Short Run

Some experts say that while populism can metastasize into authoritarianism, it doesn't have to. They argue that the roots of American populism made this country's democracy better. And that it's time to resurrect progressive populism. But other observers strongly disagree. The fifth and final episode of On Point's special series 'The power of populism' explores whether populism can make better democracies. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

America’s urban-rural divide. It’s easy to think of American populism as disempowered rural residents versus the urban elite. But when it comes to influencing national policy, who has the real power? Episode four of On Point's special series 'The power of populism' is all about flipping the script on the urban-rural divide. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

It felt for a while like Wisconsin was ground zero in American politics. How has populism flourished in the Badger state? In the third episode of On Point's special series 'The power of populism', hear all about Wisconsin and the politics of resentment. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

Populism is on the rise across the globe, from Turkey to Hungary to Brazil. And in the world's largest democracy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in a sweeping, economic modernization plan for all Indians. But he's also cracked down on the nation's civil society. India takes center stage in episode two of On Point's special series 'The power of populism'. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

Populism is a defining force in American politics, and around the world. But what exactly is populism? Where does it come from, and where does it take us? In the first episode of On Point's five part series 'The power of populism', host Meghna Chakrabarti discusses the origins of the word and concept of populism, and exactly what makes a leader a populist. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

We want to share a first listen of a new podcast we're working on at WBUR. Violation tells the story of two families bound together by an unthinkable crime. It explores America's opaque parole system and asks: How much time in prison is enough? Who gets to decide? And, when someone commits a terrible crime, what does redemption look like? Listen to the trailer and if you like what you hear, head over to the Violation feed wherever you get your podcasts and hit subscribe so you'll get new episodes when they drop, beginning March 22. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

All of a sudden, it’s less clear if Nixon’s wager is paying off. After years of collaboration and mutual economic benefit, relations between China and the U.S. are at a low point. What does the start of this important relationship reveal about its next chapter? In the fifth part of Here & Now's "The Great Wager," host Jane Perlez considers how Nixon's actions are reverberating today. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

The relationship between China and the U.S. is off and running — and now the two countries are collaborating on secret, sensitive intelligence. The fourth part of Here & Now's "The Great Wager" includes exclusive information about how Chinese and American intelligence officials agreed to work together against their common rival of many years. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

The news of Nixon’s trip to China is public, and he’s getting credit for pulling off such a historic event. Now, he and his advisers have to work with the Chinese to forge a relationship between two very different countries. In the third part of Here & Now's "The Great Wager," host Jane Perlez revisits when Nixon met Mao. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

Nixon and his national security adviser Henry Kissinger make contact with China. But in the midst of the Cold War, they don’t want anyone to know. How will Kissinger get to Beijing without alerting anyone — and what’s Frank Sinatra got to do with it? In the second part of Here & Now's "The Great Wager," host Jane Perlez digs into how Kissinger pulled off a secret trip to China. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

President Richard Nixon has a plan: He wants to go to China. The only problem? The U.S. and China have had zero contact since the Communist Party took over China two decades before. In the first part of Here & Now's "The Great Wager," host Jane Perlez digs into the beginning of Nixon’s improbable diplomatic mission. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

In the final episode of Endless Thread's series "Good Bot, Bad Bot," co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Dean Russell visit Google, the frontier of AI, to see just how close the field is to creating bots with minds of their own. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

In the fifth episode of Endless Thread's series "Good Bot, Bad Bot," co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Nora Saks dive into the ways artificial intelligence is changing modern love and online dating. Trying to find love (or even lock in one date) on dating apps is no easy task, especially with the onslaught of fake accounts and catfishing scams. But what if you had a digital dating coach installed right in your phone's keyboard — an AI Cyrano de Bergerac or Alex "Hitch" Hitchens — to automatically generate a perfectly crafted, personalized message for every conversation? Not just openers to get the conversation started, but witty, flirty banter to keep it going? As Endless Thread producer Nora Saks reports, lots of companies are developing apps that use AI-generated communication to optimize users' love lives and connections — online and off. Nora and co-host Ben Brock Johnson talk to the founder of one such start-up, as well as a dating app researcher, and single friends to probe the pros and cons of having an AI wingman in your pocket. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

In the fourth episode of Endless Thread's series "Good Bot, Bad Bot," co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Quincy Walters share a cautionary tale about Tay, a Microsoft AI chatbot that has lived on in infamy. Tay was originally modeled to be the bot-girl-next-door. But after only 16 hours on Twitter, Tay was shut down for regurgitating white supremacist, racist and sexist talking points online. Tay's short-lived run on the internet illuminated ethical issues in tech culture. This episode uncovers who gets a say in what we build, how developers build it, and who is to blame when things take a dark turn. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

In the third episode of Endless Thread's series "Good Bot, Bad Bot," co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson explore a growing field of artificial intelligence: immortalizing the dead through predictive AI text. They talk with two individuals who used this tech in different ways, and discuss how these bots can help us improve our understanding of grief. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

In the second episode of Endless Thread's series "Good Bot, Bad Bot," co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson consider the possibilities of bots being used in governments around the world. How can bots increase transparency and shine a light on corruption, such as insider trading, among our elected officials? Will bots be put on the ballot in the near future? The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

In the first episode of Endless Thread's series "Good Bot, Bad Bot," co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson delve into the history of ELIZA, the world's first chatbot therapist. Why did this computer's creator have a lot of complicated feelings about the development of AI? Can AI help us cope with mental health issues? The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

Trust — in our institutions, our leaders, in each other — can erode away. But trust can also be rebuilt, even after devastating events. How can humans rebuild trust? The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

Trust is essential for survival, for relationships, for a civilized society. But trust needs an unexpected ally: skepticism. But what happens when your skepticism turns into cynicism, or outright disbelief? In the fourth episode of On Point's series Essential trust, we discuss the need for healthy skepticism. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.

Brazilians don't trust each other. Some studies find that more than 60% of Brazilians don't trust the people in their own communities. In the third episode of On Point's series Essential trust, we look for lessons from Brazil as trust in the United States erodes. The best long-form audio series from WBUR, Boston's NPR, all in one feed.