WBUR

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

News EN ↓ 400 episodes

Get ready for your aha moment: Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti pierces your news bubble to expose the whole story. Getting answers to the questions that need to be asked, examining our history and the human condition. No topic is too complicated or off the table. It’s all On Point.

Author

WBUR

Category

News

Podcast website

www.wbur.org

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

How to change a memory 19.02.2026

Neuroscientist Steve Ramirez sees memory as a way to time travel. But what if we could edit our memories? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Inside PragerU’s conservative push into American classrooms 18.02.2026

PragerU is a conservative video giant. It’s produced more than 2,000 videos that it says promote American and Judeo-Christian values. Now its content is approved in 10 states’ school systems. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Epstein files' lingering questions 17.02.2026

Three million documents were released from the DOJ’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The release identifies numerous rich and powerful men as Epstein associates. But critics say the release is simply not enough. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

How America sees itself through film 16.02.2026

The National Film Registry names 25 movies each year that showcase the range and diversity of American filmmaking. How those movies reflect – and have shaped -- America’s history and culture. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Brainwaves: How does a brain stay healthy? 13.02.2026

You might think a healthy brain starts and ends in your head – but there are miles and miles of neuron fibers that connect your brain with nearly every corner of your body. Why a healthy brain needs a healthy body. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Jackpod: Don’t exhaust your indignation 13.02.2026

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on who stands to benefit from the so-called Dmitriev package, a reported $12 trillion economic cooperation proposal between the U.S. and Russia. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Brainwaves: What happens between life and death? 12.02.2026

A tunnel. A bright light. Reuniting with deceased loved ones. Many people who have near-death experiences have remarkably similar stories. Why? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Brainwaves: Is AI actually thinking? 11.02.2026

The rate at which artificial intelligence is able to replicate human behavior has increased in recent years. Does that mean it's thinking like us? In the third episode of "Brainwaves," what artificial intelligence teaches us about our own capacity for thought. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Brainwaves: Are you in there? 10.02.2026

Consciousness is how we are able to feel, dream and imagine. And yet -- scientists haven't figured out how consciousness definitively works. What we know, what we don’t and what that tells us about our brains. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Brainwaves: Why is the brain such a mystery? 09.02.2026

The brain is the organ that makes us who we are. It’s our conduit between reality and thought. But somehow, we’ve only scratched the surface in understanding how the brain actually works. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

What if the polio vaccine becomes optional? 06.02.2026

The head of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel recently said he thinks vaccines for polio and measles should be optional. A fact-check of the Trump administration’s latest moves against mass vaccination. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Jackpod: America’s golden age 06.02.2026

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on Americans whose recent violent encounters with immigration agents have changed them and their families. Several of them spoke at a recent forum organized by congressional Democrats. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Lessons for the U.S. in 'China’s quest to engineer the future' 05.02.2026

How can a lawyerly society and an engineering society learn from each other? And what’s at stake if they fail? Author Dan Wang set out to answer those questions about the U.S. and China. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Does America's new national security strategy actually put 'America First'? 04.02.2026

The Trump Administration has now published its National Security Strategy and its National Defense Strategy. They present an ideological shift in U.S. foreign policy that deprioritizes defending Europe and dilutes focus on China. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Inside the AI surveillance state 03.02.2026

From your online browsing habits to traffic cameras on your commute, data about you is everywhere. And with AI, companies can gather, store and share detailed information about you faster than ever. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

What happened to shame in politics? 02.02.2026

Shame is a powerful feeling that can keep behavior in check. So what happens when political leaders feel no shame at all? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Jackpod: Gimme shelter! 31.01.2026

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the role that restrictive zoning laws have played in the shortage of affordable housing in the U.S. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

A pattern of denial at the Department of Homeland Security 30.01.2026

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti planned to “inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” But that’s not what eyewitnesses say and videos show. How can Americans trust an agency that disputes what we see with our own eyes?   *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The promise and reality of the rural health fund 29.01.2026

In the 2025 budget bill, Congress created the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to help struggling hospitals, doctors, and patients in rural America. But rural hospitals are expected to lose three times that through Medicaid cuts in that same budget bill. So, what will it take to keep rural healthcare afloat? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here:...

How Minneapolis is standing up to ICE 28.01.2026

In Minneapolis, grassroots groups have sprung into action against ICE. They’re protesting, running workshops on constitutional rights, and delivering groceries to people afraid of leaving their homes. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

'Poorly trained, overwhelmed and inexperienced': Who are the newest ICE agents? 27.01.2026

The number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has doubled over the past year -- driven by a massive recruitments campaign. Who the new recruits are and how they’re being trained. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Is American architecture destined to be boring?  26.01.2026

Frank Gehry’s legacy can be seen around the world in the curvaceous and dramatic buildings he designed. How Frank Gehry put awe in American architecture and what we lose without him. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Jackpod: America as a dual state 24.01.2026

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the division between the normative state and the prerogative state and the role that could be playing in the U.S. today. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Lauren Southern was an alt-right influencer. Now she's finding her 'way back to reality' 23.01.2026

A former right-wing influencer and tradwife tells all in her new memoir, "This is Not Real Life." From meeting with terrorists, neo-Nazis, political crime rings, to arrests, psychotic breaks and addiction, Lauren Southern shares how the life she thought she wanted ended up almost killing her. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Has Trump's erratic behavior gone too far? 22.01.2026

President Donald Trump's fixation on Greenland is alienating some Congressional Republicans and American allies. Has Trump's erratic behavior crossed a line? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

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