What happens if you pass away on an airplane or in outer space? Why do bugs only eat certain parts of your body? These are some of the questions Caitlin Doughty answers everyday and in her new book “Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?” Viewpoints spoke with Doughty about why discussing death is still such a taboo topic in the U.S. and how our burial and funeral practices vary widely from other cultures.
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The retail giant, Forever 21 was once a prominent leader in the trendy style category for teens and young adults, boasting the latest fashions at bare bone prices. But earlier this month, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy citing decreased sales and increased online competition. For many industry analysts and experts, the recent news has also signaled a shift in consumer shopping habits and the potential decline of fast fashion. We speak with journalist and author Dana Thomas about the fast fashion industry, its negative effects and if consumers are really starting to change the way they shop.
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If you were at a beach or barbecue this summer, there was probably a box of White Claw, Truly or Bon & Viv spiked seltzers somewhere in the vicinity. These canned, around 100-calorie alcoholic beverages have been the hottest drink craze of 2019 and beverage industry experts predict that the hype isn’t going to end anytime soon. Viewpoints spoke with Jim Koch, the founder of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Company (which produces Truly Spiked Seltzer), along with two other industry experts to get the inside scoop on why hard seltzers are just so popular among all types of consumers.
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These days physical books have a lot of competition. From TV to smartphone use, it can be hard to switch it all off and dive into a new book. That’s why it’s so important to start a routine of reading and storytime from the get-go with your child. We discuss how children’s books have changed over the years and how to go about finding the best books for each age and interest.
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While some of us have fond memories of an idyllic childhood filled with joyous birthday parties and summer road trips, some children face a completely different home life. This instability can overtake a child or teen and lead them down a dangerous path. The nonprofit, Friends of the Children, understands the importance of getting to a child early on and setting a permanent mentor-child relationship that they can rely on while everything else in their life may be up in the air. We learn about the organization and how they’re helping thousands of children move past these struggles to thrive.
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Most of us at one point in our lives have thought about spontaneously getting a tattoo. By the next morning, however, we’re glad we didn’t take the leap, (and if we did, we’re in a state of denial). Dr. Eric Bernstein is a board-certified laser surgeon with more than 25 years of experience in laser…
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When most of us think of rodeo, we travel back in time to the Wild Wild West where cowboys roamed the streets. These days, the sport is still alive and thriving but is evolving with the times. We speak with three rodeo experts about everything from bull riding to rodeo clowns and queens.
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Most of us point to McDonald’s as the founding of fast food as we know it. But the American staple actually began nearly a hundred years ago with two chains, White Castle and A&W. We speak with Adam Chandler, journalist and author of Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom about the events that fed into the rapid rise of the fast-food industry and how different chains are fighting to stay present and on-trend in today’s competitive restaurant landscape.
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In the U.S., most women are always hoping to achieve a healthy glow or bronzed tan. But in much of the world and in many ethnic cultures, having lighter skin is widely preferred and is viewed as a status symbol of beauty and wealth. To achieve this look, millions of women use black-market whitening creams, pills and even IV drips filled with a myriad of ingredients. We speak with three experts about why the beauty regimen of skin whitening is still so widely upheld and some of the harmful side effects caused by these beauty products.
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Ryan Leigh Dostie, author of Formation: A Woman’s Memoir of Stepping Out of Line, enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school and was deployed to Iraq shortly after finishing her training. In 2002, while abroad, she was raped while sleeping in her Army barracks. What followed was a series of victim-blaming tactics and unfair bias directed towards her by those in charge. Dostie spoke with Viewpoints Radio about her experience and how she found the strength to move on.
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When we think of a typical high school football player, most of us imagine a sweaty, muscled teenage boy in a uniform. One of our guests this week is K-Lani Nava, the first female football player to play, score and win in a Texas high school state championship game. She, along with Dr. Christia Spears Brown, both discuss the importance of breaking gender stereotypes to play the sport you love.
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What it’s like to swim inside of an iceberg the size of a small country? World-renowned cave diver Jill Heinerth led a team of divers inside the massive B-15 iceberg in Antarctica, and throughout her career has completed hundreds of other underwater dives across the globe. We speak with Heinerth about the beauty and dangers of cave diving and the importance of her work in helping scientists, biologists and researchers uncover more about the Earth’s oceans and ecosystems.
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Around 10 percent of nurses today are men. As aging Americans place a greater strain on the healthcare system, the nursing industry faces a growing shortage and is responding by finding new ways to recruit nurses early on. We dispel some of the myths around the profession and some of the new medical technology in the works aimed at improving efficiency and patient care.
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It’s back-to-school season, and while schools have put in place comprehensive anti-bullying campaigns, we seldom focus on making sure child bullies themselves get the help they need to deal with the problems that are causing them to act out in the first place. We still punish troubled kids with detentions, suspensions and from there it escalates onward. Many seem to never get the proper help and get stuck in a perpetual cycle of trouble throughout life. Many end up in poverty, incarceration or even dead. How do we change our mindset and these systemic practices in order to stop these children from falling through the cracks?
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Diversity in reporting is vital to news that showcases differing perspectives. We speak with Zahra Hankir, journalist and author of the new book, Our Women on the Ground, to learn more about some of the courageous female journalists who’ve risked their lives to report from within the Middle East during tumultuous periods. These women defy terrorists, the government and break traditional norms to share what they’re seeing, hearing and experiencing from the ground.
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Around 90 percent of the plastic we use is left unrecycled and dumped in a landfill. Over time, this waste seeps into our oceans, harming its ecosystems and creating massive islands of floating garbage. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now more than twice the size of Texas. What small steps can we each take to reduce plastic consumption and get manufacturers to adopt more eco-friendly practices? We discuss the plastic crisis and what will happen if we don’t change our ways.
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It’s estimated that worldwide there are currently between 20 and 40 million people who are exploited through forced labor, marriage and prostitution, according to the International Labor Organization. We take a look at the South Asian country of Nepal where as many as 20,000 girls each year fall victim to human trafficking. We discuss solutions and what more needs to be done to end this global human rights crisis.
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You want to eat healthily, but sometimes that’s not always possible. There’s nothing around that’s quick, affordable and above all, hits the spot. We cover how new models are creating a greater number of nutritious options and the challenges that comes with sustaining the profitability of these new systems.
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Parenting in the online era can be quite confusing. At what age should you let your kid have a Facebook or Snapchat account? How closely should you monitor what they view on the internet? We speak with Julianna Miner, author of Raising a Screen Smart Kid: Embrace the Good and Avoid the Bad in the Digital Age, to get the inside scoop on teaching kids how to responsibly navigate the digital world.
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What exactly is implicit bias and how does it form? We breakdown this complicated issue and discuss why it’s so important for parents to address implicit bias with kids early on through candid conversations and exposure to diverse environments.
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