The Point

The vaccine rollout continues across the region, with first responders and older veterans receiving theirs this week. Gov Baker vetoes a major climate bill, as legislators promise it’ll land right back on his desk. And Massachusetts will be getting a new state seal, and the Mashpee Wampanoag will be part of the design commission.

On The Point, we talk about staying active at any age: why exercise important for our mental and physical health, what types of activities we should be focusing on depending on our age, and how to avoid some common injuries.

Our region has an eclectic and vibrant music scene, and coming together to perform or take in live music is something we typically enjoy year-round. This year is anything but typical. In-person music events and performances are canceled, and musicians are socially distant from one another. On The Point, we hear how the pandemic is impacting local musicians, and sample works of just a few of our regions talented musicians.

It's the monthly Bird News program on The Point: wildlife biologist Mark Faherty brings us the latest of the season's birding highlights (and reports on other creatures too). More people are birding during the pandemic, leading to more interesting bird sightings! An unusual flight of about sixty puffins was recently seen near First Encounter Beach in Eastham. It's been a good winter so far for finches and their kin. Mark gives us tips for the bird feeder, and notes the presence of remaining migrants that seemed to have stayed on to overwinter here, including several orioles.

Cape Cod officials want to open a COVID-19 recovery facility to relieve pressure on hospitals – but they’ve been waiting on state approval. Meanwhile, the Cape passed 250 deaths from the coronavirus this week. And local representatives react to the storming of the Capitol by pro-Trump extremists.

We have those stories and more on the local news roundup, as CAI News Director Steve Junker speaks with some of the region’s leading journalists.

On The Point, we continue our lecture series "Friends of the Marine Biological Laboratory’s Falmouth Forum." This month's topic is "The Future of Education, Skills, and Work: Staying Relevant in a World Changing Faster Than Ever." Our guest is Ben Pring, I-T futurist, and co-founder of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work. He's also co-author of the forthcoming book Monster: A Tough Love Letter to Machines that Rule our Jobs, Lives and Future.

Democratic societies are predicated on the belief that people are equal. What happens to societies when we fear those who don’t look, speak or worship the way we do? And when we don’t believe others deserve the same rights and freedoms we have?

Whether it’s a poem, an opera, a painting, or a sculpture, artistic work can have overt and hidden meaning. It can tell a story or make a statement. It can make us feel at peace, stir up anger, or inspire us to think more deeply. On The Point, we talk with Robin Joyce Miller about the intersection of her work as an artist, educator, activist and woman of color living on Cape Cod.

The “novel coronavirus” got its first mention on the Local News Roundup on January 31st, 2020. Just when you thought we were done with that old year, we’ve got a look back at the top local stories. From early coronavirus reporting, to a summer like no other, to vaccines arriving. Black Lives Matter protests stir the region, and Town Clerks figure out how to hold an election in a pandemic.

CAI News Director Steve Junker discusses those stories and more with CAI news staff reporters and producers: Jennette Barnes, Eve Zuckoff, Kathryn Eident, and Sam Houghton.

A New Year can be an opportunity to re-set, chart a new course or let go of the past.  For some that might include forgiveness- one of the more advanced intellectual and emotional moves we make as humans. It’s a complete override of our innate nature to categorize friend and foe. In this special broadcast of Kelly Corrigan Wonders we hear three unforgettable stories of forgiveness from around the world.

On The Point's books program, crafts is the topic this month. With winter weather and a pandemic keeping us indoors more, many people are finding time to take up a craft or hobby, perhaps looking to the recycling bin for inspiration! Our guests are librarians Jill Erickson and Kellie Porter. Mindy Todd hosts. 

Our brains don’t work the way we think they do: for example our actions are based on predictions formulated by our brain, not in reaction to experiences as they unfold. Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett joins us to discuss surprising insights into how our brains operate and how it impacts our actions and emotions. What we’re learning about the brain isn’t merely interesting; it could help us address some of society’s most pressing problems such as inequity, racism and even climate change.

A new hour-long special from The Kitchen Sisters and PRX with host: Academy Award-winner Frances McDormand. Stories of can-do people. Must-do people. Get-it-done people. People who are grappling with the now, with where we are and where we’ve got to get to. As the world we all knew unravels and communities begin to re-shape themselves, The Kitchen Sisters have been gleaning, looking for those who have something to offer during these uncharted times. People who rebuild, restore, reinvent.

Trouble sleeping? You are not alone. There are many reasons for sleep disruption, and the pandemic has not helped. Our monthly behavioral health program on The Point discusses sleep disorders, why sleep is so important, and therapies that can help restore better sleep.

Our guests on the program are psychiatrists Dr. Marc Whaley, Jonathan Schwartz, and social worker Ann Geagon. Mindy Todd hosts. 

Cape and Islands hospitals get vaccine doses – and they go right into the arms of grateful frontline healthcare workers. Meanwhile, if you’ve been trying to make an appointment at one of the Cape’s new public testing sites, chances are you’ve spent a lot of time on hold.

We have those stories and more on the local news roundup, as CAI News Director Steve Junker speaks with some of the region’s leading journalists.

Birds have long fascinated humans. We marvel at their ability to fly, in fact the first human-created flying machines emulated bird's flapping wings. It turns out the ability to fly is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the extraordinary behaviors, adaptations and intelligence of the species.  

Upon viewing the Grand Canyon for the first time, Teddy Roosevelt announced “leave it as it is." 

On The Point's Healthy Lifestyles program, we discuss the connection between brain and diet, and foods that support physical and cognitive health. We know that changes in diet can control type two diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. There is new evidence that diet can also help with behavioral health disorders such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and others. 

An initial batch of coronavirus vaccine is expected to arrive for the Cape and Islands by next week – now local officials are discussing how it will be distributed. Meanwhile, new testing sites are opening across the region.

We have those stories and more on the local news roundup, as CAI News Director Steve Junker speaks with some of the region’s leading journalists.

Since the start of the pandemic, calls to the hotline at the National Eating Disorders Association are up 70-80%. According to a 2014 article in World Psychiatry, eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric diagnosis, second only to opioid use disorder. Today on The Point's Healthy Lifestyles program, we focus on who is at risk, what are the signs of eating disorders, and what supports are available.

Wintery weather is here, and birds are coming to feeders as well as feasting on the remaining winter fruits in the landscape. Some unusual birds have been showing up, including orioles and even a hummingbird: a small number of these migrants end up in coastal places during winter storms. Mindy Todd and Mark Faherty  catch us up on the latest Bird News on The Point.