On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

Nearly every domestic violence survivor has reported suffering economic abuse at the hands of their abusive partner. They’ve been coerced into debt, had their credit scores ruined, lost all financial independence. Few laws are on the books to prevent this. That soon may change. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

President Trump has promised “the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.” On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the lessons and legacy of two mass deportations of the 20th century. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Many LA homeowners were dropped by their insurance companies a year before the fires. Is there a better way to make the insurance industry more affordable and sustainable? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

What's it like standing on the slopes of an active, erupting volcano? Volcanologist Tamsin Mather takes us on her journey to some of the world's biggest volcanoes. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Everybody’s heard about Ancient Egypt. But just downriver, the kingdom of Kush was one of the most powerful states in the Nile valley. Sudanese-British journalist Zeinab Badawi gives us a lesser-known history of one of Africa’s great historical triumphs. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

At the end of last year, Congress passed the largest overhaul of the nation’s child welfare system in more than 15 years. The reform includes more support for kinship care, aging out youth and efforts to prevent the separation of families due to poverty. How these reforms will make a difference for children and families in the U.S. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Republican legislative agenda is set to tackle tax cuts, increase border security, and open up American energy production. But how does the GOP aim to accomplish these goals? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

It seems like we're bombarded with customer surveys these days. Where are these surveys coming from -- and do they work? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on federal charges against Donald Trump for election interference in 2020; what has changed since then and what has not. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The U.S. Surgeon General is ringing the alarm bell on parents' mental health. 48% of parents say most days their stress is completely overwhelming, nearly double what childless adults reported. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Of all the states in the country, Texas is the leader when it comes to wind and solar renewable energy. What lessons can we learn by looking to Texas? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Pendleton Act of 1883 established a non-partisan civil service. President-elect Donald Trump says he’ll upend the law, firing non-partisan employees and replacing them with loyalists. We'll look at how the U.S. came to have a civil service in the first place. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Millions of people now own smartphones where, with just a tap, you can erase people from pictures -- and even add AI generated content that never existed. What does this mean for our shared reality? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Geoffrey Hinton is one of the world’s biggest minds in artificial intelligence. He won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. Where does he think AI is headed? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the causes and consequences of the U.S.’s decade-long war with ISIS and its impact on American democracy. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Judith Boivin thought she was helping the FBI go after drug traffickers. But in reality she had fallen victim to an elaborate plot to rob her of her retirement savings. She is not alone. How elaborate new scams are trapping well-meaning Americans. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

A Louisiana resident has died from bird flu. Just as during the COVID outbreak, there's a lot of misinformation circulating about H5N1. We'll get a clear assessment on bird flu, how it's changing, and efforts to control it. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

More than 900 billion webpages are preserved on The Wayback Machine, a history of humanity online. Now, copyright lawsuits could wipe it out. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Brandon del Pozo says when it comes to the severely mentally ill, society has made a mistake prioritizing personal liberty over compassionate care. The former New York City police officer, now researcher, argues that sometimes the most humane mental health care is forced treatment. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Smell can trigger memories and influence emotions. New research is giving us insight into how that happens, including why some people can "smell" music and why losing the sense of smell can alert us to what might make us sick. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

On Point’s 'money ladies' Michelle Singletary and Rana Foroohar are back to start 2025 with frank talk about the macro and micro of the American economy in a new year, and under a new presidential administration. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Rebroadcast: Half of 5-year-olds in America today can expect to live to age 100. So how can we age well and live with purpose well into retirement? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Rebroadcast: Our online feeds are already full of artificially generated sludge. It’s tainting our discourse, our culture and the quality of information. One neuroscientist argues all of this AI junk threatens our very humanity. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Rebroadcast: Labor economist David Autor’s research shows how historically, technological advances hurt the incomes of middle- and working-class Americans. But when it comes to AI, Autor says the exact opposite could happen. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Rebroadcast: 10-step skincare routines, products made from snail mucus. South Korea now exports more cosmetic products than smartphones. But pursuing beauty ideals can come at a social, emotional and physical cost. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Rebroadcast: More Americans are saying they don’t want to have children. But what does life without children really look like? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Rebroadcast: Snowpack is getting less reliable in American winters. And in many places, that's not just an environmental problem, but an emotional one, too. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint