When ransomware hijacks your health care
Ransomware hackers are attacking health care systems in the U.S. and around the world. Why are health care networks so vulnerable?
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
‘Grievance games’: Can sports still bring people together?
Washington Post sports columnist Jerry Brewer used to have no doubt about the unifying power of sports. But in recent years, Brewer says that Americans are bringing political divisions to the games.
What it took to reopen one of the nation’s busiest ports
78 days after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after it was struck by a cargo ship, the Port of Baltimore is back in business. The cleanup involved more than 2,000 people, 18 barges, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators and 22 tugboats.
Families navigate decisions about care for transgender and gender-questioning children
In May, On Point featured the first U.S. broadcast interview of Dr. Hilary Cass. The UK-based pediatrician had just completed the world’s largest systematic review of medicalized care for gender-questioning youth. On Point senior editor Dorey Scheimer speaks with parents about how they navigate decisions about care for their transgender and gender-questioning children, and the challenges they face.
The 'Pod Save America' guide to saving democracy
Post-presidential debate, the hosts of the 'Pod Save America' share debate analysis informed by their own White House and political campaign experience. Plus, their guide to saving democracy ahead of the 2024 election.
Russia and North Korea cement closer ties
Russia and North Korea have signed a new deal that brings the two countries closer together than they’ve been since the Cold War. What does this agreement mean for the U.S. -- and the world?
Has drug development in transplantation been stymied?
Organ transplant patients are concerned the drugs they take to survive can cause other health problems like cancer and diabetes, and yet the medications haven’t improved in decades. Why has drug development in transplantation been stalled?
Presidential immunity, abortion, guns: The impact of this year's Supreme Court’s decisions
In the coming days the Supreme Court is set to issue historic decisions on the power of federal agencies, January 6th prosecutions, and presidential immunity. What will the Supreme Court’s decisions mean for America?
How the IRS went soft on the ultrawealthy and corporations
A former IRS agent says the agency gives a pass to corporate tax cheats and the super-rich when investigating possible tax crimes.
Have female presidents in Latin America improved women’s lives?
Mexico just elected its first female president. Many hope Claudia Scheinbaum will improve the lives of millions of Mexican women. An assessment of female leaders and their impact on women's lives across Latin America.
The Jackpod: Joe Bader Biden?
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty recalls past presidents who have not been transparent about their health, which leads to a question he hopes moderators will ask President Biden at the upcoming CNN debate.
What needs to change about U.S. asylum laws?
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently said that some migrants “do try to game” the U.S. asylum system. What's the evidence for that and, if true, what needs to change to stop it?
Rebroadcast: Half a century of Black TV
From Roots to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Abbott Elementary, Bethonie Butler’s new book "Black TV" shows how TV series centered on Black characters have evolved over the past 50 years.
Democracy, resilience and India’s elections
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi predicted his BJP party would win a commanding victory in recent elections. But India's 969 million voters had something entirely different in mind.
How the far-right gained traction in this year's EU elections
In this year’s European Union elections, far-right parties made gains across many of the EU’s 27 countries, including in France, Germany and Italy. What’s driving this?
George Stephanopoulos takes us inside the White House Situation Room
George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s “This Week,” and co-host of “Good Morning America," speaks with Meghna Chakrabarti live at WBUR's CitySpace about his new book “The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents In Crisis." Plus, what he's learned from interviewing Donald Trump.
Rebroadcast: Why the past 75 years of human history have been 'an anomaly'
With two wars raging and dynastic power on the rise around the world, the post-1945 world order feels like it’s being tested like never before. British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore says its’s more like a return to normality.
The Jackpod: A prince of our disorder
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty has been reading "The Age of Grievance" by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni. He outlines the ubiquity of grievance in the U.S., and how Donald Trump has captured this to his advantage.
How Black Chicago has shaped American pop culture
From "Soul Train" and the "Oprah Winfrey Show" to the blues and Afro Sheen, for decades, Black Chicagoans have shaped culture in the U.S. and across the world.
What science tells us about why we dream
Humans have long been fascinated by of dreams, but what has science learned about them? Neuroscientist Dr. Rahul Jandial says dreams benefit us -- from helping regulate emotions, to processing trauma.
Why the U.S. needs a reckoning on lockdowns before the next pandemic
The COVID pandemic lockdowns. It was an approach endorsed by many public health experts. But could there have been a better way?
What happened to Etsy?
Etsy used to be the place to shop for quirky, handmade items from independent crafters all over the world. Now, it’s flooded with mass-produced products. What happened to Etsy?
The rise of laser warfare
In April, the U.S. military deployed a pair of high energy lasers to combat enemy drones. Now that the once-imagined weaponry of science fiction is reality, how will it impact the future of warfare?
The Jackpod: NBC poll -- Biden leads Trump 70 to 21
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks into a correlation between news awareness and political leanings, and how that has inspired a controversial theory about democratic citizenship.
Inside China's citizen spy network
In China, Big Brother is most definitely watching. Estimates show up to 16 million Chinese citizens -- from university students to taxi drivers -- are political informants for the government.
'We are underreacting to how serious this moment is'
Many Republicans in Congress are dodging the question of whether they’ll accept this year’s election results. What’s at stake in 2024 if only one party will accept defeat?
How women became America's safety net
Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women. In the new book "Holding it Together: How Women Became America's Safety Net," sociologist Jessica Calarco says it’s time that changed.
The power of solitude
Being alone often gets a bad rap. But research shows alone time can actually boost overall well-being, increasing our emotional regulation, contentment and creativity.
How Democrats can win back the working class
Democrats are losing working-class voters at an alarming rate, despite the popularity of President Biden’s policies. A roundtable of working-class voters share what Democrats can do to win them back.
The Jackpod: Stop it now, Joe
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty lays out the ways that President Biden’s Gaza policy has been, what New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof calls, “a moral, practical and political failure.”