Boston Public Radio Podcast

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 faci

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.

NBC10 Boston's Sue O'Connell and former secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral guest host for Jim and Margery.GBH's Callie Crossley and The Bay State Banner's Yawu Miller join for our weekly "Press Play" media analysis segment to talk about the PBS/NPR clawback, the WSJ Jeffrey Epstein report and other media news of the day.Boston Landmarks Orchestra just launched their annual series of free summer concerts at the Hatch Shell and throughout Boston. We talk with music director Chris Wilkinson and principal clarinet Rane Moore, plus enjoy a live music performance. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans reacts to this year’s Emmy Nominations, Colbert's cancellation and The Bear season four. Jeffrey Thielman & Nazia Jamal join to discuss how Trump policies are impacting immigration here in New England. Jeff is the Executive Director of the International Institute of New England, Nazia is an educator and refugee who arrived from Afghanistan in 2024.

Catherine D’Amato and Andrew Morehouse on food stability in the commonwealth. Catherine heads the Greater Boston Food Bank, Andrew is Executive Director of the Food Bank of Western MassachusettsAndrea Cabral on the Jeffrey Epstein files and federal officials charging a Karen Read grand juror with criminal contempt for allegedly leaking information about the trial.Shirley Leung on her reporting on an influx of chain restaurants in ChinatownMara Dolan and Jen O'Brien are two attorneys joining to discuss their role in an ongoing strike for higher pay that’s left thousands of defendants without representation.May Pang is the former partner of Beatle John Lennon, who dates the musician over an 18-month period that’s come to be known as his “lost weekend.” She’s touring the country with photos she captured during that era, and she’s appearing this weekend at Bridge Gallery in Cambridge. 

Today:May Pang dated John Lennon in her early 20s, and has the photos to prove it. She joins us to discuss her new pop-up art installation, featuring photos of their time together, in Cambridge, titled The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang.And, public bar advocates in Massachusetts get paid less than in surrounding states to represent indigent clients. They’ve been on strike for better pay since late May, and some people charged with violent crimes are being released because their court proceedings can’t continue without representation. We talk with two of the striking lawyers: Mara Dolan and Jennifer O’Brien.

National security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses millions of undocumented immigrants no longer eligible for bond hearings, according to ICE. Plus, the misinformation/psychological warfare at play in the Israel-Iran war.Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Mass, discusses a federal court certifying a nationwide class action protecting babies from Trump's birthright citizenship order, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speaking out.Ken Casey, Dropkick Murphys frontman, joins to discuss their new album "For the People," and his repeated warnings that the Trump administration is engaging in a class war.David Folkenflik, NPR media correspondent, on the rescission efforts in Washington to pull funding for foreign aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.Farmers Michael Montuori of Allandale Farm and Danielle Andrews of The Food Project join to discuss urban farming, connecting communities to their food sources, and impacts of federal funding cuts to food benefits.