Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
In 1881, Lt. Adolphus Greely and 24 men set out on a voyage to explore the northernmost Polar Arctic where few had ventured before. The goal was to collect vast amounts of scientific data of the unknown region and hopefully reach the North Pole. But the expedition soon went awry when no resupply made it to the camp for two years and the men were left to fend …
We explore the new release, 1917 now playing in theaters. The new film, which is filmed acclaimed cinematographer, Roger Deakins, has an action-packed storyline that does not disappoint.
Humans have always practiced various forms of self-expression, whether it's through written word, music, art or some other outlet. The art of tattooing is one such form that dates back thousands of years. We speak with a history expert, author and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Craig Koslofsky about some of the earliest tattoo …
Thousands of movies have been released over the last ten years. With the mind-boggling amount of films available, it can be easy to forget about a fantastic movie you may have watched years ago. We take a look at some of the best picks of the decade that might not be getting as much attention as other films on your typical end-of-year/end-of-decade lists.
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.
What would it be like to photograph a sitting president? Viewpoints Radio speaks with Lawrence Jackson who was an official White House photographer during the eight-year Obama administration. Through his unique position, he intimately witnessed every angle of the presidency from the historic to the chaotic.
Have you ever wondered how to create the color purple using only natural pigments? Or why, amongst completely different languages, the third color term that’s identified after black and white is always red? Viewpoints’ speaks with two color experts about the theorized meanings behind certain hues and their natural origins.
It used to be that you’d tune into a basketball game or tennis match with whoever was in the room. Now, social media and the internet allow us to watch, analyze data and connect in real-time commentary with people from around the world.
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 …
International influence is pervasive in today’s interconnected, social media-driven world. Swedish author Elisabeth Åsbrink joins Viewpoints to discuss how her home country of Sweden has changed in recent years, and the perception of the country versus the reality of what’s happening within its borders.
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 …
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 …
We discuss the new movie “Ad Astra” starring Brad Pitt as an interstellar astronaut, and why it’s more than your typical ‘on a mission to save the world’ space drama
Viewpoints producer Annie Krall interviewed the 2019-2020 National High School Rodeo Queen McKardy Kelly about her love of rodeo. and spoke to the executive director of the National High School Rodeo Association, James Higginbotham, about how rodeo is more than just a sport. It brings people together in the hectic pace of life today. The World #6 …
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.
Most of us point to McDonald’s as the founding of fast food as we know it. But the American staple actually began nearly a hundred years ago with two chains, White Castle and A&W. We speak with Adam Chandler, journalist and author of Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom about the events that fed into the rapid …
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 …
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 …
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 …
What exactly is implicit bias and how does it form? We breakdown this complicated issue and discuss why it’s so important for parents to address implicit bias with kids early on through candid conversations and exposure to diverse environments.
We cover the Norco shootout of 1980 – an extravagant bank robbery by five heavily armed criminals ending in multiple lives lost, several wounded and a police helicopter shot down from the sky. We speak with author, Peter Houlahan about that fateful day and how it forever changed police response to organized crime.
We discuss how the rise in streaming technology has impacted the availability of classic, foreign and indie films.
Author Jared Yates Sexton shares memories from his own turbulent childhood and accounts as a journalist and connects it to the larger discussion around the phenomenon of toxic masculinity in the U.S. What exactly is toxic masculinity and how is it affecting men and youth?
Amirah Zaveri, the producer of Viewpoints Radio, asks New York Times bestselling author David Epstein about his unique career path and what he learned along the way.
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