Does the U.S. need a $1.5 trillion defense budget?

Redistributing wealth through things like taxpayer-funded welfare programs gets a lot of pushback in the U.S. But what if income inequality could be fixed, not after the fact, but before it happened? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Billions of dollars of federal grants support everything from medical research to community services. Now, the Trump administration wants to tie that money to the president’s political priorities. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Humans have been obsessed with fitness for centuries. But how did this fascination start? In the new book “When Fitness Went Global” historian Conor Heffernan examines the rise of physical culture worldwide. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

In the 1980s, artists like John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen sang swelling anthems about working people, family farms and factory towns. But heartland rock is also deeply political -- and often misunderstood. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking Congress for a record amount of money, $1.5 trillion, as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran continues. What do those taxpayer dollars pay for? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Companies rushed to replace workers with AI. Now, some of these same companies are hiring back human workers. What happened? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut says the “current version of capitalism isn’t working” for Americans. What’s his plan for his party — and our country? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wants to shut down immigration because he believes many immigrants refuse to "assimilate." But what does assimilation mean to immigrants themselves? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

When his mother fell for an online romance scam, Carlos Barragán flew to Nigeria to track down the con artist. What he uncovered was so much bigger. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

President Donald Trump is escalating his efforts to reshape how American elections are run within the law and on the ground. How will his pressure campaign impact voters ahead of the 2026 midterms? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint