There was a time when the ticker at the bottom of a television screen was only used in emergencies. Now, it seems, everything is “breaking news.”Robert L. Tsai, professor of law at American University, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his research into how exaggerated situations and distorted facts whittle away at democracy. His paper on the topic is called “Manufactured Emergencies” and appears in the Yale Law Journal Forum.

In 2000, an internet virus arrived in e-mail inboxes with the subject “I love you.” Back then the problem was more of an annoyance; today, the stakes for spotting internet bots, trolls and the spread of disinformation couldn’t be higher. Samuel Woolley, program director for computational propaganda research at the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the future of destructive tech and ways to combat it. His book is called “The Reality Game: How the Next Wave of Technology Will Break the Truth.”

The British government famously encouraged citizen to “keep calm and carry on” during wartime. New research shows, however, that “keep calm and grow stronger” might be more useful advice. Ian Robertson, T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Scientist and co-Leader of The BrainHealth Project, talks to host Krys Boyd about how adversity can steer us toward success. He writes about the topic in his book “The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper.”

When kids run, jump and play, it’s easy to forget that the neighborhood where they are tucked in at night greatly impacts their health outcomes. Genna Reed, lead science and policy analyst in the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about a new report that details how federal government policies are backsliding when it comes to child well-being. It’s called “Endangering Generations: How the Trump Administration’s Assault on Science Is Harming Children’s Health.”

Tembi Locke wasn’t expecting to find a husband on a vacation to Italy. And she also couldn’t have known she was setting herself up for tragedy. The actor and author talks to host Krys Boyd about love and loss: from finding her soulmate in Florence to his death from cancer, to the decision to travel back to her husband’s Sicilian hometown to find herself — and her family — again. Her book is called “From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home.”

When Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem, the football world reeled. Howard Bryant is a senior writer for ESPN the Magazine and a correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how America’s ongoing conversation about race so often spills into sports. His new book is called “Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia are currently locked in a battle for Middle East supremacy. Kim Ghattas, Emmy-winning journalist and a writer who covered the Middle East for 20 years for the BBC and the Financial Times, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the source of their animosity – including differing views of Islam. Her new book is “Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East.”

It’s become common for restaurants to feature unisex or gender neutral restrooms. And maybe your co-workers have added a line to their e-mail signatures designating which pronouns they prefer. Dennis Baron, professor emeritus of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how language has evolved to the point where “they” is often used in the singular form. His new book is called “What’s Your Pronoun? Beyond He & She.”

By now we know that the nation’s first president didn’t have wooden teeth and, by all accounts, could, in fact, tell a lie. But George Washington’s legend is still full of many wonderful quirks. Alexis Coe, host of the Audible series “Presidents Are People Too!” and “No Man’s Land” podcasts, joins host Krys Boyd to take a 21st Century look at a figure we all think we know. Her new book is called “You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington.”

The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency. And as the virus spreads, so does misinformation, fear and uncertainty about the threat. Dr. Seema Yasmin is director of Stanford Health Communication, clinical assistant professor in the Stanford Department of Medicine and served as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  where she investigated disease outbreaks. She joins host Krys Boyd to talk about what we know – and are still learning – about the coronavirus.