The Ethical Life

By Scott Rada and Richard KyteSociety & Culture

The Ethical Life episodes

September 28, 2022 What's our moral responsibility to migrants?
Episode 57: As Republican governors ramp up their high-profile transports of migrants to Democratic-run jurisdictions, The Associated Press reports that the practice is getting a mixed reaction from Christian faith leaders — many of whom, especially evangelicals, have supported GOP candidates by large numbers in recent elections.
Hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada debate the causes of the crisis at the border and what can be done to help fix this long-term problem.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast
The Martha’s Vineyard migrant stunt Is making one truth about this country clear, by Farah Stockman, The New York Times
The border crisis could still be Biden’s opportunity, by Bret Stephens, The New York Times
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.
44 min
September 21, 2022 Are 'accidents' often predictable, preventable events?
Episode 56: Last month Abigail Weinberg interviewed Jessie Singer for Mother Jones magazine. They talked about a book Singer wrote earlier this year titled “There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster — Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.
Hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how harm reduction can make the world a safer place.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Unintentional injury in the U.S. statistics and facts, by Statista
A surge in vehicle crashes is disproportionately harming lower-income families and Black Americans, by David Leonhardt of the New York Times
Newsom vetoes bill proposing safe drug injection sites in California, by Cheri Mossburg, CNN
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.
37 min
September 14, 2022 How important is a candidate's health when deciding how to vote?
Episode 55: We are weeks away from elections that could affect control of Congress, along with the political futures of states across this nation. Some issues — such as differences on tax policy or school budgets — are relatively easy to discuss, but when the topic turns to the health of one of the candidates, things quickly get tricky.
Rick Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how much voters should know about the health of the candidates who appear on the ballot, and what’s the ethical way for a challenger to bring up the medical challenges facing an opponent?
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
John Fetterman has lingering speech issues after his stroke. What's the impact on his Senate run?, by Julia Terruso, The Philadelphia Inquirer
A worrying phone call adds to concerns about Sen. Dianne Feinstein's cognitive health, by Amina Kilpatrick, National Public Radio
Most Americans want maximum age limit for elected officials, WDAF-TV
A politician’s mental health is as crucial as a pilot’s. Why don’t we tend to it?, Ashley Weinberg, The Washington Post
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.
43 min
September 07, 2022 Why do we feel so lonely in such an interconnected world?
Episode 54: Last month David Brooks of The New York Times wrote a column headlined “Why your social life is not what it should be.” Hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how technology, which is designed to bring people together, often keeps us apart.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
The Big Sort, by Bill Bishop
Seven key takeaways from Raj Chetty’s new research on friendship and economic mobility, by Richard V. Reeves and Coura Fall, The Brookings Institute
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
August 31, 2022 Is student loan forgiveness program helping the right people?
Episode 53: President Joe Biden said his administration plans to forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for anyone who earns less than $125,000 a year. People who went to college on Pell grants can have up to $20,000 forgiven. Hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada debate this significant and expensive policy, and what it means about fairness and the structural funding problems in higher education.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
The moral failure of student debt relief, by Richard Kyte, The Ethical Life
Analysis: Biden's student loan forgiveness may erase savings of climate, drugs law, by David Lawder, Reuters
Student loan cancellation: Congress proposes 0% interest rates for student loans, Zack Friedman, Forbes
Who owes the most in student loans: New data from the Fed, Sandy Baum and Adam Looney, Brookings Institute
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.
44 min
August 24, 2022 Does remote work benefit both employers and employees?
Episode 52: Although the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us, most people agree that remote work — at least for some employees — is here to stay. Rick Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the benefits and challenges associated with this fundamental change in how we do our jobs, along with some of the long-term consequences.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Statistics on remote workers that will surprise you, by Apollo Technical
Study finds productivity not deterred by shift to remote work, by Roy Maurer, SHRM
The rise of the worker productivity score, by Jodi Kantor and Arya Sundaram, New York Times
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.
41 min
August 17, 2022 What can be done to increase the number of organ, blood donors?
Episode 51: Thousands of Americans die each year because the demand for organs far exceeds the supply. And we’ve all heard stories about hospitals in our communities struggling to get enough people to voluntarily donate blood. Hosts Scott Rada and Rick Kyte discuss what can and should be done to increase donations and save lives.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Assessing global organ donation policies: Opt-in vs. opt-out, by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
Paid organ donation: The case against, by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
Ethical issues of transplanting organs from transgenic animals into human beings, by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
Why you get paid to donate plasma but not blood, by Elizabeth Preston, Stat
The United States surrogacy law map, by Creative Family Connections
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.
45 min
August 10, 2022 Are we interpreting the Bible correctly? Does religion make us more ethical?
Episode 50: To mark our 50th episode, hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada wanted to tackle a big and important topic, and few are bigger – and more polarizing – than religion.
The hosts – who have clearly different points of view – discuss the Bible, the existence of an afterlife and the effectiveness of prayer.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Here’s why we shouldn’t give up on churches, by Rick Kyte
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
August 03, 2022 Why do Americans have so much respect for small businesses?
Episode 49: A recent poll found that small businesses are the most-respected institution in America today. And, according to the Better Business Bureau, if consumers spend $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays within their local economy.
However, a column last year by Matthew Yglesias, points out that, unlike small businesses, larger companies look for more qualified candidates for leadership jobs instead of often relying on family members when hiring for top jobs.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw complains about Walmart in Illinois, by Zach Roth, State Journal-Register
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.
44 min
July 27, 2022 Where is it appropriate to protest our public officials?
Episode 48: Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the recent protests aimed at Supreme Court justices and whether confronting them or other public officials in private spaces is appropriate.
Links to stories discussed during the podcast:
Tweet from ShutDownDC asking service workers to report sightings of Supreme Court justices
Pete Buttigieg shuts down Fox News on Kavanaugh protesters
Here's what we know about Wisconsin judge John Roemer and the Juneau County shooting, by the Wisconsin State Journal
Legislation to protect the home addresses of judges and other court officials, by the National Center for State Courts
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.
47 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)."