numbers, the receipts, and one very expensive lesson which includes buying a house in Japan Listen and follow Alex Kaplan where you stream music! Follow me on Substack - The American Refugee @kbamericanrefugee Thanks for listening

  9. Sep 22

    E-4 - NENE ROYAL, THE GIRL WITH A GUITAR AS BIG AS SHE IS

    AMERICAN REFUGEE: EPISODE 4 NENE ROYAL, THE GIRL WITH A GUITAR AS BIG AS SHE IS Long before Howie Mandel compared her to Hendrix, before the Golden Buzzer, performance pulled nine million views in a week - she was the kid with a guitar bigger than she was, playing a night market in Phuket, Thailand. Tonight she's in the America's Got Talent Finals. Here's her story, and why I think you should watch! Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan, used with artists permission. New music from Alex coming soon - go find him. Follow me on Substack - The American Refugee @kbamericanrefugee

  10. Sep 20

    E-3 - THE BUSINESS OF DEPARTURE

    AMERICAN REFUGEE: EPISODE 3 - THE BUSINESS OF DEPARTURE A dying friend. A family restaurant that's fed the same neighborhood for generations. And a hard look at how America prices dignity by the month while the rest of the world still knows how to sit with someone until the end. This one's personal. Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan, used with artists permission. New music from Alex coming soon - go find him. Follow me on Substack - The American Refugee @kbamericanrefugee

  11. Sep 16

    AMERICAN REFUGEE: EPISODE 2 - WHY I WRITE

    AMERICAN REFUGEE: EPISODE 2 - WHY I WRITE A screenplay that almost broke through. A DNA test with no lab required. Why I write when no one's paying, no ones watching, and the industry ghosts you more than it every says no - the real story behind why this show exists at all. Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan, used with artists permission. New music from Alex coming soon - go find him. Follow me on Substack - The American Refugee @kbamericanrefugee

  12. Sep 13

    American Refugee: Episode 1 - The List

    The syllabus for everything this show is about to unpack - ten problems in America, ranked and roasted, coming back updated every ten episodes. Come for the countdown, stay for the receipts. Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan, used with artists permission. New music from Alex coming soon - go find him.

  • 12 Episodes

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
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ken Bradley
  • Show Website
    American Refugee

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