Boston Public Radio Podcast

As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, we started off by asking listeners how they plan to celebrate the holiday. And whether they are taking any special precautions to avoid wild animal encounters. Workman Song is a Martha’s Vineyard-based Americana band. They joined for Live Music Friday ahead of their performance at Boston Calling. Sue O’Connell dished on her headline-grabbing encounter with a wild coyote in Roxbury. Karen Tran runs the Tik Tok Tiny Felted Joy. She joined to teach Jim and Margery a thing or two about her craft. Andy Ihnatko discussed a handful of tech stories, including the Surgeon General’s warning about social media use, those fake Pentagon pictures, EU regulations on AI and other tech headlines. Maura Healey joined us for one hour of “Ask the Governor.” She talked about the Rachael Rollins investigation, offshore wind investments, getting banned in Russia, what’s going at the MBTA and more…

Ron DeSantis announced that he’s running for president in a conversation with Elon Musk that was filled with technical issues. We opened the lines to hear from listeners on their thoughts on the perfectly time glitches. EJ Dionne will discuss his latest columns in the Washington Post. He'll focus on what's going on in DC and Congress. Andrea Cabral will provide insights on the ongoing movement concerning Supreme Court ethics, the continuing aftermath of the Rachael Rollins scandal, and other noteworthy legal headlines. Sandra Bernhard, an actress, singer and star of the one-woman show "Spring Affair," will be joining us. She's been on Will and Grace and American Horror Story. Shirley Leung will share her latest report regarding Mayor Wu and Boston's business community. She will also discuss the news that Ayanna Pressley is working towards renaming the post office by South Station in honor of the late community activist Caroline Chang. Rick Steves, renowned and beloved travel personality, will talk about his recent journey through Madrid. Additionally, he'll provide details about his upcoming concert with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our show concluded by honoring the legendary icon Tina Turner. We took calls and texts to see how people are remembering her.

Elon Musk and Florida governor Ron DeSantis are reportedly announcing DeSantis’ bid for president today…on twitter. We asked listeners whether Musk’s actions have changed their use of the social media platform. Peggy Shukur (New England ADL) and Idit Klein (Keshet) discussed the ADL’s new report on extremism in Massachusetts. Juliette Kayyem weighed in on fake AI images of a burning Pentagon that went viral this week, and the U-Haul truck that crashed into a White House security barrier. She also discussed headlines out of the G-7 summit, and the latest on the trial of Jack Teixeira. Amal Amon, Samia Komi, and Omnia Fadelelsaid, are all natives of Sudan who moved to Massachusetts in the early 2000’s. They joined us to discuss the war in Sudan and how it’s impacting the lives of their loved ones still in Sudan. Corby Kummer discussed an Atlantic piece on what we do and don’t know about the drawbacks of eating fast. He also talked about the state of COVID-era restaurant policies and some expanded SNAP benefits. Paul English and Marcelo Suárez-Orozco joined to discuss UMass Boston’s new AI Institute, which they are naming in English’s honor after his $5 million donation. English founded the travel company Kayak and is co-chairing Embrace Boston. Suárez-Orozco is the chancellor of UMass Boston. According to a new piece by Katherine Wu in The Atlantic, there’s no scientific evidence that eating fast is worse for you than eating slow. We asked listeners to call in to share their eating habits.

The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory on a mental health crisis. We asked listeners how they believe social media is impacting children and teens. Trenni Casey discussed the passing of Rick Hoyt, an iconic figure in the Boston Marathon who passed away at the age of 61, as well as her experience at the Taylor Swift concert. Victor RosaTrio, who was wrongfully convicted and spent over 30 years behind bars, has just won a $13 million settlement. He joined alongside his lawyer, Mark Loevy-Reyes, to discuss his case and the implications of the settlement. Ross Mathews, known for his career as Jay Leno's intern, now co-hosts the Drew Barrymore Show and serves as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. He talked about his upcoming show at the Wilbur on June 9th. John Davidson, renowned for holding the record as the most frequent guest-host for the late Johnny Carson, now runs John Davidson's Club Sandwich in Sandwich, New Hampshire. He shared insights on how to make the most of your 80s and may even treat us to a song or two. CNN’s John King provided his perspective on the ongoing debt ceiling talks and other significant headlines from Washington. Style over comfort? Apparently not anymore since formal dress sneakers are now appearing on all types of professionals. We ended the show with thoughts from listeners.

It’s graduation season. We had listeners call in to share who their commencement speakers were. Michael Curry & Jennifer Nassour joined for a politics panel. They discussed the fallout from the Rachael Rollins scandal, budget talks in Washington, Dianne Feinstein & more… Former Federal Judge Nancy Gertner defended the advisory committee that recommended Rachael Rollins, plus, other court headlines. Jared Bowen returned for an arts roundup. He discussed a sound installation at MAAM and Women & Abstraction at the Addison Gallery of American Art and an auction of Donna Summer’s wardrobe. We also got his thoughts on the SCOTUS Andy Warhol/Prince prints ruling and the new Little Mermaid film. Reverends Emmet G. Price III and Irene Monroe offered their perspective on new data showing Americans are switching religions at a growing rate. They also talked scandal at the megachurch Hillsong, and a RNS piece asking whether faith makes a person more civic-minded. Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe’s film critic. He just published his 100th piece at the paper, and he joined to discuss that and the summer movie lineup. The New York Times reported that a man sat in first class while his family was in coach. We opened the phone lines to hear from listeners what they thought about this arrangement and first class in general.

Overall, birth rates are declining. Yet, women having kids in their forties increased. We began the show by asking listeners why they think women are waiting to have kids. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett joined to discuss life "post-COVID", Biden-Harris' administration efforts to combat the mental health crisis in the nation and more. She’s the Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation at Boston Medical Center and Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University Medical School. GBH’s Callie Crossley, newly crowned by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as a “2023 Distinguished Bostonian", shared her thoughts on the Rachael Rollins scandal, the Supreme Court's ruling against Andy Warhol, and more. Sue O'Connell provided insights on the recent anti-trans laws in Florida, Kansas City's potential as the first-ever LGBT sanctuary city, and the incident involving Harry and Meghan's car chase. Tracy Chang from Pagu and Jimmy Liang from JP Fuji Group joined us to celebrate AAPI heritage month and discuss various restaurant ventures in the food world, as well as their community work. Jimmy mentions sweet advice that his grandmother gave him. Cliff Notez, a genre-fluid musical artist, known for his contributions to Boston's local arts scene, was our live music guest. Taylor Swift is too powerful to ignore. We asked listeners once again how they’re reacting to the sold out shows, trains, hotels etc. Do listeners who aren’t going to the concert, do they feel like they’re missing out?

Rachel Rollins is in the headlines. We wanted to hear thoughts from listeners if and when someone can come back from disgrace. Ron Mitchell and Mel Miller discuss the leadership change at the Bay State Banner. Andrea Cabral addresses an ethics probe into Rachael Rollins' conduct as US Attorney, leading to her resignation. Shirley Leung from the Boston Globe talks about hearings on Beacon Hill to address the gender and racial wage gap, a public transit/housing law in Brookline, and the Globe's support for imprisoned WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich. Michael Curry talks about the Mass League of Community Health Centers launching a new research division, the challenges posed by an influx of migrants in Massachusetts, and the significant life expectancy gap between Back Bay and Nubian Square. Ismael Samad, co-founder of Nubian Square Markets, and Kamaal Jarrett, founder of Hillside Harvest, discuss the grand opening of Nubian Markets, showcasing flavors from the African diaspora. We wrapped up the show by asking listeners if Boston should also go the way of Seoul, South Korea, and ban children from entire zones?

We opened the lines to hear what people think about Elon Musk’s comment on how working from home highlights income inequality and is immoral. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed new research revealing increased brain activity prior to death, and the FDA's lift of the blood donation ban on gay and bisexual men. National security expert Juliette Kayyem examined cyberattacks on the Philly Inquirer and city of Lowell, and the immediate consequences of the end of Title 42. David Hogg from March For Our Lives and John Rosenthal of Stop Handgun Violence joined us to discuss gun violence in America. Jan De Leon Griffin, organizer of the "100 Words" Boston writing competition, and authors Rhiannon Varmette, Oswald Guy, and Miranda Norman joined us to share details of the program and read the winning submissions. Martha Stewart is on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit edition this year, at 81 years old – the oldest person ever to be featured on the cover. We closed to show with listener reactions.

Foxborough trains have sold out due to a Taylor Swift concert that’s taking place this weekend. Updates on the Sports scene in boston from Trenni Casey, anchor/reporter for NBC Sports Boston She discussed the Celtics moving forward and a Washington Post report on the Harvard football players whose lives were upended by CTE. GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen discussed the Paper Town exhibit at the Fitchburg Art Museum and some updates on permanent rehearsal space for musicians in Boston. He also announces this the show, Open Studio, comes to an end on June 2nd after ten years. Frontline filmmaker Michael Kirk discussed their new film “Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court”. He talks about Clarence’s troubling behavior from the past and the world he lives in that was fueled by Trump’s presidency. Milk Street’s Christopher Kimball discussed his new book “Milk Street Noodles”. The hosts and Kimball talk about different kinds of noodles. CNN chief national correspondent John King joined for the latest political headlines including the Rudy Giuliani lawsuit. We closed our show by asking listeners to tell us if they still listen to AM radio. Are people aware that cars still offer it?

Summer is around the corner and school’s about to be out. So should older kids be obligated to work or go to summer camp? We opened the lines to hear from listeners. Carolyn Beeler, a journalist from The World , shares details about their journalism initiative called The Big Fix, which aims to explore global solutions for addressing climate change. Retired federal judge Nancy Gertner delves into the possibility of E Jean Carroll suing Trump for the third time, specifically regarding his comments following the sexual assault civil trial. She also discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the "independent state legislature" theory that the Supreme Court of the United States may or may not be grappling with in time for the 2024 election. Corby Kummer, a food policy analyst, highlights the inspiring efforts of individuals in Arizona who have successfully combated historic drought by transforming lawns into forest gardens and cultivating urban farms in food deserts. Kummer also touches upon Michelle Obama's new venture, PLEZi Nutrition company. The Revs engage in a conversation about the increasing trend of Americans praying in their cars rather than traditional places of worship. Additionally, they discuss what Ron DeSantis' lack of "God-talk" signifies for Republican politics on a broader scale. Charlie Sennott, an analyst from GBH News, provides a roundup of various global news topics, including the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Ukrainian President Zelensky's meeting with the Pope in Italy, the recent elections in Turkey, and the Israel-Gaza conflict. We closed to show by asking listeners about their snacking rituals. According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly half of Americans are eating three or more snacks a day. We wanted to know how our listeners related.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. We started the show by hearing from listeners about the state of motherhood in 2023. Mary Callahan and Leisie Kelly are two of the performers behind Speakeasy Stage Company’s The Prom, currently showing through June. It’s a musical about washed up actors who infiltrate small-town Indiana, and the chaos that unfolds when two girls decide they want to take one another to prom. They performed as part of Live Music Friday. Mitch Zuckoff is a Boston University professor and author whose latest book is “The Secret Gate: A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice During the Collapse of Afghanistan.” He joined to discuss his reporting on heroism and sacrifice during the fall of Afghanistan. Mayor Michelle Wu is back for “Ask the Mayor.” Jim and Margery asked about her performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and about her homelessness plan for Mass & Cass. They also discussed city districting, an influx of migrants to the city, Summertime open streets and BPD overtime fraud. Then, we opened the phone lines again to get people’s thoughts on shorts in the office. Was Jim’s decision to roll up to the studio in shorts today appropriate or a travesty?

We asked listeners to call in with their thoughts on last night’s CNN town hall with Donald Trump. Andy Ihnatko joined to debrief yesterday’s Google I/O conference, plus, gave updates on the White House’s efforts to reign in on AI. Andrea Cabral covered the George Santos indictment and how former Boston Police Union head Dana Pullman is getting 2.5 years in prison for kickback fraud. She also talked about Boston redistricting, and blowback to the New York Times’ profile of Elizabeth Holmes. Juliette Kayyem discussed criticisms of how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s handled shootings in his state, most recently with the mall shooting in Allen. She’ll also weigh in on the E. Jean Carroll case, and a race between the U.S. and Russia over who can have the biggest naval presence in the Arctic. Nick Quah reviews podcasts for Vulture. This week, he shared his thoughts on Stiffed, Mallwalkin', Holy Week, You Didn't See Nothin, and She Wants More. A piece from The Wall Street Journal showed human brains are bad at multi-tasking. And yet, we can’t help ourselves. Why? What are your worst multi-tasking habitats? Listeners called in.

A Manhattan jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the author E. Jean Carroll. What impact will this verdict have on his presidential run? Will these allegations of sexual abuse convince undecided voters to look elsewhere for a president, or is this ignorable “locker room talk”? We asked listeners for their opinion. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the new guidelines for breast cancer screening, how the FDA is looking at the first OTC birth control pill and the end of the WHO’s COVID-19 global health emergency designation. GBH’s Jared Bowen discussed “Beetlejuice” at Broadway in Boston, “The Prom” at SpeakEasy Stage and “Angels in America” at Central Square Theater. Environmentalist Bill McKibben shared the latest climate news. Naturalist Sy Montgomery discussed a new airline for cats and dogs. Amazon is preparing to add return fees. Will that change your online buying habits? Listeners weighed in.

New Hampshire will now mandate that all schools in the state must teach cursive and multiplication tables. We asked our listeners if they agree with the mandate and believe cursive is important. Trenni Casey, anchor/reporter for NBC Sports Boston, discussed the 7 horses dead at Churchill Downs leading up to the Kentucky Derby, a matchmaking experience, and the latest with the Celtics. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Mass., discussed their involvement in North Brookfield to support the rights of the LGBTQ community there seeking to put a drag performance on during their Pride celebration, and the latest with silenced Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr. Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart discusses their 2023 spring season, starting May 12. Also, we get answers on how he keeps his luscious hair. We opened up the lines to ask listeners about how they feel about the beloved Christmas Tree Shops closing down their store locations. Chaos ensued. CNN’s John King joins remotely for the latest political headlines including the CNN Townhall tomorrow and how CNN came to the decision to have Trump on stage.

A new poll from ABC News/Washington Post finds 44% of respondents would "definitely" or "probably" vote for Donald Trump in 2024...yet 55% thinks he should be indicted. Is Biden in serious trouble for re-election? We asked listeners why they think Trump is currently the frontrunner. Shirley Leung joined to talk about the end of the road for the Christmas Tree Shop and Bed Bath & Beyond, plus, shutdowns on the Blue line and recent Globe reporting on liquor licenses in the Seaport. Bruce Marks is a long-time housing advocate in Boston and CEO of Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA). He discussed how racist practices and corporate investments have made it harder for people to own homes in Massachusetts. He added his thoughts on the rent control debate and talked about other housing issues in the Commonwealth. Vijay Gupta is a MacArthur Fellow and Music Worcester’s artist-in-residence for 2023. He joined Jim and Margery in Studio 3 to talk about what he’s doing in the Worcester community, making music with incarcerated people and bringing Bach to the masses. He’s got an introductory performance on Wednesday and he played us a couple of selections from the show. The Revs discussed a California Panel on reparations for Black residents. They also weighed in on the resignation of the Boston Archdiocese’s gender identity committee, and a study showing Americans pray more in their cars than in the church. Tom Brady compared himself to Secretariat this weekend. We asked listeners to vote on the real G.O.A.T: is it the 7x Super-Bowl-Winning Tom Brady? Or is it Margery’s favorite, the tremendous machine, Secretariat?

There’s a British Royal Coronation for the first time in 70 years, with 74 year-old King Charles officially assuming the throne of Great Britain. Are you paying attention to the royal event? We opened the lines to see if people are getting ready to tune in or tune out. Michael Abels is and Michael Ellis Ingram are the co-composer and conductor for the Boston Lyric Opera’s rendition of Omar, about an Islamic scholar who was captured by slave traders and brought to the U.S. in the early 1800’s. For Live Music Friday, listen to performances from Fred C. VanNess (covering Omar) and Cierra Byrd who plays Fatima, Omar’s mother. Sue O’Connell joined to discuss Ed Sheeran’s winning verdict in the trial, her thoughts on King Charles’ coronation, the end of Buzzfeed, Vice and other millennial news outlets, and Florida trying to ban pronouns in schools. Adam Balsam and Correne George are birding enthusiasts. They joined to talk about why they love it and how the rest of us can get involved. Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined for “Ask the AG” where she answered questions from listeners and the live audience.

Chuck Todd on the latest out of Washington. Andrea Cabral on the leaked Tucker Carlson text messages that proved Carlson’s racist impulses, Jordan Neely’s death and more. Paul Reville talked about higher education moving towards not requiring SATs for admission applications, the closure of the Cambridge Matignon School, GPA errors for BPS and other education headlines. Jennifer Mascia is a founding writer for the nonprofit newsroom The Trace that focuses on reporting on guns and gun violence. She talked about her journey there and the melting pot of gun culture in the country.

We opened the show by asking listeners their take on Boston’s expanded Open Streets program. We spoke with Oliver Stone and Joshua Goldstein to discuss “Nuclear Now”, a new film based on Goldstein’s book “A Bright Future”. It makes the case for nuclear energy as a solution to climate change. Then, we asked listeners to call in with their thoughts on nuclear power. We aired last night’s After Hours event: a wide-ranging conversation with Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a chat with Boston Arts Academy Spirituals Ensemble director Michael Bradley, and performances from the ensemble.

The Godfather of AI recently quit Google and said he regretted his work. If he’s concerned about the fast development of AI, are you? NBC Sports Boston anchor/reporter Trenni Casey talked about the Bruins’ loss, the Celtics and more. National security expert Juliette Kayyem dove into the Texas mass shooting and described why she thinks we haven’t caught the suspect yet. She also talked about Jack Teixiera’s role in the armed forces that gave him access to top-secret docs. Lee Pelton, president of The Boston Foundation, discussed the Black population in greater Boston going up, and previews a report out this week on access, affordability, and quality of early education in Boston. Steven Page, co-founder of the Barenaked Ladies, performed for a Live Music Tuesday, ahead of his City Winery show with his new trio, The Steven Page Trio. CNN’s John King joins via zoom for the latest political headlines. We ended the show by asking listeners if country clubs should be getting tax breaks.

Is American's gun problem rooted in fear of strangers? Maybe the first step to solving our culture of fear is to say 'hi' to your neighbor. We asked listeners whether they agreed. Are all these shootings from our fear of others? The new Massachusetts political party chairs Amy Carnevale (R) and Steve Kerrigan (D) join us for a panel discussion. GBH news analyst Charlie Sennott discussed World Press Freedom Day (May 3), jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich and the latest in Ukraine. Leah Camhi from the Fenway Community Development Corporation and Angie Liou from the Asian Community Development Corporation talked affordability in city development/housing. The Revs Irene Monroe & Emmett Price discussed Pope Francis clearing the way for women and lay-Catholics to vote in an upcoming bishops' meeting, and why the Church of England is honoring single people. Lylah Alphonse is editor for the Globe's Rhode Island and New Hampshire bureaus. She shared the latest headlines out of those desks. The Bruins were supposed to win the Stanley Cup...That ended last night with a loss to the Panthers. Were listeners devastated, or is this loss already fueling the comeback story for next year? We took your calls.