What a second Trump term means for the world
The war in Ukraine. A trade battle with China. 'Mass deportations' to Mexico. How are Europe, Mexico and China preparing for Donald Trump’s return to the White House?
Nov 12, 2024•47 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
The policies that matter to voters in Missouri -- and beyond
Voters across the country went for Donald Trump and other Republicans in big numbers -- and endorsed progressive measures like abortion access and an increased minimum wage in ballot initiatives. What this tells us about what voters really want.
Nov 11, 2024•47 min
What motivates American voters?
Trump won the presidency, but down ballot votes didn't always follow party. How can we understand the conflicting and diverging values expressed in the 2024 election?
Nov 08, 2024•47 min
The Jackpod: We're going back
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the historic eras the U.S. could return to if Donald Trump’s various campaign policies are enacted.
Nov 08, 2024•43 min
The path ahead for President-elect Trump and Congressional Republicans
Republicans dominated the election -- with Donald Trump taking back the White House, flipping the Senate and likely keeping control of the House. How the Republican Party did it, and the policies and priorities it will have in Congress and the White House.
Nov 07, 2024•47 min
On the ground in swing states as the votes are tallied
Just seven swing states decided the fate of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. A roundtable conversation with journalists on the ground, right after Election Day.
Nov 06, 2024•46 min
Immigrants came to this small Wisconsin city. So did the political rhetoric.
A Wisconsin city became a political flashpoint in the national immigration debate. In On Point's latest collaboration with ProPublica: How Whitewater, Wisconsin has responded to a new wave of immigration.
Nov 05, 2024•48 min
The looming legal battle after Election Day
Republicans have already filed more than 90 lawsuits challenging voting rules and practices – before a single ballot has been counted. What clues these lawsuits hold about a looming legal battle after Election Day.
Nov 04, 2024•47 min
How to manage election anxiety
According to a recent poll by the American Psychological Association, more than two out of three Americans say the upcoming presidential election is causing a significant amount of stress in their lives. The consequences of election-related stress and what you can do to manage it.
Nov 01, 2024•47 min
The Jackpod: 'Fed ... on fantasies'
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the political power of fantasy over reality and its role in Trumpian politics in the U.S.
Oct 31, 2024•39 min
Former Trump staffers raise alarms about a second Trump term
This month, more than a dozen former Trump staffers went on the record to say that everyone should heed the warning that Donald Trump is a fascist and would rule as a dictator.
Oct 31, 2024•47 min
How social media companies are preparing for misinformation after Election Day
False claims and threats about the 2024 election are expected to get worse after Election Day. How are social media companies preparing?
Oct 30, 2024•47 min
Follow the money: The surprisingly legal way billionaires are shaping the 2024 election
The Federal Elections Commission has issued rules that make coordination between campaigns and big donors legal and more direct. How's that shaping the 2024 election? We explore the connection between billionaires and the campaigns they're influencing.
Oct 29, 2024•47 min
Georgia election official Janelle King on the effort to change the state's election rules
The Georgia Supreme Court has blocked the state's Republican-led election board from enforcing new election rules introduced just weeks before Election Day. We speak to Republican Janelle King, a board member who pushed for the rule changes.
Oct 28, 2024•17 min
A look at political ads in 7 swing states
2024 is set to be a record-breaking year for political advertising, with some $10.2 billion spent across the U.S. Most of those dollars are aimed at seven swing states. What do voters in those states see on their TVs and online — and what does that say about current political messaging?
Oct 28, 2024•30 min
New details in the special counsel's case against Trump
The latest on special counsel Jack Smith’s case against former President Donald Trump and his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Oct 25, 2024•47 min
The Jackpod: René’s world
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the influence of French historian and philosopher René Girard’s beliefs about the nature of human beings on our daily lives, social media, and JD Vance’s conversion to Catholicism.
Oct 25, 2024•39 min
Donald Trump's plan for 'mass deportation'
Donald Trump has promised to deport millions of migrants if he's elected. He wants the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. How Trump plans to do that and its likely consequences.
Oct 24, 2024•47 min
The truth about perinatal hospice care
Donald Trump claimed that newborns are sometimes “executed." That is not true. He’s talking about perinatal palliative care. We learn the facts about the care these grieving families receive and why it's sometimes needed.
Oct 23, 2024•47 min
On Point live: How to guarantee a secure election in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of the states that will likely determine the 2024 election. On Point goes on the road to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to talk to the chair of the state election committee about the security and trustworthiness of the vote.
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min
A deep dive into Kamala Harris' foreign policy
With Election Day quickly approaching, many voters are still wondering what a potential Kamala Harris presidency would look like -- and how it would differ from the Biden administration.
Oct 21, 2024•48 min
Why so many members are leaving Congress
Some 53 U.S. Senators and representatives are leaving Congress this year. What’s driving this flood of retirements? What does it mean for the 2024 election and beyond?
Oct 18, 2024•47 min
The battle for control of state governments
While the presidential race is getting most of the attention, control of several key state legislatures is also up for grabs, in places like Arizona and Michigan. The contests for legislative control across the country – and why they matter.
Oct 17, 2024•47 min
The Jackpod: The United Stasi of America
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty outlines the details and potential consequences of Donald Trump’s plan for the mass deportation of more than ten million migrants currently in the U.S. should he be elected president again.
Oct 17, 2024•40 min
Raising revenue vs. protecting industry: A deep dive into America's use of tariffs
Former President Trump wants to build a tariff wall: 60% tariff on goods from China, 20% on imports from everywhere else in the world. But what exactly are tariffs, and who do they help or hurt?
Oct 16, 2024•47 min
Sarah Longwell on what’s driving the Trump-to-Biden voters in 2024
For years, Republican strategist Sarah Longwell has been conducting focus groups with so-called “flippers,” voters who supported Donald Trump in 2016 then flipped to Joe Biden in 2020. Longwell’s analysis on what’s influencing them in 2024.
Oct 15, 2024•47 min
Finance companies have a new customer: The wrongfully convicted
Rebroadcast: Exonerees are turning to the private sector to provide them with urgently needed cash. But with interest rates so high, it could end up being a new form of confinement.
Oct 11, 2024•45 min
The stakes of the U.S. election for the world
With Russia’s war against Ukraine, the wider war in the Middle East, the border issues with Mexico -- the world is watching the U.S. presidential election more than ever. We hear from international observers in Europe in Latin America to Africa about why how you vote matters to the rest of the world.
Oct 11, 2024•47 min
The Jackpod: Reality bites
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty draws a line from Donald Trump’s appearance as a savvy businessman on The Apprentice to his belief in tariffs as a powerful tool to benefit the U.S. economy, and even prevent war.
Oct 11, 2024•42 min
Immigration, the economy, trust: How American voters are deciding in 2024
Since 2020, many voters have dug into their positions. Others have changed. Some have turned away from politics entirely. Several Americans who shared their stories during the 2020 election, join us to discuss election 2024.
Oct 10, 2024•48 min
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