Why do some difficult conversations leave us feeling understood while others leave us frustrated and further apart? In this episode, we explore a surprisingly powerful tool that can make even the...

Every year, millions of Americans receive a jury summons, but how many of us truly understand the responsibility that comes with deciding another person's fate? In this episode, we explore one of...

Why does it feel like everyone is asking for a tip now? From coffee shops and takeout counters to self-checkout screens, tipping culture in America has changed fast, and many of us feel confused,...

Who owns culture, and who gets to tell its stories? We explore the complex and often uncomfortable debate around cultural ownership, appropriation, and representation. You’ll hear how a hidden...

America’s kids are facing serious challenges, from rising anxiety and depression to falling behind in school and growing up in increasingly complex family situations. But there’s also hope. In...

Most Americans focus on the general election in November. But what if the real decision is happening months earlier? In this episode of Top of Mind, we take a closer look at primary elections, the...

Getting pulled over is one of the most common interactions Americans have with police, but do routine traffic stops make our communities safer? In this episode, we explore the real impact of traffic...

Who deserves to be healthy—and who’s responsible for making that possible? In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore one of the toughest questions in modern healthcare: how we decide who gets...

The death penalty - maybe more than any other question of crime and punishment - poses a conundrum for America as a majority Christian nation. Since colonial times, Christian ministers and...

Americans work more hours than people in nearly every other wealthy country—are we better off for it? In this episode of Top of Mind, we unpack the deep roots of the American work ethic and why so...

Family history can sometimes feel distant, irrelevant, or even risky. Why look back when the past may hold stories we’d rather not claim? In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore why learning...

Disgust is one of our most primal emotions—hardwired into the brain, yet shaped profoundly by culture, upbringing, and personal experience. While we often associate it with spoiled food or foul...

What if the world believed you couldn’t understand it—while inside, your mind was full of thoughts, poetry, and frustration you had no way to express? In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie...

What makes you nostalgic for home? In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore the surprising science behind place attachment — why certain places feel like home, and why traditions, parades,...

Confidence in America’s higher education system is slipping, even as the government spends nearly half a trillion dollars a year on it. The average US taxpayer invests $1,700 a year in higher...

From a small town in Wasatch County, Utah, comes the remarkable true story of the Karren family — a journey through illness, unlikely connections, and the quiet evidence of God in the details. On...

Why are we so uncomfortable with grief? In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore America’s fear of grief and mourning and what we lose when we rush people to “move on.” Writer Jacqueline...

Why are we so uncomfortable with grief? In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore America’s fear of grief and mourning and what we lose when we rush people to “move on.” Writer Jacqueline...

American patriotism is at a historic low. Gallup polls show fewer and fewer Americans say they feel “extremely” – or even “very” proud to be American. When you dig into the polling data on...

What happens when the justice system convicts an innocent person? Anthony Graves spent 18 years in prison—12 of them on Texas death row—for a crime he didn’t commit. His story is one of...