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Casey Gerald says ruining his reputation saved his life

NPR / WHYY· Sep 8, 2026· 45m 44s

A decade ago, Casey Gerald was running a celebrated nonprofit, giving TED talks, and on magazine covers as proof that the American dream still works. Then he shut it all down and disappeared from public life. Now, in a new book, The Great Refusal , he turns his leaving into an argument about the limits of the American dream. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews SCTV, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our Yo

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Casey Gerald says ruining his reputation saved his life

🇬🇧English🇬🇧English
Sample transcript — click Live captions above to run Whisper on the actual audio in your browser.
  1. Welcome to the program. I'm your host.

    Welcome to the program. I'm your host.

    0:00
  2. Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.

    Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.

    0:04
  3. We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.

    We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.

    0:09
  4. The summit focused on energy policy and migration.

    The summit focused on energy policy and migration.

    0:14
  5. Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.

    Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.

    0:19
  6. Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.

    Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.

    0:24