The Ethical Life

By Scott Rada and Richard KyteSociety & Culture

The Ethical Life episodes

April 26, 2023 How do these 7 values make America distinct?
Episode 87: Americans have a distinct set of values that differs from citizens of most if not all other countries. But for those of us who have lived here all of our lives, we probably don’t think enough about those differences.
The University of Portland put together a list it calls American Values and Assumptions. The information for the list was adapted from Gary Althen's book “American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States.”
For today’s show, we’re going to take the list of seven values and see how they contribute — in both positive and negative ways — to the American experience.
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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57 min
April 19, 2023 What can sports teach us about politics?
Episode 86: In both sports and politics, we have winners and we have losers. What we don’t always have are gracious winners and losers.
There were two recent examples. There was much debate about the interaction between star basketball players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark during the NCAA women’s championship. And after he lost by 11 points in the most expensive state supreme court race in U.S. history, Dan Kelley called his opponent a "serial liar" and her campaign "beneath contempt.”
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the importance of good sportsmanship and why, unlike in politics, sports almost always rewards the people with the most skill.
Champion LSU women accepting Biden invitation to White House, by The Associated Press
Meet the young Dodgers fan who dreams of being an MLB umpire one day, Melissa Lockard, The Athletic
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.
46 min
April 12, 2023 Does U.S. Supreme Court need an ethics overhaul?
Episode 85: Last week, ProPublica reported that Justice Clarence Thomas has for more than two decades accepted luxury trips from Republican mega donor Harlan Crow.
The day after the report, Thomas described Crow and his wife, Kathy, as "among our dearest friends," and said in a statement that he was advised by colleagues that "this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable."
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how this news further erodes the trust many Americans have with the highest levels of government and what steps can be taken to help solve this crisis of confidence.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Here's why the Supreme Court must adopt clear ethical guidelines, by Richard Kyte
Clarence Thomas’ billionaire buddy has a vast collection of Hitler paintings, Nazi memorabilia, by Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone
No. 300! Arenado joins milestone homer club, by John Denton, MLB
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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39 min
April 05, 2023 What's behind the drop in college enrollment?
Episode 84: What first looked like a pandemic blip for our nation’s colleges has turned into a crisis.
According to a recent story by Collin Binkley of The Associated Press, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after returning to in-person classes. In fact, the enrollment drop rate since 2018 is the steepest on record.
Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss which students are a good fit for higher education and why an increasing number are looking at other options after high school.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Valparaiso intends to sell Georgia O’Keeffe painting to fix dorms, by Kalia Richardson, The New York Times
Is college worth it? Voters are split, by Monica Potts, FiveThirtyEight
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.
49 min
March 29, 2023 What does it mean to be "woke"?
Episode 83: At its core, "woke" is a term that refers to being aware of social injustices and inequalities, particularly related to gender, race and ethnicity.
The word originated in African American Vernacular English in the 1940s, but it gained renewed popularity in the 2010s as a term used to describe a heightened awareness and understanding of systemic racism and social justice issues.
However, the term has also become a source of controversy and debate, with some criticizing it for being overused and losing its original meaning, while others embrace it as a powerful tool for promoting social change.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how this movement has affected society and how our focus on the culture wars often drowns out more important issues facing Americans.
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.
54 min
March 22, 2023 Are we better prepared for the next pandemic?
Episode 82: It was at this time three years ago when all of us learned a lot more about pandemics. As the coronavirus surged across the world, many felt overwhelmed with the avalanche of information about the virus. Each day, news reports showed an escalation of cases and more deaths.
We know a lot more about COVID today. And because of vaccines and previous infections, most people are much better protected. Although it can still be a deadly disease, it’s no longer affecting how most of us live our lives.
Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the effectiveness of the messaging in the early days of the pandemic, why COVID further divided people and how leadership matters in times of a crisis.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Pandemic 3 years later: Has the COVID-19 virus won?, by Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press
A quarter of Americans distrust CDC recommendations, survey finds, Alexander Tin, CBS News
Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic, by Laura Ungar and Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press
Study: Parents admit to lying about child’s COVID status, by Angie Leventis, The Chicago Tribune
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.
1 hr 1 min
March 15, 2023 Why do so many Americans feel pessimistic?
Episode 81: If, as some people believe, there has never been a better time to be living in America, why do so many people — especially young people — feel so depressed about their lives and their futures.
Hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada discuss this dichotomy and how catastrophizing plays a role in the lack of optimism many people feel about their lives.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Confident adults were likely accepted, loved as children, Rick Kyte
Why are young liberals so depressed?, by Matt Yglesias, Slow Boring
We’re missing a key driver of teen anxiety, by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
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.
53 min
March 08, 2023 What can be done to save Social Security and Medicare?
Episode 80: America is aging, and that is putting the spotlight again on how much we spend on Medicare and Social Security, two popular programs that are not in great fiscal shape.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss possible fixes, along with what actually seems to be stopping us from addressing this problem.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
7 changes Americans are willing to make to fix Social Security — including one with "overwhelming bipartisan support," by Lorie Konish, CNBC
5 fixes that could help save Medicare, by Jackie Stewart, Kiplinger
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.
56 min
March 01, 2023 How will artificial intelligence reshape our world?
Episode 79: Artificial intelligence has been one of the most talked about topics so far this year — and with good reason. In just the past two months, there has been a flood of news stories talking about the amazing possibilities of this new technology, along with plenty of worries about what this all could mean.
ChatGPT is at the center of this debate. This software, which was launched in November, is a natural language processing tool that can answer questions, write essays or even construct computer code.
AI has raised plenty of questions about ethics, and it seemed like an overwhelming topic for this podcast. So we deiced to ask ChatGPT this question:
"I am looking for topics for an upcoming podcast about ethics and AI. What topics should I cover?"
In seconds it provided a list of topics.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada take a critical look at the many ethical questions raised by AI, and whether the world is ready for this huge technological shift.
Read more: Richard Kyte: Here are the ethical questions would should be asking about AI
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.
58 min
February 22, 2023 Has America gone too far in legalizing vice?
Episode 78: About 1 in 5 U.S. adults say they have personally bet money on sports in the past 12 months, and the changes in many states to loosen marijuana regulations have proved popular.
Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss these changes and how the four classical virtues —prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance — seem to be at risk.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
America has gone too far in legalizing vice, by Matthew Loftus, The Atlantic
As more states legalize the practice, 19% of U.S. adults say they have bet money on sports in the past year, by John Gramlich, Pew Research
Weed legalization supported by most U.S. voters, Morgan Paxhia, Kiplinger
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.
51 min

About The Ethical Life

From the publisher's feed

Scott Rada is a digital strategist 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, Wisconsin. Kyte is also the author of "Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way)."