Latest On point Podcast Episodes
What happened to Etsy?
On Point | Podcast - June 10, 2024 20:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsEtsy 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
On Point | Podcast - June 07, 2024 20:00 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsIn 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 | Podcast - June 07, 2024 10:00 - 40 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn 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
On Point | Podcast - June 06, 2024 14:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsIn 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'
On Point | Podcast - June 05, 2024 20:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsMany 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
On Point | Podcast - June 04, 2024 20:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOther 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
On Point | Podcast - June 03, 2024 20:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsBeing 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
On Point | Podcast - May 31, 2024 20:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsDemocrats 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 | Podcast - May 31, 2024 10:00 - 38 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn 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.”
Big changes and big problems at the U.S. Postal Service
On Point | Podcast - May 30, 2024 05:24 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsMissing packages. Undelivered letters. If you've been having problems with your mail lately, you're not alone. The USPS is rolling out big changes across the country, from Richmond, Virginia to Santa Clara, California.
A post-mortem on Oregon’s drug decriminalization efforts
On Point | Podcast - May 29, 2024 16:19 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOregon made history in 2020 when it became the first state in the nation to decriminalize small amounts of hard drugs like cocaine, heroin and meth. But last month – the state repealed it. What happened?
Why the ancient philosophy of stoicism is having a modern revival
On Point | Podcast - May 28, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe Greco-Roman philosophy of stoicism is having a moment. Through wisdom, temperance, courage and justice you can create a virtuous, well-lived life. But have modern day stoics got it right?
Rebroadcast: U.S. military barracks are in shambles. Will the government take action?
On Point | Podcast - May 27, 2024 15:31 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsA 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.
Puerto Rico's big political shakeup
On Point | Podcast - May 24, 2024 17:23 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsPuerto Rico is in the middle of a major gubernatorial race. As a new political party appeals to younger voters -- who've only experienced years of corruption, poverty and financial crisis -- who wins could have a big effect on the territory.
The Jackpod: Question time
On Point | Podcast - May 24, 2024 10:00 - 36 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsWith the first presidential debate less than six weeks away, On Point news analyst Jack Beatty explores some approaches to interviewing a candidate like Donald Trump.
The splintering of the United Methodist Church
On Point | Podcast - May 23, 2024 16:05 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOnce the second largest protestant denomination in America, the United Methodist Church lost about a quarter of its members over issues of sexuality. Now, the church is overturning its prohibition on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.
Glenn Loury's 'confessions of a Black conservative'
On Point | Podcast - May 22, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsGlenn Loury is a renowned Black economist and conservative social critic. In his new memoir, he details his struggles, from adultery to addiction, all while a professor at Harvard.
How AI is polluting our culture
On Point | Podcast - May 21, 2024 16:31 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOur online feeds are already full of artificially-generated sludge. It’s tainting our discourse, our culture and the quality of information. One neuroscientist argues all of this AI junk threatens our very humanity.
How artificial intelligence can help American workers
On Point | Podcast - May 20, 2024 16:13 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsLabor economist David Autor’s research shows how historically, technological advances hurt the incomes of middle- and working-class Americans. But when it comes to AI, Autor says the exact opposite could happen.
Breaking down the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar
On Point | Podcast - May 17, 2024 16:31 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsTwo of rap’s biggest stars are feuding. Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been lobbing diss tracks back and forth for weeks. What does this say about modern hip-hop culture?
The Jackpod: The invisible new deal
On Point | Podcast - May 17, 2024 10:00 - 29 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks into why President Biden’s initiatives to boost the economy, with legislation such as the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, are not recognized by many voters.
Abortion, border control, a test of Trumpism: Inside the Arizona Senate race
On Point | Podcast - May 16, 2024 15:31 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsA lot is at stake in Arizona’s senate race. It could determine control of the Senate -- and the outcome of the presidential election.
Does the U.S. need new nuclear weapons?
On Point | Podcast - May 15, 2024 16:25 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe U.S. is building new nuclear weapons, including a massive missile called the Sentinel. They're up to 20 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Can Caitlin Clark mark a turning point for the WNBA?
On Point | Podcast - May 13, 2024 16:53 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe NCAA’s all-time scoring leader Caitlin Clark begins her WNBA career on Tuesday. Caitlin Clark helped elevate the game of basketball to new heights at the college level. What impact will she have in the pros?
The unregulated boom in the 'buy now, pay later' market
On Point | Podcast - May 10, 2024 16:13 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratings'Buy now, pay later' loans for just about everything are growing. But there’s barely any data or regulation on this emerging market. Are consumers being helped or hurt by this new lending option?
The Jackpod: The one apple tasted
On Point | Podcast - May 10, 2024 10:00 - 31 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the rise of illiberalism in the U.S. today and its historic entwinement with liberalism in America.
Palestinian civilians on their daily fight for survival
On Point | Podcast - May 09, 2024 05:17 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsSome Palestinians have been able to flee Gaza. But millions are still there as the Israeli military moves on Rafah, and there’s still no agreement to pause the war.
The full interview with Dr. Hilary Cass
On Point | Podcast - May 08, 2024 10:00 - 57 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsPodcast extra: British pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass led a highly anticipated independent scientific review of gender health services for children in England, commissioned by the National Health Service. Now popularly known as the 'Cass Review,' it concludes for most young people, "a medical pat...
'Cass Review' author: More 'caution' advised for gender-affirming care for youth
On Point | Podcast - May 08, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsA groundbreaking review out of the UK finds “poor” or “low quality” evidence for using puberty blockers and hormones to help gender-distressed young people. Dr. Hilary Cass, who led that review, gives her first U.S. broadcast interview to On Point.
Rethinking how dyslexia is diagnosed
On Point | Podcast - May 07, 2024 15:41 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsDyslexia affects one in every 5 Americans. But only 2 million are diagnosed and receive the help they need. Why?