Affirmative action had been in place for decades, now schools must fine-tune the process. Bertrand Cooper joins host Krys Boyd to make the case that race-conscious admissions by universities frequently benefit students who are already from elite backgrounds and that it’s time to also consider socioeconomic status if we’re ever going to actually level the playing field. His article in The Atlantic is “The Failure of Affirmative Action.”

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.”

Billions of dollars are being stolen from individuals, businesses and governments … and banks are turning a blind eye. Kurt Eichenwald, senior investigative editor at The Conversation, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his reporting into sham bank accounts being opened by crime rings with real and fake identities and the large profits they make for financial institutions. His article written with David Maimon is called “Heists Worth Billions.”

Whether you realize it or not, your beauty routine is very likely imported from South Korea. Elise Hu is a correspondent and host-at-large for NPR and host of TED Talks Daily. She joined host Krys Boyd to discuss K-beauty – which prioritizes perfection – its reach across the globe, and the consumerism that has crept into our very skin. Her book is “Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital.”

Translating the credible fear interviews of asylum seekers means finding the language to accurately relay trauma. Alejandra Oliva is an essayist, translator and immigrant justice advocate, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her work as a translator on the border, how it relates to her life as a Mexican-American woman, and what it takes to actually become a U.S. citizen. Her book is “Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration.”

The Fair Housing Act recognized more than half a century ago that with redlining and racist policies, neighborhoods were never segregated by choice. Leah Rothstein is a consultant to affordable housing developers and local governments, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss solutions to alleviate inequalities that remain in communities to this day. Her book, written with her co-author and father Richard Rothstein, is called “Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law.”

If you dread small talk and squirm in the corner at parties, the return to in-person get-togethers has probably been unwelcome. Julie Beck, senior editor at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how we can regain that pre-pandemic confidence in social situations. Her podcast is “How to Talk to People.”

Finn Murphy discusses his attempt at a Colorado hemp farm, battling the elements and a disappearing bank account, and his pivot to middleman as he pursued his American Dream.

President Joe Biden is 80-years old, and he’s soon to ask the American people for four more years in office. Vanity Fair contributing editor Chris Smith joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways both Republican and Democratic strategists view President Biden’s age and how voters might assess his abilities. His article is “The Question of Joe Biden’s Age: ‘It’s a Legitimate Concern.'”

Good news: A bowl of ice cream might be good for you. And researchers are now trying to figure out why. David Merritt Johns is a journalist and public health historian, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the surprising results of studies about food that’s traditionally been considered off-limits, and what it says about scientific experimentation and unconscious bias baked into the system. His article published in The Atlantic is “Nutrition science’s most preposterous result.”