Hi, this is Warren Alney. Thanks so much for listening to this podcast of To the Point,

and I want to tell you about another podcast that's available here at KCRW, and that's the program,

DNA, hosted by Francis Anderton.

Francis is well connected in the industry of design and architecture and art.

She used to be editor of an architecture magazine.

She knows the trends before they happen. She'll be able to fill you in on them. You can find DNA on KCRW's iTunes page.

From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Meet your microbes. They could save your life.

I'm Barbara Bogame, sitting in from Warren Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International, a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

It's called the microbiome, the tens of trillions of bacteria that live in and on and around

our bodies. Scientists are discovering that these microbes are linked to such diseases as obesity,

cancer, allergies, and autoimmune disorders, and that each of us carries our own

individual boutique blend of bacteria, perhaps as traceable as fingerprints. It's one of the fastest growing areas of medical research, and it spurred a multi-billion

dollar industry in probiotics, but is it overhyped?

We'll separate the facts from the fads.

On today's talking point, by not negotiating with terrorists, is the U.S. losing chances

to rescue hostages.

First, the U.S. losing chances to rescue hostages? First, the news.

Listen to KCRW's 24-hour all-news channel.

Stream BBC World Service, NPR and KCRW programs.

Continuous coverage and accessible via our smartphone app or online at kCRW.com.

Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio

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