Jim Thorpe, Houdini and Town Branding

Actor and comedian T.J. Miller explains why a traumatic brain injury is his improvisational "cheat code"—and how a 2010 surgery for an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his right frontal lobe fueled a career of manic chaos. Miller discusses the "invisible disability" of brain surgery and the high-stakes gamble of a 10% fatality rate. Along the way: a tour of city mottos, from the low-bar honesty of Toledo to the bizarre promise that Auburn, Washington is "more than you imagined." Plus, a look at the "Bulgarian" financial ecosystem of Fort Wayne, Indiana, where a three-bedroom house costs $485 a month.

Produced by Corey Wara

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