Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jesse Mermell and Charlie Chieppo join for a politics panel discussing the debt ceiling deal, President Biden’s fall, and more. Then we opened the lines to hear from listeners about Biden’s age and whether it matters to voters. Michael Curry discusses Compass Medical’s abrupt closure, struggling independent pediatric practices, and Mass hospitals piloting ChatGPT. Curry is CEO and President of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Boston Globe columnist Marcela Garcia discusses some of her latest pieces: ‘How to protect undocumented workers from exploitation’ and ‘Barking up the right tree: Regulate doggy day cares in Massachusetts.’ Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price discuss the hateful rhetoric of Ron DeSantis’ pastor, and a new study that finds more Americans choose in-person religious services over virtual worship. Scott Kirsner is co-designer of the Boston Innovation Trail, a walking tour of the city’s STEM sites through history. He joins with Namrata Sengupta, associate director of scientific public engagement at the Broad Institute, one of the 21 locations on the tour. We closed the show with a listener call-in segment about this year’s garden season.

The 2023 Scripps spelling bee crowned it’s winner, Dev Shah, last night. So we held our own spelling bee and challenged the brave callers. Comedian and podcaster Jamie Loftus has written her first book called Raw Dog, a comprehensive exploration of the beloved hot dog. She joined to discuss. Sue O’Connell talked Pride Month in Boston, as well 83-year-old Al Pacino becoming a father. Buster the Bear might’ve made an appearance in her segment as well. Corby Kummer discussed food stamp adjustments in the debt ceiling deal, recent controversies surrounding a dairy ad featuring Aubrey Plaza and an exciting offer from a New Zealand pizza company for its customers. Nancy Gertner joined the conversation to discuss the latest news from the nation's highest court. The Kendall Square Orchestra's annual Symphony for Science, taking place this weekend, performed for Live Music Friday. We ended the show by talking about all things hot dogs.

Chuck Todd talked about the debt ceiling agreement and other D.C. headlines. We opened the phone lines to talk Pride Month: what do people think of corporations co-opting Pride, and those on the right lashing out on Pride-themed products and events? Andrea Cabral returned for her law & order roundup. This week it was legal paranoia in the Trump circle, the story of a Boston police lieutenant with a history of DUIs getting another DUI, a South Boston dog trainer pleading not guilty to animal cruelty and more. Paul Reville weighed in on the sex-ed in Massachusetts schools debate we started on yesterday’s show. He also discussed big spending by BPS, the ongoing debate around cell phone bans and in-state college tuition aid for undocumented immigrants. Director Sammi Cannold & actor Caesar Samayoa from A.R.T’s “Evita” zoomed in to talk about the revival production. James Bennett II talked about some great (and cheap) things to do in an around Boston for June, plus why trashy books make for the best summer reading. We were inspired by a NYT’s piece on the meaning of mustaches. So, we opened the phone lines to get people’s thoughts: what does your mustache say about you?

Should Massachusetts mandate sex education in schools? At the top of the hour we opened lines to hear what listeners had to say. State Senator Jason Lewis made an appearance. Medical ethicist Art Caplan explores the implications of a genetic test aimed at assessing the risk of heart disease and heart attacks in younger individuals. Additionally, he delves into the reasons why many people consider a "natural death" more favorable than the potential trauma associated with CPR. National security expert Juliette Kayyem analyzes the repercussions of Stewart Rhodes' 18-year sentencing and shedding light on the risks posed by artificial intelligence. She argues that people should not fear AI. Poet Richard Blanco shares a collection of his poems, which celebrate the beauty and serenity of open spaces and natural parks. Summer is right around the corner. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung explores Boston's vibrant Peking duck scene, as well as examines the Greater Boston Y's pursuit of alternative offerings beyond the traditional health and fitness services. Naturalist and author Sy Montgomery discusses the reappearance of a Russian spy beluga in Sweden, and exploring whether octopuses experience nightmares. Do you tell your guests to take their shoes off when they enter your home? We held the hot debate at the end of our show by taking calls and texts from listeners.

The Celtics ended their playoff run with a loss to the Heat last night. So, we opened the phone lines to ask listeners about the pain of losing. And, what was harder to watch … the Celtics, or the end of Succession? NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Casey discussed the Celtics' loss last night. Plus, how wartime politics are making its way into the French Open. GBH News analyst and editor-in-chief at the GroundTruth Project Charlie Sennott discussed the latest in Ukraine, back from a recent trip to Bucha. Jim Aloisi, former transportation secretary, and Stacy Thompson, executive director of Livable Streets, joined for a transit panel. GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen joined fresh off a Broadway binge to discuss the shows he saw over the weekend. CNN’s John King joined via zoom for the latest on the debt ceiling deal and more in politics. New Zealand will make all passengers on their national airline weigh themselves before boarding. They say it’s part of a survey to gather data about load distribution on their planes...We asked listeners: would they do anything that requires them to step on a scale?

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.