The Jackpod: The autocrat of the cabinet table
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on President Trump’s marathon cabinet meeting, how his cabinet addresses him, and what that says about his presidency.
Sep 05, 2025•37 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.
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Episodes
How Trump is transforming the way corporations do business in the U.S.
President Trump demanded cuts from private businesses. Blacklisted major law firms. And threatened companies to invest more in America. The uncertain legal landscape for U.S. businesses today.
Sep 04, 2025•44 min
How to redesign schools for the AI age
AI is doing students’ homework, writing their essays -- and probably replacing a lot of their future jobs. Is it time to rethink what schools are for?
Sep 03, 2025•43 min
The fight against Trump's 'war on history'
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Blight says President Donald Trump is attacking American history and scholarship for political ends. Blight says it’s time for historians to fight back.
Sep 02, 2025•43 min
How AI is changing the job marketplace
AI is playing a larger role in the job hunting and hiring process. It helps job seekers fine-tune their resumes and cover letters, and employers winnow down applicants. But the new technology isn’t getting it all right.
Sep 01, 2025•42 min
Falling Behind: How to talk with boys
A bonus episode in our series "Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America's Boys." Dr. Kevin Simon, attending pediatric psychiatrist at Boston Children’s Hospital, shares his experience and expertise in a conversation recorded on stage at WBUR CitySpace.
Aug 30, 2025•54 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.”
Aug 29, 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.
Aug 28, 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.
Aug 27, 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."
Aug 26, 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.”
Aug 25, 2025•47 min
An African history of Africa with Zeinab Badawi
Everybody’s heard about Ancient Egypt. But just downriver, the kingdom of Kush was one of the most powerful states in the Nile valley. Sudanese-British journalist Zeinab Badawi gives us a lesser-known history of Africa’s great historical triumphs.
Aug 22, 2025•43 min
Swipe left: Why dating today stinks
The dating scene can be a frustrating place to be right now. From dating app burnout to the struggle to meet IRL, single folks are fed up. Why modern dating feels so broken and what can be done to fix it.
Aug 21, 2025•41 min
Our mental health in the hands of AI
AI is everywhere, and increasingly, people are turning to it for therapy. What’s at stake when we lose that human to human-therapist connection?
Aug 20, 2025•44 min
The fall of Florida citrus
Florida citrus production has dropped more than 90% in the past two decades -- a blow for the state's economy and cultural identity. What's driving the decline of Florida's orange groves, and what can be done about it?
Aug 19, 2025•42 min
How 'Blessings and Disasters' shape Alabama
Alexis Okeowo says Alabama, where she grew up, shows the best and worst of the American experiment. In her new book, "Blessings and Disasters," she wrestles with the state’s complicated past.
Aug 18, 2025•43 min
How AI is changing the music business
The world’s largest music streaming service now lets users to monetize music in which they don’t play or sing a single note. How is AI shaping how we make and profit from music?
Aug 15, 2025•44 min
The Jackpod: What’s wrong with the White House press corps?
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how the Trump administration has transformed which reporters get to be in the White House briefing room and travel with the president.
Aug 15, 2025•40 min
Should SNAP pay for junk food?
A dozen states are banning people from buying sodas and some sugary snacks using federal food assistance. The effort is part of the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Will the restrictions convince people on SNAP to eat less junk food?
Aug 14, 2025•44 min
Can public media survive?
The U.S. Congress cut federal funding for public media, shuttering the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. What does that mean for the future of local news across the country?
Aug 13, 2025•44 min
How should American colleges measure merit?
The Trump Administration ordered universities to turn over data to prove they're not considering race in admissions. But education expert Richard Kahlenberg argues that for college admissions to look at merit fairly, they need to look at class.
Aug 12, 2025•43 min
Does using AI dumb you down?
A recent study shows that people using AI to write for them experience some negative cognitive effects. Why? Because there's something special about what writing does in your brain.
Aug 11, 2025•44 min
Is there a better way to manage grizzly bears?
The U.S. House will consider whether grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park should be taken off the endangered species list. How delisting would impact grizzly bears and the people living near them.
Aug 08, 2025•44 min
The Jackpod: A bold idea to help Gen Z. And maybe save the Dems
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on a wild idea from the '90s that could offer young Americans greater financial security, and how it would benefit Democrats to publicly embrace bold ideas like it.
Aug 08, 2025•39 min
What the U.S.-EU trade deal means for you
After months of wrangling, the U.S. and the EU have reached a trade agreement. The EU made big compromises, like a 15% tariff on most EU exports. How will the deal affect Americans?
Aug 07, 2025•46 min
What are 'cool roofs,' and how do they work?
Summers are getting hotter every year. When it comes to adapting to a hotter planet, in the United States, it's cities that are taking the lead. In Atlanta, they've passed a nation-leading "cool roof ordinance."
Aug 06, 2025•45 min
The state of America's judiciary with Judge J. Michael Luttig
The retired conservative federal judge says a war against the judiciary in America has been waged by "a tyrannical wannabe king."
Aug 05, 2025•47 min
Famine in Gaza
Food security levels in the Gaza Strip have reached their most dire levels since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began. Humanitarian experts say immediate action is needed to save hundreds of thousands of people from starvation.
Aug 04, 2025•47 min
The healing power of sunlight
Could sunlight help treat disease? A growing number of studies find potential benefits of UV light therapy for conditions like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease.
Aug 01, 2025•46 min
The Jackpod: Strong and wrong
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how Donald Trump projects strength through his lack of inhibition and self-constraint.
Aug 01, 2025•36 min
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