Medical child abuse, formerly known as Munchausen by Proxy, is not as rare as we’ve been led to believe. Detective Mike Weber has 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 15 years as a crimes against children investigator. He joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss his experience with several cases of medical child abuse, profiling of the mothers who committed the injuries, and how he meticulously uncovered evidence of these notoriously difficult to diagnose crimes. His book, written with co-author Andrea Dunlop, is “The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy.”

It can be bewildering to see a child go from loving to learn to dropping out of academic engagement. Jenny Anderson is a co-author of “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better” written with co-author Rebecca Winthrop. She joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss why teens disconnect from the world and to offer strategies to get them back on track not only in the classroom, but also in life. The companion article published in The Atlantic is “The Teen-Disengagement Crisis.”

Sisters of Mary Morning Star is a group of Catholic nuns who work with women on Texas’ death row. New Yorker staff writer Lawrence Wright joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the deep bonds the sisters have with condemned inmates, what it says about faith and friendship, and how they view the death penalty as law. His article is “The Nuns Trying to Save the Women on Texas’s Death Row.”

In the 2024 election, Democrats lost the presidency and control of the Senate. What now? Katie Glueck covers American politics with an emphasis on the Democratic Party for The New York Times. She joins guest host John McCaa to discuss why the Blue Wave never materialized, the current mood of a party marked by in-fighting, and strategies Democratic Party leadership might employ heading into the 2026 mid-terms.

If knowledge is power, withholding an education is also a way of denying power. University of South Carolina School of Law professor Derek W. Black joins guest host John McCaa to talk about the history of Southern leaders withholding literacy from Black people from the end of the Civil War through Reconstruction and beyond – and about the lengths that Black Americans have gone to get an education. His book is, “Dangerous Learning: The South’s Long War on Black Literacy“.

Researchers are diligently gathering data about near-death experiences to better understand the thin line between life and death. Science journalist Rachel Nuwer joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the phenomenon, which has been recorded since ancient times, and how it may offer insight into how we understand consciousness. Her Scientific American article is “Lifting the Veil on Near-Death Experiences.”

This episode originally aired on June 10th, 2024.

“Do you like me? Check yes or no.” Say goodbye to the childhood love note — teens aren’t dating anymore. Faith Hill, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the demise of teenage dating, what kids are missing out on when they don’t practice being in adult-like relationships, and how a new idea of adolescence is being formed — for better or worse. Her article is “Teens Are Forgoing a Classic Rite of Passage.”

 As far as student motivation goes, letter grades get a big fat “F.” Author Daniel Pink joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of letter and number grading, why they don’t move students to care about their education or help with material retention, and why it might be time to ditch them altogether. His article “Why not get rid of grades?” was published in The Washington Post. 

For human rights organizations dealing with oppressive governments, sometimes humiliating them on the world stage actually gets things done. Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his organization’s tactic of “naming and shaming” countries that violate human rights and why Americans are sometimes blind to the lessening of freedoms and dignity around the world. His book is “Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments.”

Denmark is known as a progressive bastion in a right-moving Europe – and its leadership is making the case that restricting immigration is the path to maintaining its liberal society. David Leonhardt is an editorial director at The New York Times. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Denmark’s Center-Left party, which argues that restraining immigration and demanding immigrants assimilate quickly is the only way the country can continue to provide its generous social programs. And we’ll hear if U.S. Democratic Party leaders are taking note. His article is “In an Age of Right-Wing Populism, Why Are Denmark’s Liberals Winning?”

Rebekah Taussig has chronicled her life in a wheelchair – a rewarding experienced that has also proved limiting. Taussig is the author of “Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body,” and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, while she’s a champion of disability rights, she worries this has pigeonholed her when she wants to explore so many other topics and possibilities. Her article “I’m a Disabled Woman. Is That My Brand?” was published in Time magazine.