Perspective.

When you pay your home owner’s insurance, car insurance, life insurance, or health insurance, you pay extra because of fraud. In fact, insurance fraud is the second largest economic crime in the United States, costing the country over $80 billion a year. On this week’s Perspective, a look at insurance fraud, its impact and what you can do to protect yourself. Guests: Ken Selzer, Kansas Insurance Commissioner, Steven Lehwald, attorney with the Legal Division of the Kansas Insurance Department and Jim Quiggle, director of communications for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades.  The program has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu. K‑Sta

The U.S. space program seems, at times, to be a shadow of its former self. It is almost as if the effort to reach beyond our grasp no longer excites us. The idea that the distances are so vast and the dollars needed are so many that cutbacks in our efforts are inevitable. On this week’s Perspective program a look at an expanding universe and something called “dark energy” and why one Nobel Prize winning scientist says understanding them both presents one of the greatest remaining challenges in astrophysics and cosmology, and the U.S. space program is an important cog in reaching that understanding. Guest: Adam Riess, a professor of astronomy and physics at Johns Hopkins University and a senior member of the Science staff at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The prog

The price of a college degree continues to rise, and along with it, the concern about that degree’s value. One professor and author feels the value of a college education has little to do with the name at the top of one’s diploma. Instead, the real value comes from the student’s interaction with professors. And that can be a problem because right from the get-go many freshmen are insulated from the best and brightest professors. Instead, many will face off with underpaid adjunct professors and graduate students.   Guest: Jacques Berlinerblau is a professor and the Director of the Center for Jewish Civilization at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Berlinerblau is the author of "Campus Confidential: How College Works…or Doesn’t…for Professors, Parents, and Students."  He is also the author of "How To Be Secular." Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has bee

Good healthcare is a problem for many Americans, especially if you are poor … and especially if you are in jail. And, of course, it becomes even more complicated if you are a woman and pregnant. One doctor spent six years caring for female inmates at the San Francisco jail. During that time she learned first-hand about the complexities and contradictions of care in a punitive institution. On this week's Perspective program, she makes the point that jail healthcare is often a symptom of social failure.   Guest: Dr. Carolyn Sufrin is the author of "Jailcare: Finding the Safety Net for Women Behind Bars." Sufrin is a medical anthropologist and an obstetrician-gynecologist at Johns-Hopkins University School of Medicine.   Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The program has included interviews with dignitaries,

Many American citizens seem to have given up on certain things, things like a good public education or safe food and safe streets, and at times, even in democracy. One scholar and author feels the blame lies with capitalism’s triumph over democracy. That we often seem to go with our gut feeling instead of the facts … or science.  On Perspective this week, a look at what has been lost in America today, and one man’s thoughts on the responsibility we, as citizens, need to recognize to bring it back.   Guest:  Corey Dolgon is the author of Kill It To Save It: An autopsy of Capitalism’s Triumph over Democracy.  He is a professor of sociology and Director of Community Based Learning at Stonehill College in Maryland. Dolgon is also the author of "Social Problems: A Service Learning Approach." Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well o

The American Cancer Society estimates that some 1-point-7 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2017. The chances for an American male developing cancer is almost 41 percent, while the chances for an American woman to develop cancer is over 37 percent. The good news is that the survival rates for all forms of cancer have jumped from 49 percent in 1975 to 69 percent by 2012. Guests: Dr. Vicki Jackson, chief of palliative care at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. David Ryan, chief of hematology and oncology at Massachusetts General. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The program has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.

Believe it or not, much of our health outcomes have little to do with health care. In fact, one expert says they have more to do with how we live our lives, the people around us, our family culture, whether we exercise and spend time outside, and do we spend time with and talk to our friends and family? All of that – and more – go into what the U.S. Extension Service says are healthy people living in healthful environments in healthful communities. Guest: Bradford Wiles, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The program has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews

In this bonus episode, Perspective host Richard Baker speaks with Kansas State University President Richard Myers about the university's budget, the value of the College of Agriculture to the state of Kansas, and a recent tour of western Kansas agricultural resources that the President took with the Deans of K-State's Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine as well as Kansas Department of Agriculture officials. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The program has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.

The United States and Australia have for a long time seen each other as valued allies. However, one scholar and historian says there is change in the wind, and many Australians want to take a more measured and independent look at where the United States might take Australia.                                                                                Guest: Chris Dixon is a Professor in the Department of Modern History, Politics and International Relations at Macquarie University. He is also a Fulbright Professional Scholar in Australian-US Alliance Studies. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The program has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.

There is an ongoing debate over how technology, and social media especially, have changed our lives. And one author and academic has explored how Facebook and YouTube have transformed soldiers’ experiences when on the front lines of war. She says, “For most of us, clicking ‘like’ on social media has become fairly routine, but now for the first time in the history of modern warfare U.S. troops have direct, instantaneous connection to civilian life back home.” On this week’s Perspective program, a look at not only the impact of that instantaneous connection on a soldier in combat, but also the impact of technology on our lives in general.   Guest: Dr. Lisa Silvestri is the author of "Friended at the Front: Social Media in the American War Zone," and professor of communication studies at Gonzaga University.  Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the natio

When it comes to race relations, the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States did little to make things better for America’s black community. One black educator and researcher says it was a great moment for people of color, and it was a moment he never thought he’d see in his lifetime, but the growth of white supremacy groups continued, racial inequalities continued, and the problems between police and blacks continued. On this week’s Perspective program, the conclusion of a three-part series with the thoughts, experiences and research of three academics who deal with race relations on a daily basis. Guest: Christopher Brown, an associate professor of communication studies at Minnesota State University. He has published research on race and communication, and integrates philosophical work on race and critical race theories into understanding systems of privilege and institutional racism. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program from K-State Research and Extension and hosted by Richard

Despite years of effort and the widespread belief that the United States is making great strides in race relations and desegregation, we still find ourselves mired in problems that are centered around race. However, one researcher and philosopher believes the fundamental cause of racial problems and injustice lies in segregation, and it does so in three ways: it blocks blacks’ access to economic opportunities, it causes racial stigmatization and discrimination, and it undermines democracy.  And perhaps nothing better illustrates the problem than the recent events involving policing and the criminal justice system. Guest: Elizabeth Anderson, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well ove

The United States has a racial problem … and it’s a problem that is not going away anytime soon. The election of Barack Obama as president was seen by many as a turning point in dealing with the situation. Instead, the election seemed to merely exacerbate the problem in many ways. On this week’s Perspective program, the first of a three-part series with the thoughts, experiences and research of three academics who deal with race relations on a daily basis.   Guest: Dr. Adia Harvey Wingfield is a professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. She is the author of several books, most recently the award-winning "No More Invisible Man: Race and Gender in Men's Work." Wingfield specializes in research that examines the intersections of race, gender and class and how they affect social processes at work. She is a recognized expert on the workplace experiences of minority workers in predominantly white professional settings.   Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, com

A multi-year investigation of the dental health in America has come up with some interesting questions. For example, why is oral health separate from overall health, despite a century of research that says the two ought to be connected? Why do more than half of all dentists not participate in public insurance programs? And why the dramatic increase in emergency visits because of dental problems? On this week’s Perspective program a look at the background of these and many other puzzling questions concerning American dental health. Guest: Mary Otto, author of Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America. She is also the oral health topic leader for the Association of Health Care Journalists.  Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for public radio stations by K-State since the mid-1970s and has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and t

In this bonus episode, Perspective host Richard Baker speaks with Kansas State University President Richard Myers. Kansas legislators have yet to give the Kansas Board of Regents institutions their 2018 budgets, and the president of Kansas State University says he is not quite sure whether he should be worried. 

Washington is full of acronyms, one of which is DARPA, an agency few of us recognize. DARPA stands for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an independent agency of the Pentagon, under the office of the Secretary of Defense. The agency is responsible for funding science and technology projects. On today’s Perspective program, a look at the efforts of DARPA and what those efforts mean to the defense of the United States.  Guest: Sharon Weinberger, executive editor of Foreign Policy, an international source for global news, providing insights and analysis coupled with original reporting. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for public radio stations by K-State since the mid-1970s and has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.

In a recent Landon Lecture at Kansas State University, the executive editor of the Washington Post, Martin Baron, told his audience that journalists believe there is such a thing as truth, and journalists do not like being lied to. He said the president may feel he is at war with the press, but the Washington Post is not at war…it is work. On today’s Perspective, a discussion regarding the current state of the media and its relations with both the president and the public.  Guest: Martin Baron, executive editor of the Washington Post. Since he took the helm of the Post in 2013, the paper has won five Pulitzer Prizes. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for public radio stations by K-State since the mid-1970s and has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@

A new survey by the American Psychological Association indicates that more than four out of five adults in the United States -- some 86 percent -- say they constantly or often check their email, texts and social media accounts. The APA says this attachment to devices and the constant use of technology is associated with higher stress levels. Guest: Jeremy Stevenson is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center.                  Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for public radio stations by K-State since the mid-1970s and has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.       

For the most part, we have experienced a mild winter and an early spring in many parts of Kansas. Consequently, one Kansas State University veterinarian says that means more fleas, ticks, itching, and scratching for our pets. Not only are the animals often times miserable, they also many times face life-threatening diseases … some of which they can pass on to their owners.  On this week’s Perspective program a look at what pet owners can do to protect not only their animals, but also themselves.   Guest: Dr. Susan Nelson, a clinical professor at Kansas State University's Veterinary Pet Health Center  Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for public radio stations by K-State since the mid-1970s and has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.         

In 2014, Congress passed the Farm Bill, a measure that was two years late in the making. According to one agricultural economist, the bill is a workable effort and has helped farmers. The measure was passed during a time of record farm income and ended up costing the government more than expected as farm income dropped after its passage. The measure expires next year, and debate has already started on its replacement. Guest: Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh, professor emeritus of agricultural economics at Kansas State. Flinchbaugh has served on numerous committees charged with creating change in agricultural policy, including chairman of the Commission on 21st Century Production Agriculture, which was authorized in the 1996 U.S. Farm Bill.  Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for public radio stations by K-State since the mid-1970s and has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and t