There’s value in being mediocre

Sleepless nights nursing a baby can make any mother frantic for a solution — and big corporations know that. Chabeli Carrazana, economy and child care reporter for The 19th News, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why women’s social feeds — more than men’s — are set up to pitch baby products to expectant and new mothers, how Big Box stores track purchases to target ads, and why a lack of a federal parental leave policy might feed into the spending frenzy. Her article is “You’ll do anything for your baby. The algorithm knows how to exploit that.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

While there’s no stopping Alzheimer’s disease, there are new treatments to slow it down. Dylan Scott covers health for Vox, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss hopeful new breakthroughs in understanding the disease, what’s different between the new drugs and previous ones that ultimately failed, and if GLP-1s can help ward off cognitive decline. His article is “Alzheimer’s treatment is advancing rapidly — and there’s one thing all of us can do to help.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A decisive blue wave swept across the country on election night, and nowhere was it more surprising than Texas. Nick Miroff, staff writer for The Atlantic, and Lauren McGaughy, Texas politics correspondent for The New York Times, join host Krys Boyd to discuss the Democrats’ sweep of the Texas ballot from senator to governor on down, whether this signals a new era of governance for the state, and what we can extrapolate out for the rest of the country. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

His selection was seen as a longshot, but now the first American Pope has been a clear voice on immigration, poverty and A.I. Scott Detrow, co-host of All Things Considered, and Daniel Burke, senior editor of religion and spirituality at NPR, join host Krys Boyd to discuss the life and the health of the man born Robert Prevost, his rise in the Augustinian order to advise Pope Francis, and his pushback on “America First” policies that President Trump champions. Their book is “American Pope: Leo XIV’s Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Some people are convinced A.I. can let them connect to a supernatural world. Sam Kestenbaum is a journalist covering religion in America, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the issue of A.I. delusions – when people believe whole-heartedly their chatbot can see the future or commune with the dead – and what this new technology says about the ways emerging tech is encroaching on our analog world. His article “Communion of Saints” was published in Harper’s Magazine. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Passionately pursuing one goal might lead to an accomplishment – but it may not make us any happier. In fact, sometimes we have to be so-so at something to be happy. Amy Berg, associate professor of philosophy at Rice University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the simple joys of mediocrity, about the benefits of being pretty good at a lot of things, and why striving for excellence is a well-trod path to burnout. Her book is “The Well-Rounded Life.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Polls might get you excited that your preferred candidate is on the path to victory – but we’ve all been burned before. Marc Novicoff is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why polling has gotten election results so wrong in the past, about how polls are conducted in an age when no one wants to take part, and about if we should brace for more surprises. His article is “How the Polls Could Be Wrong Again.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The integration of public schools meant deep cuts to Black teacher jobs – and restoring the pipeline of Black educators potentially means better outcomes for Black students. Emmanuel Felton, investigative journalist and author, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why representation matters in the classroom and to tell the story of a man who has started a school to train and deploy Black educators. His article “This Philadelphia Educator is Rebuilding the Black Teacher Pipeline” was published in Hammer and Hope. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Open caskets used to be fairly standard, but we’re losing the artists who make that possible. John Semley joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history, culture and economics of morticians, why their particular trade is quickly going out of fashion, and how losing this restorative mortuary science is changing the way we grieve. His article “A Dying Art: The last of the morticians” was published in Harper’s Magazine.This episode originally aired August 8th, 2026. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

President Trump has said the Iran War will end after the mid-terms, but there is no sign either side is willing to come to the table. Ali Vaez, deputy program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group, joins guest host Paige Phelps to discuss why both Iran and the U.S. have dug into a war that seems indefinite and unwinnable, how the conflict is changing our partnerships with Arab Gulf States and why both sides are emerging weaker eight months in. His essay “The New Forever War” was published in Foreign Affairs. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices