On Point's Year In Radio Diaries

Across 2020, we heard your stories: from health care workers to an unemployed mom to a journalist who was tear-gassed. We listen back to some of our favorite radio diaries.

1. Turning A Bar Into A Grocery Store To Help Your City

Pavlos Sierros is the owner of Forgtmenot, a popular bar in New York City's Lower East Side. He talks about why he converted his business into a grocery store, and how New Yorkers are handling living in the center of a global pandemic.

2. Faces Of The Coronavirus Economy

Latrish Oseko lives in Newark, Delaware with her boyfriend and their 4-year-old daughter. Before the pandemic, she worked as a contractor doing data entry, while her boyfriend worked a full-time and part-time job to make ends meet. But when the pandemic hit, things quickly changed — starting with losing their jobs. "I just feel so alone in this world, and it's still not over with this virus," she says. "I'm just praying we continue to get through it."

3. Coronavirus Surge: What It Means For Health Care Workers

For many health care workers, the current coronavirus spike means they’ve barely had a moment to step back fully from the first massive wave of cases this spring.

4. Work Meetings, Meet Video Games

With more and more people working from home due to the pandemic, Zoom meetings have become ubiquitous. And for Nate Crowley, reviews editor at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, an independent site that reports on the video game industry, they've also become kind of a drag.

So, at the suggestion of a friend, Nate Crowley recently tried something different for his team. He asked them to meet up in the server of the video game "Red Dead Redemption 2."

5. Tear-Gassed In Lafayette Square

In June of 2020, Nathan Baca, an investigative reporter for Washington TV station WUSA9, was in Lafayette Square, reporting on a major protest near the White House.

That evening, President Trump walked to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo-op. Just before 7 p.m., law enforcement officers from at least three agencies cleared protesters from the area. Nathan and many other civilians were tear-gassed.

6. Georgia Early Voter Recounts Her Long Day At The Polls

Everlean Rutherford arrived at her early polling location in Cobb County, Georgia at around 10 a.m. She didn't leave until it was her turn to cast her vote — almost 10 hours later.

7. 'Where Forest Meets The Sea': The Uncertain Future Of The Tongass National Forest

The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is one of the largest intact temperate rainforests left in the world. Photographer Amy Gulick takes us on a walk through the forest.

8. 'On Eagle's Wings'

President-elect Joe Biden will be the second Catholic president in U.S. history. In his first address as president-elect, he invokes his Catholic faith.

9. A New American Citizen — And A New Son

Ahmed Al-Zubaidi joined us back in late September. Since joining us, Ahmed has kept a close eye on the presidential election — and welcomed a new son on Election Day.