On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

Author: WBUR Language: English Episodes: 100
Each weekday, On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti cuts through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle to bring clarity and depth to the stories that matter. Produced by WBUR, this daily news podcast is built on the conviction that understanding requires more than headlines. Meghna Chakrabarti guides conversations that dig into the roots of current events, connecting today’s debates to historical context and the broader human experience. You’ll hear thoughtful interviews with experts, journalists, and people directly affected by the issues, all aimed at answering the pressing questions that often go unasked. The approach is rigorous but accessible, tackling complex subjects-from politics and science to culture and ethics-without shying away from nuance. It’s a space where multiple perspectives are examined, not just presented, fostering a more complete picture of our world. Tuning in feels less like being talked at and more like being part of a necessary, informed discussion. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by fragmented news sources, this podcast offers a reliable, substantive hour of analysis that respects the listener’s intelligence and curiosity. The result is a consistently engaging program that doesn’t just report what’s happening, but explains why it matters.
Episodes
How Katie Herzog drank her way to sobriety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:27
For 20 years, journalist Katie Herzog tried to stop drinking. But nothing seemed to work. Until she stumbled upon a lesser-known path to sobriety. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation her…
The new science of 'dad brain' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:09
You’ve heard of 'mom brain.' But how do men’s brains change when they become fathers? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint
The Jackpod: Bearing his pain silently [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:24
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty memorializes the courage and sacrifice of the Black men and women who served in the U.S. military in World War II. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation h…
How women are breaking records in ultramarathons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:33
Rachel Entrekin just won one of the hardest ultramarathon races in the world. She ran 253 miles across Arizona, breaking the previous course record by more than two hours. But she's no outlier. At ultra-distances, more a…
Is an energy crisis coming for the global economy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:47
Europe and Asia are facing fuel shortages. The U.S. is in a fuel deficit. Some experts say the Iran War has caused the largest energy security threat in history. And it's about to get worse. *** Thank you for listening.…
The small Utah county fighting a massive data center [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
A rural county at the edge of the Great Salt Lake. A multimillionaire celebrity businessman. A shadowy state agency. What Box Elder County, Utah’s fight over a 40,000-acre data center reveals about America’s AI future. *…
What Yale saw when it looked in the mirror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:06
Conservative critics say America's elite colleges don't encourage political diversity and have biased admissions. A Yale University commission recently concluded that those critics may be right. *** Thank you for listeni…
Is Trump taking a chainsaw to the Forest Service? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:32
The Trump administration has made dramatic changes to the U.S. Forest Service -- closing nearly every regional office and axing its research budget. Some say it's overdue reform. But critics say public lands won’t be pro…
The Jackpod: The times they are a-changin’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:09
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on how the growth of inequality in the U.S. is creating a new political order willing to embrace raising tax rates. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation…
Introducing 'The Midnight Rebellion,' a new climate fiction podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:01
From WBUR, here's a new kind of story, one that's all about the big questions and decisions we face. The Midnight Rebellion is a pick-your-own-path podcast set 100 years in the future, where the stakes are nothing less t…