On Point

Across China, remarkable public demonstrations against the country’s zero COVID policy. Could this mark the surfacing of deeper discontent in Chinese society? Dr. Yangyang Cheng joins Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Huge numbers of kids are struggling to read. Why? Because literacy curriculum used in thousands of classrooms doesn’t work. Emily Hanford joins Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Studies show a majority of Americans believe other Americans mostly look out for themselves. With trust on the decline, can it be rebuilt? Robert Putnam and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Trust is essential for survival, for relationships, for a civilized society. But trust needs an ally. We hear why building trust needs a good dose of healthy skepticism, too. Sanford “Sandy” Goldberg, Jack Beatty and Julia Jordan-Zachery join Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Brazilians have low levels of institutional trust. They also have low levels of trust in each other. Why? Chayenne Polimédio and Rafael Ioris join Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

What happens in our brains when we trust someone? Neuroscientists explain how our brains process trust, and why it's worth the risk. Jamil Zaki and Oriel FeldmanHall join Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Rebroadcast: Jane Goodall formed incredible bonds with chimpanzees in the wild. But were those bonds similar to what we humans experience as trust? About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

The fragile beauty of the monarch butterfly. Can they be saved? About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

From February to May 2020, almost 12 million American women lost their jobs compared to 9 million men, according to Pew Research. But new analysis finds that gender was not the main driver behind those pandemic job losses for women. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Zac Zaki and Tom Schueman join us to talk about the friendship they forged in Afghanistan, and what it took to get Zaki out of Kabul. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

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. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Congress has tried for years to reign in this ticketing monopoly. Will Taylor Swift Fans make all the difference? Krista Brown and Andre Barlow join Kimberly Atkins Stohr. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Last year at this time, retailers had high demand, but stock was in short supply. This year, that’s turned on its head. So, what does that mean for consumers? G. Tony Bell and Alla Valente join Kimberly Atkins Stohr. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Rebroadcast: An 'invisible epidemic' is causing suffering in millions of women. It affects memory, concentration, balance. We discuss traumatic brain injuries in survivors of domestic violence. Eve Valera and Rachel Ramirez join Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

A new word was coined to describe the economy in the fall of 2020: She-cession. Neat, but maybe too convenient. Claudia Goldin joins Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

In a country that’s increasingly polarized – many voters in the midterms said it doesn’t have to be that way. We hear what ticket splitting tells us about what American voters are looking for. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Elon Musk borrowed billions to buy Twitter. Now he has to figure out how to pay all that back. But there’s just one problem. Nilay Patel and Sen. Ed Markey join Anthony Brooks.  About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

In a world where we emphasize productivity and even celebrate busyness, is constant fatigue inevitable? Or – can we learn and practice meaningful rest? Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith joins Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Are cultural and economic forces changing boyhood, manhood and fatherhood? Richard Reeves says yes, and that many men and boys are struggling. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.

Children’s hospitals across the U.S. are being overwhelmed by the respiratory infection RSV. Can it be contained, and how? Dr. Meghan Bernier and Saad Omer join Meghna Chakrabarti. About: On Point is WBUR’s award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Every weekday, host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world.