The Jackpod: The past is a foreign country
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on what President Trump does and doesn’t know about U.S. history and what that means for the country today.
May 08, 2025•36 min
On Point | Podcast
Hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, On Point is a unique, curiosity-driven combination of original reporting, newsmaker interviews, first-person stories, and in-depth analysis, making the world more intelligible and humane. When the world is more complicated than ever, we aim to make sense of it together. On Point is produced by WBUR.
Episodes
Feeding America's insatiable appetite for lumber
The Trump administration wants to expand the American lumber industry by logging more trees in national forests and raising tariffs on lumber imports. The impact that could have on the domestic timber industry.
May 08, 2025•46 min
Trump's push to shrink FEMA
Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year. President Donald Trump promised North Carolinians he wouldn’t forget them. But recently, Trump's FEMA rejected the state's request for extended relief funding.
May 07, 2025•47 min
The real story of REAL ID
Starting May 7, you will have to have a REAL ID to board a U.S. domestic flight. But so much has changed in the 20 years since Real ID was first proposed, is REAL ID 20 years out-of-date?
May 06, 2025•46 min
Did 'An Abundance of Caution' during COVID do more harm than good for America's students?
Millions of healthy children didn't set foot in a classroom for more than a year during the COVID pandemic. Journalist David Zweig says those school closures may have done more harm than good.
May 05, 2025•46 min
The real story of birthright citizenship
President Trump believes that if you're born in the United States, you should not automatically be a citizen. Historian Heather Cox Richardson says Trump is willfully misinterpreting American history and the Constitution.
May 02, 2025•47 min
The Jackpod: All Americans
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the centrality of the rule of law in the U.S. And the findings of a Pew Research poll that 88% of Americans believe that President Trump should follow Supreme Court orders.
May 01, 2025•44 min
The transformation of Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas was known as a funky, liberal haven in a deep red state. Now, there’s big tech money pouring in and huge growth. How has life changed there?
May 01, 2025•46 min
Will the FDA's proposed food dye ban make kids healthier?
Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Skittles, Mountain Dew Baja Blast. These foods all contain petroleum-based synthetic food dyes the FDA wants to phase out by the end of next year. Will the ban change American eating habits?
Apr 30, 2025•46 min
Why some are calling Tesla vandalism 'domestic terrorism'
The Tesla Takedown protests have been mostly peaceful, but there have been a few incidents of vandalism and even property destruction. Now, Elon Musk and his allies are calling the entire protest movement "domestic terrorism." Is that a fair label?
Apr 29, 2025•47 min
The 'money ladies' take stock of our current economy
Tariffs, mortgage rates, clashes with the fed – all make for uncertainty in the economy. On Point’s “Money Ladies” Michelle Singletary and Rana Foroohar join us to talk about your money, the global economy and America’s future.
Apr 28, 2025•45 min
Ask the ethicist: How to create guardrails for the AI age
Will AI devastate humanity or uplift it? Philosopher Christopher DiCarlo's new book examines how we can navigate when AI surpasses human capacity.
Apr 25, 2025•47 min
'U.S. let go of my hand that it had extended to help': Afghan refugees on promises broken under Trump
The immigration status of Afghans who helped the U.S. government is in jeopardy under the latest Trump crackdowns. How that impacts Afghan refugees and their families already in the U.S. and those stuck abroad.
Apr 24, 2025•47 min
Trump v. higher education
Harvard University is suing the White House. What the university’s clash with the Trump Administration means for the rest of higher education.
Apr 23, 2025•47 min
How Trump administration cuts threaten Native Americans
As the Trump Administration looks to cut government spending, many Indigenous communities say they’re losing vital public services. It could be a violation of long-standing treaties between tribes and the federal government.
Apr 22, 2025•46 min
A doctor's fix for America's ailing medication market
With more than 60% of Americans taking a prescription drug, there are increasing questions about how these medicines are approved, how they're kept safe and how they’re priced. In a new book, Harvard’s Dr. Jerry Avorn argues the drugs we take have been compromised by profits.
Apr 21, 2025•46 min
Falling Behind: 'We're in jail with our emotions'
Teenage boys are experiencing increasing rates of loneliness and suicidal thoughts -- which is having a direct impact on their achievement in school. How can schools address that? The final part in On Point’s special series “Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America’s Boys.”
Apr 18, 2025•46 min
Falling Behind: Where have all the men gone?
After decades of decline, male teachers now make up less than a quarter of the public-school teaching force. What’s driving men away, and what would it take to bring them back? On Point’s weeklong series exploring boys and education continues.
Apr 17, 2025•46 min
Falling Behind: The opportunity gap
Data show boys are falling behind in school. Black boys are falling behind the most. What’s happening in classrooms that are bucking that trend? On Point ’s weeklong series exploring boys and education continues.
Apr 16, 2025•47 min
Falling Behind: Troublemakers
'Boys will be boys.' How are perceptions about boys’ behavior in the classroom shaping their entire education? It’s part two of On Point’s weeklong series, "Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America's Boys."
Apr 15, 2025•45 min
Falling Behind: Do we treat boys like malfunctioning girls?
Boys fall behind girls in education in the U.S. starting as young as eight years old. Understanding how boys learn is key to knowing why that’s happening. It's part one of On Point’s weeklong series “Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America’s Boys.”
Apr 14, 2025•47 min
How Spotify shapes how we listen to music
Spotify promised independent artists a new revenue stream, and listeners exposure to new music. In the new book 'Mood Machine,' music journalist Liz Pelly examines how the streaming giant has shaped our listening habits.
Apr 11, 2025•46 min
Trump takes aim at the Smithsonian
A White House executive order seeks to eliminate “improper anti-American ideology” and promote "American greatness" at the nation’s museums. What Trump's recent attacks on the Smithsonian mean for how Americans understand their shared history.
Apr 10, 2025•47 min
The Jackpod: The demons
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on who’s been advising President Trump on his tariff policies.
Apr 10, 2025•38 min
Trailer: 'Falling behind: The miseducation of America's boys'
A new On Point special series explores why America’s boys are falling behind in school, and what can be done about it. Hear the first episode on Monday, April 14 in your podcast feed.
Apr 09, 2025•2 min
The new war on words
Many on the political right accuse the left of policing what people can and can't say. Now, the Trump administration is cracking down on words related to diversity and inclusion. Has a so-called 'woke right' replaced the so-called 'woke left?'
Apr 09, 2025•46 min
How groceries are priced
From pandemic inflation to the impact of tariffs the price of groceries is getting a lot of attention. But who decides what we pay -- and why?
Apr 08, 2025•46 min
How Trump administration job cuts could affect the future of weather forecasting
The National Weather Service has been around for more than 150 years – their mission is explicitly to provide forecasts and warnings to protect lives and property. Experts warn that its hollowing out could have long-lasting implications.
Apr 07, 2025•47 min
JD Vance and the rise of the 'New Right'
In this week’s Jackpod Meghna and Jack spoke about this episode of On Point from August last year about ‘radical monarchist’ Curtis Yarvin and the so-called New Right movement. To make it easy to find we’re dropping it here again.
Apr 04, 2025•46 min
Trump v. big law
President Trump has signed several Executive Orders targeting law firms who have challenged his agenda or hired his political enemies. Many in the legal community worry about the impact this could have on the overall legal system.
Apr 04, 2025•47 min
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