Latest On point Podcast Episodes
The story behind 2022's secret Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations
On Point | Podcast - May 06, 2024 05:24 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe Russia-Ukraine war has lasted over two years. But just weeks after Russia's 2022 invasion, both sides came close to a settlement that could have ended the war and saved thousands of lives. What happened?
The Jackpod: The red hat
On Point | Podcast - May 03, 2024 10:00 - 28 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the power of the MAGA red hat to forge an identity and spread a political message around the world.
Is the U.S. a democracy?
On Point | Podcast - May 03, 2024 06:17 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsFor decades some conservative scholars and politicians have asserted the United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. So which one is it?
Author Amy Tan's 'backyard bird chronicles'
On Point | Podcast - May 01, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsCelebrated author Amy Tan doesn’t just write best-selling novels. She’s a passionate birder, too. Her new book on birding describes the wonder she sees looking out her window.
Roundtable: What do ordinary Israelis want from their leaders?
On Point | Podcast - April 30, 2024 04:01 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsMore than six months since the Hamas attack on Israel, dozens of Israelis are still held hostage, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and there’s no peace in sight. Israelis on the future of Israel.
Underground addiction care in Mexico -- and its spread to the U.S.
On Point | Podcast - April 29, 2024 15:55 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsAcross Mexico, thousands of illegal rehab centers treat patients with drug addiction, often holding them against their will. Now, these "anexos" -- informal, underground treatment facilities -- are here in the United States.
Should the U.S. ban menthol cigarettes?
On Point | Podcast - April 26, 2024 15:35 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsMore than 80% of Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes. The FDA is now pushing to ban the products, saying it will prevent death and disease. Phillip Gardiner and Alan Blum join Deborah Becker.
The Jackpod: The company they keep
On Point | Podcast - April 26, 2024 10:00 - 28 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point new analyst Jack Beatty argues that Democrats are losing touch with working class voters. What could they do to change that?
How Dallas tackled violent crime
On Point | Podcast - April 25, 2024 04:01 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe city of Dallas reduced its overall violent crime by 30% compared to this time last year. Its mayor and police chief credit the so-called “hot spot policing.”
Justice Breyer's ear notch test for our constitution
On Point | Podcast - April 24, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsTextualism, which sees a legal system's original structure as immortal, is the dominating philosophy on the court today. But retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer argues pragmatism, which considers consequences of legal decisions, is the better mindset.
India’s high-stakes election
On Point | Podcast - April 23, 2024 15:41 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsElections in the world’s largest democracy are underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s power is ascendant. But, like in other global democracies, so are concerns about religious nationalism and democratic decline. Ashutosh Varshney and Vivan Marwaha join Meghna Chakrabarti.
How to move from languishing to flourishing
On Point | Podcast - April 22, 2024 15:49 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsLanguishing. That feeling of a lack of motivation or direction. Most people feel a sense of languishing at some point in their lives. So how do we move from languishing to flourishing? Sociologist Corey Keyes has spent his career trying to find the answer.
A roadmap to better health for women
On Point | Podcast - April 19, 2024 15:49 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsPhysician Dr. Sharon Malone is on a mission to help women better manage their health in the American health care system. Her No. 1 tip from her book 'Grown Woman Talk' -- Be your best advocate.
The Jackpod: The haunting relevance of D-Day
On Point | Podcast - April 19, 2024 10:00 - 32 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point news analyst Jack Beatty recalls a 1984 speech by President Reagan outlining the importance of allies and collective security.
Your data, the U.S. government and the 'new American surveillance state'
On Point | Podcast - April 18, 2024 15:47 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsYour exact location, what apps you use, the last thing you bought online. Your data is for sale – and the U.S. government is buying it. Byron Tau joins Deborah Becker.
The ethical dilemma of involuntary mental health treatment
On Point | Podcast - April 17, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsSeveral states have changed policy in recent years to make involuntary commitment easier for people with severe mental illnesses. But forced treatment still raises civil rights questions, with some saying it can harm patients.
Battleground: How the outcome of the Ohio Senate race affects us all
On Point | Podcast - April 16, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe 2024 Ohio senate contest could determine the balance of power in of the U.S. senate. What’s at stake in Ohio? Karen Kasler, Christopher Devine and Tim Ryan join Anthony Brooks.
How the 2024 U.S. presidential election could be stolen
On Point | Podcast - April 15, 2024 16:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThere are several perfectly legal ways to steal a U.S. presidential election, according to election law expert Lawrence Lessig. Lessig says the U.S.’s election and legal systems are vulnerable – and need immediate correction.
How the 2024 U.S. presidential election could be stolen
On Point | Podcast - April 15, 2024 16:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThere are several perfectly legal ways to steal a U.S. presidential election, according to election law expert Lawrence Lessig. Lessig says the U.S.’s election and legal systems are vulnerable – and need immediate correction. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and...
The Jackpod: How it looks to a Republican
On Point | Podcast - April 12, 2024 10:00 - 33 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point news analyst Jack Beatty reviews the evidence that former President Donald Trump’s multiple criminal prosecutions are politically motivated.
The high cost of the youth sports arms race
On Point | Podcast - April 12, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsYouth sports are supposed to be about fun and team spirit. But now, kids are training year-round and joining expensive travel leagues earlier. It’s costing families, and kids too.
Rebroadcast: The little-known virus behind a majority of nongenetic birth defects
On Point | Podcast - April 11, 2024 15:31 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOne virus causes more birth defects in American babies than any other nongenetic disease – but most don’t know it exists. We hear a mother’s journey to understand her daughter’s diagnosis of congenital CMV.
Democrats consider changing course on Israel support
On Point | Podcast - April 10, 2024 05:52 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsPresident Biden told Israel the humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable and an immediate ceasefire is essential. Meanwhile, U.S. weaponry continues to flow to Israel. Could Biden back up his tough talk and curtail military aid?
China’s divided memory of the Cultural Revolution
On Point | Podcast - April 09, 2024 04:58 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratings"3 Body Problem," a Netflix adaptation of the Chinese sci-fi novel by the same name, is causing controversy in China for its depiction of the Cultural Revolution. How do the Chinese people see this crucial period of their history?
How to become a 'supercommunicator'
On Point | Podcast - April 08, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsAs humans, we have conversations all the time. But research shows we actually aren’t very good at communicating. Journalist Charles Duhigg shows us not only how to become a communicator -- but a 'supercommunicator.'
Whistleblowers, an executive shakeup, and the future of Boeing
On Point | Podcast - April 05, 2024 15:43 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsLast month Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead - an apparent suicide. He’d spent the last 7 years speaking out about Boeing’s declining safety and quality.
The Jackpod: How to steal an election
On Point | Podcast - April 05, 2024 10:00 - 28 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsOn Point news analyst Jack Beatty tells Meghna what he expects to see outside and inside polling stations in November 2024
What defines Latino identity in the U.S.?
On Point | Podcast - April 04, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratings64 million Latinos live in the U.S. It’s a population bigger than any Spanish-speaking country in the world except Mexico. What defines American-Latino identity?
'Pig-butchering': The online scam that's raked in $75 billion and counting
On Point | Podcast - April 03, 2024 04:01 - 47 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsThe pig-butchering scam. It's a criminal industry that targets the vulnerable, engages in human trafficking, and exploits weaknesses in digital currency. How does it work?
Sports betting is booming, but at what cost?
On Point | Podcast - April 02, 2024 04:01 - 46 minutes ★★★★ - 3K ratingsSportsbooks are everywhere. Sports betting has changed how fans engage with games and generated $5 billion in taxes. But the industry is also fueling scandals and concerns over addiction.