Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
What’s changed in policing since May of 2020 when George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police? Two experts in law and police policy join us to discuss the current state of police violence in America.
We speak with one interrogation expert about the subtle signs that give people away and how the average person can use these tactics in day-to-day interactions.
It seems like all too often it’s common to see a driver chuck a cigarette butt out the window or throw one on the sidewalk. We speak with expert Thomas Novotny about how this type of littering affects the environment and the wildlife within it.
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.
Why do we believe one person but believe another is lying? This week, author Sarah Weinman joins us as we discuss the story of one American man in the 1950’s who was able to dupe millions and get released from prison.
In the U.S., there are roughly 19 million people with felony convictions. For this population, finding stable work can be a tumultuous and draining process. Without a job, it can be all too easy to slide back into a past life and end up behind bars once again.
In 2006, Filipino immigrant Elizabeth Keathley mistakenly registered to vote while at a DMV in Illinois. After receiving her Voter ID in the mail, she ended up casting a ballot in the next election thinking she could do so. However, she wasn’t a U.S. citizen at the time and, because of her actions, faced eventual deportation back to the Philippines.
Federal student loan debt has ballooned in recent years. In 2007, debt totaled $642 billion dollars. Fourteen years later, this number has risen to close to $1.7 trillion. More than 43 million Americans have student loan debt, with the average person owing around $39,000.
The United States still has the highest number of inmates in the world, with more than 2 million people behind bars. For a segment of this population, spending weeks, months, or even years in solitary confinement is very much a reality. We speak with two criminal justice experts about the lasting effects of solitary confinement and the mental health crisis …
Imagine working for hours on end outside in temperatures exceeding 90 or 100 degrees. On top of this, there’s little shade, minimal breaks and often not enough water. This is the reality for millions of laborers who work in agriculture, construction and other industries. Why aren’t there more legal guidelines protecting these essential workers?
How do artists find inspiration for a new song on an album, or a new idea for a movie? We discuss how great art is more interconnected than you may think.
Gold mining has been a lucrative business for many generations. Today, it’s still a booming industry with global mining companies expanding into new markets each year. This week – we highlight the incredible story of activists in northern El Salvador who stood up to mining company, OceanaGold and won.
The routine of ‘springing forward’ can feel like a nuisance and for some, it can severely throw off their internal body clocks for days or weeks on end. Why do we still practice daylight saving time today? Dr. Beth Malow, a neurologist and sleep expert, joins us this week on Viewpoints.
The U.S. prison population has decreased during the pandemic, but the number of people behind bars is still close to two million. Some of these inmates have been in prison for decades and at a young age were deemed by the justice system to be ‘unfixable’. This week, we shed light on the cycle of youth incarceration in this country and why people like Ian …
Unions, which are organized labor groups, are prevalent across the U.S. You’ve probably heard of the term in the media or may know someone who’s part of a union. But, have you ever heard of a worker center? It operates in similar functions as unions; however, this resource is much more community-based and is more of a guiding advocate in responsive …
The 50 richest families in the world have a combined net worth of $1.2 trillion. The Koch family, the second richest name on the list, is worth a staggering $100 billion. For many families, it isn’t just about success and business growth, but the business of building wealth through loopholes like philanthropy and loose taxation laws.
Lake Mead, the reservoir created by the Hoover Dam, is at its lowest levels ever recorded. Drought is not a new problem in the West, but it is getting worse as the years go by. What’s being done to curb water consumption and increase supply so people’s taps don’t run dry?
How often do you buy an item from the store that’s packaged in a plastic container or wrapped in plastic? Daily decisions like these add up and are feeding into the global plastic crisis. Scientists estimate that there’s anywhere between nine to 16 million tons of plastic on the sea floor, polluting the environment, harming species and releasing harmful …
About 60 percent of Americans don’t yet have a written will in place. People spend a lifetime working hard, saving money, building assets, but often never think about what would happen in case they suddenly passed away. Viewpoints speaks with life planning expert, Abby Schneiderman, about the importance of organizing your life both on paper and online.
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 …
We discuss the new Hulu release, Framing Britney Spears, which follows Spears’ rise to pop stardom, the ups and downs of her life in the spotlight and the controversial conversatorship that she’s reportedly been under since 2008.
Today, the field of forensic science is one of the most important tools that investigators have in cracking a case. From forensic geology to DNA analysis to ballistics, analyzing the science behind each crime is crucial. To better understand its beginnings, we go back to the twentieth century to shed a light on Edward Oscar Heinrich – an innovative man who …
How exactly does a forensic sketch artist create such a detailed and accurate profile based off a single, hour-long witness interview? Lois Gibson, a longtime police sketch artist in Houston, joins Viewpoints this week.
We speak with constitutional law expert, Professor Carlton Larson about its limited use in modern courtrooms and the public’s perception of the law versus its actual scope and definition.
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