Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

The drug that's deadlier than opioids Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

The damage caused by alcohol costs Americans billions of dollars, and it largely goes unnoticed. Isabella Cueto, chronic disease reporter for Stat, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the harms of alcohol from elevated cancer risk to liver damage to its impact on violent crime and why public health officials don’t seem to have a cohesive strategy to combat its very real consequences. Her series, written with Lev Facher, is “The Deadliest Drug.”

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The heart and heartbreak of the American South Jun 05, 2026

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For two-time National Book Award winner Jesymn Ward, the deep South is the only place she can call home. The author talks with host Krys Boyd about the pain and heartbreak she’s felt in rural Mississippi, why the draw of family keeps hope alive, and why she writes for anyone experiencing loss or grief. Her book of essays is “On Witness and Respair.”

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How limitations open up your world Jun 04, 2026

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Creativity knows no bounds but it’s best captured within set limits. Author and journalist David Epstein joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why too many choices make it hard to start a project, how to avoid leaning on the status quo when we don’t know where to start, and how we can unlock our unlimited potential. His book is “Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better.”

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The broken promises of the Iranian revolution Jun 02, 2026

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Iran was filled with hope during the 1979 revolution; that was soon dashed. Yeganeh Torbati is a correspondent for The New York Times covering Iran, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Iran’s recent history from the promise of democracy to oppressive rule and further corruption and why the killing of leader Ali Khamenei signals more bad news for the country. Plus, we’ll hear about the people still there fighting for democracy. Her book, written with Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, is “Stolen Revolution: Betrayal and Hope in Modern Iran.”

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What black markets can teach us about the economy Jun 02, 2026

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To really understand the nuts and bolts of economics, look to the black market. Alvin E. Roth is Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University and the George Gund Professor of Economics and Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard University. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2012. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his work on organ donation which led him to study what he called “repugnant transactions” like sex and drugs and why he feels banning them completely doesn’t always have the effect we think it does. His book is “Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work.”

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Are they serious about repealing the 19th amendment? Jun 01, 2026

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There’s a movement to rebuff the gains of feminism called masculinism, and it’s gaining ground. Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the movement that decries empathy and female achievement in the workforce and academia as feminizing the country, why adherents point to ancient civilizations to make their arguments, and why this form of masculinity is more about aggression than protection. Her article is “The men who want women to be quiet.”

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The olds are in charge, and it’s not good May 29, 2026

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The country is run by senior citizens, and their control is transforming the nation. Samuel Moyn is Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University and author of “Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth and What to Do About It.” He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the nation’s elders hold vast amounts of wealth and political influence, why that isn’t transferring to younger generations and how we might rebalance power among generations. His companion article “The Old Guard” was published in Harper’s.

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Beware the influence of big diaper May 28, 2026

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There are lots of experts who claim to know when it’s time to potty train a child, but their advice is rarely based in science. Saabira Chaudhuri joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how big diaper companies push the idea that parents should wait for certain signs to train their child to use the toilet, how this can be devastating for the environment and how this issue affects the elderly as well. Her article “The Wait-Until-Ready Approach to Potty Training Is Under Fire” was published by Bloomberg.

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The big SCOTUS decisions on their way May 27, 2026

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The Supreme Court has already ruled on monumental issues this term, and more are to come. Ian Millhiser is a senior correspondent at Vox, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss hotly anticipated decisions on birthright citizenship, transgender students in sports and gun rights and how the use of the “shadow docket” has changed the landscape of rulings. His article is “What the Supreme Court still has left to decide this term.”

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Gen Z brand = Burnt out May 26, 2026

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Gen Zer’s have lived their lives online, and they’re burned out. Freya India is the author of the Substack GIRLS, where she writes about the challenges girls and young women face in the modern world, and a staff writer for Jonathan Haidt’s newsletter, After Babel. She joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the pressure to build personal “brands,” how even childhood has been commodified and the many ways mental health is suffering. Her book is “GIRLS®: Generation Z and the Commodification of Everything.”

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