Duke University recently announced plans to close and re-home its century-old herbarium. But with climate change and a looming biodiversity crisis, scientists say these preserved collections of old plants are more important than ever.
Listen: The first chapter of Endless Thread’s podcast Beyond All Repair. Host Amory Sivertson first met Shane Correia in 2017 while interviewing him about his experience with homelessness for WBUR’s Endless Thread. But there is another dark chapter in Shane's life: his older sister being accused of murdering her mother-in-law in 2002, when he was 13 years old. Now Shane wants to know, did his sister commit this brutal crime?
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how presidents lose touch with reality.
Given the environmental, political, and human costs of accelerating mineral mining, can the United States reach its clean energy goals? It's the final episode of our special series "Elements of energy."
To electrify our economy, the world needs more nickel. And Indonesia has it. Can nickel pave the road to prosperity? In part four of “Elements of energy," hear how the rush for metals is shaking up global geopolitics.
Most of the world’s cobalt is extracted in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But to get it, hundreds of thousands of Congolese people labor with no other means to survive. On episode three of On Point’s special series -- cobalt and the human cost of mining.
Copper is key to our green energy future, but copper extraction is deeply harmful to the environment now. Episode two of On Point’s special series “Elements of energy” explores how to resolve that contradiction.
The U.S. sits on some of the largest lithium reserves in the world. It’s a key element for clean energy. The start of On Point’s weeklong exploration “Elements of energy” takes us inside America’s push for a lithium boom.
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on President Biden’s State of the Union address and the politics of memory, versus the politics of hope.
Rebroadcast: Millions of Americans sell their blood plasma every year. It’s part of a global, multibillion dollar business. But what is plasma really used for? Kathleen McLaughlin and Dr. Morey Blinder join Meghna Chakrabarti.
For almost a decade, Poland's democracy was in retreat. But last fall, Poland successfully elected a pro-democracy government coalition. What can the rest of the world learn?
The GOP prides itself on being the anti-tax party. But it wasn't always that way. In Michael Graetz’s book "The Power to Destroy," he describes how the anti-tax movement became one of the most powerful forces reshaping American politics and society in the past 50 years.
While in power, former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte ordered the murder of thousands of people without trial. Journalist Patricia Evangelista chronicles the leader's bloody 'war on drugs' in her memoir "Some People Need Killing."
Foreign diplomats are nervous that the United States’ once solid global leadership is on shaky ground. What’s at stake if the U.S. cedes its place as a world leader?
Rebroadcast: The newest food diets. The magic weight loss pill. Changing beauty standards. We hear constant messaging around how we should eat and look. But what does science have to say about it?
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the potential influence of low information voters on this year’s presidential election, and the future of U.S. democracy.
A recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office reveals poor living conditions inside military barracks – from mold and exposed sewage, to broken windows, nonexistent HVAC systems and more.
Hot flashes. Brain fog. Sleep problems. Millions of women go through menopause each year. But what’s happening in the brain during this life transition? Lisa Mosconi joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
In his new book "The End of Race Politics," Coleman Hughes argues that closing racial divides in America means building a color-blind society. Coleman Hughes joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Donald Trump has openly admired authoritarians around the world. Now he’s pledging to rule like one. An examination of the promises, powers and plans of a second Trump presidency.
Many of us struggle to get help taking care of our kids or aging loved ones. How might we rethink the U.S. care economy? Nancy Folbre and Michelle Allgood join Deborah Becker.
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty compares and contrasts what a second term for Donald Trump or Joe Biden would mean for U.S. efforts to combat climate change.
If Joe Biden and Donald Trump are on the ballot in November, they’ll be the oldest presidential candidates in U.S. history. How does age affect our memory, cognition, and even the ability to be president? Zaldy Tan joins Deborah Becker.
The number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. is at a record high. Now, more people with addictions are choosing to recover not in a rehab clinic, but at home, surrounded by loved ones.
This week marks the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For Wall Street Journal correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov, that means two years of stories of resilience and determination. He tells those stories in his new book "Our Enemies Will Vanish."
Liberal academic Richard Kahlenberg thinks the only way to truly solve America’s deep inequities is to look at class, not race. "When we focus exclusively on race and ignore the class issues, we are missing a huge part of what makes society unfair in America today."
Secret spells. Magic potions. The world of witchcraft has a powerful cultural hold and a dark history. What do centuries of witch trials teach us? Marion Gibson and Leo Igwe join Meghna Chakrabarti.
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks back to 1982 and the presidency of Ronald Reagan as he considers how and why the U.S. should intervene to prevent an Israeli assault on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
Ed Pierson is an aviation manager who used to work on Boeing's 737 Max production line. When a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight, Pierson wasn't surprised. A Boeing whistleblower speaks.
Fast fashion retailers like Shein sell t-shirts for less than $5 apiece. This business model, along with social media, fuels an erosion in the quality of clothing at every level. What price are we really paying for super-affordable fashion? Danielle Vermeer and Mandy Lee join Meghna Chakrabarti.
