Boston Public Radio Podcast

The Culture Show’s Jared Bowen gives his arts and culture reviews around the region – from Christine Baranski in Newport and more. On the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin traces the steps that have weakened the legislation over time…right up to Texas’ planned gerrymandered maps. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio still hasn’t audited the legislature, like voters approved back in November. She joins us to talk about what (or who) is standing in her way. We talk with two MassGeneral trauma prevention experts about how to stay safe on the roads and in the water before kids head back to school: Toby Raybould, the trauma prevention & outreach program manager, and Dr. Michael Flaherty, a pediatric critical care physician in the pediatric intensive care unit.

CNN's John King with the latest political headlines from Washington. ACLU of Mass Carol Rose on an update on their first birthright citizenship case in federal appeals court Lydia Coverdale-Perez and Whitney Edwards, two of the women behind Watch With Us Boston, the group that just purchased rights to open a Boston franchise of The Sports Bra, a sports bar dedicated to women’s sports. NBC Sports Boston's Trenni Casey on the deal to bring the Connecticut Sun to Boston

NBC10 Boston's Sue O'Connell guest hosts with Jim. NAACP's Michael Curry on how Trump is replacing "woke" with his own version of diversity, plus a mini-lesson on the history of white supremacy, in today’s context. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung on whether Mayor Wu has paid enough attention to the city center and the Connecticut Sun WNBA team potentially moving to Boston. Boston Medical Center's Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett on the return of the presidential fitness test, CVS and Mass General Brigham expanding primary care in Mass., and what's needed to actually expand IVF access. Tufts food policy analyst Corby Kummer on the vodka-energy drink mix up, how food stamp cuts could hurt local grocers, and where to find the best ice cream in the state.

GBH's Callie Crossley and The Bay State Banner's Yawu Miller join for this week’s round of Press Play media analysis. They discuss media coverage of Epstein developments, an incident where two Boston Globe reporters were attacked at Mass & Cass., WEEI host Mike Felger’s outsized influence in Boston media and what Margaret Sullivan has dubbed “the media capitulation index.” John Davidson once hosted of shows like Hollywood Squares and That’s Incredible!, and served as Johnny Carson’s go-to fill-in host on The Tonight Show. Now, he’s celebrating an encore season of shows at his Club Sandwich in Sandwich, New Hampshire. He joins for Live Music Friday and talks about a life in show business, songwriting and falling in love late in life. NBC10 Boston's local woman Sue O’Connell discusses 50 years of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, efforts to put President Trump on Mount Rushmore, and other assorted news of the day. Olga Cherevko is a UN aid worker in Gaza. She joins to talk about what she’s seeing on the ground as the humanitarian crisis worsens. Meredith Goldstein recounts some of her latest and greatest Love Letters advice columns, and gives her take on the Coldplay jumbotron scandal.

Dan Primack, business editor with Axios, talks about the state of the Fed, Trump tariffs and global trade. Andrea Cabral on DOJ chair Tulsi Gabbard winning over Trump with claims about Obama engaging in criminal conspiracy. James Jacoby joins to talk about his latest film for FRONTLINE, “Remaking the Middle East: Israel vs. Iran.”

Today: Naturalist Sy Montgomery zooms in to discuss her trip with producer Zoe Mathews to a puffin colony in Maine. And, Marty Martinez is the new CEO and President of United Way of Massachusetts Bay. He joins to discuss the nonprofit and social services.

GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen discusses AI-fueled video games and the mayoral forum on the arts. Harvard national security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses the latest on the gunman in New York, tsunami warnings after last night's earthquake, and new FEMA grants set to go out to states to build migrant detention facilities. Marty Martinez, President and CEO of United Way of Massachusetts Bay, joins to discuss the challenges facing community-based nonprofits right now. Martinez, who formerly served as Boston's health chief, also discusses the state of public health. Naturalist and author Sy Montgomery recounts her trip to see a thriving puffin population in Maine with BPR senior producer Zoe Mathews. Plus, Sy talks about elephants communicating with humans and a pair of coyotes living in Central Park.

Congresswoman Katherine Clark discusses what she’s called “six months of chaos under Republican leadership,” the Democratic strategy to get the Epstein files released, and the future of an unpopular party. NBC Sports Boston's Trenni Casey on the New York City gunman who apparently targeted NFL offices; the Fenway Aramark concession strike; and the MLB’s newest star affectionately known as "Big Dumper." Lee Pelton of the Boston Foundation discusses the latest in higher education deals with the Trump administration, and announces a new food equity program from the Boston Foundation. Food policy analyst Corby Kummer discusses World Central Kitchen's operations in Gaza, and he remembers his friend, the late Tom Lehrer.

Today: Retired federal Judge Nancy Gertner discusses a Department of Justice gone rogue, as top department officials suggest ignoring court orders. And, Michael Curry of the Mass League of Community Health Centers and NAACP discusses the impacts of conservative attacks on diversity.

Retired federal judge Nancy Gertner on a growing number of whistleblowers claiming top DOJ officials said the department could ignore numerous court orders. Is this the new normal under President Trump, and what does it say about our courts’ ability to check the powers of the executive? Former Boston Globe editor, now head of BU Journalism, Brian McGrory on more news of Steward Health CEO Ralph de la Torre – a bankruptcy case alleges he and other executives defrauded the company of over $200 million, leading to the hospital chain’s collapse. We get Brian’s take on that and other media news. Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther explains how a drop in international tourists — namely proud Canadians boycotting Trump policies — is hurting the U.S. economy. And we’ll get his no-holds-barred review on live music at Logan airport. Mass League of Community Health Centers' CEO Michael Curry discusses how the tragic nursing home fire in Fall River is prompting a closer look at how the state regulates those facilities. Plus, he talks about the public health impacts of Trump’s war on DEI.

Today: We’ll start with Live Music Friday, from Irish folk band Solas performing for us ahead of the Lowell Folk Festival. And, Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins us with MIT economist Jon Gruber – making the case for new cities -- as in, we need to build a lot of housing, and quickly, if we’re going to get ourselves out of the housing crisis.

Local woman, coyote wrangler and NBC10 Boston's Sue O'Connell guest hosts with Jim. Julie Millican, Vice President of Media Matters, joins for this week’s edition of Press Play media analysis. Irish folk band Solas performs ahead of this weekend's Lowell Folk Festival. We also talk with festival founders Seamus Eagan and Winnie Hogan, plus executive director Lee Viliesis. GBH's Callie Crossley discusses a protest on Nantucket against Vice President JD Vance, WBZ layoffs, Trump’s latest push to prevent “woke AI," new Obama conspiracy theories and reflections on the death of Hulk Hogan and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Rep. Jake Auchincloss and MIT economist Jon Gruber join to talk about their recent essay called “The Case for New Cities."

Today: Omer Bartov is the Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University. He joins us to discuss his view that Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Then GBH CEO Susan Goldberg stops by studio 3 to update us on the impacts of losing federal funding.

BPR Full Show 7/24: The Towel Wasting Family

Today: Market Basket executives Tom Gordon and Joe Schmidt join Jim and Margery at the Boston Public Library to discuss their firings, in the wake of speaking out against the company's latest. And, husband-and-wife owners of La Saison bakery, Soheil Fathi & Sarah Moridpour discuss their journey from Tehran to the Boston area.

GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen discusses the Labubu craze and 200 years of American Art on display at the PEM. Harvard national security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses Israel's expanded attacks in central Gaza, the growing daily deaths at food and humanitarian sites operated by the IDF, and France's media organization calling for the removal of its freelancers who remain in Gaza, citing starvation. Market Basket employees -- Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon -- were fired hours after Schmidt appeared on our show yesterday. We check back in with them on the latest in the Market Basket family feud. Ariel Foxman is the VP of brand and experience for the Boston Seaport and Brandon Cardet-Hernandez is a Boston School Committee and member of the Mass council for Latino Empowerment. They are married, and join for our "How Do You Two Know Each Other?" segment. Soheil Fathi and Sarah Moridpour of La Saison Bakery join to discuss their journey from Tehran to Boston.

Today: “The Garden Lady” herself, C.L. Fornari, joins to discuss her program on GBH and CAI. And, Joe Schmidt and Paul Quigley have each worked at Market Basket for decades; they're currently suspended in the wake of turmoil in the board room over leadership at the company. They join to discuss.

CNN chief national correspondent John King on the latest national political news. C.L. Fornari, the garden lady, joins to discuss her Saturday afternoon CAI/GBH broadcast ... and takes listener questions about plants and gardening. Joe Schmidt, Tom Gordon, and Paul Quigley are Market Basket supervisors suspended by the company in the wake of CEO Artie T Demoulas being placed on leave. They were suspended over allegations they have been engaging in "disruptive behavior within the company." Sports authority Trenni Casey discusses the WNBA entering in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement with players, and the NFL's female coaching surge.

Today: Andrea Cabral and Shirley Leung fill in for Jim and Margery. We talk with NBC10 commentator Sue O'Connell about President Trump's new lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over new reporting on his connections with Jeffrey Epstein. And, Princeton's Khalil Gibran Muhammad discusses the latest in higher education, as Harvard takes the Trump administration to court over federal funding.

Boston Globe's Shirley Leung and former public safety secretary Andrea Cabral sub in the host seats for Jim and Margery. Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans talks about how Hispanic and Latino communities are adapting to the Trump administration's immigration policies, and ICE’s latest push to build migrant tent camps. Local woman Sue O’Connell discusses inner-party GOP debate over the Epstein files, Stephen Colbert’s cancellation and the Astronomer CEO caught on the Coldplay concern 'kiss cam.' Boston Medical Center's Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discusses local hits to Medicaid from Trump’s massive spending bill, plusnew evidence on the harms of vaping. Princeton University's Khalil Gibran Muhammad discusses how claims of anti-semitism are being used to undercut DEI in higher-ed, and why Black Americans are continuing to boycott big-box retailers.