Episode 98: There has been more talk recently about the importance of third places.

For those who are unfamiliar, the term was coined by author Ray Oldenburg in his book “The Great Good Place.”

First places, he writes, are where we live, and second places are where we work. The third place is somewhere where we want to be — and it’s often a place where we connect with others in the community. 

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about why such places are so important and what can be done to make them more common.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Healthy communities require more public spaces, by Richard Kyte

A record share of Americans is living alone, by Daniel de Visé, The Hill

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

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Episode 97: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada are off this week, so we looked back though our show archives and are sharing four of our favorite ethical dilemmas from the past year. Topics include local politics, DNA tests and gender identity. 

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 96: If you follow local government, whether in big cities or small towns, you’ll undoubtably hear debates about parking. There is often little agreement about how to pay for parking, how much to require and where to put it.

The recent book by Henry Graber, “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World,” is taking a critical look at our country’s obsession with parking.

The hosts discuss why such policies can hurt cities and often cause a lack of affordable housing.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

America has eight parking spaces for every car. Here’s how cities are rethinking that land, by Daniel Baldwin Hess and Jeffrey Rehler, Fast Company

Why the U.S. builds more three-car garages than one-bedroom apartments, by Connor Donevan, Christopher Intagliata and Juana Summers, National Public Radio

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 95: As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 245th birthday, many Americans seem to have a distorted view of what it means to be patriotic or don’t consider themselves to be patriotic at all.

When asked, many people — of all political persuasions — say we’re doing so many things wrong in this country, we don’t have a reason to celebrate.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about why patriotism is important and what steps we can take to bring back this important virtue.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Our divided nation puts patriotism in peril, by Richard Kyte

The necessity of patriotism (even in times like these), by David Brooks, The New York Times

How Americans view the American flag, and other symbolic flags, in 2022, Linley Sanders, YouGov

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 94: Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have exploded on the scene in the past few years.

After the 2020 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, many companies and organizations decided it was time — perhaps past time — to confront racism and inequality head on.

This led to the creation of an entire industry, which critics have called the DEI Industrial Complex.

A recent article in The Atlantic by Conor Friedersdorf titled “The DEI industry needs to check its privilege,” examines the time and expense many organizations have devoted to this topic, which some say are at best useless and at worst counterproductive.

Host Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the opportunities and pitfalls with DEI training in public and private workplaces.

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Episode 93: Someone in the world develops dementia every 3 seconds. There are over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2020. This number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050.

These statistics from Alzheimer’s Disease International are sobering, but few of us think much about how we can reduce our risk. A recent study shows that being socially active in mid to late life can cut the risk of dementia by as much as 30 to 50 percent.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss what can be done with public policy and in our own lives to attempt to thwart this costly disease.

Richard Kyte: Social connections could be key to defying dementia

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 92: The performers we see on stage, in film and on television are much more diverse than they were just a few decades ago. But this welcome change doesn’t mean there aren’t still many questions about casting choices.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the ethics behind casting choices and whether color-blind casting makes sense when staging a performance.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Our theater is fighting about diversity. Who is right?, by Kwame Anthony Appiah, The New York Times Magazine

Is color-blind casting In Regency-Era romances really progressive? Or just delusional?, by Nylah Burton, Refinery29

Suranne Jones shares her verdict on straight actors playing gay characters, by Tom Murray, The Independent

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 91: Nearly everyone, it seems, has a smartphone with them at all times. 

It’s hard to overstate how truly incredible it is that we can carry around nearly all of the world’s knowledge in our pockets, but we shouldn’t be surprised that such devices can lead to distraction and sometimes addiction.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss whether our lives are actually better today because of the invention and pervasiveness of smartphones?

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Cellphones are creating a generation of disengaged youth, by Richard Kyte

Surgeon general warns against social media use for children, calls for 'immediate action to protect kids now', by Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press

Garth Brooks has a no-phone policy at his new Vegas show, by Scripps News

Young Dillon Reeves stepped in to save the day when his school bus driver became incapacitated following a medical emergency, Steve Hartman, CBS News

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 90: If you aren’t sure that nearly everything has become political, let’s talk for a moment about our yards. It used to be that some homeowners paid great attention to having a perfectly manicured lawn, while others took a much more casual approach.

But — pardon the pun — a growing trend across many cities is No Mow May, an initiative that encourages people to leave their lawns untouched so pollinators and other small critters can flourish. And those homeowners who have perfectly green and weed-free lawns now get the side-eye from many people who are worried about the environmental impact of perfectly manicured grass.

Host Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss whether this new trend is helpful or simply another thing to pull people apart.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Lawn wars consume America's neighborhoods, by Jennifer A. Kingson, Axios

Gas-powered lawn care meets sharp blade of state, local laws, Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Times

What is the anti-lawn movement? Expert opinions and how you can join in with the change, Chiana Dickson, Home & Gardens

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 89: It’s summertime, and for many families, that means it’s time to plan a vacation. But there are two important variables — where to go and how much to spend.

From budget roadtrips across Montana to costly trips to Walt Disney World, Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss why some getaways are worth the money. They also share some of their all-time favorite destinations. 

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Family vacations can help build generational virtue, by Richard Kyte

21 best family vacations in the USA, by Nicola Wood, U.S. News and World Report

Down the Rabbit Hole: 18% of Disney Goers Have Racked Up Debt, But Most Have No Regrets, by Maggie Davis, Lending Tree

Parents choose vacations over saving for kid's college, by Elaheh Zozari, LearnVest

Frazee Turkey Days event page

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.