While many small, neighborhood stores are fighting to keep their doors open, e-commerce giants like Amazon are seeing staggering growth. In fact, 2020 was the most successful year-to-date for the company. The pandemic has forced millions to buy more items online or through curbside pick-up. So, how has this shift in shopping habits changed the retail game for good? Business journalist Lawrence Ingrassia joins Viewpoints this week to break down the evolving e-commerce landscape.
20-50 Segment 1: The Modern Diamond Business
The northwestern coast of South Africa & Namibia has been a mining hub for diamonds since the 1900’s. Local workers labor through long shifts and hazardous working conditions in order to feed their families. The pay? Roughly five cents per carat of rough diamonds found. While some may argue that the industry stimulates the local economy, once a company deems an area to be over-mined, it pulls out, leaving behind nothing for locals except ravaged land.
20-49 Segment 1: Becoming Steve Jobs
Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, was hailed as a genius and master innovator during his lifetime, but his career wasn’t always a smooth, upward trajectory. He failed many times and was eventually sidelined at Apple. We speak with one of his biographers about how Jobs changed his ways during this turbulent time, and how his experiences working with NeXt Computer and Pixar helped develop him into a savvier, more understanding leader.
20-46 Segment 1: The History of Football as the NFL Celebrates its 100th Anniversary
The National Football League was founded in 1920 – and it’s no surprise that a lot has changed since then. Viewpoints speaks with three sports experts about the evolution of the football industry, its humble beginnings and why the NFL is still so pervasive and popular in American culture.
20-45 Segment 1: The State Of Climate Science In The U.S.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere leading to a warmer planet. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities is from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas for electricity, heat and transportation. In recent years, the increasingly dry and warm climate in the U.S. has led to extreme fires, record drought and more severe hurricanes. So, what can be done to alter the path we’re currently on and make renewable energy (that results in less emissions) widely accessible for everyone?
20-43 Segment 2: Examining The Death-Care Industry
Planning for death is an important part of life. Getting your affairs in order and communicating your final wishes to your loved ones are two vital steps in this process. We speak with John Keith, the owner of Keith Monument, to better understand the field and some of the ways that COVID-19 has changed the way we celebrate life.
20-39 Segment 1: Inside The Grocery Industry
Americans spent 700 billion dollars on groceries in 2018. Across the U.S., there are more than 38,000 supermarkets, each stocking thousands and thousands of distinct products. But what is the human cost of this mass consumerism? Well, the burden largely falls on low-paid workers at each level of food production and distribution - and the pandemic has only exacerbated many of these problems.
20-37 Segment 2: Fueling Creativity: Funding Modern, Independent Invention
Without inventors like Benjamin Franklin or visionaries like Elon Musk, the world would look a bit different. Both of these people and countless others followed their passion, but sometimes it can be hard to slow down and take a risk. Do you enjoy writing? Tinkering with tech? Creating music? Art? It’s never too late to forge a different career path or side hobby. We speak with Kickstarter co-founder, Yancey Strickler about some of the barriers to entry creatives face today and how to find support within a community.
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.
20-30 Segment 1: A Shift Towards Sustainable Construction & Design
Glass, wood, stone. These are some of the natural materials that are on the forefront of construction. Today, a greater number of architects and developers are not only thinking about profit and supply, but the additional - sometimes invisible - factors at play when it comes to new buildouts. These include the true benefits to humans, the environmental toll and the most practical designs that are symbiotic with nature. We uncover the modern perspective of ‘conscious construction’ this week on Viewpoints.
Culture Crash: Film Highlights So Far In 2020
This year has forced the film industry – like many other industries – to adapt and do things a little differently. This means a new resurgence of drive-in theatres or the option to buy new releases straight from your home TV. We go through some of our favorite films and upcoming releases set for fall.
20-28 Segment 2: The Business Of Lab-Grown Meat
Millions of Americans have embraced plant-based meat like the Impossible Burger, but how do you feel about real meat that’s grown in a petri dish in a lab? If the taste, texture and smell exactly resembled meat that was traditionally farmed outside, would you eat it? Lab-grown, cell-cultured chicken, beef and pork is set to hit the mass market in just a few years. What’s the science and process behind this new technology?
20-25 Segment 1: Shakeups In The Salon & Skincare Industry
Business owners have had an extremely stressful year as COVID-19 forced millions of shops to close their doors for two plus months. Now, as much of the country is reopen, some salon, spa and wellness owners are still anxious about if many customers will return and the current changes to operations to protect both staff and clientele. We speak with three owners about adapting to this new reality and the challenges they’re facing.
Culture Crash: The Rollout Of HBO Max
The new streaming service, HBO Max can be a bit confusing. What does it cover that’s not already on HBO Go or HBO Now? We discuss the differences and the hottest shows and films on the platform.
20-24 Segment 2: Navigating Peak Wedding Season During A Pandemic
In April, May and June of this year, 550,000 weddings across the U.S. were set to take place. As the threat of COVID-19 swept much of the U.S., many of these pre-planned weddings had to be rescheduled. Viewpoints speaks with Erika Hernandez-Fullerton, a recent bride herself and owner of a wedding planning company, to find out how couples in this predicament are making the best of this unusual situation.
20-20 Segment 1: The Inner Tolls Of Working In Dining – A Feature With Chef Iliana Regan
Iliana Regan has worked in the restaurant industry for more than two decades in almost every position imaginable. From fast service to high-end fine dining, she’s a self-taught, Michelin-starred chef that’s known for her ability to create masterful dishes using naturally sourced and foraged ingredients. As her career has skyrocketed up, she’s also had several low points in her life that have impacted who she is today.
20-19 Segment 1: An Essential Industry: Construction In The U.S.
In most states, construction is deemed an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic. With roadways fairly clear and schools temporarily closed, crews are getting to work while still adhering to social distancing rules. In effect, construction spending was up 4.7 percent in March 2020 compared to March 2019. Viewpoints speaks with two people working in the industry to get an inside view on growth and job opportunities as well as current challenges facing the sector.
20-19 Segment 2: The Rise Of Coffee Capitalism
Even as Americans shelter-in-place, coffee consumption is up in the first four months of 2020. Why is coffee a drink that is so popular across the globe? The drink was first consumed by Sufi monks in the fifteenth century as part of a religious ceremony, but quickly gained popularity across the Middle East where it then eventually spread to Europe. Viewpoints discusses the complicated history of coffee production and American’s reliance on this caffeine-packed drink.
20-18 Segment 1: From Luxury Ingredients To Food Styling: The Quirky Inner Workings Of The Food Biz
Could you ever imagine that some imported white asparagus could cost upwards of $250? Neither did we. This week on Viewpoints, we delve into the niche world of luxury and on-trend ingredients as well as roles in the food industry you’ve probably never heard of.
Culture Crash: Taking The Time To Tuck Into A Good Book
During this period of social distancing, the constant screen time while working from home and watching Netflix can get to be a bit overwhelming. Viewpoints discusses some of our favorite classic reads by prominent authors.
