Short Run

Every time there is a mass shooting in America, the first question is why.

When we look for answers, we tend to focus on the incident itself - who the shooter was, why they did it, and who parachutes in to debate the state of regulation — or lack thereof — that allowed it to happen. What we forget is the centuries of history that got us to this long emergency of gun violence in America.

Produced by WBUR, Boston’s NPR, in partnership with The Trace, The Gun Machine looks into the past to bring you a story that most Americans never learned in history class: how early partnerships between mad scientist gunsmiths and a fledgling U.S. government created the gun industry in the Northeast, and how that industry has been partners with the government ever since.

Host Alain Stephens examines how this 250-year relationship underpins all Americans’ interactions with guns — including our failures in dealing with the fallout of gun violence.

The Gun Machine debuts on Oct. 4, 2023. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

This September, we're bringing you a story that most Americans never learned in history class — a new podcast about the gun industry’s grip on our country. And their biggest partner, since the Revolutionary War: The government. 

Introducing The Gun Machine: How America was forged by the gun industry. Coming soon to 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.

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.

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.

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.

India takes center stage in episode two of On Point's special series 'The power of populism'.

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.

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.

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 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.