As president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte ordered extrajudicial killings as part of his war on drugs. Patricia Evangelista is a trauma journalist and former investigative reporter for the Philippine news company Rappler. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the killings, carried out by police and vigilantes, and the people whose lives were shaped by fear in a lawless time. Her book is “Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country.”

You don’t have to be at TED Talk level to exhibit great public speaking skills. Matt Abrahams, lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss tips and tricks for capturing an audience, embracing improv to think on your feet and how to tame stage fright. His book is “Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot.”

You may have signed a petition online, but what about actually meeting in-person with your representative to advocate for a public policy change? Sam Daley-Harris founded Results, a citizen lobby committed to creating the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss effective strategies for advocating for change that won’t leave you frustrated by the process. His book is “Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy.”

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, eyeliner is a signifier of power. Journalist Zahra Hankir joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the religiosity, spirituality and cultural significance of eyeliner and its use throughout the ages and around the world. Her book is “Eyeliner: A Cultural History.”

You might’ve heard of the “slow food” movement – maybe it’s time to try the “slow buy” movement, too? Chip Colwell, lecturer in anthropology at the University of Colorado, Denver, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the pact he made with his family that they buy no more than five items in a year and what it taught him about consumption in this country. His book is “So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything.”

It isn’t hard for parents to love their children unconditionally, but they might not always like how they behave. Jeffrey Bernstein is a parent coach and psychologist. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss methods of dealing with a defiant child, offering advice on allowing kids to develop healthy coping skills and for parents to find peace in the house again. His article “What Children Need Most from Their Parents Isn’t Love” was published in Psychology Today.

Climate change affects us all, but women are often left to pick up the pieces of families in poverty and crisis caused by climate disasters. Zainab Salbi, co-founder of the nonprofit Daughters for Earth, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her efforts to empower women to counter climate change with activism, her previous work helping survivors of war and conflict and why she’s made justice for women her life’s calling. This episode originally aired Oct. 16, 2023.

Chatbots are becoming more sophisticated and are better able to mimic human speech. That can be exciting … and problematic. Washington Post tech reporter Gerrit De Vynck joins host Krys Boyd to break down what’s next for this new technology. His article is “Microsoft’s AI chatbot is going off the rails.” This episode originally aired March 6, 2023.

Feeling stuck in life is common, but good news: There are tried and true strategies for greasing the wheels. Adam Alter is professor of marketing and the Stansky Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He also holds an affiliated professorship in social psychology at NYU’s psychology department. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the emotions, thoughts and behaviors that hold us back — and tricks for flourishing amid our anxiety. His book is “Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.” This episode originally aired July 6, 2023.

For centuries, we humans have placed ourselves above other animals in part because of the belief that we are the only creatures with the cognitive ability to turn thought into speech. Science journalist Sonia Shah joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what it means now that researchers are discovering that animals communicate in languages, too, and the moral dilemmas that is bringing up for biologists. Her article “The Animals Are Talking. What Does It Mean?” appeared in The New York Times Magazine. This episode originally aired Oct. 13, 2023.