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Show description and guests from today's episode of On Point.
How truck bloat affects pedestrian safety
SUVs and trucks sold in the U.S. are getting bigger every year. Those trucks are killing pedestrians at higher rates than ever. So the federal government is stepping in with...
The widening war in the Middle East
One year since October 7th, conflict in the Middle East is escalating, killing and displacing tens of thousands of civilians. What are the consequences of escalation in the Middle East?
County election officials share experiences from the frontlines of America's elections
Since 2020, election workers have faced protests from election deniers, even death threats. We’ll hear stories from three county officials, both Democratic and Republican, from across the country.
Examining President Biden's antitrust legacy
Under the Biden Administration, the FTC and DOJ took on the tech giants, major airlines, grocery chains to even Ticketmaster. Has that helped consumers?
Inside the minds of voters in Cambria County, Pennsylvania
The 2024 presidential election could be decided by voters in just a handful of Pennsylvania counties. In Cambria County, voters recently flipped from blue to red, and 133,000 Pennsylvanians could...
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Lessons from Arizona’s universal school voucher program
Arizona is the national pioneer for universal school vouchers. What lessons does it have for other states? And who’s actually benefiting most from universal vouchers? Our latest collaboration with ProPublica.
The Taliban's crackdown on women's rights
The Taliban has slashed women’s rights in Afghanistan even further. Now, women can’t raise their voices in public, sing or even laugh. What is daily life now like for women...
A journey into the 'Zynternet'
Zyn nicotine pouches have exploded in popularity, generating hundreds of millions of dollars for tobacco companies, their own online subculture and political controversy. What’s fueling America’s Zyn obsession?
The debate over lifting Ukraine weapons restrictions
President Biden recently signaled that he could be on the verge of approving Ukraine's use of long-range weapons provided by the west inside Russia. Ukraine says that will help them...
The truth about your period
For many women who menstruate, dealing with period blood is an inconvenience. But periods may unlock health secrets way beyond the female reproductive system.
How can we protect election integrity in 2024?
Fake news websites with names like D.C. Weekly and The Boston Times. AI-generated social media posts. Russia’s attempts to steer American voters’ perceptions and beliefs are getting more sophisticated. Are...
A family's 'reckoning with China'
In a new memoir, New York Times correspondent Edward Wong retraces the complicated story of his father’s life as a zealous young Communist in China to an immigrant in America....
The gender divide among Gen Z voters
Male Gen Z voters are increasingly voicing support for Donald Trump. But why?
Kamala Harris’ plans to fix the housing crisis
Vice President Kamala Harris says she has a raft of ideas to fix America’s housing crisis, including a proposed $25,000 grant for first-time homebuyers. Are her housing proposals feasible?
Why young adults are anxious about having children
Becoming a parent was once a social norm. But today, more Americans than ever are ambivalent about having children. A philosopher's approach on how to move beyond the anxiety behind...
Birth rates are down, but maybe not why you think
American families are having fewer children these days. But for families where that’s not the case, a sense of meaning is behind their decision to have children.
The COVID lab leak theory
Alina Chan is a biologist at one of Harvard and MIT's most celebrated institutes. She's also a leading voice who says the COVID lab leak theory cannot be ignored.
Rebroadcast: 'Colorblindness' in America
Coleman Hughes is a young Black author and podcaster who argues that closing racial divides in America … means building a color-blind society. A conversation with Coleman Hughes.
A look inside Mexico's judicial overhaul
Mexico will, in all likelihood, soon become the world's first country to elect every single one of its judges, including the Mexican supreme court. Many legal experts in Mexico agree...
The push to preserve quiet
Sound recordist Matt Mikkelsen travels to some of the quietest places in the world, like the Zabalo River in Ecuador. But vibrant natural soundscapes are increasingly threatened by human noise....