It’s that time of year already: back to school. After eighteen months of kids and teens learning remotely or on a hybrid schedule between in-person and remote, millions are returning back to classrooms full-time. While this may change as COVID-19 cases rise due to the Delta variant, for now, many schools are moving forward with plans to welcome students back with the caveat of requiring face masks while indoors.

Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson both made history last month as they rocketed out of Earth’s atmosphere and successfully reached space. This trip was many years in the making as both billionaires built their own respective companies, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, to transport them to space as private civilians. Now, people are lining up and paying hefty prices to take this same voyage. Where will the space tourism industry go from here? Are the risks worth the experience?

When most people imagine the early West, they picture wide open landscapes, lawlessness and sweaty men working away in mines and on farms. While this is part of the narrative, the other lesser known side is the unique opportunities the West held for women of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Author Winifred Gallagher joins us this week to share how the ladies of this region fought for greater equality and recognition.

“Elite” is a foreign language teenage drama series that does not disappoint. It’s edgy, entertaining and fast-paced. The show is now streaming on Netflix with four seasons out and another one on the way.

Wondering what to do with the dozens of face masks and all of those unused yeast packets? Us too. There are several items that Americans sought after during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that help to showcase what this period in time was like. Once the pandemic is fully over, how will we look back and remember this time? How are museum curators and everyday people remembering this important part of history? This week on Viewpoints.

There are some items of clothing that truly never go out of style. Whether it’s a pair of jeans or a classic black dress, these pieces transform with the vibe and trends of each decade. Fashion writer and author of The Ten Lauren Cochrane joins us this week to highlight some of the most iconic clothes in fashion history.

We had mixed feelings heading to see the new film, Pig, featuring actor Nicholas Cage. Listen to why this feature film ended up blowing our expectations out of the water.

Millions of Americans put off going to a doctor or hospital because they’re afraid of the high cost of care. Depending on your insurance, one MRI scan can cost upwards of a thousand dollars. One trip to the emergency room can mean thousands of dollars in charges that people can’t afford to pay. So, what’s driving these sky-high prices? How can people negotiate down these hefty bills?

There’s much more to being a professional musician than the practice and performance aspect of the career. For independent artists, there’s an entire side of entrepreneurship to handle, including money management, marketing, networking and more. Debra Silvert, the flutist of the orchestral ensemble, Duo Sequenza, highlights the challenges and rewards of carving out a career in the competitive classical music space.

Funny man Jason Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso in Apple’s TV’s new series. The show follows Lasso, a small-time coach, as he moves to England to lead a professional soccer team despite having little knowledge of the sport.