In his latest film, Mogul Mowgli, actor and rapper Riz Ahmed stars as Zed, a rapper diagnosed with an autoimmune disease right before he's set to go on a major tour.

The film's subject reflects a bit of a trend. Earlier this year, Ahmed was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in The Sound of Metal, another film about a musician dealing with a life-altering medical condition.

But  Mogul Mowgli is arguably darker – and weirder. The film uses rap, lyricism, and magical realism to tell the story of a man navigating identity, family, and illness. Ahmed co-wrote the film and drew on elements from his own life – including his music career, as rapper Riz MC and one half of the hip hop duo Swet Shop Boys.

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Riz Ahmed On Identity, Music, And Magical Realism

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News

As Donald Trump's trials continue over the course of the spring, Joe Biden is taking advantage of his rival's absence from the campaign trail. 

A Boeing whistleblower made headlines this week, telling the Senate that the aircraft manufacturer is "putting out defective airplanes."

Meanwhile, Israel, with the help of the U.S., more or less successfully defended itself from a missile and drone attack launched by Iran after the former killed Iranian officials in an attack on an embassy in Syria.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, The BBC has now confirmed that more than 50,000 Russian troops have died in the conflict.

We cover the week's biggest headlines. 

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The News Roundup For April 19, 2024

According to the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, at least 70 percent of firearms found in crime scenes in Mexico can be traced back to the neighbors to the north.

Some 250,000 people crossed the southern border into the U.S. in December of last year. The majority of those were people from Mexico.

And survey data pulled by Reuters from the Kino Border Initiative, a large migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico, shows that violence, not economic factors, is forcing many families to leave Mexico.

We discuss what work is being done to stop the flow of guns into Mexico. 

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The Connections Between American Guns And The Migrant Crisis

Imagine you're at a dinner party and the conversation turns to the latest news. Everyone has a different opinion. People begin raising their voices.

You notice the person beside you isn't talking, they're just watching. They turn to you and make a joke and you immediately relax. You hadn't even realized how tense you were. 

They then ask what you think about the news. When you respond, they're attentive. When they look at you, you feel seen. They ask you another question and another. Before you know it, an hour has passed, and the arguing has died down around you.

Your dinner party partner is what journalist Charles Duhigg calls a supercommunicator. In his new book, "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection," by the same name, he explores what makes conversations work and how we can all be better at them.

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Best Of: How To Become A Supercommunicator

We've never been here before. A former president is being tried in criminal court while he's running for reelection.

Donald Trump faces four separate indictments. And only one of them will go to trial before November. That's a case that got underway yesterday in a Manhattan courtroom with jury selection. Trump is charged with falsifying business documents ahead of the 2016 election to cover up payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

We discuss what the treatment of a former president reveal about our legal system more broadly, and what sets the case in New York apart.

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What Donald Trump's Indictments Mean For The Election And Our Legal System

Almost two years ago, The Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs case, overturning Roe v. Wade and declaring that access to abortion is not protected in the United States Constitution.

A lot has happened in the time since then.  

Nationwide, citizens are arguing in the courts, legislatures, and ballot boxes over whether abortion should be banned, and if so, under what circumstances.

For this week's installment of our weekly politics series, "If You Can Keep It," we take a closer look at abortion and politics. 

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Riz Ahmed On Identity, Music, And Magical Realism

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