On Point: Recent Episodes
WBUR
Let's make sense of the world – together. From the economy and health care to politics and the environment – and so much more – On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti speaks with newsmakers and real people about the issues that matter most. On Point is produced by WBUR.
Award-winning sci-fi writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck talk with Meghna Chakrabarti about the world they created in “The Expanse” and what they’re working on next.
One 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.
In our nation’s for-profit health system, more and more health care professionals say they're being forced to make choices that are bad for patients. Much like soldiers at war, clinicians now report suffering from “moral injury.”
Britain is on Prime Minister number three, in just the past two months. What's going on with Britain's conservative party, and with the nation they've been elected to lead? Emily Maitlis and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.
If the U.S. is to be less reliant on global supply chains, businesses and consumers are going to have to change expectations. Rana Foroohar joins us to discuss what it'll really take to rebuild the economy at "home." Rana Foroohar and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.
Some school libraries have been forced to remove controversial books. The threat now is on public libraries, where some communities have recently taken another step -- they've voted to defund their local libraries. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Patrick Sweeney and George M. Johnson join Meghna Chakrabarti.
The COVID-19 pandemic completely upended children’s lives as they knew it. What did they lose? We talk to a longtime education reporter about how the pandemic changed her view of public education. Anya Kamenetz joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy knows what it’s like to fly with presidents. Kimberly Atkins Stohr hears about his life in American politics.
Journalist Putsata Reang has reported on many wars. Her own life is defined by the war her family escaped.
“What did I owe my mother for giving me life?" The question gripped Reang when she decided to tell her mother that she's gay.
Putsata Reang joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
In December 2020, Representative Jamie Raskin lost his son. A few days later, he watched in horror as America almost lost its democracy. Rep. Raskin joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Over the past few weeks, we've been reconnecting with guests that we featured on the show across the pandemic.
Ken Gloss was with us last April. He's an antique book dealer and proprietor of the Brattle Book Shop in downtown Boston. The pandemic forced them to temporarily close the store, only the second time they've had to do so since 1825.
Ken's positive attitude and perseverance helped his store stay open. But it was not without its struggles.
The best friends behind the podcast “Call Your Girlfriend.” Their new book details what it takes to maintain long distance friendships. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman join Meghna Chakrabarti.
What we can learn from Dwight Eisenhower's life and leadership. Susan Eisenhower and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.
A mathematician turns gender into a math problem. We hear how math can help us rethink ingrained conceptions of gender. Eugenia Cheng joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
We talk with entrepreneur and author Margaret Heffernan about how we can best survive -- and even embrace -- the chaos of a pandemic.
We look back on the life and work of the great American writer and thinker James Baldwin. Eddie Glaude, Jr. joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
We look back at the life and work of the great American writer and thinker James Baldwin. Eddie Glaude joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
The best friends behind the podcast “Call Your Girlfriend.” Their new book details what it takes to maintain long distance friendships. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman join Meghna Chakrabarti.
Can pandemic literature serve as a tool to understand this pandemic? Authors Tom Perrotta, Geraldine Brooks and Lawrence Wright tell us what they think. Geraldine Brooks, Tom Perrotta and Lawrence Wright join Meghna Chakrabarti.
Children’s book author Jacqueline Woodson has written over 30 books, often focused on race and identity in America. We get her take on the current moment and talk about the never-ending power of story. Jacqueline Woodson joins Anthony Brooks.
We discuss the controversy surrounding the firing of Geoffrey Berman, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Plus, we break down the message from President Trump’s Tulsa rally this weekend. Paula Reid, Jonathan Turley, Stuart Gerson and Anthony Brooks join Meghna Chakrabarti.
It’s been more than 100 years since all of humanity has had to respond to a global pandemic on the scale of coronavirus. We take a deep look at the origins, responses and lessons of the flu pandemic of 1918. John Barry and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.
Can pandemic literature serve as a tool to understand this pandemic? Authors tell us what they think. Geraldine Brooks, Lawrence Wright and Tom Perrotta join Meghna Chakrabarti.
The Brattle Book Shop is rolling out virutal bookshelves for Zoom backgrounds soon. What books would be in your Zoom background library?
Author and historian Rebecca Solnit on how disasters like a global pandemic can give rise to a powerful hope. Rebecca Solnit joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
It’s been more than 100 years since all of humanity has had to respond to a global pandemic on the scale of coronavirus. We take a deep look at the origins, responses and lessons of the flu pandemic of 1918. John Barry and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.
If ever there were a time to turn to the experts it’s now. And yet, there’s deepening distrust of expertise. We’ll talk about why and what to do about it. Tom Nichols joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Emmy-award winning writer and producer, David Simon, on his new HBO miniseries, “The Plot Against America." David Simon joins David Folkenflik.
The remarkable story of Wolf 8, the nervy runt who became the alpha male of the pack in Yellowstone National Park. Author Rick McIntyre joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Independent bookstores aren’t just back, they’re thriving. As other small retailers struggle to compete with big box stores and online shoppers, how do indie booksellers continue to attract and maintain a loyal base of customers? Ryan Raffaelli and Jamie Fiocco join Robert Siegel.
NPR’s Steve Inskeep tells the story of one of America’s first celebrity political couples and their impact on history in his new book "Imperfect Union." Steve Inskeep joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
A new book examines the 1974 film "Chinatown" and the colorful, complicated and compromised Hollywood figures who made the troubling classic. Sam Wasson joins David Folkenflik.
Michael Lind argues the rise of populism around the world has been caused by the decline of religious and civic institutions and the rise of managerial elites. Lind joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Journalist and mother Sarah DiGregorio joins us to discuss her new book, “Early,” a deeply personal study of premature birth in the United States. Sarah DiGregorio joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
A new memoir reveals an unsavory depiction of tech startup culture. We’ll examine the influence of Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies -- and how the public’s view of Big Tech is changing. Anna Wiener joins Anthony Brooks.
A conversation with the Pulitzer Prize winning-poet Tracy K. Smith. She spent a year traveling the country as U.S. poet laureate. Where did she go? Smith joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
One-quarter of Nick Kristof’s high school class died prematurely. The New York Times columnist went back to his hometown to find out why. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn join Meghna Chakrabarti.
New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino explores modern culture through her experience as a millennial, and how social media shapes identity. She joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Before "The Canterbury Tales," Geoffrey Chaucer was a teenage fashion plate, prisoner of war, a traveler. We dig into a new biography. Marion Turner joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, says, "Nationalism shouldn’t be a dirty word." And he blames the right and the left for smearing the term’s true meaning. Lowry and Liah Greenfeld join Meghna Chakrabarti.
The musical duo Tegan and Sara return to high school. They join David Folkenflik for a conversation about music — and growing up.
The national suicide epidemic hits home for ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton. Her new book is "Life After Suicide." She and Dr. Charles Nemeroff join David Folkenflik.
The secret sauce and spices of Sichuanese cooking. Get ready for a master class. Recipes included. Fuchsia Dunlop joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Tackling today’s trickiest global challenges with the winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. They join Meghna Chakrabarti.
Monty Python’s Eric Idle is still "Always Looking on the Bright Side of Life." He’s out with a "sortabiography" and joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
A conversation with bestselling writer Walter Mosley about his hard-boiled character Easy Rawlins and a life in crime writing. He joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
The extraordinary story of one ordinary day in America. So much happens in just 24 hours. Gene Weingarten, Heather Armstrong and Ellen Krug join David Folkenflik.
Jay-Z at 50. We look at his evolution as a cultural icon. Michael Eric Dyson joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Acclaimed writer Carmen Maria Machado joins Meghna Chakrabarti. Her memoir explores the gray areas of an abusive relationship, and the confusion of falling from soaring happiness to emotional pain.
Machine learning is everywhere, but is it actual intelligence? A computer scientist wrestles with the ethical questions demanded by the rise of AI. Melanie Mitchell joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
In the 1960s, Alabama Gov. George Wallace led the South's efforts against racial integration. His daughter grapples with that legacy in a new book. Peggy Wallace Kennedy joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Richard Jewell was front page news after suspicion he had planted a bomb at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. A new book and movie unpack his ordeal and innocence. Kevin Salwen and Kent Alexander join David Folkenflik.
Life, loss, and laughter. Jane Clayson talks with comedian Jenny Slate on finding her voice through tough times.
Mary Pipher, a 71-year-old psychologist, has a message for women of her generation: "Happiness is a choice and a set of skills." She lays out the road map with host Jane Clayson.
A misreading of scripture is at the root of many of today’s controversies worldwide, says renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong. She makes the case to Jane Clayson.
Columnist and author Meghan Daum takes on political correctness in the new book, "The Problem with Everything." She joins Meghna Chakrabarti.
Iconic journalist Dan Rather reflects on American character and patriotism in this time of polarization. He joins Meghna Chakrabarti.