Episodes
The media uses small soundbites and sensible summaries to make Donald Trump sound more coherent than he actually is. But by doing so, some argue that the media ends up presenting a misleading picture of the former president that could misinform voters.
Published 10/08/24
Pedestrian deaths in this country are at an all-time high. And now, the government is stepping in. For the first time ever, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed new rules that would affect the external design and look of supersized trucks and SUVs.
Published 10/07/24
Israel. Hamas. Hezbollah. Iran. One year since Hamas's brutal attack on Israel, the Netanyahu government has expanded its war beyond Gaza. What’s next in the widening war — and what are the consequences?
Published 10/04/24
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the moments in the vice presidential debate when Republican candidate JD Vance contradicted the evidence of his own track record with misrepresentations and obliquities.
Published 10/03/24
Local election officials are working hard to make sure the 2024 election goes off without a hitch. And they're doing that despite being criticized, hounded, attacked, and threatened. Three county elections officials, Democrats and Republicans, from Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania share their experiences from the frontlines of America's elections.
Published 10/03/24
Under the Biden Administration, the FTC significantly stepped-up antitrust enforcement. Last year alone Biden’s regulators filed a record 50 antitrust enforcement actions. And mergers reached a 10-year low. Have Biden's antitrust actions helped consumers?
Published 10/02/24
Every presidential path to victory in 2024 leads through Pennsylvania. In Cambria County, voters flipped from blue to red in a few short election cycles. What clues does the county hold for 2024?
Published 10/01/24
Arizona was the first state in the country to adopt universal school vouchers. But who is benefiting from this program, and who gets left behind? With school voucher questions on several state ballots right now, we look at lessons from Arizona in our latest collaboration with ProPublica.
Published 09/30/24
The Taliban has banned women from speaking in public. They're banned from singing, reading, reciting poetry, or even laughing outside their homes. What do the recent crackdowns mean for Afghan women -- and what can the international community do to stop it?
Published 09/27/24
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the constitutional procedure that calls for the House of Representatives’ congressional delegations to determine the winner of the presidential election in the event of a tie in the electoral college.
Published 09/26/24
Zyn nicotine pouches have exploded in popularity, generating millions of dollars for tobacco giants — and a new subculture on the internet, or “Zynternet.” Zyn has even found its way into national politics. What's behind the rise of Zyn?
Published 09/26/24
Ukraine wants to use western long-range weapons to strike targets inside of Russia. Vladimir Putin says if President Biden approves such use of western weapons, it will mean massive war. Could a decision to help Ukraine win its war spark a larger geopolitical catastrophe?
Published 09/25/24
Menstruation is a definitive experience of a woman's life, and an indicator of her health. So why has period blood or menstrual fluid been largely under-researched?
Published 09/24/24
Russia’s efforts to influence American voters in this year’s elections are getting more advanced. They’ve even used American media personalities to try to sow division. How can we protect election integrity?
Published 09/23/24
In a new memoir, New York Times correspondent Edward Wong retraces the complicated story of his father’s life as a zealous young Communist in China to an immigrant in America. What does it mean to love country over party?
Published 09/20/24
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the entertainment value of conspiracy theories as a source of their appeal.
Published 09/19/24
The gender divide among Gen Z voters is deeper than any other generation. Young women are drawn to progressive politics. Young men are drawn to Trump. But why?
Published 09/19/24
Vice President Harris proposes giving a $25,000 grant to first-time homebuyers to help solve America’s housing crisis. Many are skeptical. But Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has championed a similar program in his state.
Published 09/18/24
Becoming a parent was once a social norm. But today, more Americans than ever are ambivalent about having children. What could create a renewed sense of meaning in parenting?
Published 09/17/24
Hear On Point's mini-series on the declining birth rate in the United States. We're not looking at economics, or education, but another aspect of parenthood highlighted and debated in two new books. Do children bring a unique sense of meaning to life?
Published 09/16/24
In 2020, Alina Chan called for the scientific community to not abandon a potential lab leak origin of SARS-CoV-2. She was called a conspiracy theorist and a race traitor. Her story and the search for the origins of COVID, four years later.
Published 09/13/24
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty imagines a presidential debate in which Vice President Kamala Harris candidly answers the questions of undecided voters.
Published 09/13/24
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.
Published 09/12/24
Mexico could soon become the world's first country to elect every single one of its judges, even on the Mexican supreme court. Will it combat corruption or is it a political power grab?
Published 09/11/24
Our planet’s rich nature sounds are disappearing, drowned out by human-made noise. Sound recordist Matt Mikkelsen travels the world, listening to and working to preserve our vanishing soundscapes.
Published 09/10/24