Think from KERA

Kyle Manley, a postdoctoral researcher at CU Boulder's Earth Lab who studies public lands and policy. He discusses why proposals to sell federal land are driven by long-term political pushes. He explains how most federal land is unsuitable for housing, the risks of wildfire and lost ecosystem services, and why privatization would permanently remove public benefits.

 Leaders of the Right say they want to re-balance higher education — but even within the ranks the movement is divided as to what that really means. Len Gutkin, editor of The Chronicle Review, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why some feel a return to the classics is a strategy to even out Left-leaning college campuses, why red-state legislatures don’t feel that goes far enough, and what this argument is doing to academic freedom. His article is “The Right's Academic Civil War” was published by The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

DEI is being dismantled, what comes next for those interested in working toward equality? Kenji Yoshino is Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at the NYU School of Law and the faculty director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, though counterintuitive, opening programs up to all people does help minority groups, how the language of DEI backfired and how to build a “multicultural meritocracy.” His book, written with David Glasgow, is “How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If you were given thousands of dollars in free money to gamble, would you find yourself a little — or a lot — addicted to the games? McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how his magazine gave him $10,000 to use as seed money as he explored the rise of online sports gambling, why he was surprised at how much the gambling interfered with his family life and sleep and how he received special dispensation from his church to take part in the experiment. His article is “My Year as a Degenerate Gambler.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Taxing billionaires to make up budget shortfalls is a popular idea — but maybe non-billionaires should think again? Megan McArdle is a Washington Post columnist, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the idea of a billionaire wealth tax is generating buzz around Capitol Hill, why she feels it’s a short-sided idea, and to explain just how much cash these policies would potentially generate. Her recent piece on the topic is “The myth of the billionaire wealth tax.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rasmus Rosenberg-Larsen, assistant professor of forensic epistemology and author of Psychopathy Unmasked, questions whether psychopathy is a real, discrete diagnosis. He traces its messy history, the rise of the PCL-R, and why pop culture skews perception. He explains empirical problems, how traits appear in noncriminals, and the legal and ethical harms of keeping a flawed label alive.

Kyle Manley, a postdoc at CU Boulder’s Earth Lab who studies land management and ecosystem services. He explores the history of land-transfer movements and why selling federal lands is shortsighted. He discusses wildfire risks, limits of using remote public land for housing, and methods for putting dollar values on recreation, pollination, water and other ecosystem services.

Helen Zoe Veit, historian and author of Picky, traces how American kids went from eating organ meats to a narrow “kid food” diet. She explores historical shifts in parenting advice, the rise of processed snacks and milk culture, advertising and kids’ menus, and practical ways to rebuild adventurous palates.

Drew Fagan, a historian at the Munk School and visiting professor at Yale, explores the long and tangled U.S.-Canada relationship. He traces trade ties, tariff fights, and cultural protection. He discusses historic annexation talks, NAFTA to USMCA shifts, security after 9/11, and why Canadians grew wary of deeper economic integration.

Tayari Jones, novelist and Emory creative writing professor, discusses her novel Kin and its portraits of Black life. She explores motherless upbringing, surrogate caregivers, Jim Crow small-town realities, class and HBCU dynamics, humor amid hardship, queer relationships, reproductive risk, and the power of letters to hold long-distance bonds.