On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti - podcast cover

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

Get ready for your aha moment: Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti pierces your news bubble to expose the whole story. Getting answers to the questions that need to be asked, examining our history and the human condition. No topic is too complicated or off the table. It’s all On Point.
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Episodes

A word about this week’s Jackpod

Senior editor Dorey Scheimer has a message about this week’s Jackpod and a special ‘behind the scenes’ episode of On Point. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 27, 20261 min

A word about this week’s Jackpod

Senior editor Dorey Scheimer has a message about this week’s Jackpod and a special ‘behind the scenes’ episode of On Point. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 27, 20261 min

Why are American children such picky eaters?

Why do American kids love chicken nuggets and applesauce, but hate broccoli and brussels sprouts? In her new book “Picky," Helen Veit explores how American children became the fussiest eaters in history. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 24, 202635 min

Why is the U.S. reluctant to adopt the Scandinavian prison model?

A handful of states from California, Pennsylvania to Maine have tried to adopt a more rehabilitative Scandinavian prison model. But such models have failed to be replicated at large scale. Why? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 23, 202638 min

Why is the U.S. reluctant to adopt the Scandinavian prison model?

A handful of states from California, Pennsylvania to Maine have tried to adopt a more rehabilitative Scandinavian prison model. But such models have failed to be replicated at large scale. Why? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 23, 202638 min

How can you be drunk without drinking?

A mysterious condition can push your blood alcohol level sky-high — even if you haven’t had any drinks. What causes auto-brewery syndrome — and what are the legal and medical implications? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 22, 202635 min

How can you be drunk without drinking?

A mysterious condition can push your blood alcohol level sky-high — even if you haven’t had any drinks. What causes auto-brewery syndrome — and what are the legal and medical implications? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 22, 202635 min

Why conservative judges think Trump has gone too far

Several federal judges have issued opinions saying the Trump administration is flouting the rule of law and the principles of democracy. How effective has the bench been in checking executive power? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 21, 202637 min

Trump vs. the Pope

President Donald Trump is no stranger to an internet feud. But now, he’s taken on a whole new adversary: the Catholic Church. What impact will it have on the country’s Catholic electorate? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 20, 202634 min

Trump vs. the Pope

President Donald Trump is no stranger to an internet feud. But now, he’s taken on a whole new adversary: the Catholic Church. What impact will it have on the country’s Catholic electorate? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 20, 202634 min

The Jackpod: Death becomes them

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how authoritarians have co-opted their military and valorized its dead over living experience in the officer corps. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 20, 202647 min

The Jackpod: Death becomes them

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how authoritarians have co-opted their military and valorized its dead over living experience in the officer corps. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 20, 202647 min

The 'why' behind how we talk

An accent doesn’t just tell someone where you are from – but who you are – your cultural background, race, age and class. How the way we talk tells people more than we think. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 17, 202637 min

Seattle mayor Katie Wilson: The full conversation

On stage before an enthusiastic audience of around 900 Seattleites, Mayor Wilson talks with Meghna about housing and homelessness, and also about what it’s like to be a Democratic Mayor in the time of President Donald Trump. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 16, 20261 hr 30 min

Seattle's new socialist mayor has big plans

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson had no prior political experience. She took over as the city faces an affordability crisis and a homelessness emergency. How's she doing roughly three months into the job? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 16, 202647 min

New questions for the Epstein files investigation

Former attorney general Pam Bondi refused to appear at a congressional hearing about the Epstein Files. First Lady Melania Trump gave a press conference to deny that she knew about Epstein’s abuse. What we're learning about Epstein’s connections to powerful people. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...

Apr 15, 202638 min

The teachers pushing back on screens in schools

It's not just phones anymore. More teachers and even entire U.S. school districts are cutting back the time students spend on laptops and other screens. How do students really learn -- and do screens help or hurt? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 14, 202641 min

The real cost of the war with Iran

The U.S. has been spending up to $2 billion every day on the war with Iran. But that’s just military expenditure. What’s the real, long-term economic toll? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 13, 202636 min

The Jackpod: Democracy by lottery

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty has been reading “Politics without Politicians” by political theorist Hélène Landemore, in which she makes the case that randomly selected citizens can make for better government than elected politicians. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 13, 202647 min

What happened to shame in politics?

Shame is a powerful feeling that can keep behavior in check. So what happens when political leaders feel no shame at all? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 10, 202634 min

How China's superfast charging cars are leaving American EVs in the dust

An electric vehicle battery that charges almost as fast as it takes to fill a tank of gas. And it might soon be available almost everywhere except the United States. How China's superfast-charging electric vehicles are leaving American EVs in the dust. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 09, 202637 min

What are Israel's goals in Lebanon?

So far, more than a million people have been forcibly displaced by Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says eradicating Hezbollah is critical for Israeli security. But critics argue Israeli occupation will only reenergize the Iran-backed militia. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...

Apr 08, 202638 min

What are Israel's goals in Lebanon?

So far, more than a million people have been forcibly displaced by Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says eradicating Hezbollah is critical for Israeli security. But critics argue Israeli occupation will only reenergize the Iran-backed militia. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...

Apr 08, 202638 min

What happens when religious fundamentalists come to power? (Part Two)

Military service members are filing a flood of complaints about religious justifications for the U.S. war in Iran. How Christian extremism came to influence the Trump administration and offer moral underpinnings for the new war in the Middle East. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 07, 202636 min

What happens when religious fundamentalists come to power? (Part Two)

Military service members are filing a flood of complaints about religious justifications for the U.S. war in Iran. How Christian extremism came to influence the Trump administration and offer moral underpinnings for the new war in the Middle East. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 07, 202636 min

What happens when religious fundamentalists come to power? (Part One)

Shia fundamentalism has come to define Iran’s place in the Middle East and the world. And that wasn’t an accident. How Iranian leaders use Shia Islam to exert their power. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 06, 202637 min

The Jackpod: Dad Gummit!

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how the U.S. Congress serves the financial interests of itself through insider trading. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 06, 202641 min

From the archive: History-making astronaut Christina Koch

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is making history as the first woman to travel around the moon as a crew member on the Artemis II mission. It’s not the first time Koch has made history. In 2020 she told Meghna what it was like to spend a record-breaking 11 months in space. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint...

Apr 04, 202647 min

What will it take to save America's birds?

Since 1970, the North American bird population has declined by more than 25%. There are many factors driving this. And several things bird lovers can do to reverse the trend. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 03, 202642 min

Trump's 'Homeland empire'

Mass deportations, smash and grab wars, attacks on domestic civil rights, the hijacking of the economy. Professor Nikhil Pal Singh asks: What if President Donald Trump’s ramping up of militarism at home and abroad is part of a bigger strategy? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Apr 02, 202637 min
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