The Jackpod: What leopard?
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty watches a Donald Trump campaign rally with a famous Franz Kafka quote about the normalization of the abnormal in mind.
Episodes
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 Jackpod is delayed
Due to technical difficulties, the Jackpod will be posted later than usual. Check back later for this week's episode.
Should the U.S. ban TikTok?
The House passed a bill that could force the sale of TikTok, or ban the app altogether. But is targeting a single social media platform the best way to protect Americans from espionage and covert influence campaigns? Jake Auchincloss, Emily Baker-White and Jim Lewis join Meghna Chakrabarti.
How disinformation 'sabotages America'
Former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade says disinformation is seeping into every aspect of our political and social lives. How can we stop it?
Finance companies have a new customer: The wrongfully convicted
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.
Could ranked-choice voting take the poison out of politics?
Alaska and Maine use ranked choice voting in elections. Four other states could soon join them. We learn why more states are considering ranked-choice voting.
The hidden value of herbariums
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.
On Point presents 'Beyond All Repair,' a new podcast from WBUR
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?
The Jackpod: The Xanadu Effect
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how presidents lose touch with reality.
The goal: Can the U.S. actually meet its ambitious climate targets?
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."
The promise of nickel: Power and prosperity in Indonesia
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.
The human cost of cobalt: Modern slavery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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.
The copper tradeoff: Protecting today's lands versus preserving tomorrow's climate
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 lithium boom: What's holding back a lithium rush in the U.S.?
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.
The Jackpod: Still
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.
'Blood Money': Inside the global business of selling plasma
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.
Lessons from Poland’s democratic resurgence
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?
How the anti-tax movement went from fringe to mainstream
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.
The dark legacy of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines
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 on America's global future
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?
'Food, we need to talk': Finding a better way to discuss our bodies and what we eat
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?
The Jackpod: Low information voters
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.
U.S. military barracks are in shambles. Will the government take action?
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.
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.
Can 'colorblindness' lead to equality in America?
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.
Trump’s 2025 authoritarian playbook and what it means for democracy
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.
Finding creative solutions to America’s care crisis
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.
The Jackpod: Goodbye to all that
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.
Understanding the aging brain
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.
Is it time to abandon the ‘tough love’ approach to addiction?
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.