On Point | Podcast - podcast cover

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

The goal: Can the U.S. actually meet its ambitious climate targets?

Rebroadcast: The United States has set ambitious goals to transition to clean energy. We’ll need more mining to do it. But given the environmental, political, and human costs of accelerating mineral mining, can the United States meet its climate targets?

Aug 30, 202447 min

The lithium boom: What's holding back a lithium rush in the U.S.?

Rebroadcast: The U.S. sits on some of the largest lithium reserves in the world. It’s a key element for clean energy. The first episode of On Point’s weeklong exploration “Elements of energy” takes us inside America’s push for a lithium boom.

Aug 26, 202447 min

The Jackpod: Not going back

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the meaning of Kamala Harris’ rallying cry at the Democratic National Convention and four themes he observed.

Aug 24, 202437 min

Kamala Harris makes her case to voters

Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. The first Black woman to do so. Thursday night she gave the biggest speech of her life. How did she do?

Aug 23, 202447 min

Can the Democrats win over voters in 2024?

Democrats have a 2024 policy platform, covering topics like the economy and immigration. But they wrote it when Joe Biden was the nominee. What do the Democrats stand for with Kamala Harris out front?

Aug 22, 202447 min

The struggle for LGBTQ inclusion in major sports

Last week, Boston Red Sox player Jarren Duran was suspended for two games after responding to a heckling fan with a homophobic slur. Men’s pro sports have a rocky history with LGBTQ issues, and although teams are trying, some question whether it’s enough.

Aug 20, 202447 min

The Jackpod: Even ‘and’ and ‘the’

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on Donald Trump’s propensity for lies and falsehoods, and their connection to the power he has over his followers.

Aug 17, 202445 min

Is this ancient process the future of plastics recycling?

On Point and ProPublica are launching a new collaboration, bringing you monthly special episodes that combine ProPublica’s groundbreaking investigative reporting with On Point’s incisive analysis. In the first episode: The world is awash in plastic waste. Oil companies claim to have a solution, an advanced form of chemical recycling. But can it deliver on its promise?

Aug 16, 202447 min

Will “surveillance pricing” help or harm consumers?

Companies track your data online. So it's no surprise that they know a lot about your habits and preferences. Now, they're trying to use that data to offer different prices to different customers, for the same items.

Aug 14, 202447 min

What went wrong within the Secret Service

It's been a month since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The Secret Service is finally, publicly accepting responsibility. But what decisions and lack of resources led to the failure?

Aug 13, 202448 min

Rebroadcast: Your brain on menopause

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.

Aug 12, 202447 min

The antitrust case that could change how we use the internet

This week, a federal judge issued a ruling that could shake up how we use the internet. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google has illegally used its dominance to stifle competition and quash innovation. Back in October, we undertook a detailed examination of the case, known as U.S. v. Google, with Tim Wu , an expert on monopolies....

Aug 11, 202449 min

The Jackpod without Jack: Please be kind

Meghna Chakrabarti and On Point senior editor Dorey Scheimer do their best knowing even together, they are not one Jack Beatty. They take your messages and questions about President Biden's decision to drop out and the new state of the 2024 presidential race.

Aug 11, 202425 min

How the culture wars poisoned American politics -- and how to fix it

More than 30 years ago, sociologist James Davison Hunter coined the term "culture wars." Since then, those wars have poisoned American politics. Today, Hunter says cultural resources that create a sense of national solidarity could end America's culture wars. But what exactly are cultural resources? And can they be renewed?

Aug 09, 202447 min

Inside the wrongful conviction of Ben Spencer

No witnesses. No physical evidence. An ironclad alibi. Nevertheless, a Texas jury sentenced Ben Spencer to life in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Journalist and author Barbara Bradley Hagerty shares what it took to set Spencer free.

Aug 08, 202447 min

The ongoing saga of the Kids Online Safety Act

The last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was 26 years ago. That’s before Facebook or the iPhone was even created. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree regulation is long overdue. It’s the 'how' that’s the question.

Aug 07, 202447 min

When should someone walk away from family?

More than a quarter of young Americans have cut ties with one of their parents. Sometimes on the advice of therapists, who say families are traumatizing. But some families say they’re the ones being traumatized. We discuss the debate over family estrangement.

Aug 06, 202447 min

The solution to anti-tourism: Don't travel less, travel better

Anti-tourism protests spread around the world this summer. Some cities are charging tourist entry fees, banning cruise ships or imposing fines for bad behavior. Some say the solution to the world’s growing wanderlust isn‘t for people to travel less but to travel better.

Aug 02, 202447 min
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