On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

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