On this week’s 51%, we wrap our series on endometriosis. “Endo Dietitian” Stefanie Valakas explains how some endometriosis patients shift to an anti-inflammatory diet to self-manage their symptoms. We also learn about a new endometriosis research hub at the University of Pittsburgh. Guests: Stefanie Valakas, accredited dietitian and nutritionist and founder of The Dietologist  51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with Dr. Karen Tang about everything from fibroids and PCOS to sexual pain and pelvic floor therapy. Tang is a board-certified gynecologist and surgeon who, in her spare time, debunks reproductive health myths for millions of viewers on Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram. In her new book, It’s Not Hysteria, Tang presents a comprehensive guide on common pelvic issues and various treatment options for them. Guest: Dr. Karen Tang, MD and author of "It’s Not...

On the latest 51%, we continue our series on endometriosis, speaking with doctors, patients, advocates, and researchers about a disease that impacts roughly 1 in 10 women worldwide. Patient advocate and “Endo Girls” blogger Kate Boyce discusses her journey with endometriosis treatment, and an often-overlooked aspect of gynecologic surgery: recovery.  Guest: Kate Boyce, BCPA and co-founder of the blog "Endo Girls"  51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse...

On this week’s 51%, we kick off our series on endometriosis, an inflammatory disease impacting roughly 1 in 10 women. Dr. Lora Liu, a gynecologic surgeon and endometriosis excision specialist in New York City, discusses the basics of the disease – and why we still know so little about it. Dr. Liu also dives into treatment options for patients, and offers her advice for those considering excision surgery.  Guest: Dr. Lora Liu, gynecologic surgeon and excision specialist 51% is a...

The Arizona state Supreme Court has cleared the way for the revival of an abortion ban dating back to the 1860s. On this week’s 51%, Rutgers Law School professor Kimberly Mutcherson breaks down the court’s decision, and analyzes the current tumultuous legal landscape for abortion rights in the U.S. WAMC’s Ian Pickus also speaks with NPR political correspondent Sarah McCammon about her new book The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Guests: Kimberly...

On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke sits down with singer-songwriter Dawn Landes to discuss her new record reimagining "The Liberated Woman’s Songbook" from 1971. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also meets a couple with a decades-long story of love and friendship that finally tied the knot during the Great North American eclipse. Guest: Dawn Landes, The Liberated Woman's Songbook 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with mountain athlete and fertility doula Angie Marie to learn how some women are applying the concepts behind cycle syncing to their everyday lives. “Cycle syncing” is the practice of adjusting one’s diet or exercise to the different stages of their menstrual cycle. While the theory has become more popular among female athletes, Marie says she uses cycle syncing to increase her creativity, get in touch with her emotions, and promote self-care. Marie lays out some...

On the latest 51%, Dr. Elizabeth Comen gives us a lesson on gender bias in early medicine, and how it continues to prevent women from getting adequate care. Dr. Comen is a breast oncologist and medical historian with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. In her new book, All in Her Head, she examines how early medicine failed women in just about every major organ system of their bodies, and why women’s health is still so misunderstood.  Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Comen, breast...

On this week’s 51%, public speaker and mentor Chelsey Goodan provides insight on the wisdom and power of teenage girls. For years, Goodan has been working with girls one-on-one and speaking with them about mental health, body image, social media, boys, friendships, and parents. In her new book Underestimated, Goodan explores why we, as a society, so often restrict and belittle girls at an age when they’re supposed to be gaining independence. We also speak with therapist Khara Croswaite...

On this week’s 51%, our associate producer Jody Cowan catches up with NASA astronaut, engineer, and chemist Tracy Caldwell Dyson ahead of her third mission to the International Space Station this month. During her six-month stay, Dyson will help maintain station equipment and contribute to a number of ongoing science experiments. WAMC’s Ian Pickus also speaks with NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about her new book, Transient and Strange. Guests: Tracy Caldwell Dyson,...

On the latest 51%, we speak with the editors of Fighting Mad, a new book of essays reimagining the abortion rights — or rather, reproductive justice — movement. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also brings us to a public hearing on the proposed closure of Burdett Birth Center in Troy, New York, and we learn about the life and career of American photographer Rollie McKenna.  Guests: Krystale E. Littlejohn, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon, author, and editor of the...

On this week's 51%, we kick off Women's History Month. We speak with the directors and flight attendants behind PBS' new American Experience film Fly With Me, about how the first female flight attendants in the U.S. fought for equal labor protections — and contributed to the broader feminist movement in the process. Author Shelley Fraser Mickle also dives into the fascinating life of first daughter Alice Roosevelt in White House Wild Child. Guests: Helen Dobrowski, director of...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with former Tennessee state legislator and judge Carol Chumney about the lessons she’s learned from her long-running political career, and the barriers that often keep women from the political arena. We also hear from the founder of a Florida nonprofit supporting homeless youth, and learn about a new financial literacy initiative in Vermont aimed at helping survivors of domestic violence.  Guests: Carol Chumney, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge and author of...

On this week's 51%, we hear from NPR Weekend Edition Host Ayesha Rascoe about how her experience at Howard University shaped her into the reporter she is today. Rascoe is the editor behind a new collection of essays called HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience, with contributions from alumni like Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, and more. Our Associate Producer, Jody Cowan, also catches up with Deshanna Wiggins – another HBCU grad, and CEO of the Albany Black Chamber of...

On the latest 51%, we hear from Syracuse University professor and columnist Dr. Jenn M. Jackson about their new book, What Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism, underscoring the legacy of Black women writers and leaders, and their contribution to America’s modern social movements.  Guest: Dr. Jenn M. Jackson, assistant professor of political science at Syracuse University and author of What Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism 51% is...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with author Michelle Horton about the concept of “criminalized survivors,” and her new memoir recounting her family's side of the high-profile murder case in which her sister was sentenced to prison in 2020. We also tune into a recent forum on violence against women, and our Associate Producer, Jody Cowan, checks in with a Palestinian college student speaking out about the Israel-Hamas war from her campus in east Jerusalem.  Guests: Michelle Horton, author of...

On the latest 51%, we sit down with author and speaker Emily Lynn Paulson to discuss her experience as a “girlboss” for a multilevel marketing company — and why she left. In her book Hey, Hun, Paulson depicts the darker side of MLMs, how to tell if signing up is worth it, and how to politely turn down sales offers from friends while helping them feel supported. We also learn about renewed efforts to pass the Fashion Workers Act in New York, and how artificial intelligence is impacting the...

On the latest 51%, we mark the would-be anniversary of Roe v. Wade by speaking with Dr. Felicia Kornbluh, historian and author of A Woman’s Life is a Human Life. Kornbluh tells the story of how her mother and neighbor contributed to the movements to decriminalize abortion and fight sterilization abuse in New York state – and how the Supreme Court went from granting constitutional protection for abortion in 1973, to overturning Roe in 2022. Kornbluh also shares a few lessons from her mother's...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with trainer Tracy Norton-Fisher about how you can build (and maintain) a workout routine that fits your goals. Our associate producer Jody Cowan also sits down with writer and Strongman competitor Alyssa Ages to talk about her book, Secrets of Giants, and learn what motivates her to lift boulders and pull trucks. Guests: Tracy Norton-Fisher, certified personal trainer with Toned by Tracy; Alyssa Ages, Strongman competitor and author of Secrets of...

On this week’s 51%, we look back on some of our favorite conversations and stories from 2023. Hollywood speech coach Samara Bay teaches us how to embrace the power in our voices, Dr. Heather Hirsch discusses how women can unlock their “menopause type,” and our associate producer Jody Cowan stops by the practice of a roller derby league rebuilding its ranks in New York’s Capital Region. Guests: Samara Bay, speech coach and author of Permission to Speak: How to Change What Power Sounds...

On this week’s 51%, we continue our discussion on grief with therapist and author Gina Moffa. In her new book, Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go, Moffa helps readers navigate losses of all kinds, find their “grief rhythm,” and decide when to disclose their experiences on social media — and when to set boundaries.  Guest: Gina Moffa, LCSW and author of Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio....

On this week’s 51%, we speak with Claudia Coenen, a certified grief counselor and thanatologist, about how to cope with grief during the holiday season. We also hear from the executive director of No Kid Hungry New York about the state of food insecurity in the U.S. Guests: Claudia Coenen, licensed counselor with The Karuna Project; Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our...

On this week’s 51%, we hear from comedian, writer, and TV host Samantha Bee about her latest standup tour “Your Favorite Woman: The Joy of Sex Education.” Bee is best known for her previous roles as correspondent on “The Daily Show,” and host of the satirical late-night program “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” which ran for seven seasons on TBS. We also sit down with Erin Harkes, a rising comedian in New York’s Capital Region, about her new special and album “Uncle Ernie,” and how she...

On the latest 51%, we speak with biologist and wildlife photographer Kirsten Hines about her new book Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey, documenting the state’s diverse population of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. We also stop by a conference celebrating women in STEM at the headquarters of GlobalFoundries in New York’s Capital Region, and our associate producer Jody Cowan sits down with the battery experts at Qnovo for a look at the future of electric vehicles.  Guest: Kirsten...

On this week’s 51%, we speak with Amy Brittain of The Washington Post about the paper’s recent analysis of infant mortality in home births across the U.S., and how the country’s varying regulations for midwives can make it difficult for expectant mothers to know what they’re getting. We also stop by a virtual town hall on the proposed closure of Burdett Birth Center in Troy, New York. Guest: Amy Brittain, reporter at The Washington Post 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast...