Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

Why America won’t tax the rich Mar 18, 2024

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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. His book is “The Power to Destroy: How the Antitax Movement Hijacked America.”

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Inside the siege of Mariupol Mar 15, 2024

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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 and, ultimately, the power of the press. The documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” is available for streaming.

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What counts as sober today? Mar 14, 2024

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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 article is “What Does Being Sober Mean Today? For Many, Not Full Abstinence.”

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The economy is working despite what you think Mar 13, 2024

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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 coming election. His article is “What Would It Take to Convince Americans That the Economy Is Fine?“

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The balancing act of a healthy brain Mar 12, 2024

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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 book is “The Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health.”

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Femme Fatale: Why women kill Mar 11, 2024

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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 violence is denying female agency. Her book is “If Love Could Kill: The Myths and Truths of Women Who Commit Violence.”

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The best communicators don’t talk much Mar 08, 2024

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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 of Connection.”

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A.I. is coming for knowledge workers Mar 07, 2024

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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, and how the real conversation should be about who’s labor is valuable. His book is “Literary Theory for Robots: How Computers Learned to Write.”

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How Ashli Babbitt became a martyr for the right Mar 06, 2024

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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 for many on the far right. His book is “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.”

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Would Trump really go to prison? Mar 05, 2024

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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, Exactly, If Trump Is Sentenced to Prison?” was published by New York Magazine.

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