Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
Across the U.S., many teachers are simply overwhelmed. In their careers, they’re not only an educator, but a leader, listener and mentor. They play many other roles than simply teaching students the set curriculum. However, the pandemic has exacerbated these duties and some educators are perpetually stressed and leaving the field for good. We speak with two …
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 FDA is a massive organization that handles a wide variety of regulations and responsibilities. However, some critics argue that the FDA has failed to evolve with the times, spending large amounts of resources on dated measures and messaging tactics. Former FDA employee Dr. Richard Williams joins us this week to highlight some of these issues within food …
Many libraries have stepped up and evolved during the pandemic to offer more remote classes and resources, as well as a place to work and connect with others if you need to get out of the house. The best part? It’s all free.
The Delta variant is causing the COVID-19 pandemic to still linger on this year, but many are optimistic that the worst is now behind us. Pediatrician Dr. Jenna Wheeler joins us this week to offer up some advice on holiday gatherings, keeping healthy through flu season and the importance of getting younger children vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misunderstood and clumped into a stereotypical category. But what most people don’t realize is that OCD is a lot more than just physical behaviors. David Adam, who has OCD and has extensively studied the disorder, joins us this week to help dispel any myths and preconceived perceptions.
The 2021-2022 school year is officially in full swing. But, it’s not the return that many were hoping for as COVID-19 cases spread, and outbreaks pop up in classrooms across the U.S. While there are barriers and challenges just like last year, school must go on. We speak with education expert, Julie King, to get some tips on how to navigate the hectic back …
After eighteen months of kids and teens learning remotely or on a hybrid schedule between in-person and remote, millions are returning back to classrooms full-time. While this may change as COVID-19 cases rise due to the Delta variant, for now, many schools are moving forward with plans to welcome students back with the caveat of requiring face masks while …
Wondering what to do with the dozens of face masks and all of those unused yeast packets? Us too. There are several items that Americans sought after during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that help to showcase what this period in time was like. Once the pandemic is fully over, how will we look back and remember this time? How are museum curators and …
Today, the average student graduating from a four-year, public university leaves with $28,600 in student loans. On top of this, students owe interest once payments kick in, and this can range from 3 to 5 percent for federal loans and can go as high as 12 percent for private loans. For some, the large sum of these loans plus interest can take several years to …
Organizing people or items by A to Z is a common method all over the world. It’s used in schools, businesses, libraries and more. But why is this the predominant method today? Historian Judith Flanders joins us to discuss.
Congested roads. Crumbling parking lots. Vacant strip malls. These are some of the challenges that suburbs across the country are facing today. Architect June Williamson is a proponent of mixed-use developments that create more efficient suburbia. This vision creates a 15-minute suburb where basic amenities and activities are walkable, and spaces bring …
As some schools return back to in-person learning, we take a look at a few of the ways teaching has changed this year, including new safety precautions and the use of continued e-learning technology. Kelly Rigg is an eighth-grade teacher in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and shares what’s it’s been like to be back teaching in the classroom full-time during a …
It’s been ten months since many schools across the nation shifted to online learning. We speak with two education experts about the changes happening in the field as technology plays a bigger role.
The world of youth sports can be incredibly stressful. Long practices, hefty investments and increasingly selective teams can add up to parents pushing their kids to the brink. We speak with Rich Cohen, a hockey dad, about the modern pressures of the competitive sport and why some parents end up caring more about the sport than their own kid does.
Who do you think of when you read or hear the word, psychopath? Rarely does anyone think of the mild-mannered neuroscientist next door. We speak to two experts about what the term actually means in the medical world, how it’s tested for in various people and why many people who have psychopathic tendencies are able to function in a non-violent, productive …
Before the game shows of today, there were countless series of the past that defied our notion of showmanship. Full of grandiose props, charismatic hosts and the perfect, hand-picked contestants, these series kept viewers hooked till the very end and were (really) too good to be true. We discuss some of the most popular game shows in American history and how …
Segregation not only divides cities but leads to divided people as well. It fuels biases against people who may look or act different than us, leading to generations of inequity and discrimination. Viewpoints speaks with social justice activist, Tonika Johnson about the many impacts segregation has had on the city of Chicago.
Just because Thanksgiving and all-things pumpkin have passed, doesn’t mean an end to sugary holiday sweets. Viewpoints speaks with cookbook author Ken Haedrich about the prevalence of pie in American culture and how anyone can bake a delicious pie in no time.
The 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. Viewpoints speaks with high school teacher Jeff Foster who was there that day and is still an active voice in ending gun violence.
You may be familiar with the classic children’s book, Goodnight Moon, but what about Good Morning Zoom? One mom living in New York City wanted to help her children better understand the pandemic, so wrote a parody based off of one of their favorite bedtime stories. The result? A funny, yet realistic look at parenting and getting through this period.
In 2016, President Trump ran on a platform that vowed to deport all of the undocumented immigrants in the country. However, four years later and this population is still relatively the same. Is it a practical plan to deport millions who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, are law-abiding and fill important jobs that would otherwise be vacant?
We all know the rule: “I before E, except after C,” but it’s not applicable in “weird” or “science” or many other words. The English language has many exceptions to its rules and these irregularities make it a difficult language to learn. Two language experts join Viewpoints this week to share the many frustrations of English and the rules at play today.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a quick and affordable saliva-based test that makes it possible for students, faculty and staff to get checked twice a week for COVID-19. We speak with one of its creators, Dr. Martin Burke about the largescale implementation of this method and the upcoming challenges with flu season quickly …
