Podcasts about On Point

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

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

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

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how “affective polarization” and partisan hatred has come to define American political culture. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

President Trump has called ABC "the worst" and "the most biased network." Now the FCC is threatening to cancel the broadcast licenses of eight ABC TV stations. ABC says that's "retaliation." *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Would-be homeowners across the Sun Belt increasingly find themselves in competition with deep-pocketed private equity firms. Can a new housing law level the playing field? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Ty Cobb served as special White House counsel in the first Trump administration. Now, he's one of the president's loudest critics. Ty Cobb talks about why he thinks the president is no longer fit for office. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

How can you wear an XS shirt in one fabric, brand or style -- but an XL in another? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Redistributing wealth through things like taxpayer-funded welfare programs gets a lot of pushback in the U.S. But what if income inequality could be fixed, not after the fact, but before it happened? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Billions of dollars of federal grants support everything from medical research to community services. Now, the Trump administration wants to tie that money to the president's political priorities. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Humans have been obsessed with fitness for centuries. But how did this fascination start? In the new book “When Fitness Went Global” historian Conor Heffernan examines the rise of physical culture worldwide. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

In the 1980s, artists like John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen sang swelling anthems about working people, family farms and factory towns. But heartland rock is also deeply political -- and often misunderstood. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking Congress for a record amount of money, $1.5 trillion, as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran continues. What do those taxpayer dollars pay for? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Companies rushed to replace workers with AI. Now, some of these same companies are hiring back human workers. What happened? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut says the “current version of capitalism isn't working” for Americans. What's his plan for his party — and our country? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wants to shut down immigration because he believes many immigrants refuse to "assimilate." But what does assimilation mean to immigrants themselves? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

When his mother fell for an online romance scam, Carlos Barragán flew to Nigeria to track down the con artist. What he uncovered was so much bigger. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

President Donald Trump is escalating his efforts to reshape how American elections are run within the law and on the ground. How will his pressure campaign impact voters ahead of the 2026 midterms? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The U.S. has become an increasingly erratic superpower. Now, the world's middle powers are rising. What's next for places like India and Canada in a shifting global order? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Approximately 20% of all food waste in America is linked to confusion over date labels. Now, California is banning most food expiration labeling. So, what do expiration dates really tell us? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Mathematician Eugenia Cheng wants us to rethink our relationship to math -- and equality. We hear how different paths lead to identical outcomes in math, and how that can help us all in real life. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

For generations, Ellis Island has been America's great symbol of immigration. But another gateway has shaped the nation just as profoundly: El Paso, Texas. We trace one hundred years of migration, violence and memory along the U.S.–Mexico border. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Donald Trump says “communism is the greatest threat" facing the U.S. And democratic socialists have won a string of elections across the country. What are the differences between communism and socialism — and why are Americans talking about them now? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

We all have our blind spots, but with AI and the spread of misinformation, we are more vulnerable to them than ever. Can we learn from a master illusionist on how to avoid falling trap to them? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Sports fans and casual viewers can become obsessed with a good underdog story. But what draws us towards the longshot winners and unlikely success stories? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Jackpod is taking a short break but we will be back with new episodes as soon as possible. Join the On Point Club for access to other exclusive content. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Wildfires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across the U.S. this summer. Now, firefighters are turning to new technology to help battle blazes, from AI cameras to vegetation-munching robots. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

We sit down with On Point's "money ladies" for tips and tricks on how to manage your finances in difficult times. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Pancreatic cancer has long been considered a death sentence. But a revolutionary new treatment has been shown to double survival times. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The U.S. produces billions of pounds of commercial beef every year. But it's getting more and more expensive for Americans to get beef on the table – and for ranchers to raise the cattle it comes from. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Roughly one in eight Americans say they are taking a GLP-1 drug -- and not just for weight loss. Studies show it can help heart disease, sleep apnea, addiction and even brain health. We speak with one of the lead scientists who discovered this gut hormone on how these drugs actually work in our bodies. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

An accent doesn't just tell someone where you are from – but who you are – your cultural background, race, age and class. How the way we talk tells people more than we think. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

For people with disabilities, artificial intelligence tools are helping them see, hear, experience, and move through the world in profound new ways. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The U.S. Supreme Court left some of its biggest decisions for last this session. Justices delivered a series of major opinions with consequences that will impact nearly every corner of the country. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint