Think from KERA

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Best of Think: The history of Gospel music Dec 24, 2024

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For generations of Black Americans, when times were tough – or when it was time to celebrate – gospel music provided the soundtrack. Shayla Harris is director and producer of a new PBS documentary series called “Gospel,” and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the legacy of this American art form, from its birth in churches to its rise to the mainstream.

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Best of Think: Is your culture cool with therapy? Dec 23, 2024

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Being a “third culture” kid—someone pulled between their immigrant parents and U.S. culture—can take a mental toll. Sahaj Kaur Kohli is the founder of Brown Girl Therapy, a mental health and wellness community organization for adult children of immigrants, and an advice columnist for the Washington Post. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why seeking out therapy is really difficult for the children of immigrants—from finding someone aware of cultural nuances, to understanding why sometimes family isn’t supportive. Her book is “But What Will People Say?: Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures.”

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Comedian Hari Kondabolu on how fatherhood changes everything Dec 20, 2024

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For comedian Hari Kondabolu, becoming a father changed how he accesses pure joy. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how becoming a parent has shifted his worldview, how he sees roles for Indian Americans changing in Hollywood and how making a live audience laugh helps him process his new philosophies. His most recent comedy special available for streaming is “Vacation Baby.”

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How Trump’s deportations will work Dec 19, 2024

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President-elect Trump has promised mass deportations starting day one of his second term; how far will he really be able to take it? Edward Alden is a columnist at Foreign Policy, the Ross distinguished visiting professor at Western Washington University and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He joins guest host John McCaa to discuss this unprecedented effort to expel undocumented immigrants, how Trump might utilize the military, how the economy might be impacted and how this might shape immigration policy going forward. His article is “The Great Deportation of 2025.”

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The surprising shift in identity politics Dec 18, 2024

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One surprise from the presidential election is that a voter’s class, not race, was a greater factor in which box was ticked in the voting booth. Wall Street Journal economics reporter Jeanne Whalen joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why Democrats are reeling from being labeled the party of “elites” when they could always count on communities of color for votes in the past, how Republicans have capitalized on economic concerns, and what this means for race relations moving forward. Her article is “The New Driving Force of Identity Politics Is Class, Not Race.”

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Elon Musk vs. The Federal Budget Dec 17, 2024

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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have promised to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget with their Department of Government Efficiency. Simon Rabinovitch is U.S. economics editor for The Economist, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how it may actually be possible to generate significant cost cutting – but not in the time frame the president-elect is hoping for. His article is “How to make Elon Musk’s budget-slashing dreams come true.”

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Why we haven’t narrowed the racial health gap Dec 16, 2024

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Despite some progress, Black Americans continue to have worse health outcomes than other racial groups. KFF Health News senior correspondent Renuka Rayasam joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we’re failing to close the health gap – especially for rural, low-income African Americans – and why access to quality care is sometimes blocked by the states. Her article, written with Fred Clasen-Kelly, is “Black Americans Still Suffer Worse Health. Here’s Why There’s So Little Progress.”

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Author Colson Whitehead talks about ‘Nickel Boys’ Dec 13, 2024

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With the movie adaptation of “Nickel Boys” in theaters, Colson Whitehead’s celebrated novel is reaching new audiences. Whitehead joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his story of two boys assigned to a 1960s juvenile reformatory, bound by the trauma around them as they swing between hope and cynicism. “Nickel Boys” earned Whitehead his second Pulitzer Prize.

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The best books of 2024 Dec 12, 2024

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Of the thousands of books published each year in English, The New York Times has the task of winnowing that list down to the very best. Times Book Review editor Gilbert Cruz joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the best nonfiction and fiction books of 2024, from an 800-page biography of a president to a funny romantic comedy — there’s a book for everyone to enjoy. The list is “The 10 Best Books of 2024.”

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America’s gamble on online sport betting Dec 11, 2024

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You can’t watch American sports without a barrage of commercials about sports betting — and it’s changing how fans interact with the action. Rolling Stone writer David Hill joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how new sports betting laws have opened up the market for all kinds of wagers and types of gamblers, the people who can’t stop, and the ways professional sports is changing because of the new money involved. His article is “Is the $11 Billion Online Sportsbook Bubble About to Burst?”

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