Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
Ballet requires athleticism, artistry and decades of grueling practice. It’s an extremely competitive field and few dancers manage to become principal dancers at major theaters. This week on Viewpoints – James Whiteside, a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, shares his professional ballet journey and what he’s learned about himself along the way.
These majestic creatures walked the Earth more than 230 million years ago, yet, even today, they capture our wildest imaginations. Most us have heard the familiar narrative that an asteroid collided with Earth and this catastrophic event led to their downfall..but is there more to the story?
Gold mining has been a lucrative business for many generations. Today, it’s still a booming industry with global mining companies expanding into new markets each year. This week – we highlight the incredible story of activists in northern El Salvador who stood up to mining company, OceanaGold and won.
The keto diet, which mainly cuts out carbohydrates, has seen a sustained rise in popularity. Originally used as a treatment for kids with epilepsy, today, thousands of ordinary people follow this regimen as well. This week – we’re joined by registered dietician, Kristen Sedler, and two people who tried the keto diet and both had entirely different experiences.
When most people imagine the early West, they picture wide open landscapes, lawlessness and sweaty men working away in mines and on farms. While this is part of the story, the other lesser known narrative is the unique opportunities the West held for women during the 19th and 20th centuries. Author Winifred Gallagher joins us this week to share how the ladies of this region fought for more rights …
There are some items of clothing that truly never go out of style. Whether it’s a pair of jeans or a classic black dress, these pieces transform with the vibe and trends of each decade. Fashion writer and author of The Ten Lauren Cochrane joins us this week to highlight some of the most iconic clothes in fashion history.
There’s much more to being a professional musician than the practice and performance aspect of the career. For independent artists, there’s an entire side of entrepreneurship to handle, including money management, marketing, networking and more. Debra Silvert, the flutist of the orchestral ensemble, Duo Sequenza, highlights the challenges and rewards of carving out a career in the competitive …
The routine of ‘springing forward’ can feel like a nuisance and for some, it can severely throw off their internal body clocks for days or weeks on end. Why do we still practice daylight saving time today? Dr. Beth Malow, a neurologist and sleep expert, joins us this week on Viewpoints.
It seems like lately almost everyone is heading to the airport. Whether you’re flying, driving or taking a train, vacations are a highly anticipated time to get away from everyday life. Everyone deserves relaxation, but is there a way to make sure that you’re traveling more consciously? Are you booking excursions with local, independent companies? Supporting small shops? Does the place you’re …
All parents want their kids to succeed and live good lives, and part of accomplishing that is raising them to understand the value of a dollar. We talk to Beth Kobliner, a financial expert and author of the book Make Your Kid A Money Genius (Even if you’re not) about tips and tricks to help our kids, from toddlers to post-grads, handle money responsibly.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employee turnover at nursing homes in an average year is 74 percent. With high rates of turnover and not enough new workers entering the caregiving field, the U.S. is deep in a senior care crisis that’s only set to get worse. Two senior care experts join Viewpoints to discuss why no one wants these jobs and how this lack of infrastructure and funding is …
The average clothing item today is worn anywhere from seven to ten times before it’s discarded on donated. Why is this number so low, and what happens once the garment leaves a person’s closet? Maxine Bedat, a prominent voice in sustainable fashion, joins us this week to shed some light on the clothing crisis and how its impacting workers and the environment.
Dean Karnazes, an ultra-runner, joins Viewpoints this week to break down the extreme sport of ultra-marathons. He’s been tackling long distances and smashing records for several years and has made a name for himself in the running world. We hear his story and some tips he has for people who are trying to slowly ease into everyday running.
The first New York Times wedding announcement was published in 1851. We explore how this unique page has evolved over the years and the rat race some couples go through to get an announcement published at a prominent paper like The New York Times.
Why are people so afraid to give speeches in public? For many, it can be the cause of much anxiety and dread. We speak with a psychologist and a speech educator about why this anxiety builds and how we can use this adrenaline to our benefit when putting ourselves out there.
The birth of the space shuttle in 1981 marked a new era of space travel. For the first time ever, NASA had a spacecraft that could launch into space and come back to earth and land like an airplane. While the shuttle had many successful flights, there were also some big catastrophes that ultimately led the program to cease operations in 2011. Former chief historian of NASA Roger Launius joins …
Many women today still have little knowledge on financial planning and how to make their income work for them rather than the other way around. Executive and financial expert Jennifer Barrett joins us this week to shed some light on the importance of becoming financially autonomous and advocating for yourself in your career, relationships and beyond.
In 2017, Sara Dykman biked more than 10,000 miles, following the path of the annual Monarch migration. Along her route, she stopped to educate and raise awareness about the beauty and fragility of the butterfly. Dykman joins us this week to teach us about the insect’s unique migration patterns across North America and how individuals can help this dwindling species.
As more Americans look to decrease their carbon footprints, what’s one way to make a big difference? Flipping the narrative on the traditional American diet. Beef is more carbon-intensive to produce than chicken, but did you know that cheese is also worse than chicken? It’s this knowledge that can change people’s dietary decisions and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, slowing global warming. Paul …
Today, the average student graduating from a four-year, public university leaves with $28,600 in student loans. On top of this, students owe interest once payments kick in, and this can range from 3 to 5 percent for federal loans and can go as high as 12 percent for private loans. For some, the large sum of these loans plus interest can take several years to pay off and has a big effect on life …
About 60 percent of Americans don’t yet have a written will in place. People spend a lifetime working hard, saving money, building assets, but often never think about what would happen in case they suddenly passed away. Viewpoints speaks with life planning expert, Abby Schneiderman, about the importance of organizing your life both on paper and online.
Organizing people or items by A to Z is a common method all over the world. It’s used in schools, businesses, libraries and more. But why is this the predominant method today? Historian Judith Flanders joins us to discuss.
Whatever age you are, there’s always certain pressures to hit life milestones by set periods. It can mean moving out, getting married, having a family or even retiring by a ‘normal’ age. We discuss why these external pressures shouldn’t feed into personal decisions and how today’s generations and the challenges they face greatly differ from those of their parents or grandparents.
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