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On Point

Let's make sense of the world – together. Produced by WBUR in Boston, On Point’s vibrant conversation covers everything from breaking news to ancient poetry, and features writers, politicians, journalists, artists, scientists and ordinary citizens from around the world. For all stories from On Point, visit their website.

Show Host

Meghna Chakrabarti
Recent Episodes
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    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or blocked promotions of 10% of the military's top ranked officers. Former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall says it's created 'a climate of fear throughout the entire institution.' What’s going on inside the Pentagon, and what it means for the future of the U.S. military.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on one of President Trump’s oft-repeated rhetorical tropes and what its conjectured origin story might say about his internal salience map.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. Today, roughly 40% of Americans are too young to remember the events of 9/11. Journalist Garrett Graff shares an oral history of 9/11, how that day unfolded and how it changed America forever.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    The Treasury Department recently eliminated a rule that required American companies to identify their owners. The rule was intended to prevent money laundering. What’s driving the decision to drop it?

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    An OpenAI cybersecurity test took an unexpected turn when hundreds of its AI agents got around safeguards and hacked into another tech company. Should OpenAI have done more to prevent the attack?

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    You don’t need a license to ride a bike in the U.S. But e-bikes are a different story. Some states classify them as bicycles, others as vehicles. And in some places, you even need insurance to ride one. How to regulate e-bikes, for personal and public safety.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    It's not just phones anymore. More teachers and even entire U.S. school districts are cutting back the time students spend on laptops and other screens. How do students really learn -- and do screens help or hurt?

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the chasm between what politicians say when they are running for office and what they can do in office, and why he thinks 2026 is the year of the demagogue.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    One in 5 Americans say they've seen a ghost. But what if it was really our brain that had tricked us into thinking we saw something we didn't?

    In the "Science of the Supernatural" psychology professor Melissa Maffeo argues how a paranormal experience could be our brains just misinterpreting the external world.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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    Highly toxic wastewater from America’s fracking boom is buried in deep underground wells. But in some places that toxic waste is bubbling upwards -- threatening local drinking water. How Marietta, Ohio is trying to fight fracking waste.

    *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint