The Panama Canal was one of the most treacherous builds in modern history. In the late 1800’s, the French took on the project and failed. Then, the U.S. took over its construction with a new plan in 1904. The man-made waterway spanning 51 miles took more than a decade to complete and resulted in the deaths of thousands of workers. Why did so many thousands die? What challenges did engineers and laborers face? We answer these questions and more.
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What would it be like to feel crippled by identity theft for most of your young adult life? Axton Betz-Hamilton shares her surprising identity theft story and how she’s now helping others in a similar boat.
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Being a teenager is tough these days – but being a parent to a teenager can be even be tougher sometimes. Over the last five years, two researchers, who are parents themselves, traveled across the world to observe several different animal species and their socialization out in the wild. The focus? To possibly better understand our own adolescence and evolutionary needs.
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It’s almost too easy to purchase items these days. Need dinner? A ride? Groceries? A last-minute outfit? All of these items are just a click away with a credit card that’s saved online or in a mobile app. We speak with money expert, Ashley Feinstein Gerstley from The Fiscal Femme to find out why most Americans – at any age – barely have any savings in the bank and how to start becoming more fiscally responsible through small, simple steps.
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It’s been almost 75 years since the end of World War II. With Veterans Day around the corner on Monday, November 11, we uncover some of the photographs taken from 1945, the final year of the conflict. These images show the sheer destruction caused by a war that lasted six years and cost millions and millions of lives. What was it like to be a U.S. Army Signal Corps photographer? What did they see? How do you move on after war?
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Many Americans place a heavy emphasis on finding and arranging care for their loved ones. This can mean shifting to a nursing home, hiring in-home professional care or even becoming the caretakers themselves. And if people take on this role of caregiver, it can be easy to quickly lose sight of one’s own personal health, wellness and relationships. We discuss the ups and downs of caregiving in a world that’s not always so straightforward and forgiving.
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Strawberries are ubiquitous across the U.S. Supermarkets in every town stock cartons of fresh strawberries year round at a reasonable price. But this widespread availability may come to a halt in the near future as the industry faces several big challenges: labor shortages, climate change, sustainable farming legislation, etc. We discuss the history of the fickle fruit and how its evolved over time.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Author Don Winslow talks about how he tries to accurately portray issues like police shootings of unarmed black men, law enforcement corruption, and more.
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We talk to author William Carlsen about the two men who ventured into the jungle and discovered the Mayans.
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We discuss what introversion is and how introverts can be a lot of fun to be around
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One morning without warning, Giulia Lukach experienced a psychotic break. We talk to her husband Mark about the couple’s journey.
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Everyday, we send and receive emails, but when’s the last time you wrote or received a handwritten letter?
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Video games have long been seen as child’s play, but now they are the source of massive TV ratings and legitimate artistic expression.
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