Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
Before becoming Executive Producer of both shows, Amirah attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Go Illini!) and earned a degree in broadcast journalism…
Executive Producer
Flock license plate cameras are helping police solve crimes faster, but their rapid spread is raising a bigger question about how much of our everyday movement should be tracked.
Body ideals have swung from ultra-thin to curvy and back again, but social media now puts those changing standards in front of young people constantly. Two eating disorder experts explain how online comparison and commentary about other people’s bodies can shape body image and what parents and guardians should watch for.
Holiday travel can be stressful for pets, whether they’re joining the trip or staying behind. Veterinarian Dr. Carol Osborne shares how owners can prepare pets for travel, choose a safe sitter or boarding facility and make unfamiliar environments feel a little more like home.
Many museums across the country have been struggling to make ends meet over the last few years. We look at why some are now being forced to close their doors.
Motorcycles offer a sense of freedom that’s hard to replicate, but riding also comes with real risks. We look at what draws people to riding, the biggest dangers motorcyclists face and what every driver can do to make the road safer.
Cats have a reputation for being moody, mysterious and nearly impossible to train. But there’s a lot more behind their behavior. This week, we explore what makes cats so unique and how thousands of years alongside humans shaped the furry felines we know today.
We cover how Gen Z is embracing sewing, mending and other “granny hobbies.”
Americans are notoriously uncomfortable when it comes to talking about death and being around the dead, but not every culture treats it as something to avoid. Mortician Caitlin Doughty takes us from India to Thailand to explore how other societies confront mortality more openly than we often do.
Why does a song from decades ago bring back details you thought you’d forgotten? Princeton researcher Elizabeth Margulis looks at what happens when music sends our minds wandering, why certain songs become tied to specific chapters of our lives and what we lose when listening to music takes a backseat.
School cellphone bans are spreading fast in recent years, but is this new initiative actually working? We look at what changes when phones leave from classrooms and why this policy may be here to stay.
Wildfires are becoming harder to contain as hotter, drier conditions make fire seasons longer and more destructive. And the impact doesn’t stop at the fire line anymore. Smoke can travel thousands of miles, exposing people far from the flames to serious health risks. We look at what’s driving this scary increase and why controlled burns may be part of the solution.
From couples to politics to global conflict, the same patterns can push people further apart. Psychotherapist Scott Gibbs explains what happens when fear, defensiveness and the need to be right takes over.
Peptides promising better skin, faster muscle recovery are more are quickly gaining popularity across the U.S. We cover the rise of injectable peptides, what exactly they are and the risks of buying these liquid vials online.
The NBA was founded in 1946 in New York City. For many years, the organization was predominantly white. Today, more than 75 percent of its players are black. We speak with basketball expert and former NBA player and coach Ray Scott about the league’s early years and its efforts to evolve in a time when segregation and discrimination ran rampant.
It’s back-to-school season, and millions of kids and teens are heading back to school where they’ll eat 1-2 meals each day. We discuss modern school cafeteria menus, how they’ve changed from what we remember and what parents can take away from these menus and incorporate into snacks and dinners at home.
Colleges across the country are cutting jobs and programs as enrollment declines. We discuss this domino effect and what lies ahead for higher education.
GLP-1 drugs are mixing up how some Americans eat, but they’re not the only force reshaping restaurant menus. We look at the growing trend towards smaller portions, more protein and social media-driven menu items.
Cancer screening and treatment are changing fast. Dr. Avishek Kumar, a medical oncologist and hematologist, joins us to explain how to reduce your risk of developing cancer and what’s new in the world of cancer detection and treatment.
Have you shopped on Temu? The Chinese-owned retailer is known for rock-bottom prices, but how does it manage to keep them so low?
Dr. Pius Kamau’s path from colonial Kenya to an American operating room was shaped by ambition, exclusion and survival. His story offers a deeply personal view of America’s promise—and its contradictions.
Construction has a hiring problem and part of it may be self-inflicted. The industry needs tens of thousands of new workers while continuing to overlook people who were never welcomed or shown a clear way in.
A record-setting T. rex sale raises a larger question: what happens to scientifically important objects when anonymous collectors control who can study or see them?
Looksmaxxing sells young men the idea that a better face or body can unlock confidence and success. We speak with two experts to understand how the trend has become a dangerous and addictive path into damaging comparisons, risky procedures and online communities that treat insecurity as a problem to be endlessly optimized.
A workplace can post strong safety numbers while behind the scenes employees deal with unstable hours, stressful conditions, hidden injuries and pressure not to speak up. We examine how corporate efficiency can shift risk onto workers and why the official record often captures only part of what the job costs on a human level.
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