Why it’s hard to make stuff in the U.S.

To set some world records, you need buy-in from a lot of people – and it’s harder than you might think to get thousands together just to play a kazoo. Lauren Larson, senior staff writer at Texas Monthly magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficulty of setting wacky world records today, when lackadaisical participants prefer to stay at home post-lockdown and Guiness Book of World Records rules are stringent. Her article is “They Want You to Get Off Your Couch, and Go Set a World Record” was published in The New York Times Magazine.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Former CDC director and now CEO of Resolve to Save Lives Dr. Tom Frieden joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we need the political will to transform an ailing system. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

An at home DNA test might be a fun window into the past, but they can go sideways — so much so that a cottage industry has sprung up to deal with the fallout. Jennifer Wilson is a staff writer at The New Yorker, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss when home DNA kits like 23andMe reveal paternity secrets, children who feel like this new information has led to a “re-birth” and why anger is fueling a call for paternity testing at birth. Her article is “The Family Fallout of DNA Surprises.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Did you know that the outfit you are wearing right now is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions? Laila Petrie, director general of the charity Future Earth Lab, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what counts as sustainable in the fashion industry – where greenwashing is rampant – and how fast fashion contributes to climate change. Her article in Scientific American is “How to Be a Smarter Fashion Consumer in a World of Overstated Sustainability.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Both the left and right have failed to craft policies that end gun violence — so what might work? Jens Ludwig is a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago, where he also directs the school’s crime lab. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how behavioral economics offers insight into what works to curb gun homicides. His new book is “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 Our current loneliness epidemic may seem insurmountable, but solutions to overcome the problem are out there. This episode, host Krys Boyd talks with three experts who take on loneliness head on, from why it’s so hard to address, to ways to use our creativity to connect with others, to a guide for making and keeping friends.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Today’s Silicon Valley is far from the tech utopia many of us may still have in our minds. Mike Isaac, Silicon Valley and technology reporter for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the transformation of the cushy Silicon Valley work style to a more serious tone where A.I. dominates the conversation, how the pandemic changed the work vibes there, and why it might be a harbinger for how we will all work in the near future. His article is “Silicon Valley Is in Its ‘Hard Tech’ Era.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For people seeking to lose weight, Ozempic can seem like a dream drug — but it doesn’t work for everyone. Andrea Javor is a freelance writer, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her journey using Ozempic, the disappointment that came when the scale didn’t budge for her, and why doctors think GLP-1s can regulate diabetes without the weight loss. Her article “Ozempic didn’t work for me. I was furious – and ashamed” was published by The Guardian. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Grammar hounds might despise it, but “like” is both ubiquitous and necessary in our everyday speech. Megan C. Reynolds, editor at Dwell magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss one little word that defines so much of modern speech: like – from approval on social media to, like, the way we all casually talk today – and why we should all give it a second look. Her book is “Like: A History of the World’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

President Trump is determined to shift manufacturing jobs back to American soil — but that’s a monumentally difficult task. Rachel Slade joins host Krys Boyd to discuss challenges small businesses face when they want to source American-made products, how regulation gets in the way, and why labor unions might help bring jobs back. Her book is “Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (And How It Got That Way).”This episode originally aired June, 6th 2025. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices