The U.S. has the largest prison population in the world with more than 2.3 million inmates. Each year, prisons cost taxpayers 80 billion dollars. But with two thirds of those incarcerated returning back behind bars within a few years, clearly something is broken. We discuss how some popular reforms do more harm than good and what needs to change within the system.
20-35 Segment 2: Sleeping Soundly: The Interconnected Benefits of Getting Good Rest
All humans need some amount of rest – whether that’s five hours or eight. But how we sleep and the quality of that slumber can vary widely. We speak with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, a professor at California-Berkeley, who says getting restful sleep is the single biggest thing we can do to vastly improve our mental and physical health.
Culture Crash 20-35: Exploring the Works of Charlie Kaufman
Writer & director Charlie Kaufman is known for several hit movies including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Synecdoche, New York. We explore some of his biggest career triumphs and the upcoming release of his new Netflix original, I’m Thinking of Ending Things that’s based off the novel written by Iain Reid.
20-34 Segment 1: How To Travel Once We Can All Travel Again
For most people this year, traveling seems like a distant memory. Getting on a plane, taking a train or even using public transport on a daily basis has been largely abandoned with COVID-19. But once it is safe to travel again – where’s the first place you’d like to go? Acclaimed travel guide, writer and TV host, Rick Steves joins Viewpoints this week to share how you can get the most out of your travels and fully immerse yourself in the local culture, people and history.
20-34 Segment 2: Murder On The Herbert Fuller
Rewind back to 1896 aboard the voyager ship, the Herbert Fuller. Just a week into the journey, three people aboard were murdered and there were multiple suspects. The murder trial that follows is historic and helped shape modern law today.
Culture Crash 20-34: Taylor Swift’s Surprise Album
The new summer release, Folklore, by artist Taylor Swift heads in a stylistically different direction than what she’s largely known for. We discuss the new album and some of our favorite songs.
Culture Crash 20-33: A Collection of Science Fiction
The Forward is a new science fiction series of six short novellas written by prominent authors in the genre. We discuss the appeal and if the new release is worth the purchase.
20-33 Segment 2: Dot Con: Pranking The Authors Of Spam Emails
We’ve all received spam calls and fishy-looking emails that promise us a free vacation or a great bargain that’s too good to pass up. Sometimes they even come from a phone contact or your boss asking for help or to download an attachment. Author and comedian, James Veitch has made a name for himself by replying to these scams and continuing the conversation, effectively wasting the scammers time as much as they waste ours. We speak with him about his trade and the major telltale signs to look out for in a scam.
20-33 Segment 1: The Holocaust: Surviving The German Occupation Of The Netherlands
When Dutch forces surrendered to the Germans in May of 1940, the Nazis gained control of the Netherlands and set in action a plan to exterminate hundreds of thousands of Jews and minorities. Arguably, the most famous voice from that region is Anne Frank – the young teenage girl who wrote of her daily life in hiding until she was discovered in 1944 and died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. While Anne Frank is a prominent voice, there are many other stories of those who hid out for years, evading capture and awaiting freedom.
20-32 Segment 1: Modern Contracts For NonTraditional Relationships
There are millions of Americans who live together as husband and wife, but never become formally “married.” What are their rights? Who gets the house, the car and the bank accounts if the relationship ends or one of them passes away? We speak with a contract and family law attorney who has written extensively on the subject to find out how society and the courts views co-habitation relationships. We also cover what steps co-habiting couples should take to still be recognized by the law.
20-32 Segment 2: The Invention Of Instant Photography
In the early to mid 1900’s, capturing a picture was cumbersome and complicated and took weeks to process the film. Then, Edwin Land, the creator of the Polaroid camera, came along and revolutionized the industry. Viewpoints speaks with author Ron Fierstein who profiles Land in his book, A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War.
Culture Crash 20-32: A Father-Son Horror Novella
Viewpoints speaks with father-son duo, Richard and Billy Chizmar about the combined process of writing the popular horror story, Widow’s Point.
20-31 Segment 1: Better Understanding Trauma
Trauma comes in many shapes and forms throughout life. Viewpoints speaks with psychiatrist, Dr. James S. Gordon in order to better understand a person’s reaction to trauma and the body’s resilience in dealing with these stressful events and situations.
20-31 Segment 2: A Different Career: The Life Of A Professional Cuddler
Thousands of Americans are certified cuddlers. You might be asking - what does it mean to be a ‘certified cuddler’? Christina Hepburn joins Viewpoints this week to talk about this relatively new niche and how she’s working to dissolve the stigmas associated with the industry.
Culture Crash: Exploring The Indie Band & Album “Red Hearse”
The band “Red Hearse” is made up of acclaimed artists Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew and producer Sounwave. We explore the group’s indie releases and what the musical trio brings to the table.
