Throughline
Rund Abdelfatah · Ramtin Arablouei
The past is never past.
495 EpisodesWeekly12+Since 2019
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The earliest episodes still in this feed, from 2026. Publishers rotate older episodes out.
- 1. The Chinafication of Walmart · 21 Jul 2026
- 2. The architect of modern China · 23 Jul 2026
- 3. The license to be funny in America · 28 Jul 2026
Lies, theft, and cover-up: the history of Monopoly you've never heard
6 Aug 2026 · 49 min
Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games of all time. It heralds free market economics and celebrates the American dream. That's a far cry from the original intent. This week on our series Hidden Histories, we go back in time to reveal the swindling and
The song that fueled protests and a legacy of hope
4 Aug 2026 · 19 min
In our final installment of AP250, how We Shall Overcome became the anthem of generations of protestors. Today on the show, we revisit an episode from the NPR archives about the legacy of hope found in the lyrics of this timeless song. Support public media wit
The lightbulb conspiracy is both real and everywhere
30 Jul 2026 · 31 min
Over the next few episodes, we present Hidden Histories: stories that will make you rethink how the world works. First up, the conspiracy behind the lightbulb—and how it came to shape the entire consumer economy. If you ever wondered why your tech outdates so
The license to be funny in America
28 Jul 2026 · 20 min
One of the most fundamental aspects of American democracy has been the public’s ability to critique power, whether that’s through protest, legislation, or a really funny joke. Today, we take a romp into the history of American comedy, showing no matter how cru
The architect of modern China
23 Jul 2026 · 37 min
From impoverishment to global superpower, China’s supremacy happened at a breakneck speed thanks to the visionary strategy of the man who took power in 1978. Over the next decade, under leader Deng Xiaoping’s firm leadership, China flirted with capitalism and
The Chinafication of Walmart
21 Jul 2026 · 17 min
We think of Walmart as ultra-American, but its business relationship with China has fundamentally changed how American retail operates. In this episode, how one retailer helped turn China into the world’s factory, eventually becoming the single largest U.S. im
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