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In a reboot of the ‘Cool Japan’ initiative, the nation is using anime and manga to boost its soft power. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is trying to convince shoppers that his stores are fashionable. And convince talent that Bentonville is the new Austin. And convince Trump that the global retail colossus is as American as it gets. The selling seems to be working. So far.  By Jaewon Kang and Devin Leonard See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using artificial intelligence to summarize meetings raises questions around etiquette, privacy and the purpose of meeting in the first place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new biography of the Saturday Night Live founder chronicles his decades of relevance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tesla and SpaceX both relied on their labor while Musk advocated for a border crackdown. By Julia Love See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throughout US history, the judiciary has worried about being ignored. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a car is stolen in the US, there’s a good chance that the thief is a teenager (who may think life is a lot like a video game) and that the vehicle will end up in western Africa. By Jonathan Franklin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trying to nail down the cost of inputs for artificial general intelligence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both Democratic and Republican presidents established the precedent for Donald Trump’s plan to send migrants to the notorious prison base. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a memoir of his childhood, the Microsoft founder attributes his success to a mix of freedom and luck. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cordyceps sells in Beijing for $136,000 a pound and has made its way into Whole Foods. It underpins entire communities in the Himalayas, but that comes with a lot of downsides. By Adam Popescu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joseph Firmage helped create the internet economy before being dismissed as a UFO kook. These days, he’s being sued by antigravity-machine investors and claiming to be hounded by a Jamaican wire-fraud gang, with a guy pretending to be Steven Mnuchin along for the ride.  By Brent Crane See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wildfires exposed an uncomfortable truth about the city See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes in the Chinese economy signal evolution, not collapse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As retail theft soars in the UK, companies are spending more on store security — including hiring “mystery shoplifters” to test it firsthand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flappy Bird, Foursquare and other ghost apps show the fate TikTok may avoid. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Gambling Man, Lionel Barber charts the Softbank founder’s rollercoaster career and his persistent quest for acceptance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A belated effort to remove chemical waste from the Union Carbide factory revives complaints of justice left incomplete. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Dodge Charger has real speed and torque. So what if its growl is fake? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite searing heat, choking pollution and dangerous roads, running clubs are sprouting up across the nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few infernos in American history have led to shifts in how the country plans cities, builds structures and insures against risk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a coach for that too.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Nike and Adidas stumbled, a Swiss upstart soared—and now finds itself at the center of the comfy shoe craze.  By Tim Loh and Lily Meier See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Young women online are embracing a lifestyle of luxury and ease backstopped by financial support from men. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s blockbuster  Lost Ladies  tackles India’s modernizing view of relationships. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.