Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
A study published in the scientific journal, Nature Communications, has found a potential link between gel nail treatments and skin cancer. We cover the latest research and what services you should opt for next time you’re at the nail salon.
Ever agree in the moment, but then look back and wish you spoke up and said something? This action of wanting to go with the flow is a very real phenomenon. We sit down with two experts to uncover how people’s actions and opinions are altered by conformity bias.
More young people are reading these days thanks to one community on TikTok. We discuss the rise of BookTok and how publishers and authors are using this platform to better engage with consumers.
Agricultural work keeps America’s food supply moving, but shifting corn, wheat and soybeans can trap and suffocate a person within minutes. We cover the rate of these lesser-known accidents in the food production industry.
For millions of working households, higher prices mean constantly rearranging the same limited income. This story looks at how gas, utilities, housing and other basic costs are forcing families above the poverty line to cut back, delay bills and live without any real financial cushion.
Cardiac arrest often happens at home. That means a partner or family member is often the closest person who needs to jump into action and react. We look at what effective CPR requires, why people hesitate and how a small amount of training - whether it’s 15 minutes or a couple hours - can be the difference between life and death in a high-pressure moment.
Even with the U.S. men’s team bowing out early, soccer’s momentum in America shows no signs of fading, fueled by surging viewership, soaring club valuations and the addition of international superstars coming to U.S. teams.
College and professional athletes face pressure from every direction and social media makes it nearly impossible to tune out the criticism. Two football players discuss the benefits and pitfalls of being online, and how athletes can protect their focus and well-being beyond the game.
The country’s sharp drop in homicides is welcome news, but it hides a more complicated reality: a large number of murders still go unsolved. We explore how data, staffing and overlooked patterns could help lead to higher solve rates.
Saturation divers do some of the most dangerous work most of us never see by living under pressure for days or weeks to repair the underwater systems we depend on.
In an era dominated by keyboards, it is easy to think handwriting is a skill of the past. But are we shortchanging our brains by abandoning this ability? Our guests this week explore the critical cognitive benefits of handwriting and discuss how the physical act of writing by hand significantly boosts literacy, memory retention, and idea generation.
Location sharing can feel like a simple safety net, but we look at what happens when “peace of mind” turns into constant, obsessive monitoring. From parents tracking young adult children to couples sharing this real-time info, we explore how this technology can protect, pressure or slowly erode trust depending on how it’s used.
As heat rises across Europe, many older buildings aren’t designed to stay cool. Here’s why the risk is growing and why AC alone isn’t the answer.
We look at how prison meals shape punishment, dignity and health while incarcerated, and how what’s served on a tray can affect a prisoner’s life long after release.
Inside one Texas hospital, a pattern emerges: too few staff, unsafe conditions and profit over people. What’s happening here points to a broader crisis - nurses across the U.S. being pushed to the brink and leaving their workplace or the profession itself. We cover the story of one nurse and how this affects patient care and outcomes.
Antibiotics can feel like the fastest way to get better, but for many common illnesses, they’re the wrong tool entirely. We cover how antibiotics are chronically overused and its long-term consequences.
For generations, the starter home was the first real step into the American dream. Now, with prices climbing, inventory shrinking and builders incentivized to go bigger, we look at how that first rung of homeownership has moved out of reach for many first-time buyers.
For nearly a century, the diamond trade has carved up the coastlines of South Africa and Namibia, turning remote communities into mining towns and workers into the engine of a luxury industry most will never benefit from. We look at the human and environmental cost behind natural diamonds, from dangerous labor and low pay to what’s left behind after the industry leaves.
For a child, a parked car can become dangerous in just minutes during the summertime. We explain why the best prevention often comes down to building in one extra reminder before you walk away.
The world of youth sports can be incredibly taxing. Strenuous practices, hefty investments and increasingly selective teams can add up to parents pushing their kids to the brink. We speak with Rich Cohen, a longtime hockey dad, about the modern pressures of competitive sports and why some parents seem to end up caring more about winning than their child does.
Imagine being born into slavery in the South. You don’t have a dime to your name, don’t have any education and all you know are the surrounding fields of the plantation you worked on for years or decades. What would you do after the abolishment of slavery? How would you start over? Historian Richard Cahan joins us this week to share a few of the firsthand stories of former slaves living in the …
Men account for nearly 80 percent of suicide deaths in America. We look at the crisis behind the numbers.
Driverless cars are no longer a futuristic experiment but are already picking up passengers in cities across the country. We look at how the fast expanding rideshare company Waymo works| why some people trust it more than human drivers and the questions that remain as autonomous vehicles become part of everyday life.
After the sudden death of her daughter, journalist Danielle Crittenden found herself questioning nearly everything she thought she knew about grief. We explore what loss and grief look like when it doesn’t follow any sort of timeline.
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