Battletested with Tanya Acker

After a brief hiatus, The Tanya Acker Show is back with The Art of Deciding series. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Tanya will sit with newsmakers, trendsetters, and leaders of every stripe to talk through the forces that drive their decision making. New episodes begin this Thursday, May 15th, featuring tariff expert and host of podcast Security Economics, Peter Harrell. Follow and subscribe wherever...

Today, Tanya discusses the devastating Los Angeles wildfires with New York Times reporter Ivan Penn. They dive into how power grid issues may have contributed to the fires, ongoing investigations, detected electrical faults, and the complexities of power line infrastructure. They also unpack the city's efforts to upgrade the grid and, in turn, respond to increasing wildfire risks amidst climate ch...

Tanya interviews Shaye Ogbonna, creator of the Peacock series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist . They discuss the context behind this 1970s Atlanta story, his advice for aspiring filmmakers, the impact of Issa Rae, and the beauty and representation he was determined to capture in the series.

Tanya and the New York Times bestselling author talk about her latest novel, One of Our Kind, which explores what “community” means and how we see ourselves.

Tanya talks to KBLA White House correspondent Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, author of Kamala, The Motherland and Me , about his trip to Africa with Vice President Kamala Harris and in particular, his visit to Ghana, from where his late father emigrated to America. From that trip came a determination not only to build new relationships between Americans and Africa, but also between Americans and each...

Vanity Fair Special Correspondent Gabriel Sherman decided to write a movie, The Apprentice , about former President Trump’s early days in New York. Why did Sherman decide to take on such a project? Because he had to.

The Los Angeles Clippers wanted a ring and were closer than ever when they had to confront a dark story that was one of sports’ open secrets. What pressures came to bear and how did they manage them? And what was the domino effect of decisions that forced them to confront what others had long ignored? Tanya talks to ESPN Reporter Ramona Shelburne, host and creator of the podcast The Sterling Affai...

Over the last decade, our Internet experience has become increasingly dictated by algorithms- data-driven equations that try to anticipate (and elicit) our desires. The problem is, they often get it wrong. The math doesn't math. Kyle Chayka (staff writer,The New Yorker) has written a new book on the subject entitled "Filterworld." This week, Tanya and Kyle talk about this ever-tightening web woven...

Tanya talks to the Emmy Award-winning television show host and best-selling author about her latest novel, Watch Where They Hide, and how she's plotted her own life’s path.

Tanya and the podcaster, journalist, filmmaker and advocate talk about how he is “proof of concept” about the benefits of opportunity and inclusion. Listen as they discuss justifiable fears; not fearing too much; and how to change lives, communities, and cultures - all while growing the tax base!

This week the Senate pressed chief executives of Meta, TikTok, X, Snap and Discord over what lawmakers are calling “a crisis in America” -- accusing the tech giants of ignoring the harmful content against children on their respective platforms. It's a conversation we first had on this program back in November of last year, when Tanya sat down with Zamaan Qureshi (a college student a...

Tanya talks to Ann Druyan about space, love, facts, and voting. Plus, how to come back when people laugh at you for being smart and curious.

Tanya talks to the filmmaker about her latest film, reclaiming the narrative of what it means to be an American, and why hope always must win. 

For 35 years Oliver James was functionally illiterate - even though he had a high school diploma. Listen to what happened when he decided to stop mimicking life and start living it.

Tanya talks to the directors of the film  Invisible Beauty , which tells the life story of the groundbreaking Bethann Hardison. From emulating the strength of the Samurai, to insisting that fashion is more than just one type, to reminding us to vote, Bethann’s story is many things all at once.

Tanya talks to Zamaan Qureshi, a college student co-founder of Design It For Us, about the campaign to make social media safer for young people, and his lawsuit against the SEC.

Tanya talks to artist, illustrator and entrepreneur Angie Quintanilla Coates about the art of keeping us on the bright side. (Original air date: April 7th, 2022)

This week Tanya talks to Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) about the war in Ukraine, our relationship with China, the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas and the resulting war in Gaza. They also discuss in-office sit-ins, the threatened brawls on Capitol Hill and, for a pleasant change, civil discourse with a political opponent. Tanya and Ro cover a lot so don’t miss this!

Tanya talks to the lawyers who helped Dominion Voting Systems achieve a $787 million settlement in its defamation case against Fox News over false claims of a “stolen” election. When is the lie someone tells, or spreads, worth money? When should you just move on?

Tanya talks to the history-making justice about the family tragedy that led her to the bench, and busting through other people’s assumptions to do what you must. (Original air date: 3/22/23)

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the now bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, faces up to 100 years in jail for his role in one of the biggest financial frauds on record. In this re-release, Tanya talks to journalist Sylvan Lane, Finance and Economic Policy Reporter at The Hill, about how cryptocurrency works and what happened at FTX. (Originally aired: 12/22)

Tanya talks to Rebecca Kiessling about loss, healing, and fighting the fentanyl crisis.

While Uvalde remains a community that mourns, heals, and remembers its victims, it is also a community that moved Albert Martinez to drive 140 miles to teach music at Uvalde High School. This is the story of how he got a group of unlikely musicians to open up, and how they all brought victory and triumph to Uvalde.

Tanya talks to the author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres, about the significance of musical genres; our fandom and our tastes; and some of music’s most powerful moments.

Tanya talks to Karen Harvey, author of The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder: Mary Toft and Eighteenth-Century England