How Artists Helped Camouflage The Military

Camouflage wasn’t just engineered. It was designed. From World War I “dazzle ships” to today’s complex digital patterns, we trace how creative artists reshaped the look of warfare and changed the way the military thinks about perception, illusion and survival. Guests: Roy R. Behrens, artist, camouflage researcher. When the U.S. entered the war, it adopted dazzle camouflage too, and quickly expanded it. The navy turned to artists called camoufleurs to re imagine its ships. Within eight months, more than one […]

February 21, 2026

Viewpoints

Culture Crash: The 2025 Oscar Best Picture Field

Welcome to Culture Crash, where we examine American culture – what’s new and old in entertainment… The odds-on favorite to win the biggest award of the night is One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s political revolutionary epic inspired by Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor are all nominated for their performances, as is PTA both for Directing and Adapted Screenplay. Ryan Coogler’s horror-drama juggernaut Sinners became the most-nominated film of […]

February 14, 2026

Viewpoints

Viewpoints Explained: From Streaming To Steering Wheels: The Subscription Creep

This is Viewpoints Explained… How many subscriptions do you have? It’s not just streaming services anymore. Subscriptions now range from digital storage to add-on car features to even same-day grocery delivery. The federal trade commission says many Americans underestimate how much they’re really spending every month. These recurring payments used to be the exception, but now they’re the default, and it can all add up fast. A 2024 Deloitte report found that the average U.S. Household is subscribed to four […]

February 14, 2026

Viewpoints

Inside The Two-Trillion-Dollar Business Of Feeling Better

When life feels overwhelming, wellness offers answers, or at least something to buy. We look at how self-care turned into a multi-trillion-dollar industry, and why the promise of feeling better so often comes wrapped in marketing. Guests: Rina Raphael, journalist, author, The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care Amy Larocca, journalist, author, How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time Last year, Americans spent two trillion dollars chasing […]

February 14, 2026

Viewpoints

When The Signal Goes Silent: Why Backup Communication Matters

As extreme weather becomes more unpredictable, one of the first systems to fail is often the one we rely on most: communication. This story looks at what happens when cell towers go dark, why waiting to figure things out in the moment can be dangerous and how simple backup plans can make a critical difference. Guests: Joe Bassett, survival expert, co-author, Emergency Communication 101 Polly Hansen, producer, Viewpoints Radio, Asheville resident. Hansen and her husband live in Asheville, North Carolina, […]

February 14, 2026

Viewpoints

Culture Crash: Why “The Pitt” Stands Out From So Many Other Medical Shows

Welcome to Culture Crash, where we examine American culture – what’s new and old in entertainment… Last year, HBO Max’s new series The Pitt was a little medical TV show that could. It was touted for being a Noah Wyle star vehicle that put him back in an emergency room and surrounded him by a cast of relative unknowns to deliver one of the simplest pleasures we have: a fun week-to-week TV drama. What happened next was The Pitt became […]

February 7, 2026

Viewpoints

Viewpoints Explained: When Romance Meets Inflated Pricing

This is Viewpoints Explained… Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and even if you’re planning to keep things low-key this year, there’s a good chance it’ll still cost more than previous years. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are projected to spend about 26 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day this year. That includes gifts, dining, and experiences. So why do costs keep rising? Part of it comes down to inflation and supply chains. Take flowers. The U.S. Department […]

February 7, 2026

Viewpoints

Why So Many Workers Quit Their Boss, Not Their Job

Many people don’t leave jobs they love but leave managers they can’t work for anymore. We examine how toxic leadership styles quietly drive burnout, erode confidence and push workers toward the exit even when they may love everything else about their position. Guests: Sheila Nielsen, career consultant, owner, Nielsen Career Consulting Laura Hambley Lovett, workplace psychologist, author, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss. Nielsen recommends trying to find someone within the company […]

February 7, 2026

Viewpoints

One Case, Fifty States: When Marriage Was An Exception To The Law

For much of U.S. history, marriage quietly overruled consent, shielding a crime the law refused to name. We revisit the 1978 case that cracked that silence and follow the slow, uneven fight to recognize spousal rape as a crime nationwide. Even now, it raises an uncomfortable question: when the law changes, how long does it take for beliefs to follow? Guests: Sarah Weinman, journalist, author, Without Consent: A Landmark Trial and the Decades-Long Struggle to Make Spousal Rape a Crime. […]

February 7, 2026