Battletested with Tanya Acker

This week, host Tanya Acker is joined by Grammy-nominated country star Ty Herndon for an incredibly candid conversation about the healing power of truth. Going far beyond his No. 1 hits, Ty shares his powerful story of survival, overcoming severe addiction, and finding true redemption. He opens up about the private battles behind his public success—including hiding his sexuality in Nashville, surv...

Petri Hawkins Byrd and his wife, Makita Bond Byrd, join Tanya to share their deeply moving fight against Makita's stage-three brain tumor and what it truly means to honor the vow "in sickness and in health." In this episode, Petri and Makita join Tanya to discuss Makita's harrowing battle with a malignant stage-three brain tumor. After Makita suffered a sudden seizure, a life-changing second opini...

When hip-hop icon Christopher “Kid” Reid first noticed his exhaustion and swollen ankles, he figured it was just life on the road. Instead, he was facing congestive heart failure—and a heart transplant was his only option for survival. In Part 2 of our deep dive, Christopher shares his extraordinary journey of checking into Cedars-Sinai and receiving a new heart just 11 days later. We talk openly...

This week I sit down with Christopher "Kid" Reid. Before House Party , the hit records, and the Saturday morning cartoon, Kid was a nine-year-old boy surviving the car crash that killed his mother and quietly preparing for a very different future, law school. In Part 1, Kid takes me through hip-hop's rise from a cultural movement to a mainstream force, and the part Kid 'N Play, Salt-N-Pepa, Heavy...

This week, I am joined by homeowner Patti Peeples to talk about every property owner’s absolute worst nightmare. Imagine turning up to your own house, only to find total strangers living inside, destroying your property, and refusing to leave. Patti takes us inside the terrifying weeks she spent dealing with aggressive squatters, massive property damage, and a system that left her feeling complete...

This week, Petri Hawkins Byrd the iconic bailiff from Judge Judy and Tribunal Justice joins the show for a candid, often funny conversation about overcoming professional rejection. Byrd shares powerful lessons from his own career pivots, exploring how to navigate disappointment without turning bitter. Together, we examine leadership responsibility, what happens when qualified people are passed ove...

This week I am joined by filmmaker and advocate Keyonna Monroe for part 2 of this Battletested conversation. Keyonna talks about the abuse she survived, the films she's made and what it took to stop staying quiet and start speaking up. Keyonna also shares what healing actually looks like, how survivors take their stories back, and why children need to be protected. We also get into building safer...

This week I am joined by Keyonna Monroe, a filmmaker, passionate advocate for young women and girls, and a survivor of sex trafficking. In this powerful Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Keyonna shares her deeply moving journey, offering a profound story of resilience, courage, and hope. It is an unforgettable, eye-opening conversation that sheds light on advocacy and survival.

Judge Michael Corriero spent years adjudicating small claims cases on hot Bench, and before that he was one of New York’s fiercest advocates for an efficient and intelligent way of punishing juvenile offenders. And yet - something happened that tested his own faith in the system, and that also gave him the chance to keep the faith, keep his word, and stand as a reminder of what justice means in re...

It’s been roughly a year and a half since LA burned. And other disasters - fires, tornadoes, threats of every kind - are on the rise. Who’s looking out for us? And what happens during the next disaster? CBS News National Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti discusses these and other questions in his new book, Torched: How A City Was Left to Burn And the Olympic Rush to Rebuild LA. What we learn about...

On April 29, the Supreme Court handed down Louisiana v. Callais — upending the protections of the Voting Rights Act and allowing states to gerrymander districts irrespective of the impact on individual voting rights. Wendy Weiser, Vice President for Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, joins Tanya to unpack what the 6-3 decision actually does, who it affects, and why Justice Kagan s...

Meta and Google lost - and there are thousands more lawsuits coming. Zamaan Quereshi is the Co-Founder and Director of Campaigns and Policy of Design It For Us, and he explains what’s behind the lawsuits against social media companies, and how the internet can do better.

Maybe you already know. But it's something to think about when you’re fighting in court and Tanya can’t stop reminding you.

Jeffrey Rosen, author of Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America , discusses the Supreme Court, the occasional rebellion and “structured disagreement” that was at the heart of the Founders’ vision for America, and why today’s partisan divide is particularly dangerous.

The legendary television judge has overseen battles of every type. Listen as she and Tanya talk immigration, incivility (and worse) on the internet, and life in a TV courtroom. Plus, what to do when the dinner table is politically divided!

Tanya and David Schmidt discuss the PBS docuseries The American Revolution (produced and co/directed by David, Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein) and what that conflict can tell us about managing today’s animosities.

A conversation about the Iran War, executive power, economic opportunity and the continuing fight for voting rights – with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). (recorded 3/11/26)

The Los Angeles Fires were a battle to contain one of the worst wildfire disasters in U.S. history. They were a battle for lives, for homes, for community - they were a race against an all-consuming disaster. They also involved a battle for truth and information in a time of crisis. MS NOW reporter Jacob Soboroff explores these different battlefields in his new book, and he and Tanya discuss the b...

We’ve all been hit by something hard when we didn’t expect it. We’ve come through battles of every kind - personal, professional, national - and still are fighting some of them. What have we learned from them - and what can our past battles teach us about how to live in the present moment. New episodes of Battletested begin next Wednesday, March 11th, with MS Now journalist Jacob Soboroff. What's...

I sit down with Beth Macy for an honest conversation about truth, empathy, and finding common ground in divided times. We talk about how to navigate family and friendship across political and ethical lines, the growing challenges to free press, and the responsibility of storytelling in shaping public understanding. Beth also shares insights from her new book Paper Girl , a deeply personal return t...

In this conversation, Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss and I discuss the government shutdown, the abundant falsities in modern media, the true value and meaning of serving our country, and more.

What does it mean to live life through music? In this conversation, Adam Blackstone reflects on its power to heal, inspire, and connect, even in the face of censorship and politics. He recalls the unforgettable experience of performing in the Grace for the World Tour at the Vatican (now streaming on Hulu and Disney+), where artists from around the world united in song. Adam shares how music has de...

Legendary American novelist Walter Mosley and I discuss his purpose for writing, the importance of the right kind of representation, and learning to understand the world we live in through literature and film.

The CNN host discusses his new book, Race Against Terror , and the current state of American politics.

Yvette Nicole Brown opens up about living life on her own terms throughout her celebrated entertainment career, sharing how she cares for family, nurtures her community, and embraces true love. Now, she steps into an exciting new chapter with her latest film, Code 3 .