Think from KERA

The election is set: President Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump Part II. Now eyes are on if two senior citizens can get young voters to even turn out. Sara Suzuki is a senior researcher at CIRCLE, a non-partisan, independent research organization focused on youth civic engagement in the United States at Tufts University. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the issues that are most important to young vot...

Situations arise when we need to speak up, but doing so can feel out of character for some of us. Elaine Lin Hering joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to voice an opinion, even when it’s uncomfortable, and how you can advocate for yourself and others. Her book is “ Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully .” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-c...

Not every binding relationship is tied to an “I do.” Rhaina Cohen is a producer and editor for NPR’s documentary podcast Embedded. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss when friends become non-romantic partners, teaming up to weather finances and aging, and why we should work to protect these significant bonds. Her book is “ The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Cente...

The current antitax movement can trace its origins to a seemingly innocuous property tax cap in California. Michael J. Graetz is professor emeritus at Columbia Law School and Yale Law School and a leading authority on tax politics and policy. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of how we got to the enormous partisan divide we see today about taxation, and how race and class play into it...

Ukrainian video journalist Mstyslav Chernov, who was trapped in Mariupol during the onset of the war, documented the events for the Associated Press. On Sunday, he and his team won an Oscar for their documentary on this story. Frontline producer and editor Michelle Mizner  joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Chernov’s first-person account of life under siege, the horrors of a bombed maternity hospital...

To be “California sober” means you don’t have to follow complete abstinence to consider yourself on the wagon. Ernesto Londoño is a New York Times reporter covering drug use and counternarcotics policy. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the changing views of sobriety, why some in the medical community feel like total abstinence is unrealistic, and how this is changing addiction treatment. His art...

Inflation is going down, unemployment remains at historic lows and we’ve avoided a devastating recession. But grocery prices have consumers rattled. Rogé Karma, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why food and fuel prices don’t factor into core inflation numbers but do influence how Americans feel about the economy – plus we’ll hear how this perception might shape the com...

Our mental health is the result of a balancing act of chemical reactions and genetics. Camilla Nord leads the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the latest science of brain health – what works to return to equilibrium and why it sometimes doesn’t – and how everyday encounters can change our brain chemistry to make us feel better. The...

When women commit acts of violence, they’re seen more as monsters than flawed human beings. Anna Motz is a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist and member of the Advisory Board for Female Offenders under the U.K. Ministry of Justice. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the traumas that lead to unspeakable crimes committed by women, her work inside the prison system, and why denying female...

The best communicators aren’t always the ones who talk the most in meetings. Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Charles Duhigg joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what makes certain people so adept at facilitating the exchange of ideas, how we can make ourselves heard, and how we can better navigate tough conversations. His book is “ Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language o...

Relying on a dictionary or a library of materials to create something new is really just a centuries-old version of what A.I. does today. Dennis Yi Tenen, associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we shouldn’t be afraid that A.I. is coming for jobs, how we’ve always turned to outside sources to help generate original works...

The line between political discourse and religious fervor is getting thinner all the time. Jeff Sharlet is Frederick Sessions Beebe ’35 Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how American political leanings are taking the form of religious devotion – and how Ashli Babbitt, who was killed during the January 6 insurrection, has become a martyr fo...

Former president Donald Trump is facing a litany of legal troubles that are putting the legal system to the test. Ankush Khardori, senior writer for Politico Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to weigh in on Trump’s immunity claims and the upheaval the justice system would see if a Trump conviction actually resulted in jail time. His article “ What Happens, Exac...

All around us is intellectual property covered by copyright laws. David Bellos, Meredith Howland Pyne Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Princeton University, joins host Krys Boyd for a history lesson on how copyrights came to be, and what happens now that generative A.I. has entered the picture. His book is “ Who Owns this Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs .” Learn about...

Walking into a room confidently can affect not only your performance in a meeting or presentation but also your overall brain health. Ian Robertson is co-director of the Global Brain Health Institute and T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Professor at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the science of confidence, how it positively influen...

As the Supreme Court has chipped away at the Voting Rights Act, renewed calls have been made for ways to protect all Americans’ right to vote. Richard L. Hasen is professor of law and political science at UCLA and director of UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why he feels we need a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote, and why leaving...

If you’re able to bend a durable food container easily, it’s got plasticizer in it — and that means some of that container is ending up inside of you. Lauren F. Friedman leads the health and food content team at Consumer Reports. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss CR’s rigorous testing of fast foods and supermarket products to find the harmful chemicals that enter our bodies, and how we can reduc...

The ideal woman to swipe right on is rooted in ideals of whiteness. Sabrina Strings, professor and North Hall Chair of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why she believes the relatively low numbers of Black women in relationships and marriages is a backlash to the Civil Rights movement and feminism, and why it’s time for a reworking of wha...

Jonathan Rauch, contributing writer to The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lasting harms had on not only career diplomats but the broader LGBTQ community across the country – and why he says it’s time for a reckoning. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the elite art world, status is key to success—and not everyone can obtain it. Bianca Bosker is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the art world operates, the role of gatekeeping in who gets shown and who can buy art, and how anyone can become a more discerning patron of the arts. Her book is “ Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Insp...

With all the attention spent on learning more about the far reaches of space, the moon can be a forgotten wonder of our sky. Rebecca Boyle, science journalist and columnist at Atlas Obscura, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the partnership between the Earth and the Moon is so critical for life on our planet, and why there are still so many mysteries to uncover about our celestial sister. Her bo...

Real progress on racism and other social issues requires the imagination to think beyond our current approach. Ruha Benjamin is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where she is the founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we are failing at imagining a better world and how thinking big is the path to unlocking good. He...

After years of improving safety numbers, American streets are becoming more dangerous. Matthew Shaer is contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and an Emerson Collective fellow at New America. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how distracted and angry drivers are causing more crashes and automobile fatalities, why larger SUVs and trucks are part of the problem, and what can be done to...

China’s economy is struggling, and that impacts Xi Jinping’s next moves. Simone Gao is a journalist and host of  Zooming In with Simone Gao . She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how China’s economic woes affect the larger global economy, and why the Chinese populace might be losing patience with its leader. Her article “ Xi Jinping’s once-unquestioned authority is showing cracks ” was published by...

Historically Black Colleges and Universities have a proven track record of producing exceptional graduates. Ayesha Rascoe is the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the many reasons why Black students turned to these institutions – a decision the Howard University graduate once made herself. Rascoe is a contributor to and editor of the book “ HBCU Made: A...