LDS Talks Daily Podcasts

In America we have the wealth and the know-how to end poverty, so why don’t we? Sociologist Matthew Desmond seeks answers in his new book “Poverty, By America.”By WBUR

Just three weeks after the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey, reconstruction was already underway. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has promised to rebuild in one year. But is racing to rebuild the right answer? Evren Aydoğan, Divya Chandrasekhar and Jared Maslin join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Teen mental health is declining, particularly among girls. The pressure of social media is often cited as a leading cause. But that’s not the full story behind the mental health of teenage girls in the U.S.By WBUR

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank marks the second largest bank failure in America’s history. Some say a 2018 rollback on bank regulations helped cause it. What happens when so-called mid-sized banks also get too big to fail?By WBUR

Computer brain interfaces used to be the stuff of science fiction. Now, headphones and earbuds with sensors that can read your brain waves – and sell your data – are hitting the market. Experts say it’s the time to establish rules of the road.By WBUR

A Texas lawsuit attempting to ban the abortion pill could undermine how the FDA approves drugs. If the plaintiffs succeed, experts say the pharmaceutical industry could be thrown into chaos -- leaving past and new drugs also on the chopping block. Glenn Cohen and Eva Temkin join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Emily Fobert is a research fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia. In the lab, Emily studies how light pollution affects marine life.By WBUR

Earth needs darkness just as much as it needs light. Human light pollution is pushing back the dark, which is changing the natural world, and could be hurting us, too. Johan Eklöf joins Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

The State of Missouri controlled the St. Louis police force from the Civil War until a decade ago. Now Republican state politicians want that power back. We explore the struggle for control of the police between the city and state.By WBUR

Professor Nico Smit specializes in aquatic parasitology at Northwestern University in South Africa. Many years ago, while working on his Ph.D., Smit ran across something special in the coastal waters off South Africa: a tongue-replacing parasite.By WBUR

Parasites. Cause of human disease. Big on the yuck-factor. It's easy to think of them as doing no good -- but researchers say that's the wrong way to think of these essential creatures.By WBUR

Barbara Brandon-Croft is the first Black female cartoonist to be nationally syndicated. Her comic strip, “Where I’m Coming From,” ran from 1991 to 2005 and featured nine Black women who talk about everything from racism, politics, friendship to love.By WBUR

Following a scathing independent report last year, Britain is shutting down its leading gender identity clinic. We talk about what lead to the closure, and how the debate over “gender affirming care” is unfolding in the United Kingdom. Hannah Barnes joins Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

More studies are finding that natural immunity from COVID can be as protective as vaccination. U.S. health leaders knew this in 2021 — but most didn’t publicly acknowledge it. Why? Dr. Chris Murray and Dr. Paul Offit joins Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Injustice in America’s for-profit justice system. When profit becomes the point, families become targets of the very justice system that is meant to protect everyone.By WBUR

When dozens of companies in the U.K. experimented with a four-day work week, employers and employees loved it. Could a four-day work week work in the United States? Juliet Schor, Matthew Bidwell and Shawn Noratel join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Florida governor Ron DeSantis is making changes to public K-12 education. How are his policies and politics impacting Florida classrooms? Jeff Solochek joins Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

In July 2022, Florida Governor DeSantis signed Florida House Bill 1467. It requires all schoolbooks to be reviewed by a district employee holding an educational media specialist certificate, to ensure the books are grade level appropriate and free of pornography. Shortly after the bill went into effect, videos started popping up on social media of …

The international community responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with harsh sanctions. But a year later, Russia is still fighting in Ukraine. Have sanctions failed? Adam Smith, Frank Vogl and Sergey Aleksashenko join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Thirty years ago, a secret dinner at the Pentagon led to a flurry of consolidation in the defense industry. We hear the story of that so-called "last supper" and what it means for the Pentagon's $800 billion budget today. Norman Augustine and Rep. John Garamendi join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Millions of Americans sell their blood plasma every year. It’s part of a global, multibillion dollar business. But what is plasma really used for? Kathleen McLaughlin and Dr. Morey Blinder join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Since the 1950s, the number of occupations requiring a state license has ballooned. Who benefits, who loses when one in four workers in America need a license to do their job?By WBUR

100 years ago, average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47. Today, it's closer to 80 -- and lots of people are using those extra 30 years to reinvent themselves. Tom Andrew, Chip Conley and Sara-Lawrence-Lightfoot join Anthony Brooks.By WBUR

When a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, residents were forced to evacuate. Industry critics say lax safety regulations and industry lobbyists set the stage for this disaster.By WBUR

Contemporary political battles have put school classrooms at the center of a debate about race and our country’s history. How should American educators be teaching the history of slavery? Danielle Allen and David Blight join Kimberly Atkins Stohr.By WBUR

Since Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago this week – nearly 8,000 civilians have been killed, 11,000 injured and millions displaced. We hear from Ukrainians about their year of living through war.By WBUR

It’s been nearly a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Both sides are preparing for new offensives. Can NATO keep its promise to stand with Kyiv for as long as it takes?By WBUR

Amazon is no longer content with being your go-to retailer, streaming service, or smart speaker. The trillion-dollar company now wants to be your doctor’s office and your pharmacy.By WBUR

There is more child sexual abuse content online than ever before. And not just on the dark web, but on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. What can the major tech companies do to stop it?By WBUR

A deal with the Netherlands and Japan marks America’s latest effort to curb China’s semiconductor production. National security, meets economic rivalry, meets trade war geo-politics.By WBUR

Before the shooting down of more unidentified aerial objects over the past few days, there was the China spy balloon. That gave us a rare glimpse into spycraft between the U.S. and China. What have we learned?By WBUR

The federal government asked the seven Colorado River Basin states for a plan to cut water. All came to an agreement – except California. Now the federal government may have to step in. How will the West adapt as the Colorado River runs dry? Jennifer Pitt, Bart Fisher and Kathryn Sorensen join Meghna Chakrabarti.…

Congress recently, and quietly, gave the FDA the power to prohibit off-label uses of medical devices. What’s behind that change and what it could mean for prescription medication? Zachary Brennan, Randall Stafford and Brad Thompson join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

In the 1980s, a lawyer devised a tax dodge that would save the ultra-rich millions. In the 1990s, Congress stepped in to make the maneuver even more lucrative. We hear how the ultra-rich avoid paying taxes.By WBUR

Populism, border politics and primaries. In this podcast special, On Point news analyst Jack Beatty highlights key moments from President Biden's second State of the Union address.By WBUR

American English has many forms. It’s evolved over 400 years to match this country’s dynamic history. Humanities professor Ilan Stavans says that because it’s so adaptable, American English can unify our fractured nation. Ilan Stavans joins Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

The Taliban promised they would honor Afghan women's rights. Instead, they have banned women from universities, even required covering the faces of female mannequins. Mina, Najia Naseem and Rangina Hamidi join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

One in five Americans now live with their parents, grandparents, or adult children -- all under one roof. It's a remarkable change from a few generations ago. Ammylou Daludado, Michelle Singletary and Hope Harvey join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

John Reynolds has lived in Yosemite National Park his entire life. In this 'First person' diary, he shares how living in nature helps him maintain a sense of awe.By WBUR

How do you find deep happiness? Researcher Dacher Keltner says the answer is to find everyday wonder.By WBUR

The banality of evil. That was Hannah Arendt's famous observation during the trial of Adolf Eichmann, the ‘architect of the Holocaust.’ Now, there's evidence that Eichmann's evil was anything but banal. Yariv Mozer and Bettina Stangneth join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

Special police units like the now-disbanded SCORPION team in Memphis are common around the country. Police chiefs say they’re essential for fighting crime. Critics say their elite status and lack of accountability is a recipe for abuse.By WBUR

A recent edition of On Point explored the role of patriarchal power in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the consequences of that for Mormon women in abusive relationships. Currently, only men in the Mormon Church get to ascend the religious hierarchy. Kate Kelly founded the group Ordain Women roughly a decade ago to try to chang…

This month, a Utah man murdered his wife, and their five children, and his mother-in-law, before killing himself. That’s sparked a conversation among Mormon women about power and safety in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.By WBUR

In the 1980s, the world came together to ban CFCs, commonly used chemicals that were destroying the atmosphere’s ozone layer. Are there lessons we can apply to tackling climate change? Paul Newman and David Victor join Meghna Chakrabarti.By WBUR

House Republicans are getting down to business, drafting legislation to spend more money on border control, less on the IRS. Hardliners are calling for radical changes to social security and Medicare. How will the GOP advance its agenda in the House? Rep. Gary Palmer, Scott MacFarlane and Philip Wallach join Kimberly Atkins Stohr.…

Over 40 million adults in America suffer from an anxiety disorder. But anxiety, the emotion, has an evolutionary purpose: It helps us prepare for an uncertain future. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary and Marc Brackett join Kimberly Atkins Stohr.By WBUR

Until recently Bruno Lozano was the mayor of Del Rio, Texas. Once seen as a rising star in the Democratic party, he’s now a fierce critic of President Biden’s handling of the southern border.By WBUR

Almost every major company in the U.S. requires their employees to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training. But is DEI training achieving what it aims to do? Frank Dobbin, Robert Livingston and Chloé Valdary join Anthony Brooks.By WBUR

So far, the presidency of Joe Biden has seen some big legislative successes, but a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. With a new Republican House majority determined to block his agenda, what’s next for the Biden presidency?By WBUR