EPISODE · Jul 4, 2026 · 21 MIN
From Diamond Boom To Ghost Town | The Housing Market’s Missing First Step
from Viewpoints Radio · host Gary Price, Matthew Gavin Frank, Marty Peterson, Dennis Shea, Jessica Lautz, Evan Rook, Amirah Zaveri, Grace Galante, Jay Silvers
From Diamond Boom To Ghost Town For nearly a century, the diamond trade has carved up the coastlines of South Africa and Namibia, turning remote communities into mining towns and workers into the engine of a luxury industry most will never benefit from. We look at the human and environmental cost behind natural diamonds, from dangerous labor and low pay to what’s left behind after the industry leaves. Guest: Matthew Gavin Frank, professor, nonfiction, creative writing, poetry, Northern Michigan University, author, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession, and Greed Along Coastal South Africa. The Housing Market’s Missing First Step For generations, the starter home was the first real step into the American dream. Now, with prices climbing, inventory shrinking and builders incentivized to go bigger, we look at how that first rung of homeownership has moved out of reach for many first-time buyers. Guests: Dennis Shea, executive vice president, Bipartisan Policy Center; Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist, National Association of Realtors. Linktr.ee | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | SpotifyFacebook: @ViewpointsOnlineX: @viewpointsradioInstagram: @viewpointsradioFull ArchiveContact UsAffiliates & National Syndication Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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For nearly a century, the diamond trade has carved up the coastlines of South Africa and Namibia, turning remote communities into mining towns and workers into the engine of a luxury industry most will never benefit from. We look at the human and environmental cost behind natural diamonds, from dangerous labor and low pay to what’s left behind after the industry leaves. Then, for generations, the starter home was the first real step into the American dream. Now, with prices climbing, inventory shrinking and builders incentivized to go bigger, we look at how that first rung of homeownership has moved out of reach for many first-time buyers.
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From Diamond Boom To Ghost Town | The Housing Market’s Missing First Step
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