On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the role that restrictive zoning laws have played in the shortage of affordable housing in the U.S. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 31, 2026•38 min
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti planned to “inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” But that’s not what eyewitnesses say and videos show. How can Americans trust an agency that disputes what we see with our own eyes? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...
Jan 30, 2026•35 min
In the 2025 budget bill, Congress created the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to help struggling hospitals, doctors, and patients in rural America. But rural hospitals are expected to lose three times that through Medicaid cuts in that same budget bill. So, what will it take to keep rural healthcare afloat? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...
Jan 29, 2026•34 min
In Minneapolis, grassroots groups have sprung into action against ICE. They’re protesting, running workshops on constitutional rights, and delivering groceries to people afraid of leaving their homes. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 28, 2026•34 min
The number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has doubled over the past year -- driven by a massive recruitments campaign. Who the new recruits are and how they’re being trained. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 27, 2026•34 min
Frank Gehry’s legacy can be seen around the world in the curvaceous and dramatic buildings he designed. How Frank Gehry put awe in American architecture and what we lose without him. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 26, 2026•33 min
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the division between the normative state and the prerogative state and the role that could be playing in the U.S. today. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 24, 2026•34 min
A former right-wing influencer and tradwife tells all in her new memoir, "This is Not Real Life." From meeting with terrorists, neo-Nazis, political crime rings, to arrests, psychotic breaks and addiction, Lauren Southern shares how the life she thought she wanted ended up almost killing her. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...
Jan 23, 2026•34 min
President Donald Trump's fixation on Greenland is alienating some Congressional Republicans and American allies. Has Trump's erratic behavior crossed a line? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 22, 2026•34 min
President Trump says he wants to cap credit card interest at 10%. What it could mean for Americans' credit card debt. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 21, 2026•34 min
According to recent reporting, DOGE fell short of its goals to save taxpayers $1 trillion and streamline government processes. So what did we get from the agency? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 20, 2026•34 min
Polarization pushes people apart. Writer Chloé Valdary says we can heal deepening divisions by treating each other like human beings, not political abstractions. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 19, 2026•34 min
One of America’s largest deposits of copper, nickel and cobalt is deep underground near the Boundary Waters in northeastern Minnesota. It’s never been mined. Now, the Trump administration is pushing to change that. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 16, 2026•31 min
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the scourge of price gouging for captive customers at places like airports, concerts and sporting events. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 16, 2026•47 min
We tend to associate “brainwashing” with cults and hostages, but author and science historian Rebecca Lemov says it can happen to anyone. Her new book “The Instability of Truth" explores the history and science of brainwashing and what it can teach us with misinformation on the rise. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...
Jan 15, 2026•34 min
President Trump says he wants to "take" Greenland. If he does, he will be effectively attacking Denmark, a NATO ally. How Trump's imperialism could destroy one of America's oldest and most important alliances. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 14, 2026•34 min
The Biden Administration's infrastructure act promised more than $1.2 trillion dollars to build up the country. More than five years later, what was built and what never got started? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 13, 2026•33 min
Many legal experts say the Trump administration's attack on Venezuela broke international law. But Trump doesn’t seem to care. What does that say about the strength of international law? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 12, 2026•33 min
Last month, President Donald Trump approved the sale of one of Nvidia’s most powerful AI chips to China. Why the president may have done that -- and what it could mean for national security. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 09, 2026•31 min
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the opportunity cost of interventionist foreign policy on social betterment programs in the U.S. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 09, 2026•40 min
James Clyburn is one of the most influential Democrats in Congress. His new book “The First Eight" is about the Black South Carolina Congressmen who preceded and inspired him. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 08, 2026•31 min
With ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a New York jail, President Trump says the U.S. will run his country now. The legality, practicality, and morality of regime change in Venezuela. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 07, 2026•33 min
Humans have been obsessed with fitness for centuries. But how did this fascination start? In the new book “When Fitness Went Global” historian Conor Heffernan examines the rise of physical culture worldwide. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 06, 2026•34 min
Affordability, inflation, tariffs, jobs -- where does the economy stand now that we’re officially in the new year? On Point’s “money ladies,” Rana Foroohar and Michelle Singletary, are back to help us sort it out. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 05, 2026•32 min
If you feel like car headlights have gotten too bright, you’re not alone. The National Highway Traffic Administration receives more consumer complaints about headlight brightness than any other topic. How did this happen? And can we fix it? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 02, 2026•34 min
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. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Jan 01, 2026•35 min
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? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Dec 31, 2025•36 min
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. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Dec 30, 2025•35 min
Geoffrey Hinton is one of the world’s biggest minds in artificial intelligence. He won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. Where does he think AI is headed? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Dec 29, 2025•31 min
YouTube turns 20 this year. The platform now hosts 20 billion videos, and lets basically anyone, anywhere on Earth, create, share and watch. How has YouTube changed us? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
Dec 26, 2025•36 min