The Great Resignation. Quiet quitting. Remote vs. in-person. Workplace trends we haven’t even heard of yet. COVID-19 and its aftermath changed how people view their jobs, and even their careers. On this week’s “In Conversation,” we talked about the workplace trends and conditions that impact everything from how someone leaves a job to whether your living room has become your permanent home office.

Love songs have a way of distilling all the exciting, confusing, thrilling feelings of falling for someone into a perfect three and a half minutes of clarity. They say things more artfully than you can express them yourself, and make such a strong impression that hearing the opening notes, even years later, can take you right back to when you fell in love. Of course that also means that if the relationship doesn't last, the song might be ruined forever by your lousy ex. Just in time for Valentines Day, "In Conversation" is exploring what makes a great love song... and a great breakup song. Do you and your sweetheart have a special song that always brings you back together? When you're unlucky in love, do you like to wallow with sad songs, or do you prefer to scream-sing along with angry rock?

Reading, writing, and arithmetic are the basics of a good education. So is basic civics, like the three pillars of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. But are students still taught civics? And how do teachers approach it in the wake of the Jan. 6th insurrection, continued 2020 election denial, and the protracted vote to make Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House of Representatives? On this week’s “In Conversation,” we talked to education experts about how threats to democracy influence the way today’s students are being taught civics, and the impact on society when many don’t know how their local, state, and federal governments work.

Between natural disasters, and unexpected emergencies like gas leaks or lengthy blackouts, life can change in an instant. How do you best prepare for disruptions out of your control, yet not live in a state of fear or paranoia? On this week’s “In Conversation,” we spoke to experts about how to prepare for the worst, at home and elsewhere. How much food should you store? What items should you keep on hand in case there are community-wide outages? What should you keep in your car in case weather leaves you stranded?

The Kentucky General Assembly is covering a lot this session, including a possible tax rate cut, medical marijuana, and flood recovery funds to Eastern Kentucky. On this week’s “In Conversation,” we speak to journalists about what this year’s legislative session in Frankfort looks like, and how it could affect you.

This is the time of the year when we all worry about catching a cold, as the weather stays colder and the gatherings increase. But this winter, we’re worrying not just about avoiding common cold sniffles, but also what public health experts have dubbed a tridemic or tripledemic: a surge of the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (“RSV”) at roughly the same time. On this week’s “In Conversation,” we spoke to doctors about how the tripledemic is affecting our community and what we can do to avoid it. We also talk about other health risks that increase this time of the year.

Emails. Calls. Texts. Social media. All are easy entry points for scammers to try to get your money this time of the year. Or maybe you’re doing some holiday shopping online, you pay, and your items never show up. The FBI says that’s one of the biggest scams to look out for this time of year. This week on “In Conversation,” experts told us how scams work, how to spot one, and how to protect yourself from getting a bite in the wallet as you try to shop and celebrate the Winter holidays.

Recently in Kentucky, we’ve seen how hate speech can lead to real consequences. In Louisville, some called for a boycott against restaurants co-owned by Fernando Martinez, after he shared homophobic Facebook posts making fun of the attack on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. And at the University of Kentucky, a student was expelled and banned from campus after attacking a Black student while repeatedly calling her the n-word. This week, on “In Conversation,” we talked to experts to unpack the legal and business ramifications of engaging in hate speech, and the psychological toll it takes to be on the receiving end of it.

Whether you’re talking turkey or planning for a plant-based feast, putting a holiday meal on the table costs more than it used to. How do you save cash and spend wisely during the holiday season as creeping inflation and higher prices strain budgets? Host Rick Howlett spoke to financial experts to for an overview of how the economic forecast looks, and get tips and advice on how to financially navigate the start of the winter holidays.

Between yard signs, television commercials, texts, calls, and emails, y’all know what time it is: election season. And with a number of school elections, local elections, and state seats up for grabs, this week’s “In Conversation” has you covered. Host Rick Howlett talked to the Louisville Public Media journalists who have been covering the elections: Kentucky Public Radio Capitol Reporter Divya Karthikeyan WFPL Education and Learning Reporter Jess Clark WFPL City Politics and Government Reporter Roberto Roldan WFPL Managing Editor for Collaboratives Ryland Barton Justin Hicks, Data Reporter for WFPL and the Ohio Valley ReSource They are among the team who put together the 2022 Voter Guide from LPM.