Boston Public Radio Podcast

Best Of BPR 7/13: '20 Days In Mariupol' & The Grace Of Bowing Out

Floods, fires, humidity -- we asked listeners to call in to share how they're handling the summer weather. Margery and Jared talked with medical ethicist Art Caplan about a new Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, and a US task force recommending screening for all adults for anxiety disorders. National security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed the rise in extreme weather, flooding in VT, heat in the southwest; and, the latest of Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. Nikki Stewart of the Old North Church and Jazzmin Bonner of Plays in Place discussed the church’s new original play “Revolution’s Edge”. Former public safety secretary Andrea Cabral discussed how the state collects federal benefits meant for children in its care; and the latest on undocumented immigrants getting drivers licenses. Jane Eaglen of the Wagner Society shared a rundown of their summer programming. We're living in a Barbie world. Sometimes fantastic, definitely plastic. We asked listeners whether they are leaning into "Barbie-core" ahead of the new movie next week? And why, after over 60 years, are we so obsessed with this toy?

Best Of BPR 7/12: Opera Singer Jane Eaglen & A Revolutionary Play At Boston's Old North Church

Best Of BPR 7/11: Mayor Wu Speaks To City Council Scandals & A New Tax Break For Developers

Today: The recently launched social media application called "Threads" has amassed an astonishing user base of over 100 million individuals. We asked listeners if they feel limited to selecting between two powerful billionaires who prioritize their financial interests over fostering democracy. NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Casey examined preferential admissions at Harvard for recruited athletes, the New York Times ending its sports section and news of Megan Rapinoe retiring. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu answered questions from the audience with topics ranging from empty offices converting into residences, teacher union contracts, CNN’s John King joins via zoom for the latest politics. Is clutter meaningful? Or is minimalism the way to go? We asked listeners how they approach the objects they might find a use for years from now.

Best of BPR 7/10: Podcast In The Park

Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia is going back to school to get a master’s degree in machine learning…in his 70s. He joined us to discuss why his AI education is important for his work as a lawmaker. After hearing from Rep. Beyer we asked listeners to weigh-in: would you go back to school to learn something new, especially if you thought it would help you do your job better? GBH news analyst Charlie Sennott discussed the latest with Ukraine/Russia, Biden’s trip to the NATO summit, and Israel’s latest raid on Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is putting on Macbeth on the Boston Common this summer. We talked with director Steven Maler and actor Faran Tahir, who plays the titular role. The Revs Irene Monroe and Emmett Price joined to discuss the latest Supreme Court rulings on religious rights at work. Corby Kummer discussed how climate change is messing with our peach crops; and, a Ukrainian war-themed restaurant originally meant to evoke their fight for independence during WWII that’s taken on new meaning during the current war. Finally, we opened the phone and text lines to hear from people about their battle against rabbits, which are overrunning Greater Boston, from the city to the suburbs.

Best of BPR 7/07: Dr. Ashish Jha On Pandemic Preparedness & Previewing Boston's 'Beats By Girlz' Fest

The bike lane debate has reached a boiling point on Centre Street in West Roxbury. We opened the lines to hear what listeners had to say. Singer/songwriter Naomi Westwater performs for on Live Music Friday. They joined before the Beats By Girlz festival, which takes place July 8th at City Hall Plaza. The esteemed Callie Crossley makes a return! She discussed alternative pathways to higher education for refugees in the United States, Wu's innovative swimming and safety initiative, and exciting summertime food trends. Irene Li recently published an enticing book titled "Perfectly Good Food: A Totally Achievable Zero Waste Approach to Home Cooking." She gave the audience samples of dishes from her book, including delectable dumplings. Julie Wormser, Fidel Maltez, and Alex Train discussed the Resilient Mystic Collaborative. This coalition brings together various towns and local communities to address the impacts of climate change within the Mystic River Watershed. Ashish Jha has concluded his role as President Biden's COVID-19 response coordinator and has returned to his position as the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. He joined to talk about his experience. Now that summer has truly kicked in with the sun scorching the streets, we asked listeners to share tips on how they’re staying cool in the heat.

We started the show with competitive eating. Is there anything more American? Is Joey Chestnut an American hero? We took your calls and texts. Environmentalist Bill McKibben returned for a climate check-in, to discuss the most recent record-setting hottest days on the planet. Former public safety secretary Andrea Cabral discussed the SCOTUS student loan decision, a federal judge’s ruling on Biden’s contact with social media companies, and cocaine found in the White House. Brenden Quigley & Derrick Albertelli are two members of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra, they talked about their craft and taught J&M a thing or two about playing the typewriter. Juma Inniss is director of the for-profit group The Message, promoting media literacy and critical thinking among teens. MIT economist Jon Gruber examined the economics of the Ozempic phenomenon; what it tells us about our instincts and motivations. We ended the show hearing from listeners about their favorite, most cherished and protected recipes.