Go behind the headlines: From the economy and health care to politics and the environment – and so much more – On Point hosts Meghna Chakrabarti and David Folkenflik speak with newsmakers and real people about the issues that matter most. On Point is produced by WBUR for NPR.
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The On Point podcast is an incredibly smart program that dives deep into current issues and provides listeners with comprehensive and well-informed discussions. The host, Magna, is highly knowledgeable on a wide range of topics and her expertise shines through in every episode. I listen to this show daily and often find myself going back into the archives to catch up on past episodes. The programming is truly amazing and I am grateful for the valuable information it provides.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the host, Magna. She is a skilled interviewer who asks insightful questions and steers the conversations exceptionally well. Her intelligence and ability to navigate complex topics make each episode engaging and thought-provoking. Additionally, the show covers a variety of subjects with a global perspective, allowing listeners to stay informed about what's happening in the world beyond their immediate surroundings. It's like Fresh Air with Terry Gross, but with more focus on politics and a broader worldview.
Another highlight of this podcast is Meghan Chakrabarty, who is brilliant in her guest selection and interviewing skills. The show makes an effort to present a balanced view of issues by inviting guests from diverse perspectives, which I really appreciate. The recent fora discussing the war in Gaza with both Israeli and Palestinian guests exemplify this commitment to balanced reporting. However, one minor issue I have is the excessive adulation of Jack Beatty in the "Jackpod" series. While his knowledge and commentary are valued, it would be better if his contributions were allowed to speak for themselves without excessive praise.
I also want to express my gratitude for having a dedicated weekly show with Jack Beatty as he brings valuable analysis and intelligence to each episode. His presence on the show adds depth and insight that greatly enhances the listening experience. Furthermore, I agree with another listener who shared their plan to leave America if Trump gets elected in 2024. It's reassuring to hear that others are considering similar options, and it's important to keep our options open if undesirable political outcomes arise.
In conclusion, The On Point podcast is an exceptional program that offers deep dives into current issues and keeps listeners well-informed. The host, Magna, is incredibly knowledgeable and skillful in her interviewing style. The show covers a wide range of topics and presents a balanced view of issues, which is highly appreciated. While there may be minor flaws such as excessive praise and occasional meandering in the host's delivery, these are outweighed by the overall quality of the programming. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone seeking intelligent discussions on important topics.
Historian Beverly Gage hit the road to learn about our country's history. She visited more than 300 historic sites -- from museums and battlefields to roadside attractions. What she learned about how America honors its history. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
After spending 8 years running focus groups with voters, the former Republican operative and Never-Trumper says she knows not only how voters think but why they vote the way they do. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
After spending 8 years running focus groups with voters, the former Republican operative and Never-Trumper says she knows not only how voters think but why they vote the way they do. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
More than half of men under 50 in the U.S. have an open online sports book. Public health experts warn it's easier than ever to get addicted to gambling. Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins spent a year exploring the world of sports betting, and why the pastime is particularly bad for young men. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
El Niño has become an annual global climate phenomenon. But this year, scientists are warning of a record-setting 'super' El Niño. What that could mean for the weather everywhere on planet earth. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The UK abolished the slave trade more than 200 years ago. But the wealth it created still shapes the country today. A new database reveals the businesses, families and monarchs enriched by slavery. And it's forcing a reckoning in the UK that's long overdue. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on why the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has set its Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight, its highest estimate of the likelihood of global catastrophe. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Social media. Streaming. Swiping. Today, it's normal to reach for our phones when we're bored. But researchers say passive boredom like scrolling is not the kind of boredom that sparks creativity. How can we reclaim boredom in the digital age? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
An ever-warming world, rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers — it's easy to despair over the climate crisis. But scientist Tim Lenton says not every tipping point leads to doom. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Family estrangement – cutting ties with a parent, grandparent, or sibling – is often seen as at odds with the meaning of family as we know it. Sociologist and author Rin Reczek says it's time to rethink what family means and what we expect from it. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
153 million U.S. drivers' licenses were hacked and put up for sale on the Dark Web. That's more than half of all licensed drivers. How that happened and what it says about who's doing what with our data. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
What did the Jurassic world actually sound like? Using fossils and AI, scientists have reconstructed the calls of insects that lived alongside the dinosaurs. The result is the closest we've ever come to hearing prehistoric Earth. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks into the devotion of white evangelical Americans to Donald Trump and the power of political Christianity. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks into the devotion of white evangelical Americans to Donald Trump and the power of political Christianity. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Ecologist Kullu Suryawanshi has spent 20 years tracking one of the most elusive animals in the world, deep in the mountains of Asia. What has he learned about snow leopards and the humans that share their home? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Top AI researchers and leaders worry AI is developing too fast. But critics argue the U.S. can't risk to slow down in its AI race with China. So, what might a slowdown look like and who would enforce it? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
A Virginia mom let her 5-year-old son take a walk alone in her gated community. The authorities found out and now she's on Virginia's child abuse and neglect registry. Who decides what's in a child's best interest. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The Supreme Court has rejected President Trump's plan to control how ballots get sent in the mail. But that does not mark the end of the President's efforts to undermine mail-in voting, and change who votes and how. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or blocked promotions of 10% of the military's top ranked officers. Former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall says it's created 'a climate of fear throughout the entire institution.' What's going on inside the Pentagon, and what it means for the future of the U.S. military. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on one of President Trump's oft-repeated rhetorical tropes and what its conjectured origin story might say about his internal salience map. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. Today, roughly 40% of Americans are too young to remember the events of 9/11. Journalist Garrett Graff shares an oral history of 9/11, how that day unfolded and how it changed America forever. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The Treasury Department recently eliminated a rule that required American companies to identify their owners. The rule was intended to prevent money laundering. What's driving the decision to drop it? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
An OpenAI cybersecurity test took an unexpected turn when hundreds of its AI agents got around safeguards and hacked into another tech company. Should OpenAI have done more to prevent the attack? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
You don't need a license to ride a bike in the U.S. But e-bikes are a different story. Some states classify them as bicycles, others as vehicles. And in some places, you even need insurance to ride one. How to regulate e-bikes, for personal and public safety. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
It's not just phones anymore. More teachers and even entire U.S. school districts are cutting back the time students spend on laptops and other screens. How do students really learn -- and do screens help or hurt? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the chasm between what politicians say when they are running for office and what they can do in office, and why he thinks 2026 is the year of the demagogue. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
One in 5 Americans say they've seen a ghost. But what if it was really our brain that had tricked us into thinking we saw something we didn't? In the "Science of the Supernatural" psychology professor Melissa Maffeo argues how a paranormal experience could be our brains just misinterpreting the external world. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Highly toxic wastewater from America's fracking boom is buried in deep underground wells. But in some places that toxic waste is bubbling upwards -- threatening local drinking water. How Marietta, Ohio is trying to fight fracking waste. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Highly toxic wastewater from America's fracking boom is buried in deep underground wells. But in some places that toxic waste is bubbling upwards -- threatening local drinking water. How Marietta, Ohio is trying to fight fracking waste. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Flock cameras are used by thousands of police forces across the country to track vehicles. But a growing popular backlash has led to cities canceling their Flock contracts. What that says about the tension between public safety and privacy in America. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Since Google Maps launched in 2005, the little blue dot has come to symbolize a transformation in how we navigate through the world -- wholly reliant on GPS. But what do we lose when we no longer get lost? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Since Google Maps launched in 2005, the little blue dot has come to symbolize a transformation in how we navigate through the world -- wholly reliant on GPS. But what do we lose when we no longer get lost? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
When politicians talk about America's working class, they often mean blue collar workers without college degrees. But as more workers feel financially squeezed, should we expand that definition? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Sharon McMahon has built a huge online audience with her explanations of how America's system of government works. She tells Jack and Dorey why her non-partisan approach to political understanding can rebuild trust. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
We think of ladybugs as cute red beetles associated with good luck and gardening. But the real ladybug story involves poaching, trafficking and a struggle for survival. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Americans have been told for decades to toss plastic into the recycling bin. But only a small share actually gets recycled. Now, California is trying to overhaul the system by cracking down on misleading labels and holding companies responsible for their plastic waste. Will it work? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Music. Books. Film. Artificial intelligence is changing how we express ourselves. Is AI a tool for creativity -- or a barrier? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
In his new book, "Walking Red Flag: Dating Advice from Your Favorite Guy Friend," comedian Jared Freid offers tips, tricks and real talk on modern dating. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
James Spooner grew up as a punk rocker with a mohawk. But as a mixed-race kid, he didn't always feel like he belonged. Then, he found Afro-punk -- and pushed it into the spotlight. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty talks to author Ann Larson about her new book "Clean Up on Aisle Five”; the realities of grocery store workers, their place in our society and economy and what it says about the need for dignity in essential labor. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
You might think a healthy brain starts and ends in your head – but there are miles and miles of neuron fibers that connect your brain with nearly every corner of your body. Why a healthy brain needs a healthy body. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
A tunnel. A bright light. Reuniting with deceased loved ones. Many people who have near-death experiences have remarkably similar stories. Why? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The rate at which artificial intelligence is able to replicate human behavior has increased in recent years. Does that mean it's thinking like us? In the third episode of "Brainwaves," what artificial intelligence teaches us about our own capacity for thought. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Consciousness is how we are able to feel, dream and imagine. And yet -- scientists haven't figured out how consciousness definitively works. What we know, what we don't and what that tells us about our brains. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The brain is the organ that makes us who we are. It's our conduit between reality and thought. But somehow, we've only scratched the surface in understanding how the brain actually works. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The brain is the organ that makes us who we are. It's our conduit between reality and thought. But somehow, we've only scratched the surface in understanding how the brain actually works. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty has an epiphany: Retrofitting should be the defining goal of our civilization. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Lewis and Clark became American legends. But they didn't explore the West alone. A new book profiles the forgotten members of the Corps of Discovery and their remarkable stories. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is a pro-Palestinian, anti-Hamas expert who grew up in Gaza City. He says a realistic path to peace in the Middle East requires different thinking. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Texas has a new statewide mandatory reading list for all public school students -- with whole books on the curriculum. Should other states follow suit? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Wisconsin elected the first-ever socialist member of Congress in 1910, and Milwaukee was run by socialist mayors for some 50 years. Now, a Democratic socialist is leading a primary race for Wisconsin governor. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
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