Battletested with Tanya Acker

Episódios

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  Squatter Nightmare: How Homeowner Patti Peeples Fought Back 09.08.2026 58min

  This week, I am joined by homeowner Patti Peeples to talk about every property owner’s absolute worst nightmare. Imagine turning up to your own house, only to find total strangers living inside, destroying your property, and refusing to leave.Patti takes us inside the terrifying weeks she spent dealing with aggressive squatters, massive property damage, and a system that left her feeling completely helpless in her own home. But Patti didn't back down. We talk about exactly how she fought back against the scammers, successfully reclaimed her house, and won an incredible victory that is helping protect homeowners everywhere.
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  Beyond the Courtroom with Officer Petri Hawkins Byrd 31.07.2026 45min

  This week, Petri Hawkins Byrd the iconic bailiff from Judge Judy and Tribunal Justice joins the show for a candid, often funny conversation about overcoming professional rejection. Byrd shares powerful lessons from his own career pivots, exploring how to navigate disappointment without turning bitter. Together, we examine leadership responsibility, what happens when qualified people are passed over, and how to refuse to let one tough chapter define your story.
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  Surviving Sex Trafficking: Filmmaker & Advocate Keyonna Monroe | Part 2 16.07.2026 41min

  This week I am joined by filmmaker and advocate Keyonna Monroe for part 2 of this Battletested conversation. Keyonna talks about the abuse she survived, the films she's made and what it took to stop staying quiet and start speaking up.Keyonna also shares what healing actually looks like, how survivors take their stories back, and why children need to be protected. We also get into building safer spaces in Hollywood, and what keeps you going when the odds feel stacked against you.
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  Surviving Sex Trafficking: Filmmaker & Advocate Keyonna Monroe 02.07.2026 30min

  This week I am joined by Keyonna Monroe, a filmmaker, passionate advocate for young women and girls, and a survivor of sex trafficking. In this powerful Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Keyonna shares her deeply moving journey, offering a profound story of resilience, courage, and hope. It is an unforgettable, eye-opening conversation that sheds light on advocacy and survival.
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  Judge Michael Corriero on Being Tested By A System He Fought to Change, and Keeping the Faith So Others Don’t Lose Theirs 20.05.2026 50min

  Judge Michael Corriero spent years adjudicating small claims cases on hot Bench, and before that he was one of New York’s fiercest advocates for an efficient and intelligent way of punishing juvenile offenders. And yet - something happened that tested his own faith in the system, and that also gave him the chance to keep the faith, keep his word, and stand as a reminder of what justice means in real life.
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  When the Smoke Clears: Holding Power Accountable in an Age of Disaster 13.05.2026 1h 7min

  It’s been roughly a year and a half since LA burned. And other disasters - fires, tornadoes, threats of every kind - are on the rise. Who’s looking out for us? And what happens during the next disaster? CBS News National Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti discusses these and other questions in his new book, Torched: How A City Was Left to Burn And the Olympic Rush to Rebuild LA. What we learn about the last disaster certainly will help us through the next. So let’s learn.
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  The Battle Over the Vote - Did The Supreme Court Just Reshape American Elections? 06.05.2026 47min

  On April 29, the Supreme Court handed down Louisiana v. Callais — upending the protections of the Voting Rights Act and allowing states to gerrymander districts irrespective of the impact on individual voting rights. Wendy Weiser, Vice President for Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, joins Tanya to unpack what the 6-3 decision actually does, who it affects, and why Justice Kagan said it leaves voting rights protections“all but a dead letter.” Listen as they discuss the legal mechanics, the political fallout, and the practical question every voter should be asking: what protections do I still have heading into 2026? The battle for the vote continues. Join it. Go to vote.gov and check your voter registration information.
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  The Battle Over Social Media Has Its Day In Court 22.04.2026 40min

  Meta and Google lost - and there are thousands more lawsuits coming. Zamaan Quereshi is the Co-Founder and Director of Campaigns and Policy of Design It For Us, and he explains what’s behind the lawsuits against social media companies, and how the internet can do better.
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  Why Listening to this Special Episode About President Trump, The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch Is Important for Your Budget 15.04.2026 12min

  Maybe you already know. But it's something to think about when you’re fighting in court and Tanya can’t stop reminding you.
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  The Partisan Divide That Started it All: Hamilton, Jefferson and the Battle for America’s Soul 08.04.2026 37min

  Jeffrey Rosen, author of Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, discusses the Supreme Court, the occasional rebellion and “structured disagreement” that was at the heart of the Founders’ vision for America, and why today’s partisan divide is particularly dangerous.
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  From The People’s Court to Justice For The People: Judge Marilyn Milian’s First Podcast Ever 01.04.2026 50min

  The legendary television judge has overseen battles of every type. Listen as she and Tanya talk immigration, incivility (and worse) on the internet, and life in a TV courtroom. Plus, what to do when the dinner table is politically divided!
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  Divided Now, Divided Then! The American Revolution as a Civil War (with David Schmidt) 25.03.2026 58min

  Tanya and David Schmidt discuss the PBS docuseries The American Revolution (produced and co/directed by David, Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein) and what that conflict can tell us about managing today’s animosities.
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  Challenging Power and Insisting On Our Own (with Senator Michael Bennet) 18.03.2026 47min

  A conversation about the Iran War, executive power, economic opportunity and the continuing fight for voting rights – with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO).(recorded 3/11/26)
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  A Battle for a City’s Life - MS NOW's Jacob Soboroff discusses Firestorm: The Great LA Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster 11.03.2026 54min

  The Los Angeles Fires were a battle to contain one of the worst wildfire disasters in U.S. history. They were a battle for lives, for homes, for community - they were a race against an all-consuming disaster. They also involved a battle for truth and information in a time of crisis. MS NOW reporter Jacob Soboroff explores these different battlefields in his new book, and he and Tanya discuss the book and the catastrophe that ravaged the city they love.
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  Welcome to Battletested with Tanya Acker 04.03.2026 1min

  We’ve all been hit by something hard when we didn’t expect it. We’ve come through battles of every kind - personal, professional, national - and still are fighting some of them. What have we learned from them - and what can our past battles teach us about how to live in the present moment.New episodes of Battletested begin next Wednesday, March 11th, with MS Now journalist Jacob Soboroff.What's your battle? Email us at beingbattletested@gmail.com with your story.
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  Beth Macy (“Dopesick”) Decides to Tell the Whole Story 15.10.2025 37min

  I sit down with Beth Macy for an honest conversation about truth, empathy, and finding common ground in divided times. We talk about how to navigate family and friendship across political and ethical lines, the growing challenges to free press, and the responsibility of storytelling in shaping public understanding. Beth also shares insights from her new book Paper Girl, a deeply personal return to her Ohio hometown that examines the political, economic, and social divides defining small-town America. She reflects on her acclaimed work Dopesick, which inspired the Hulu series exposing how corporate power and systemic greed fueled the opioid crisis.Paper Girl is available now wherever books are sold!
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  Congressman Jake Auchincloss Decides To Correct False Narratives 08.10.2025 33min

  In this conversation, Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss and I discuss the government shutdown, the abundant falsities in modern media, the true value and meaning of serving our country, and more.
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  Grammy Winner Adam Blackstone Decides to Play Life in His Own Key 01.10.2025 42min

  What does it mean to live life through music? In this conversation, Adam Blackstone reflects on its power to heal, inspire, and connect, even in the face of censorship and politics. He recalls the unforgettable experience of performing in the Grace for the World Tour at the Vatican (now streaming on Hulu and Disney+), where artists from around the world united in song. Adam shares how music has defined his life, not just as a career but as a bridge across generations and communities, and he celebrates his latest album release, Humble Magic, Vol. 1, now available everywhere
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  Walter Mosley Decides to Give His Characters New Dimensions 24.09.2025 39min

  Legendary American novelist Walter Mosley and I discuss his purpose for writing, the importance of the right kind of representation, and learning to understand the world we live in through literature and film.
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  Jake Tapper Decides To Take On A Race Against Terror 17.09.2025 44min

  The CNN host discusses his new book, Race Against Terror, and the current state of American politics.