The Jackpod: Chainsaw
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty assesses what Elon Musk and his Department of Government of Efficiency have achieved as Musk’s appointment as special government employee is due to expire.
What life is really like in El Salvador under Bukele’s 'iron fist'
El Salvador was once the murder capital of the world. Now under President Nayib Bukele, it’s safer than Canada. But with 2% of its population locked up -- what is...
Trump and trickle-down corruption
A $400 million jet from Qatar. His own crypto coin. Is President Donald Trump normalizing corruption?
Inside the wrongful conviction of Ben Spencer
No witnesses. No physical evidence. An ironclad alibi. Nevertheless, a Texas jury sentenced Ben Spencer to life in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Journalist and author Barbara Bradley...
What happens when you train your AI on AI-generated data?
AI companies say they are running out of high-quality data to train their models on. But they might have a solution: data generated by artificial intelligence systems themselves. The pros...
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Protecting from harm or censorship? Policing educational material in Texas
Texas state legislature just passed a bill that would send doctors, teachers, librarians and more to jail if they provide kids with "harmful" materials. But who decides what's harmful, and...
The Jackpod: Stephen Miller and the wages of ostracism
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the life and experiences of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and their connection with Trumpism.
India and Pakistan on the brink of war. Again.
A ceasefire deal has put a pause on conflict between India and Pakistan. But experts say the two nuclear powers have a lot to work out if the Kashmir region...
The challenges facing the first-ever American pope
The world's 1.4 billion Catholics have a new pope, Leo XIV. But the church he now leads is far from unified. What does the global Catholic Church want from a...
What is Tren de Aragua? The criminal organization's origins, activities and reach within the U.S.
The Biden administration first labeled Venezuelan gang as a multi-national criminal organization. President Trump has now put Tren de Aragua at the center of the debate over immigration and deportation....
How the Trump administration's defense policies are affecting women in service
As the U.S. military faces a recruiting crisis, women have been consistent enlistees into America’s armed forces. So why is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceling a program supporting them?
How closely is Trump following the Project 2025 blueprint?
The vast majority of Trump’s executive orders have come from The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, and the so-called "America First" plan. How the Trump administration is turning Project 2025 and...
The Jackpod: The past is a foreign country
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on what President Trump does and doesn’t know about U.S. history and what that means for the country today.
Feeding America's insatiable appetite for lumber
The Trump administration wants to expand the American lumber industry by logging more trees in national forests and raising tariffs on lumber imports. The impact that could have on the...
Trump's push to shrink FEMA
Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year. President Donald Trump promised North Carolinians he wouldn’t forget them. But recently, Trump's FEMA rejected the state's request for extended relief funding.
The real story of REAL ID
Starting May 7, you will have to have a REAL ID to board a U.S. domestic flight. But so much has changed in the 20 years since Real ID was...
Did 'An Abundance of Caution' during COVID do more harm than good for America's students?
Millions of healthy children didn't set foot in a classroom for more than a year during the COVID pandemic. Journalist David Zweig says those school closures may have done more...
The real story of birthright citizenship
President Trump believes that if you're born in the United States, you should not automatically be a citizen. Historian Heather Cox Richardson says Trump is willfully misinterpreting American history and...
The Jackpod: All Americans
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the centrality of the rule of law in the U.S. And the findings of a Pew Research poll that 88% of Americans believe...
The transformation of Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas was known as a funky, liberal haven in a deep red state. Now, there’s big tech money pouring in and huge growth. How has life changed there?