On this week’s 51%, we speak with Erin Loos Cutraro, founder and CEO of the nonprofit She Should Run, about why Kamala Harris’ loss should not discourage women from running for office. Also, the reelection of former President Donald Trump has piqued some Americans’ interest in the “4B movement,” a fringe freminist movement from South Korea where women swear off sex, dating, marriage and childbearing with men. We speak with Yale University’s Meera Choi about how the 4B movement got its start,...

Donald Trump will once again be president of the United States. The former president defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in this month's general election, marking the second time Americans have chosen Trump over a woman candidate. On this week’s 51%, we check in with Ange-Marie Hancock, a political science professor and Kamala Harris Project scholar with The Ohio State University. Also, for 10 states, abortion rights were literally on the ballot this year in the form of various ballot...

Election season is here and tensions are high. On this week’s 51%, we learn about a nonprofit working to heal America’s political divide and foster healthier dialogues between citizens. Gabriella Timmis of Braver Angels teaches us how to build trust and, in some cases, find common ground with people we disagree with. Our associate producer, Madeleine Reynolds, also speaks with etiquette expert Elaine Swann about how to confront rude people and “let crazy be crazy.” Guests: Gabriella Timmis,...

Election Day is November 5. Is anyone else nervous? We speak with Shevaun D. Neupert, a professor of psychology at North Carolina State University, about the impacts of election anxiety and how to cope before and after voting. We also hear from the sisters behind the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, reminding women — especially those in controlling relationships — that who they vote for is not public information.  Guests: Shevaun D. Neupert, professor of psychology at North Carolina State...

On this week’s 51%, we recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons speaks with Equinox Inc. counselor Melissa Kovelman about what domestic violence looks like in different types of relationships and how to seek help. We also check in with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood about the various services it offers to patients struggling with menopause.  Guests: Melissa Kovelman, LMHC with Equinox; Bree Samson, director of clinical services at Upper Hudson Planned...

On this week’s 51%, we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month and learn why doctors are being instructed to tell patients about their breast density after mammograms. We also speak with Dr. Elizabeth Lucal of Nuvance Health about the impacts of iron deficiency and anemia on women. And Natasha Senjanovic of the New York Public News Network brings us a report on how the healthcare industry is responding to one of the top causes of maternal mortality: femicide. Guests: Dr. Arnold Baskies,...

On this week’s 51%, we stop by a traveling exhibition using photography to explore the physical and emotional realities of fertility and childbirth. “Reproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency” — from Columbia College Chicago — is now on view at Vassar College’s Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center through February 2. We also stop by a ceremony celebrating a new statue of Sojourner Truth in Kingston, New York, and recognize the 50th anniversary of a women’s art collective in...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with Brady President Kris Brown about her work advocating for gun control measures in Washington, and why it’s harder today. We also hear from New York State Senator Liz Krueger about the state’s proposed Equal Rights Amendment, which voters will decide on in November. Guests: Kris Brown, president of Brady: United Against Gun Violence; New York State Senator Liz Krueger 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse...

On this week’s 51%, we sit down with author Theo Boyd to discuss her book My Grief is Not Like Yours, and the various forms that grief can take. Boyd, a former teacher and self-described "farm girl" from Texas, experienced a string of life-altering losses beginning in 2019, including the deaths of both of her parents. Combining personal anecdotes and advice from mental health counselors, Boyd offers comfort to those who also find themselves in the throes of "complicated...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with writer and mental health advocate Jessica Hoppe about her new book First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream. The debut memoir chronicles Hoppe’s experience recovering from drug and alcohol abuse as a first-generation Latinx woman. Tracing the history of substance abuse across her family, Hoppe explores the pressures that come with the immigrant experience, the impacts of intergenerational trauma, and what it takes to break...

Has dating gotten harder in recent years? On this week’s 51%, we speak with sociologist Sabrina Strings about the changing romantic landscape for women in the U.S., from dating app horrors to low-commitment “situationships.” In her new book, The End of Love, Strings argues that traditional romance has always been more elusive for women of color, and now it is practically on its deathbed. Why? Because after decades of feminist progress, a new form of toxic masculinity has evolved to maintain...

On this week’s 51%, our associate producer Jody Cowan speaks with ethnobotanist Dr. Ina Vandebroek and anthropologist Dr. Cynthia Fowler about efforts in the science community to address racism and decolonize the way we study and name native plants around the world. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also stops by a community center in New York that’s using cooking classes to promote kids’ interest in the STEAM fields. Guests: Dr. Cynthia Fowler, sociology and anthropology department chair at...

On this week’s 51%, we hear from the director of a new documentary telling the stories of domestic violence survivors in Sri Lanka. Teardrop on Fire, the debut film from director Jessica Palden, explores the community impacts of toxic, abusive relationships, and highlights the allies working to help survivors. We also speak with David Radley, senior scientist for The Commonwealth Fund, about the organization’s 2024 scorecard for women’s healthcare in the U.S. Guests: Jessica Palden,...

On this week’s 51%, we sit down with Muriel Fox, feminist activist and cofounder of the National Organization for Women, about her new memoir celebrating the second wave feminist movement — and those who made it happen. WAMC’s Ian Pickus also speaks with reporter Rose Eveleth about their new podcast Tested, examining the history of sexual division in elite sports.  Guests: Muriel Fox, co-founder of the National Organization for Women and author of The Women's Revolution: How We...

Following President Biden's decision to step away from this year's presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris is on track to become the first woman of color and first person of South Asian descent to earn the Democratic nomination for president. On this week's 51%, we speak with Ange-Marie Hancock, a political science professor at The Ohio State University, to learn more about Harris' work as vice president, and the obstacles commonly faced by women candidates on the campaign...

On this week's 51%, we speak with Dr. Camille Clare, an OB/GYN and professor at SUNY Downstate, to learn more about cesarean sections, and what women should expect during and after delivery. Dr. Clare is also the secretary of the Board of Directors for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of New York's Maternal Mortality Review Committee. We also hear from Jenni Shearston, one of the researchers behind a new study on the presence of metals in...

On this week's 51%, we brush up on the history of marriage equality in the U.S., and look back on the first same-sex weddings in New Paltz, New York — which took place more than a decade before the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide. We also hear from psychoanalysts Avgi Saketopoulou and Ann Pellegrini about their book Gender Without Identity, proposing a new way of looking at how life shapes everyone's experience with gender. Guests: Avgi Saketopoulou and Ann...

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal of a strict abortion ban in Idaho, allowing some emergency abortions in the state to continue — for now. On this week’s 51%, we speak with Rutgers Law School Professor Kimberly Mutcherson about what this means for patients in Idaho, and for the Court.

The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge of the Food & Drug Administration’s approval and regulation of mifepristone, preserving access to one of two pills commonly used in medication abortions across the U.S. On this week’s 51%, we break down the Court’s ruling with Carmel Shachar, faculty director of the Health Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation. Guests: Carmel Shachar, assistant clinical professor of law at Harvard Law...

On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke catches up with singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco to talk about her new record and her debut on Broadway. DiFranco is starring as “Persephone” in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical Hadestown through the end of June. We also hear from Amy Jordan, choreographer and founder of the Victory Dance Project, about the group’s upcoming 10-year anniversary. Guests: Ani DiFranco; Amy Jordan, founder of the Victory Dance Project, Mary Birnbaum, general...

On this week’s 51%, our associate producer, Jody Cowan, meets with alternative soul artist Iniko to discuss their creative process and their world tour. We also stop by a celebration of public art in Troy, New York, and Dr. Sharon Ufberg speaks with the director of a 2022 documentary celebrating Deaf culture and highlighting the need for more interpreters at concert venues. Guests: Iniko, songwriter and performer; Cat Brewer, producer and director of Sign the Show 51% is a...

On this week's 51%, we speak with psychotherapist Dr. Judith Smith about how parenting doesn't stop once children reach adulthood – and how parenting a "difficult adult child" can be especially hard on moms in their later years. We also hear from the women behind Eyes That Weave the World's Wonders, a new children's book highlighting the experience of transracial adoptees.  Guests: Dr. Judith Smith, psychotherapist and author of Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children Through...

On this week’s 51%, we meet with the head of the National Archives amid her tour of presidential libraries across the U.S. Dr. Colleen Shogan discusses the role historical records can play in healing the country’s cultural and political divides. We also stop by an event with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and learn about an artificial intelligence project at RPI telling the story of Emily Warren Roebling, a 19th Century engineer who helped complete the Brooklyn...