Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
The first U.S. case of the plague presented in the early 1900’s in San Francisco. We speak with author, David Randall about the outbreak and how it changed sanitation practices and government response.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Mark Obmascik shares the incredible story of two men fighting for opposing sides and tangled in the complexities of World War II in his book The Storm on Our Shores: One Island, Two Soldiers, and the Forgotten Battle of World War II.
School lunches in the U.S. have long been overlooked. Dan Giusti, the former head chef of Noma and founder of Brigaid, is gaining ground in his efforts to overhaul the school lunch system and bring scratch cooking back into cafeterias. We speak with Giusti about his journey from fine dining to lunch reform and some of the barriers facing Brigaid.
Racial segregation still persists throughout the U.S. One factor contributing to this inequality is the structure of our towns and cities. Richard Rothstein and Tonika Johnson talk about how past laws and our government created a divided demographic and the impact this has on certain populations.
We all know the names of famous First Ladies – Martha Washington, Mary Todd Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan – and they all left their marks on our country in one way or another. One of these ladies that you probably don’t know much about is Louisa Adams, wife of President John Quincy Adams. Our guest has researched this extraordinary woman and …
We examine how television series have grown to be more diverse and inclusive in the Peak TV era. One such show is Ramy, a new Hulu original, which candidly follows the life of a young, first-generation Muslim man and the challenges that arise with the melting pot of cultures.
Everyone knows about the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but not many know about the powerful and loyal confidant FDR relied on, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand. Our guest discusses the life and work of this remarkable woman and how she helped and influenced one of the greatest chief executives of our time.
Statues commemorating the Confederacy remain in some towns in the US South, though its principles promoting slavery and oppression of blacks are in disrepute. Some towns have removed these statues in the face of heavy opposition. A former Mayor of New Orleans describes how his thinking evolved toward a decision to remove the statues in his city, and the …
Gardeners always seek to get the most out of their plants, but some are finding that their plot of land doesn’t produce the way it used to because of wildly changing, extreme conditions—torrential rain, then draught, heat then cold. We talk to two experts who explain ways to increase your garden’s productivity, and how it can help combat climate change.
On April 20, 1999, Sue Klebold’s son and his friend went into Columbine High School and committed one of the largest mass shootings in US history. Over the last 18 years, Klebold has been forced to cope with this horrible tragedy while managing anxiety attacks and being blamed by so many. Klebold talks about her story and the mental health messages she wants …
Reshma Saujani is a lawyer, a former political candidate, an author and the founder of Girls Who Code. She says our society puts too much pressure on women to be perfect, which means girls are afraid to explore their true passions for fear of failure. She’s hoping to change that, and to teach girls that it’s okay to try something that you might not succeed …
Since the beginning of the U.S. prison system, religion has been suggested as a way to help rehabilitate criminals. We talk to Tanya Erzen, a professor of religion, about why that is and what role prison ministries play in the lives on inmates.
In America, we may have an idea of how China’s one-child and two-child policies work, but the truth is more complicated than many of us imagine. We talk to journalist and author Vanessa Hua about how these policies have rippled all the way into America.
Women have served in the US military dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Back then, they had to lie about their sex and their names in order to get enlist, but some did. Now, combat positions are open to women. We discuss the vital role women have played in America’s military might.
Minding the Gap tells the story of Liu himself, and of his closest friends from his childhood in Rockford, Illinois. Each came from something of a broken home, and turned to each other, and to skateboarding for an escape from their personal demons. What begins as a movie about kids skateboarding and hanging out becomes a searing look at childhood trauma, the …
Investigative journalism is a necessity in a democracy. Independent journalists putting in long hours to serve as watch-dogs for our government can have long-lasting ramifications, just look at the impact Woodward and Bernstein made with their Watergate investigations. We talk to one expert about the current state of investigative journalism in America and …
Over 95 years ago, New York City was the target of a terrorist attack that has yet to be solved. No suspects have ever been named in the attack that killed or injured over 400 Wall Street bystanders. In contrast to the attacks of September 11th, which occurred just around the corner from the 1920 bombing, this deadly event has been all but erased from the …
There are millions incarcerated in American prisons, even many juveniles who were sentenced to long terms alongside adults. We talk to guests about how and why this happens, whether it should continue, and what life is like for young people behind bars.
We know so much about the men of the Civil War, but the women from the war are all but forgotten in our history. Historian Karen Abbott decided to change that. She tells the story of several women who helped their sides during the Civil War.
As technology evolves, more and more of us are relying on credit cards, debit cards and even apps like Venmo or Zelle to make payments. Gone are the days of physically cashing your check, now almost all of us use all direct-deposit. So what is the future of cash? We talk to one expert who lays out some of the nefarious uses of bills and coins.
When people discuss “the immigrant narrative,” you may picture Ellis Island. But what is that process like today? We talk to two writers about the more modern immigrant journey.
'Fake news' has remained a headline mainstay for years now… but politicians seem to be skewing its meaning. We talk to two teachers about what is and isn’t fake news, and how they’re teaching students (and their parents!) how to see through the fiction.
It’s a topic that has been in the news lately: how our government detains groups of people. We look back at history to see what really happened in World War II Japanese internment camps, and how we can avoid similar shame now and in the future.
Many of us have spent years dreaming of traveling the globe… but what should we do when we book the trip and are preparing to make the dream a reality? Journalist and author Andrew Solomon gives tips on how to get the most out of your trips, from embracing new cultures to establishing better connections.
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