The Point

Pirates are part of our popular culture: children dress up as pirates for Halloween, and we see movies or visit theme parks based on the Pirates of the Carribbean franchise. It’s all part of our romanticized version of the rackishly handsome, swashbuckling sailor who plies the high seas in search of treasure. The real story of piracy, particularly the pirates who operated off the coast of North America in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, is much more complicated. Eric Jay Dolin takes us on a deep

On The Point, a discussion about cults. Why do people get involved in them, and how do they work? The doctors (Marc Whaley, psychiatrist, Jonathan Schwartz, psychiatrist, and Michael Abruzzese, psychologist) are in the studio with Mindy Todd to explore this topic. We hear about how people who feel powerless may seek a group that gives them a feeling of safety. Cults often attract people with poor self esteem, who are looking for an identity or sense of purpose. We hear about techinques used for

On the monthly Gardening program, horticulturist Roberta Clark joins our host Mindy Todd to catch up on everything happening in the world of plants. We hear about crops that did well, and also this season's challenges. We hear some tips about fall cleanup and ways to support the diversity of pollinators and many beneficial creatures that live in the less tended areas. We also discuss rats and other undesirable garden visitors. We'll hear from Roberta again in the spring!

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: t he Mashpee Wampanoag tribe faces uncertainty after a federal decision rescinds its lands in trust; questions continue over the fate of spent fuel at Pilgrim Nuclear Plant; and the region marks the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Dr. Alice Weiss is a veterinarian and pet advice columnist who helps people navigate the joys and challenges of pet ownership. She’s also the creator of DOGSENJOYLIFE on Twitter and Instagram. Alice joins us on The Point for a fun and informative hour of dog stories, and takes questions about the health and well being of your animal.

It might be easier to list the differences between Alaska and Nantucket than what the two places have in common. One is a small Island off the New England Coast the other a large territory comprised of vast wilderness and island chains. And the differences don’t stop with geography. Their history, economies and culture are also quite different. Yet Crocker Snow Jr. sees deeper and profound commonalities between the two places. He put his observations into a book titled Nantaska, the Minnow and

Steven Raichlen has a new TV series Project Fire , an exploration of how we grill today and how we will grill and smoke tomorrow. The Point's Mindy Todd and Amy Vince joined Steven for some innovative and delicious live fire cooking at his home on Chappaquiddick island.

For the monthly Bird program on The Point, Mark Faherty, wildlife biologist at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary , joins our host Mindy Todd in the studio. The fall migration is in full swing; some birds passing by here are on their way to South America! Fall birds are not as easy to spot: they are not singing as much and not wearing their colorful breeding plumage. Many migrating shore birds are still here and can be found in any area with tidal flats. Big flocks of certain species such as

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: t his week’s primary elections saw higher voter turnout than anticipated across the Cape and Islands; an aerial park in Sandwich is ordered to close; and Outer Cape towns look to improve communications at remote beaches, in case of shark bites.

As part of the Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival Author Series, President Bill Clinton was on the Vineyard in August to discuss his first novel The President is Missing . The book is co -authored with James Patterson. We recorded Clinton in conversation with Bob Barnett discussing the timely issues that the novel raises about our world as well as the collaborative writing process.