Think from KERA

Autocrats are rising across the globe — is democracy to blame? Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss dictators from Putin to Maduro, the networks they rely on, and why democracies around the world have been complicit in the rise of these despots. Her book is “Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Roxane Gay has written extensively about everything from Black feminism to office culture – and now she tackles a new topic: gun ownership. The author and contributing opinion writer for The New York Times joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her surprise at the thrill of shooting, why owning a gun is a political act for a Black American and what “stand your ground” laws mean to her. She writes about t...

One underreported fact about obesity: you could have it and still be considered healthy. Christie Aschwanden is host and producer of “Uncertain,” a podcast from Scientific American. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what being overweight and metabolically healthy means, why BMI might not be a great tool for understanding health and body size, and what new research is revealing about the how weig...

As our understanding of gender evolves, it’s important for caretakers of young people to understand this new reality. Diane Ehrensaft is a developmental and clinical psychologist and the cofounder and director of mental health at the Child and Adolescent Gender Center, as well as professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to supp...

The Heritage Foundation’s policy document “Project 2025” has gotten a lot of press, but what exactly is included in this 922-page document — and is it even relevant after the Trump campaign slammed it? Andrew Prokop, senior politics correspondent at Vox, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the policy suggestions laid out in the conservative think tank’s agenda, how much of it might actually be adopted...

Terms like “revenge porn” have a way of pasting over what’s really happening – a crime. First, Jasmine Mithani of The 19th News joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the damaging effect of labeling all sexually explicit images as “porn” – and how victim advocates are working to rebrand these terms. Her article is “They’re crimes — so why do we keep calling them ‘porn’?” Then, Hollie Toups, a victim of p...

When Jennifer and James Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter this spring, it was the first time parents were convicted for a role in a school shooting. John Woodrow Cox, enterprise reporter for The Washington Post, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his time embedded with the prosecutor who built the case against the parents of a son who killed four students at his high school – and...

More than 7,000 new books are released every day — but most of those writers won’t make a living off their work. Author Michael Castleman joins host Krys Boyd to discuss three distinct eras of book publishing, from the first printing press to Amazon, and why today it’s fairly easy to find yourself in print — but much harder to find an audience to read it. His book is “ The Untold Story of Books: A...

Supreme Court justices are selected by presidents and confirmed by senators – but does that mean they necessarily represent the will of the people? Kevin J. McMahon, John R. Reitemeyer Professor of Political Science at Trinity College, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how we got to a court that doesn’t reflect the majority of the electorate, what that means for its reputation, and ideas for how to...

Non-disclosure agreements were once primarily used for guarding corporate secrets. These days, though, you might have to sign an NDA for a first date. New York Magazine features writer Reeves Wiedeman joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the bold new world of NDAs – from professional settings to personal affairs – and why they are suddenly showing up everywhere. His article is “Hush Hush Affair. Learn...

Space is the final frontier — and not too long ago, to explore it you had to be a man. Cady Coleman is a former NASA astronaut, retired U.S. Air Force colonel, scientist, pilot and musician. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how hearing Sally Ride speak changed the trajectory of her life and what months on the International Space Station taught her about career and motherhood. Her book is “Shari...

  We’ve all heard of “the five stages of grief;” problem is, they’re not based on solid science. Lucy Hone, director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why grieving looks different than what we’ve been taught previously and strategies for finding your way back to hope and normalcy. Her book is “Resilient Grieving: How to Find Your Way Throug...

With President Joe Biden in the White House at 81 and Donald Trump at 78 running to replace him, plenty of Americans are wondering how people at advanced ages handle high-pressure jobs. Stacy Vernon is program manager, head of adult assessment at the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what makes a “super ager,” common health ailments f...

 The pandemic exposed plenty of systematic flaws – including in the patchwork structure that is the global supply chain. Peter S. Goodman, global economics correspondent for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the supply chain changed after WWII, how labor practices and shipping routes revealed deep-seeded problems in the system, and what needs to happen to ensure economic cert...

Science has a mystery on its hands: Did life begin on the surface of the earth, or far, far below it? Ferris Jabr is the author of “Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life.” He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the amazing microbes embedded deep within the Earth’s mantle that might be keys to understanding life as we know it on this planet — as well as many others. His companion article in The N...

Reality TV is known for its shock value and guilty pleasures, but it’s also become an art form in and of itself. Emily Nussbaum, staff writer at The New Yorker, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of reality TV – from the Loud family in the 1970s to “Cops” and “The Bachelorette” – and what makes it an intriguing and controversial genre even in today’s saturated market. Her book is “Cue the...

Courting the Latino vote means remembering Latinos are not a monolith. Mike Madrid is a political consultant and a cofounder of The Lincoln Project, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why both Democrats and Republicans have had trouble connecting with Latino voters – and why focusing on immigration is a turn-off for the middle-class. His book is “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minor...

 The wars in Gaza and Ukraine have captured the world’s attention – but the civil war in Sudan has been just as devastating. Comfort Ero is president and CEO of The International Crisis Group, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Sudan’s yearling internal conflict, the refugees it’s produced, and why it’s not receiving the same attention as other wars. Her article “Sudan and the New Age of Conf...

If you had $50,000, would you clone your best friend? Some dog owners are saying yes. Alexandra Horowitz is senior research fellow and head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, Columbia University. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the new and unregulated industry of pet cloning, its hit-or-miss successes, and if this is even something that we should be doing. Her article “Would You Clon...

As our nation teetered on the brink of the Civil War, the certification of the election of Abraham Lincoln wasn’t a certainty. Author Erik Larson joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the presidential election of 1860, how Southerners labeled it a “hostile act,” and the chaotic months that followed before the first bullets flew at Fort Sumpter. His book is “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris,...

The U.S. is one of the biggest carbon emitters in the world, but it’s the smaller countries that suffer the most. Vann Newkirk, senior editor at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the idea of climate reparations, what responsibility the U.S. has to pay a fair share, and why this might be the most solid plan for approaching climate change solutions. His article is “What America Owes The...

Three-quarters of everything on the American plate is shipped and refrigerated —which is pretty revolutionary. Nicola Twilley, co-host of Gastropod, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how just a century ago we relied on local butchers and farmers – which could mean a feast or famine diet – and how refrigeration hit the scene and completely changed how we eat. Her book is “Frostbite: How Refrigeration...

If you enjoy the small talk you have with your barista or grocery clerk —A.I. could soon make them a thing of the past. Allison Pugh, professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what we lose when we swap out human workers for robots and artificial intelligence – and the very real benefits of human connection to help us feel seen. Her book is “The Last Human...

It was once considered sloppy science to assign human characteristics to animal subjects — now there’s a new school of thought. Journalist Brandon Keim joins host Krys Boyd to discuss research into animal cognition and how it might affect the way we view animal rights – plus we’ll hear about the wonderful advances in how we understand the intelligence of the creatures around us. His book is “Meet...

We regularly hear about how climate change affects the ecosystem, but we rarely hear about how it affects human bodies. Jeff Goodell is an author and senior fellow at Atlantic Council, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why increasing heatwaves kill the most vulnerable and how they will affect food supplies and water resources – even disease outbreaks. His book is “ The Heat Will Kill You Firs...