On Point

A pandemic, war in Ukraine, supply chain breakdowns -- all led to soaring prices. And now, the idea that inflation is driven in part by corporations keeping prices high is gaining momentum. We hear why economists are beginning to take 'greedflation' seriously.

One virus causes more birth defects in American babies than any other nongenetic disease – but most don't know it exists. We hear a mother's journey to understand her daughter's diagnosis of congenital CMV.

In the past five years, states allowing access to life-ending medication for the terminally ill have more than tripled. But as more states allow such end-of-life care, is access really growing? And for whom? Dr. Diana Barnard and Katie Engelhart join Meghna Chakrabarti. 

The debt ceiling deadline is quickly approaching. How will it impact your personal finances if the U.S. government can't pay its bills? Michelle Singletary joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

In 1993, then Secretary of Defense Les Aspin invited the CEOs of America's largest defense contractors to a private get-together. We hear how a secret dinner at the Pentagon kicked off a massive consolidation in the defense industry. Norman Augustine and Rep. John Garamendi join Meghna Chakrabarti.

The children of fallen soldiers often bottle up their suffering. But some are opening up with the help of a writing seminar for Gold Star kids. Two of them share their stories.

J. Edgar Hoover, former FBI director. History has cast him as powerful, paranoid, a man not afraid to use the power of the FBI to intimidate and investigate his critics. But that's how he's seen now. What about then?

Hunter Biden faces possible indictment from the Justice Department. Exploring the details behind the headlines about the President's son. Adam Entous joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

Florida law now bans public colleges from offering general ed classes that “distort significant events” or “teach identity politics." What happens when the government tells colleges what they can and can't teach?

Thousands of miles of fiber optic cable at the bottom of the world's oceans carry more than 95% of the world's data, from phone calls and emails to encrypted military secrets. Rick Chislett spent 41 years laying fiber optic cable around the world.

Thousands of miles of fiber optic cable lying at the bottom of the world's oceans carry more than 95% of the world's data. Now, those undersea cables are at the forefront of a new rivalry between China and the U.S. over who controls the flow of big data.

The U.S. military promised to implement policies that would counter extremism in its ranks. But still it persists. What more should the Pentagon be doing to stop extremism in the military?

Commercial real estate is cratering. In cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, more than 20% of office space lies vacant. What does that mean for America's cities?

Former president Donald Trump tried to overthrow an election he lost. Now, he's running for president again. How should news organizations cover candidate Trump in post Jan. 6th America?

This year more than a third of Yellowstone's bison have been removed from the herd – most of them shot – after they wandered out of the national park in search of food. That's intensified the debate into how to best manage the iconic animal. Rick Wallen joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

When the Department of Homeland Security appointed Nina Jankowicz to lead an effort to fight disinformation and hate speech, disinformation and hate speech came for her. Now, she's suing Fox News. Nina Jankowicz joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

The COVID-19 emergency declaration is over. Over three years, Americans saw their lives forever changed. We check in with Americans we heard from during the pandemic about life now.

The federal COVID-19 public health emergency is coming to an end today. But as we look back at the three-plus years of the pandemic, did we miss the opportunity to best protect our country? Olivia Troye and Shana Gadarian join Meghna Chakrabarti.

The U.S. debt limit clock is ticking. The nation could default in weeks. In 2011, the country came within 72 hours of that happening.

Press one. Press two. Try to find a human, but you can't. Welcome to the nightmare that is customer service.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly has reported from around the world. In her new book, she looks back on the choices she made as a reporter and a mother. Mary Louise Kelly joins Meghna Chakrabarti, live at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Mass.

The Supreme Court doesn't have a code of ethics -- unlike every other judicial bench in the U.S. Who should require and enforce a code of ethics on the high court? Amanda Frost joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

When Sheila Clemmons Lee's son was killed in a Nashville police traffic stop in 2017, she joined a coalition campaigning to create a police oversight board. Now, the Republican super-majority in the Tennessee state legislature has moved to abolish the board.

In Tennessee's state assembly, Republicans are unabashedly exerting their power – over-ruling local laws, expelling Democratic lawmakers. What does Tennessee tell us about the health of democracy in U.S. state legislatures?

Americans are moving out of big cities. Cost, quality of life and the pandemic are shifting decades of population growth patterns. So where do Americans want to live now?

Thousands of people die each year waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S. The Biden administration says it's time the system is reformed. We hear how to improve America's organ transplant system.

Nearly 30,000 experts in the computing and AI world signed an open letter calling for a pause on AI development. What guardrails are needed before more advanced artificial intelligence is unleashed?

The world of fine art is full of multimillion dollar one-of-a-kinds and breathtaking masterpieces. But it's also rife with fraudsters and forgers. When fakes demand a fortune, what does that say about the intrinsic value of art?

Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe there should be a mandatory retirement age for elected officials. In many state judiciaries, there already is. Do mandatory retirement ages work in state courts?

The Affordable Care Act says you don't have to pay for preventative health care. But a federal judge in Texas recently struck that down. And it could change the way 160 million Americans get their care. Nicholas Bagley joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

Cyber warfare is the future of war. And in many ways, that future is already here. So, is the United States ready?

People the world over are feeling economically and culturally insecure. Economist Pranab Bardhan says liberal leaders aren't paying enough attention to that, and that's led to a growing disenchantment with democracy.

As maternal deaths rose in the U.S. during the pandemic, Black women bore the brunt. In fact, they are almost three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Helena Grant, Kimberly Seals Allers and Congresswoman Alma Adams join Tiziana Dearing.

Joan Biskupic has been a supreme court analyst for 25 years. Her new book tells the inside story of the court's conservative transformation -- the personalities and the politics behind the court we have now, and will have for years to come.

Major League Baseball has new rules designed to speed up the game and attract new fans. We learn what fans and players think of the sport's big changes in the first few weeks of the new season. Jeff Passan and C.J. Stewart join Anthony Brooks.

President Biden's new emissions standards are designed to accelerate the push towards electric vehicles. Among the challenges – batteries, and China's stranglehold on the supply chain. We hear how to reach an electric future.

By limiting access to abortion, Republicans have achieved a long sought-after goal. But it has cost them dearly in recent elections and many are looking to 2024 with trepidation. Jess Bidgood, Ramesh Ponnuru, Dante Scala and Eleanor Klibanoff join Anthony Brooks.

It's episode five of our series 'The power of populism.' Populism can have an authoritarian trajectory, but can it also bring about better democracies? Thomas Frank, Jean Louise Cohen and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.

It's easy to think of American populism as disempowered rural residents versus the urban elite. When it comes to America's electoral system and influencing national policy, who has the real power? Jonathan Rodden and Danielle Allen join Meghna Chakrabarti.

On Point continues to explore “The power of populism” this week. Today, Wisconsin and the politics of resentment. How has populism flourished in the Badger state?

Populism is on the rise across the globe, from Turkey to Hungary to Brazil. The second episode of our series “The power of populism” looks at the appeal of populism in India, and what it means for the future of the world's largest democracy.

Populism has been on the rise in recent years. But why? And what exactly is populism? It's the first episode of our series "The power of populism."

For the first time in our nation's history, a president was indicted on criminal charges. What's next for Donald Trump?

Student discipline problems rose sharply in the pandemic. Schools say disruptive behavior has been on the rise for years, but they're not allowed to do much about it. Now, lawmakers want to change that. Ben Court, Patrick Wall and Elizabeth Errico join Meghna Chakrabarti.

T-Mobile had a major cell phone outage in February. Last year, AT&T customers in Minnesota lost service for four days. What would it take to make America's wireless networks more reliable? Harold Feld joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

Health care professionals across the country say they're being forced to compromise the quality of care they give their patients in the name of profits. Dr. Jamie Wooldridge is a pediatric pulmonologist. She says the stresses of the health care industry are driving many doctors and nurses to leave the profession.

In our nation's for-profit health system, more and more health care professionals say they're being forced to make choices that are bad for patients. Much like soldiers at war, clinicians now report suffering from “moral injury.”

Gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children. For Black children – that's been the case since 2006. Dr. Victor Garcia and Joseph Richardson join Meghna Chakrabarti.

The COVID pandemic paved the way for widespread use of telehealth doctor's appointments. They worked. But some states are rolling back access to virtual visits.

20 years after the U.S. invaded Iraq, congress is quietly repealing its authorization of the war. We look back at the past two decades in Iraq, through an Iraqi's eyes. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

Mass protest in Israel have delayed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to transform Israel's judiciary. But there are signs of deeper troubles for Israeli democracy.