Are we at an inflection point in the Middle East and what lies ahead for fact based journalism? Those two questions dominate the interview with long-time Middle East journalist, analyst and former bureau chief Janine Zacharia, who spoke in depth with Michael Krasny about President Trump's trip to the Gulf region; the $400 million jet gift from Qatar; Hamas held hostages and Israel increasingly viewed as a pariah state. First-rate insightful and timely analysis from the Stanford based journalist ...
May 30, 2025•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 129
Marin County, north of San Francisco, CA, was a haven for rock stars in the 70s. A veritable treasure trove of rock and roll talk about Marin then and beyond with one-time aspiring rock musician and rock journalist Paul Liberatore takes place in this episode. Liberatore talked to Michael Krasny about his life and career with a focus on rock greats he knew and wrote about. He also talked to Krasny about getting kids involved in rock music and major changes in the music business. The two also exch...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Michael McFaul, Obama's Ambassador to Russia, tells Michael Krasny a new cold war is shaping up in a kind of three way with China, Russia and the U.S. as main players. While the geopolitical dynamics are familiar, the stand-off between autocratic regimes and the self actualizing west is different. Grey Matter host Dr. Krasny got specific. How does Trump's tilt toward Russia explain what’s going on? What about the Ukrainian mining deal? Is it the key to Ukrainian security? Ambassador McFaul spoke...
May 13, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 127
This episode began with a discussion of 2009 as a watershed year before major belief in diseases tied to genetics began to be replaced by ones tied to mitochondria, food and the role of insulin. Michael Krasny brought up the link of diabetes to genetics and Dr. Bob Lustig indicated that the causation factor is only 15%, whereupon he talked about genes and obesity and different kinds of fat and fat and sugar followed by Krasny asking his reaction to the appointment of Robert F Kennedy Junior as t...
May 09, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 126
A discussion of ongoing negotiations with Iran began this episode with the former leading Middle East negotiator and author of Statecraft 2.0 Ambassador Dennis Ross, and proceeded to dialogue about Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel and the shift in regional balances of power in the Middle East. Michael Krasny brought up President Trump and statecraft as well as Trump's tariff strategy, the way he views U.S. allies and his overall mendacity. Ambassador Ross spoke of leverage diminishing...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Why does this press call itself unnamed, how has it succeeded and what are the challenges of being an independent press? Along with asking about the role of multimedia, the vision of challenging the status quo and how the impact of published books is measured, those were the opening questions posed by Michael Krasny to publisher Chris Heiser. A dialogue followed related to the publishing of poetry and the importance of how a book looks and feels and Chris Heiser spoke of bookcases as embodiments...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 124
Initial focus in this episode was on the devastating and tragic 2003 Rhode Island Station nightclub fire seen by hundreds of millions of people, how it happened, its takeaways, and the quest for justice as well as related issues on fire safety which continue to persist today. Scott James also spoke about "people without clout" and a frightful incident involving "the killing" of his mother by a driver driving on the wrong side of a one way street. He and Michael Krasny spoke of heroism, victims a...
Apr 17, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild offers a penetrating analysis of contemporary American political and social dynamics. Through a nuanced exploration of working-class experiences, economic disparities, and political allegiances, Hochschild provides critical insights into why many traditional Democratic voters have shifted towards supporting Donald Trump. Her work illuminates the deep emotional and psychological factors that drive political choices, particularly among white working-class Amer...
Mar 27, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 122
In this episode, Michael Krasny sat down with virtual reality and augmented reality expert and Stanford professor Jeremy Bailenson in an expansive and highly illuminating discussion about the present and future of both VR and AR and the ongoing and imminent connections to AI. Krasny began by asking Bailenson about his evolution as a VR pioneer and its present status. Bailenson spoke of "presence" and the filming of a Sixty Minutes episode complete with a real feeling earthquake and an ...
Mar 18, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 121
In this episode, Michael Krasny sits down with political commentator and Washington Post columnist Max Boot for a wide-ranging discussion on contemporary American politics, international relations, and the evolving media landscape. Their conversation spans from immediate concerns about editorial independence to broader historical comparisons between presidential administrations and their foreign policy approaches. The episode began with a question from Krasny to Boot about the Washington Post&ap...
Mar 14, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 120
In a wide-ranging and provocative conversation that traversed the intersections of technology, politics, and social change, veteran tech journalist Sarah Lacy and host Michael Krasny engaged in a candid dialogue that explored the most pressing cultural and political issues of the moment. The conversation began with Lacy opining on venture capitalists investing in Trump. They went on to talk about the increase in hypermasculinity, and Lacy brought up the diminution of trans rights. Krasny asked L...
Mar 05, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 119
We began this episode talking about Joan Didion as a Hollywood figure and the importance of John Wayne, as well as her importance as a political writer with early strong conservative political views. Didion's portrayal of Hollywood and her lesser-known film criticism also came up for discussion, followed by a consideration of the work of the legendary film critic Pauline Kael and how Wilkinson, a film critic for The New York Times, decides what films to review or critique. Alissa Wilkinson ...
Feb 27, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Tik Tok and data acquisition, scary topics on China up ahead. Michael Krasny featured leading Sinologist Orville Schell and began by asking Schell for his response to the Trump administration's imposed tariffs and their potential effects on a possible trade war, fentanyl out of China and U.S. China relations. Schell spoke of Xi Jinping's irrational actions and what appears to bind him and Putin together and Krasny asked Schell if he foresaw a role for Beijing brokering a peace between ...
Feb 12, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Former Gambino family mobster Lou Ferrante joined us for an episode about his three volumes of research on the Mafia. He spoke of the alleged role of the Mob in the JFK assassination just as the files were about to be opened and he and Michael Krasny explored the ethos of the Mob -- the law of Omerta and the past frequency of so called "whackings," as well as the perks of being a mobster and such Cosa Nostra figures as John Gotti, Henry Hill and Joey Gallo. They spoke of politicians an...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Michael Krasny interviewed Professor Greg Sarris, Chair of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. This was the fourth interview sponsored by the Bill Lane Center for the American West. The dialogue began with Krasny asking Sarris his views on what separated Indians of the West from Indians of other regions in America. The conversation then moved into discussions about Indian casinos and the uses of their reso...
Jan 28, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 115
In this episode, Michael Krasny sought answers to what we need to know-and still don't know-about what many are convinced might be our next pandemic. Leading health and environmental journalist Lisa Krieger provided an immense amount of important information about avian flu (H5N1), discussing what humans need to be most concerned about and how it affects different animals, as well as vaccines, surveillance, what to avoid, and routes of transmission. A listener asked Krieger what she, one of...
Jan 22, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Michael Krasny began this episode with author, hotelier and long-time wisdom seeker Chip Conley, who was in Baja, talking about the terrible fires in Los Angeles and what if any lessons can be learned from them. They spoke of wisdom seeking and Conley of the metaphor for our lives of a rental car as well as his ongoing struggle with cancer, which he calls his teacher. Krasny brought up wrong headed views of cancer that place too much blame on the individual self and they spoke of environmental a...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 113
The episode with two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times op-ed columnist Nick Kristof focused on his recent inspirational and hope-filled book, "Chasing Hope." The conversation began with Kristof speaking to Michael Krasny about the effects on him and the moral challenges he faced covering Tiananmen Square, as well as the lessons he gleaned from his early reporter's work in Cambodia and the U.S. He opined on the fight for democracy and weighed the effect on him of the oppre...
Jan 08, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 112
The episode with Professor and Middle East expert Stephen Zunes began with Professor Michael Krasny asking about the victory of HTS over Assad in Syria and the poison weapons that remain there, as well as what to expect of the new government and its effect on ISIS, the Kurds, and migration. Krasny spoke of the profound enmity and divisions, and he and Zunes discussed prospects for democracy and the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Talk of Iran's role, the Houthis and Ye...
Dec 31, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Mother Jones magazine co-founder, author, and journalist Adam Hochschild joined Michael Krasny for a rich and varied conversation focused on Russia's war with Ukraine. A long-time dove and opponent of U.S. and other nations' wars, Hochschild described himself as an anti-Russia hawk. The two discussed Vladimir Putin's brutality and lack of human empathy, with Krasny referencing the pro-Russia views of the late left-leaning Princeton professor Stephen Cohen. They explored Putin&apos...
Dec 26, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Michael Krasny interviewed best-selling author Cory Doctorow (with over 150 million book sales globally), initially exploring his personal and national backgrounds. They discussed why Doctorow sees himself as more closely tied to science fiction as a genre, despite the range of his writings. They delved into how he became so knowledgeable about technology and why he dropped out of four different colleges. The interview also touched on his surname and the likely lack of blood kinship to acclaimed...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 109
This episode with Jungian psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and author Dr. Thomas Singer, one of the contributors to "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump," began with a discussion of President-elect Donald Trump's present mental state and what appears to have shifted from the first time he was elected to the nation's highest office. Dr. Singer spoke with Michael Krasny about the shadow self and the notion of Trump invading individual psyches of both followers and detractors and being drawn to selectin...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 108
The latest episode of Grey Matter with Michael Krasny featured best-selling crime and detective novelist Michael Connelly, creator of Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller, and author of his 39th novel, "The Waiting." The conversation began with Krasny asking Connelly how he decides which character to feature, since "The Waiting" stars Renée Ballard, though Bosch plays a major role. Connelly discussed the important advisory role of Ballard's prototype, Mitzi Roberts, the recentl...
Nov 21, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Our third of four Bill Lane Center for the American West podcasts featured Stanford's Alex Nemerov in conversation with Michael Krasny. The discussion began with what makes Western art distinctive and what captured Alex's imagination. Michael then explored Alex's approach to curating art exhibitions and discussed the influences of Alex's father, celebrated poet Howard Nemerov, and his aunt, iconic pioneer photographer Diane Arbus. This led to a discussion of Susan Sontag's book on photography an...
Nov 14, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 106
In a thought-provoking interview, Michael Krasny speaks with Richard Reeves, founder of the American Institute for Boys and Men, about the mounting challenges facing boys and men in contemporary society. Reeves, drawing from his experience at the Brookings Institution, outlines how girls have significantly surpassed boys in educational achievement, from high school through college, attributing this partly to differences in executive functioning, developmental timelines, and brain maturation. He ...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 105
In a wide-ranging conversation with Michael Krasny, NPR Senior Editor and Correspondent Ron Elving provided insightful political analysis of the upcoming elections. The discussion began with an examination of polling efficacy and the impact of absentee ballots before delving into the roles of race and gender in the presidential race. The conversation explored campaign tactics, including discussions of Trump being labeled a fascist and his characterization of the U.S. as a "garbage can."...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 104
We began our second Bill Lane Center for the American West sponsored episode with leading long-time environmental and former Russia-based journalist Felicity Barringer, editor of & the West, a magazine about the future and nature of the West. We discussed the future of water in the West, focusing on the divisions in the Colorado River, new water technologies, and the region's concentration of lithium. We then explored geothermal energy alternatives, the Sustainable Groundwater Act, and the threa...
Oct 22, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 103
A wide-ranging discussion featured acclaimed author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell. Michael Krasny began by exploring Malcolm's entry into podcasting. Malcolm shared his love for the medium and how his podcast, Revisionist History, showcases his "mischievous side." They discussed the success of podcasters Joe Rogan and Bill Simmons and the importance of curiosity and listening skills. Malcolm touched on his experience with Paul Simon and the cultural effects on cardiologists, as detailed in his ...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Michael Krasny began this episode with tech and media expert Jim Louderback by asking him what he foresees for the future of digital media and the dialogue then moved on to a discussion of AI and ChatGPT. From there the conversation went to the fate of TikTok & Jim's opinions on Instagram, YouTube and its creators, Netflix, and entrepreneurship. The conversation then flowed to Jim and Michael discussing their experiences with conferences and some of what each disclosed as the secrets of good and...
Oct 08, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 101
We began this first of four episodes, sponsored by the Bill Lane Center for the American West, with its co-founder and emeritus Stanford History Professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David M. Kennedy, discussing the real and the mythic American West and the nation's possibly most interdisciplinary course offered by the Center on the West and defining what the West is - including its geological history and the over two-century singular role of the federal government. This was followed by Mi...
Oct 01, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 100
