Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
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.
In 2020, nearly 40 million Americans lived in food-insecure households. With food prices rising across the country, food insecurity is only set to worsen, disproportionately affecting minority populations. How can people help?
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.
Opera is a beloved art form, but its racial history is as flawed as the rest of our culture. We talk to Naomi Andre, a professor at the University of Michigan, about the history of race in opera and how this traditional art form is evolving with the times.
The average American checks their phone about 90 times a day, according to a 2019 survey from tech research firm, Asurion. How often would you say you check? Every hour? Once every 20 minutes? Do you ever panic when your phone isn’t right next to you?
The news of the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan has swept news headlines this month. Hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens have already fled the country, but how will everyday life change for those who remain? We discuss the precarious situation in the region and the reversal of modern freedoms and economic stability for millions of men, women …
When most people imagine the early West, they picture wide open landscapes, lawlessness and sweaty men working away in mines and on farms. While this is part of the story, the other lesser known narrative is the unique opportunities the West held for women during the 19th and 20th centuries. Author Winifred Gallagher joins us this week to share how the …
The social media platform, TikTok started in September 2016. There have been many critics over the years that have doubted the lasting popularity of the short-form, video-driven service. But, fast forward five years later and it’s still booming. What sets TikTok apart from the graveyard of dead platforms like Snapchat and Vine?
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 …
Why are people so afraid to give speeches in public? For many, it can be the cause of much anxiety and dread. We speak with a psychologist and a speech educator about why this anxiety builds and how we can use this adrenaline to our benefit when putting ourselves out there.
Many women today still have little knowledge on financial planning and how to make their income work for them rather than the other way around. Executive and financial expert Jennifer Barrett joins us this week to shed some light on the importance of becoming financially autonomous and advocating for yourself in your career, relationships and beyond.
The perspectives of black authors are vital in understanding why racial bias still plagues our country. We offer up some timely recommendations to add to your 2021 reading list.
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 …
In the early 1900’s, the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma was commonly referred to as the ‘Black Wall Street’. It was a predominantly African American town that was booming due to the nearby discovery of oil. It was a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family – but that all changed on May 31, 1921. In a matter of hours, the town was burnt to …
HBO’s new documentary Tiger chronicles the roller coaster golf career and personal life of Tiger Woods. Is It overhyped or worth the watch?
Historian Karen Abbott tells the story of several women who helped their respective sides during the Civil War. These women were not just nurses and aides, but endearing female soldiers and spies disguised and embedded in the fight.
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.
You don’t need to be a chess whiz to enjoy The Queen’s Gambit. Viewpoints explores the Netflix breakout hit featuring actress Anya Taylor-Joy.
When do you call it quits on a book that you just can’t get into? We discuss a few picks that are popular reads but just didn’t hook us enough to continue on.
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.
Dr. Debora Spar joins Viewpoints this week to share how innovation affects several different aspects of our lives and what the future holds in this space.
Before the pandemic, roughly 4 in 10 people across the world believed that if science didn't exist their lives would be no different, according to a global survey conducted by 3M Corporation. We dig into this staggering statistic and how COVID-19 has altered people's perception of the field.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere leading to a warmer planet. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities is from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas for electricity, heat and transportation. In recent years, the increasingly dry and warm climate in the …
There are more than 5.2 million Native Americans living in the U.S., yet only a small fraction cast a ballot each election cycle. What factors lead to this low turnout? Viewpoints speaks with two experts about how historical bias feels into the current challenges facing this group.
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