Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

Critical Race Theory explained by its founder May 12, 2026

Show notes

There’s power in speaking truth to power — you just need the courage of your convictions. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw is Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles, the Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, and the cofounder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum. She joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her upbringing, which taught her to speak out when things weren’t fair, how that helped shape her work in critical race theory and intersectionality, and why she feels all people have the power to push for change. Her book is “Backtalker: An American Memoir.”

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All y'all have accents May 11, 2026

Show notes

Whether you notice it or not, you speak with an accent. Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how accents from the Southern drawl to the California Valley Girl came to be, why accents are key to culture, and why, in our mass media world, some are fading away. Her book is “Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents.”

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Planet Money unpacks the economy May 08, 2026

Show notes

Our lives are ruled by markets, but you don’t have to be an economist to understand these forces. Alex Mayyasi, host of the new podcast “Gastronomics” and a longtime contributor to “Planet Money,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the nuts and bolts of the economy – from how zoning codes create jobs to the cross purposes of dating apps – and breaks it down for the Average Joe to understand. His book is “Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life.”

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Pete Hegseth's violent prayers May 07, 2026

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth believes America’s wars around the world are part of a holy Christian mission. Peter Wehner, contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the Psalms he quotes about smiting enemies, how he is taking inspiration from the Bible for military conquests and why he wants his entire chaplain corps to think this way. His article is “Hegseth’s Unholy War

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American cars used to be affordable. What happened? May 06, 2026

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The average new car in America costs $50,000, but how many people can actually afford one? Clifford Winston is an economist who specializes in transportation and microeconomic policy. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss where the low-priced cars have gone, how all the new bells and whistles are squeezing those on a budget, and why even repair bills are now sky high. His article for The New York Times is “The Death of the Basic American Car.”

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Is Venezuela doing better now? May 05, 2026

Show notes

The U.S. military attack on Venezuela was fast and surgical — so how is the country doing now? Missy Ryan, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what Venezuelans on the ground think of the regime change, how the new government is faring and whether legitimate democracy now has a foothold there. Her article is called “Venezuela Seems to Be Going … Well?”

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PEN15’s Anna Konkle on how life inspires art May 04, 2026

Show notes

For children who felt responsible for their parents’ happiness: There’s a way to turn that into joy. Anna Konkle is co-creator and co-star of the Hulu series “Pen15,” and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her childhood – when her parents fought all the time and she felt like the peacemaker – her complicated relationship with her father and how she turned that experience into comedy for her critically acclaimed series. Her book is called “The Sane One.”

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Is Mexico next on Trump’s hit list? May 01, 2026

Show notes

President Trump’s threats to attack drug cartels inside Mexico have put the bilateral relationship on edge. Arturo Sarukhan served as Mexican Ambassador to the United States from 2007 to 2013, and he joins guest host John McCay to discuss why he believes the U.S.-Mexico relationship hasn’t been this fractured since the 1980s, how the previous Mexican president known as AMLO played into this, and how nations across the world are watching and reacting to this new rhetoric. His article “Can Mexico Avoid a Confrontation With the United States?” was published in Foreign Affairs.

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Would you be different if you got super rich? Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

The super rich are wildly different than the rest of us, in part by the way they’ve designed their lives. New York Magazine features writer Lane Brown joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the frictionless world of the extremely wealthy – where access to just about anything is automatic – the differences between old and new money and the everyday stressors that they feel that those with less don’t. His article is “What Does Extreme Wealth Do to the Brain?”

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Stop offloading the hard stuff to A.I. Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Many of us offload heavy thinking to A.I., and our brains are going soft in the process. Cal Newport, professor of computer science at Georgetown University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how employing computers to do our deepest thinking dulls our ability to concentrate and the things we can do right now to keep us sharp and alert. His recent essay published in The New York Times is “There’s a Good Reason You Can’t Concentrate.”

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