Think from KERA

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.”

This episode originally aired, March 31st, 2026.

As President Trump threatens Iranian annihilation today, there was actually another nuclear threat there in the 1980s, thwarted by a Russian spy. Ben McIntyre, writer-at-large for The Times (UK), joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the man with the code name “Redwood,” how he was key to avoiding nuclear disaster when the Russians and Americans were strategizing what to do after the Iranian Revolution, and the reasons he was ready to leave the KGB. His book is “Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy.”

U.S. foreign policy was once focused on spreading democracy, but that has changed. Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins guest host John McCaa to talk about her reporting during which she’s witnessed government workers – under the guise of diplomatic efforts – making self-serving deals with short-term goals, how that’s rewiring American foreign policy, and how this is making the world rethink the United States’ reputation. Her article is “Empire of Grift.”

After devastating floods, fires, heat and hurricanes changed their lives, a support group was formed to connect families affected by climate change. David Gelles is a correspondent for The New York Times on the climate desk, where he leads the Climate Forward newsletter and event series. He joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss Extreme Weather Survivors, a nationwide support group for families upended by climate disasters that’s grown to 2,500 people, how the network helps survivors navigate red tape and insurance woes and how they plan to use their collective power to lobby congress. His article is “Six Strangers Connected by Disaster.”

It’s not just exorbitant amounts of money that’s needed to win elections – they also take time – something working people are often short on. Nicholas Carnes, Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy and professor of political science and sociology at Duke University, joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss why working-class people are so often not considered electable, how party gatekeepers vet people who can afford to put in more time, and why ordinary citizens are not offered a seat at the table. His book, written with co-author Noam Lupu, is “Keeping Workers Off the Ballot: How Democracy Undermines Working-Class Representation.”

When we hold up our phones to film a concert for our feeds, we’re not just capturing the action, we’re signaling to followers who we are. Kathryn Jezer-Morton is author of the biweekly Brooding column at The Cut, and she joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss how capturing content shapes the way we view ourselves, how we store our histories through social media and how we’re changing the way we behave to better fit the algorithm. Her book is “The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything.”

For the millions of readers who couldn’t get enough of “Big Little Lies,” there’s good news: A sequel is here. Best-selling author Liane Moriarty joins host Krys Boyd to talk about crafting characters that readers can’t get enough of, how her large family shapes her work, and why Hollywood can keep you humble. Her newest book is called “Big Little Truths.”

Slowly, and at the grassroots level, election deniers have cemented power over federal, state and local elections. Atlantic staff writer Toluse Olorunnipa joins host Krys Boyd to discuss efforts to sew doubt into the election process and concerns about a smooth midterm election in November. His article is “The Election Deniers’ Long Game.”

 For one best-selling author, the longing for a family leaves big dreams unfulfilled. Sarah Hepola is co-host of the weekly culture podcast “Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em” and a staff writer for The Dallas Morning News. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her search for answers about why marriage and motherhood have eluded her by doing a deep dive into previous relationships. Her new book is “The Only Thing There Is to Want: A Memoir of Three Loves.” 

Prices on just about everything are up – so where is all of that extra money going? Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of the Groundwork Collaborative, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how companies often band together to bump up prices, how surveillance technology boosts revenues and how hidden fees pad corporate bottom lines. Her book is “Gouged: The End of a Fair Price – and What That Means for Your Wallet.”