When private equity owns Main Street

Private equity firms are buying up more local small businesses, from dentists to pest control companies to veterinarians. What does this mean for consumers? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Congress has said it wants to take better care of military veterans, but the country has a $7.3 trillion debt for it as of last year. How to pay for the care veterans, and their families, deserve. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Millions are turning to AI chatbots for friendship, romance and even therapy. It's easy to understand the convenience of AI companionship. But what are we sacrificing in exchange for that comfort? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Blown out buildings. Destroyed aircraft. Exploded munitions. Iran has done massive damage to the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf. A close look into how much of the U.S. military presence is destroyed. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty puts America’s $40 trillion national debt into perspective and looks into some seemingly straightforward ideas to address it. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

AI-generated political ads flooded TV and social media this midterm cycle. Roughly half of them used likenesses of real candidates. Most didn’t disclose they used AI. What does this mean for the future of truth in elections? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

All 435 districts in the House, and 33 seats in the Senate were up for election during these midterms. Now that voting is over, will there be incentives to compromise, or political paralysis in the new Congress? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

he midterm elections have been focused on who will control Congress, but voters have also been weighing in on who will control their state in 36 gubernatorial races and over 140 ballot initiatives. A breakdown on the down ballot races and issues. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Since last year, the U.S. military has killed 240 people from Latin America while bombing alleged drug smuggling boats. With cocaine prices falling globally, whether the killings are deterring drug traffickers or just changing how drugs reach American streets. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

The Cornell Seven case has reignited the debate over whether fraternities should be allowed on college campuses at all. How to find the line between enriching community support and a system that might institutionalize harmful behavior. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint