Battletested with Tanya Acker

This week, host Tanya Acker is joined by Grammy-nominated country star Ty Herndon for an incredibly candid conversation about the healing power of truth.

Going far beyond his No. 1 hits, Ty shares his powerful story of survival, overcoming severe addiction, and finding true redemption. He opens up about the private battles behind his public success—including hiding his sexuality in Nashville, surviving trauma, and the hard work of learning to love himself.

Ty also discusses his highly anticipated new memoir, What Mattered Most, reclaiming his faith, and his vital work with the Foundation for Love & Ac...

Petri Hawkins Byrd and his wife, Makita Bond Byrd, join Tanya to share their deeply moving fight against Makita's stage-three brain tumor and what it truly means to honor the vow "in sickness and in health."

In this episode, Petri and Makita join Tanya to discuss Makita's harrowing battle with a malignant stage-three brain tumor. After Makita suffered a sudden seizure, a life-changing second opinion from renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black led the couple through her brain surgery, subsequent paralysis, and intensive cancer treatments. Together, they share an inspiring, deeply personal conversation about navigating fear, relying on...

When hip-hop icon Christopher “Kid” Reid first noticed his exhaustion and swollen ankles, he figured it was just life on the road. Instead, he was facing congestive heart failure—and a heart transplant was his only option for survival.

In Part 2 of our deep dive, Christopher shares his extraordinary journey of checking into Cedars-Sinai and receiving a new heart just 11 days later. We talk openly about the warning signs he wishes he’d taken seriously, the reality of healthcare disparities, and the profound second chance that inspired his new song, “Tin Man.”

As Christopher told me: “You can...

This week I sit down with Christopher "Kid" Reid. Before House Party, the hit records, and the Saturday morning cartoon, Kid was a nine-year-old boy surviving the car crash that killed his mother and quietly preparing for a very different future, law school. In Part 1, Kid takes me through hip-hop's rise from a cultural movement to a mainstream force, and the part Kid 'N Play, Salt-N-Pepa, Heavy D and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince played in that crossover. He also opens up about the loss, the family rupture that followed, and how his Jamaican father's strict household shaped...

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 pr...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 headin...

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.

Maybe you already know. But it's something to think about when you’re fighting in court and Tanya can’t stop reminding you.

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.

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!

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.

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)

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.

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.

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...

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.

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

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.

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

Yvette Nicole Brown opens up about living life on her own terms throughout her celebrated entertainment career, sharing how she cares for family, nurtures her community, and embraces true love. Now, she steps into an exciting new chapter with her latest film, Code 3.

The Colorado state representative talks to Tanya about his run for Congress and why it’s time to create a new chapter in American politics.

In part two of this conversation, poet and lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts shares how he built Freedom Reads from an idea into a national initiative, the unexpected ways prison shaped his understanding of justice, and why bringing world-class literature to people behind bars is a radical act of hope.

In part one of this conversation, poet and lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts reflects on his journey from incarceration to Ivy League education, how reading reshaped his life, and the beginnings of Freedom Reads—a project that brings books into prisons and reimagines what justice can look like.

The Dartmouth distinguished scholar and former Egyptian and UN diplomat proposes a solution to the Gaza crisis that may be no one’s first choice, which is precisely why it might work.

After online sextortionists drove his son Gavin to suicide, South Carolina state senator Brandon Guffey changed the law and created a forum for saving young people through his charity, LessThan3.com (

In this powerful episode, Tanya sits down with Public Counsel's Senior Special Counsel Mark Rosenbaum to discuss the recent legal victory against ICE's immigration raids in Los Angeles. Described by LA Mayor Karen Bass as a 'reign of terror,' these raids, targeting non-criminals based on appearance and Spanish language, have raised significant concern about civil rights violations. Listen as Tanya and Mark talk about why they brought the fight to the government and what happens next.

The President and Co-Founder of Run for Something talks about breaking the “gerontocracy,” empowering new leadership, and how not to be a “Bad Boomer Boss.”

The veteran actor talks about what it means to have audiences embrace “The Pitt” and her character, Nurse Dana; the influences that led her from the ballet stage to acting; and how much she loves the fun of it all.

Stacey Abrams discusses her prescient new novel “Coded Justice”, the dangers of unregulated AI, and how reclaiming personal power is essential in the fight against authoritarianism.

The NYU law professor, president of the ACLU, and author of Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality, discusses her book, the importance of rule of law, and why she still remains an optimist.

Over the last decade, our Internet experience has become increasingly dictated by algorithms- data-driven equations that try to anticipate (and elicit) our desires. The problem is, they often get it wrong. The math doesn't math.

Kyle Chayka (staff writer, The New Yorker) has written a new book on the subject entitled "Filterworld."

This week, Tanya and Kyle talk about this ever-tightening web woven by algorithms and how we can begin breaking free from it.

Axios National Political Correspondent and co-author of “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” discusses the controversy around the book, the media’s role in holding power accountable, the hidden history of presidential health cover-ups, and the deeper issues shaping both major parties in America.

With this week's decision on the Sean Combs case, we return to our talk with Emmy-nominated CNN anchor Laura Coates. Together, Laura and Tanya break down the inner workings of the courtroom and defense that led to Comb's acquittal of sex-trafficking.

The Army veteran and “lifelong learner” became, at 86, the oldest graduate of Emory’s 2025 class when he received his Masters in Business for Veterans. He talks to Tanya about solving problems, learning new things, addressing conflict while not losing oneself, and dating!

We're throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes of the season, with author Martha Wells. We talk all things “The Murderbot Diaries” (now streaming on Apple TV+), the innovation of the new sci-fi series, and what it means to be human.