Barely Surviving: Making a Living as a Garment Worker
Longtime fashion writer and industry expert Dana Thomas joins us to help us understand the labor and environmental crisis plaguing the fashion industry.
Supporting U.S. Farmers
With domestic farms declining, America is extremely reliant on foreign shipments. We discuss the many challenges farmers are facing and the barriers to entry in agriculture.
The Continued Global Intake of Russia’s Diamonds
This week – we cover the global diamond trade and what more needs to be done to ensure that the global diamond business is not funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Post-Pandemic Push to Unionize
Across the board, in various sectors, there seems to be a continuous stream of personnel calling a strike or moving to unionize. What’s behind this big labor movement? What defines a union? We answer these questions and more this week on Viewpoints.
A History of Fabric
When did quality-made clothes disappear, and the rise of new, cheaper fabrics take hold in the U.S.? Author Sofi Thanhauser joins us this week to shed some light on how the garment industry got to where it is today.
The Economic Squeeze of Inflation
Between January 2021 and January 2022, prices across the board went up by 7.5%. What’s next? Economics professor Dr. Christian Vom Lehn joins us to breakdown what’s fueling these continued price hikes and how the invasion of Ukraine by Russia may make certain goods and services pricier.
Spin, Sweat, Repeat: The Ever-Evolving Fitness Industry
It feels like the fitness market has more options than ever before. Between the rise of at-home fitness, traditional gyms and focused classes, consumers can pick and choose to workout whichever way they like. This week – we speak with two fitness experts about evolving trends in exercise and what’s next.
Our Resilient Food System & Supply Chain
20 million people work within the food production industry in the U.S. The pandemic has altered this sector and resulted in many pressures placed on this population. This week – we highlight the people behind these various roles and the changing landscape of this 24/7 food supply chain.
‘The Great Resignation’ as Labor Shortages Continue
Today, there are close to 11 million vacant jobs in the U.S. – a record-breaking number. Why are more Americans not filling these positions? How is this affecting businesses? What will eventually happen if these jobs go unfilled? We explore these questions and more this week as we’re joined by hospitality entrepreneur, Ravindra Jayara, and senior labor …
The Rise of ‘Influence’ in This World
Being an influencer has turned into a career option for some, and today, some college students are pursuing degrees in social media to work within the industry or try their hand at becoming an influencer themselves. We discuss the state of social media education and the larger implications of this shift in modern culture.
The Modern Pet: A Much-Adored Family Member
You may have held out on getting a pet for years and years, but when the pandemic hit, it seemed like an opportune time to add a new furry member to the family. Today, more than 70 percent of Americans own one pet or more, and this number is only set to increase in coming years. We speak with two pet experts this week about the evolving sector and the …
The Private Sector Space Race
Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson both made history last month as they rocketed out of Earth’s atmosphere and successfully reached space. This trip was many years in the making as both billionaires built their own respective companies, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, to transport them to space as private civilians. Now, people are lining up and paying hefty …
Publishing 101: Behind Every Writer Is A Great Editor (2021)
In 2019, the book publishing industry in the U.S. generated more than $25 billion dollars in revenue and employed close to 70,000 people. It’s a massive industry that publishes and generates publicity for many thousands of physical and e-books each year. Literary editor Peter Ginna joins us this week to breakdown the business and the crucial role that …
The Toll of Excess Clothes Production
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 …
Culture Crash: Back to the Theater
As more Americans get vaccinated, the light at the end of the tunnel shines a little bit brighter each day. We discuss the slow return of theater-released movies and some of the future films we’re most excited for.
The Role We Each Play in Slowing Climate Change
Despite the pandemic, carbon emissions are at an all-time high, topping records over the past 3.6 million years. For years, scientists have warned of humans approaching a critical tipping point of global warming – and it’s here. Sustainability scientist Dr. Kimberly Nicholas joins Viewpoints this week to break down the current climate landscape and explain …
Entrepreneurship in the Adult-Use Cannabis Market
New York is the latest to legalize recreational marijuana, creating thousands of new jobs and is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue after a lackluster year for the state in tourism, real estate and business. But in a fast-growing industry, how do you make sure that smaller entrepreneurs aren’t left behind? Or those who’ve been systemically …
Working Within the Oil Sector
The oil and gas industry employs millions of workers. In 2018, 6.7 million Americans worked within the traditional energy sector. Yet, when we often hear about the industry, it’s entangled in political and environmental news. Rarely does it look at the workers themselves and the challenging and physical barriers of the job. In 2013, Michael Patrick Smith …
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 …
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.
Inside the Grocery Industry
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?
The Invention of Instant Photography (2020)
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.
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 …
Navigating Peak Wedding Season During a Pandemic
Erika Hernandez-Fullerton is a recent bride herself and owner of the wedding planning company The Greatest Adventure Weddings & Elopements. She joins Viewpoints this week to share how many couples in this predicament are making the best of this unusual situation.
