Podcast Episodes

How the civil service system changed American government

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 …

Published on 11 months, 1 week ago

Does a picture prove anything anymore?

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?

Published on 11 months, 1 week ago

The ‘Godfather of AI’ says we can’t afford to get it wrong

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?

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Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

The Jackpod: Casualties of war

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.

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Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

'I thought I was doing something good': The scam that took Judith Boivin's life savings

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 elaborat…

Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

What you need to know about bird flu

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, an…

Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

The Internet Archive is in danger

More than 900 billion webpages are preserved on The Wayback Machine, a history of humanity online. Now, copyright lawsuits could wipe it out.

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Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Could mandating mental health care help the most vulnerable?

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 resear…

Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

'Vivaldi smells like breakfast sausage'

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 …

Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago

The 'money ladies' financial guide for 2025

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 ad…

Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago