Battletested with Tanya Acker

Special Re-release: Tanya talks to New York Times reporter Emily Bazelon and former U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee member Russ Feingold about historical pushback against perceived Court excesses; reforming the Court and how we got to 9; and the heightened politicization of the confirmation process.

Tanya talks to the author of  The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning To Live in an Age of Disasters  about the January 6 hearings; the ongoing insurrection and the way to defuse it; and about how thinking ahead can help us “fail safer” when bad things happen. 

Tanya talks to the young lawyer about why her parents homeschooled her (hint: being cast as “the mulatto slave girl” in school plays played a part); becoming the young Black person to graduate from law school in US history; and the change she wants to make happen in the world.

Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith helped bring down the largest Social Security fraud in history - featured in  The Big Conn  (Apple TV+). What did courage cost them? 

Tanya talks to the World Champion Olympic medalist bobsledder and Past President of the Women Sport’s Federation about her formula for winning; double standards; her advice for confronting situations that are just wrong; and what it means to open doors for women in sports.

In person. Online. Tanya talks to the host of  Banfield  about the shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde and the violence racking the nation. 

Tanya talks to Catherine Porter, Toronto Bureau Chief of the New York Times and co-author of  The Ransom: The Root of Haiti’s Misery - Reparations to Enslavers  (New York Times, 5/20/22).

Tanya talks to the Congresswoman about Roe, the ups and downs of student loan forgiveness, and growing authoritarianism in America.

Tanya talks to the Boston College Professor of Law, Dean’s Distinguished Scholar and former Supreme Court clerk about the leak; what a post-Roe world might look like; and what the Court means today.

Tanya talks to psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere about sadness v. depression, the pathology of racism, and how to cultivate better mental health habits.

Tanya talks to Judge Nelson (her first boss out of law school!) and Acting President of Santa Clara University Lisa Kloppenberg, about Lisa’s new book on the Judge’s extraordinary life.

How We Fight: Tanya talks to Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani about the Florida math book ban; schools as Culture War battlefields; and how we can better serve students who are clients of the public school system.

Tanya talks to Dr. Quintard Taylor, founder of BlackPast.org, about filling in the gaps of history.

Tanya talks to the former National Security Advisor about Russia’s war on Ukraine; the U.S. response; and the potential implications for China and Taiwan.

Tanya talks to artist, illustrator and entrepreneur Angie Quintanilla Coates about the art of keeping us on the bright side.

Tanya talks to the “economic futurist” about the basics: what is inflation and why do we have it? What is the Fed and what are they up to? And what can we expect in the future?

Tanya talks to the history-making Naval officer about service, supporters and detractors, and how to keep things moving forward.

Tanya talks to the former National Security Advisor about Russia’s war on Ukraine; the U.S. response; and the potential implications for China and Taiwan.

Tanya talks to the member of the House Armed Services Committee about Russia’s war on Ukraine; the price of gas; and his new book, Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us.

Tanya talks to Dr. Quintard Taylor, founder of BlackPast.org, about filling in the gaps of history.

Tanya talks to the 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist about Olympic tragedy and triumph; the 2021 Games; and mental and physical wellness.

Tanya talks to the Kansas City police captain (her cousin!) about training officers and the importance of deescalation; building trust in communities and her own reactions when that trust is breached; and what life is sometimes like for African-American women in law enforcement. 

Tanya talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian, Jon Meacham, about the rise of misinformation in the American political mainstream and his new podcast, Fate of Fact.

Tanya talks to Tricia Martineau Wagner, author of various works about African-Americans in the American West, about some of the country’s unsung western heroes. (Did you know Biddy Mason was born enslaved before she won her freedom in court and then became one of L.A.’s largest landowners? More in the episode!)

Yoruba Richen, whose movie “How It Feels To Be Free” (PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel) tells the story of six African-American icons: Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier, all of whom insisted on owning their artistic spaces on their own terms, and who are the forerunners for the opportunities that so many of us have today.