Think from KERA

[2016-03-14 12:00:00] Duchenne muscular dystrophy progressively weakens muscles – including the heart – and is eventually fatal. Sufferers and their families have new reason to be hopeful, though, after UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers were able to stop the disease in mice. This hour, we’ll talk about the possibility of applying the same technique – gene editing – to humans with Eric Olson of UT-Southwestern, as well as Ben and Debbie Dupree, a mother-son team that is currently battling the disease.

[2016-03-10 12:00:00] Hillary Clinton currently leads the race to be the Democrats’ presidential nominee, though Sen. Bernie Sanders remains a viable challenger. This hour, we’ll talk about the current state of the party with Dallas County Democratic Party chair Carol Donovan, Collin County chair Mike Rawlins and Tarrant County chair Deborah Peoples. And be sure to listen to our conversation last week with the county leaders on the Republican side.

[2016-03-10 13:00:00] Vicki Meek has managed the South Dallas Cultural Center for nearly 20 years and has been a vibrant contributor to the city’s artistic landscape since the early 1980s. This hour, ahead of her retirement this month, we’ll talk with Meek about being a practicing artist and administrator in North Texas – and about the direction of the community she’s fostered for decades.

[2016-03-09 12:00:00] Dallas Theater Center’s “All The Way” looks at Lyndon Baines Johnson’s early days in the Oval Office and follows the 36th president through his hard-fought re-election. This hour, we’ll talk about what the play has to say about partisan gridlock and political power with its director, Kevin Moriarty, and star Brandon Potter. “All The Way” runs at the Wyly Theatre through April 3.

[2016-03-08 13:00:00] Within the U.S. Department of Agriculture exists a division called Wildlife Services, which since 2000 has killed more than 2 million native mammals and 15 million native birds in an effort to protect the livestock industry. This hour, we’ll talk about human influence on the natural world with Christopher Ketcham, whose story on the topic, “The Rogue Agency” appears in the current issue of “Harper’s.”

[2016-03-08 12:00:00] The American voter log has expanded significantly since the early days, when only select property owners participated in our democracy. This hour, we’ll talk about the evolution of suffrage in the United States – and about efforts to restrict voting rights through the years – with Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. His new book is called “The Fight to Vote” (Simon & Schuster).

[2016-03-07 12:00:00] People with autism are known for their expansive memories and attention to detail – traits also shared by child prodigies. This hour, we’ll talk about the possibility of a genetic connection between these groups with Joanne Ruthsatz, an assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University. She’s the co-author of “The Prodigy’s Cousin: The Family Link Between Autism and Extraordinary Talent” (Current).

[2016-03-07 13:00:00] We’ve been conditioned to think about music in terms of what makes one genre distinct from the next. This hour, we’ll talk about taking a more holistic approach to listening – and about finding common ground in seemingly unrelated songs – with “New York Times” music critic Ben Ratliff. His new book is called “Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

[2016-03-03 13:00:00] As an 18-year-old, Greg Cope White joined the Marine Corps almost on a whim. What difference did it make that he was gay? Surely no one would find out. This hour, we’ll talk with White about his experience as a closeted member of the armed forces, which he writes about in his memoir “The Pink Marine: One Boy’s Boot Camp Journey to Manhood” (Querelle Press).

[2016-03-03 12:00:00] Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won the Republican primary on Super Tuesday in his home state. Yet Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead in the battle for the party nomination. This hour, we’ll talk about the current state of the G.O.P. with Dallas County party chairman Wade Emmert and Neal Katz, executive director of the Collin County Republican Party.