Boston Public Radio Podcast

Massachusetts is considering new regulations for elderly home care. We talk with Mass League of Community Health Center’s Michael Curry about that, and the latest on rising health insurance costs as Affordable Care Act subsidies sunset. Tufts food policy analyst Corby Kummer breaks down the rising costs of pantry staples bananas and even… pasta. Plus, he’ll tell us why Bostonians pay some of the highest prices in the country for their daily caffeine fix. Boston Medical Center’s Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discusses her argument for stable housing and why it's vital for keeping people healthy. And, she explains what the latest CDC vaccine changes mean for people in Massachusetts. Plus, we remember English playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard and revisit our 2019 interview with him at Tanglewood. The Trump administration is imposing new restrictions on all refugees from Afghanistan after an Afghan national was charged in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC last week. We check in with Fariba, an Afghan refugee with U.S. citizenship, about what that means for her community. And we talk with Xan Weber of the International Institute of New England about the impact on refugee communities.

Today: After an Afghan national was charged in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC last week, the Trump administration is imposing new restrictions on all refugees from Afghanistan. We check in with Fariba, an Afghan refugee with US citizenship, about what that means for her community. And, we talk with Alexandra Weber of the International Institute of New England about the impact on refugee communities.

Today: Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon of the War on Cars podcast join to discuss their new book "Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile"

Today: Javier Marin is executive chairman of El Planeta, the leading Spanish-language newspaper in Massachusetts. He discusses his new book "Live From America: How Latino TV Conquered the U.S.”

Today: National security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses the chaotic few days of peace negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.

Former secretary of public safety, Andrea Cabral, discusses how federal immigration forces are misusing "less lethal" weapons against protesters. Harvard's national security expert Juliette Kayyem on the latest developments in the Ukraine-Russia deal, plus Congressman Mark Kelly under Pentagon investigation for his involvement in a video from Democratic lawmakers calling on troops to defy illegal orders. Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear discuss their new book "Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile." Playwright Ryan Landry previews this year's Gold Dust Orphans holiday show. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discusses this year's holiday squeeze as consumers are expected to cut Black Friday spending for the first time since 2021.

CNN's John King zooms in for the latest national political headlines Trenni Casey discusses Killington's independent era for skiing in the Northeast Abdallah Fayyad, Globe ideas writer, joins via zoom to discuss his latest pieces Congressman Jim McGovern calls into the show on the annual March for the Food Bank of Western Mass. Javier Marin, executive chairman of El Planeta, joins in person to discuss his new book: “Live From America: How Latino TV Conquered the U.S.”

Paul Reville, former education secretary, discusses the federal influence in our education systems — from efforts to dismantle the Education Department to Harvard Vocational School. Oscar-winning documentarian Mstyslav Chernov on his latest FRONTLINE PBS film "2000 Meters to Andriivka" that captures the Ukraine-Russia war from the point of view of frontline fighters. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III join for All Rev'd Up on BPR. They discuss how the multiethnic faith community of New Bedford is faring amid immigration attacks. Giselle Byrd reflects on her appointment to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. Byrd, a community activist, executive director of Theater Offensive performing company, and a Black transgender woman, has received death threats since the news of her appointment. Folk singer/songwriter Tom Rush zooms in to celebrate his induction into Boston's Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame.

Today: Ukrainian journalist and Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov presents his latest film “2000 Meters to Andriivka” tomorrow night on PBS. It offers a vantage point of war rarely seen in non-fiction films: a first-hand look at the toll of war on the frontline soldiers.

Jinx Monsoon & BenDeLaCreme return to preview their “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” tour, which stops at the Wang Theater on Nov. 22nd Lyndia Downie & Judge Kathleen Coffey join for a Thanksgiving check-in. Coffey is the founder & retired judge for the Homeless Court, which helps low-level offenders clear their records in order to get their life back on track. Lyndia of course is Executive Director of the Pine Street Inn. Hayley Reardon & Judit Neddermann are our guests for Live Music Friday, ahead of a show tonight at City Winery Boston. Reardon is a Marblehead native, Judit is visiting from Barcelona. Alex Green, vice-chair of the Massachusetts Special Commission on State Institutions and a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, on the latest on a bill sent to Governor Healey's desk that would make it easier for family members to obtain records of their disabled loved ones who lived in institutional housing Sue O’Connell on Larry Summers/Harvard/Epstein fallout, a proposed Boston city hall merch line, and the Brian Walshe trial.

Today: Singer-songwriters Haley Reardon and Judit Neddermann perform tonight at City Winery in Boston. They perform for us at the library accompanied by Pau and Arnau Figueres. And, Harvard Lecturer and vice-chair of the Massachusetts Commission on State Institutions, Alex Green, discusses new legislation that would allow families and researchers access to records involving people with disabilities who lived in state institutions.

Chuck Todd discusses the latest national politics Jonathan Van Ness zooms in ahead of their stop in Boston on their "Hot and Healed" tour Alejandra Caraballo, lawyer, clinical instructor at Harvard's cyberlaw clinic, and trans rights activist, joins to discuss the attacks on transgender people from the federal government this year Kelly Beatty of Sky & Telescope and Mario Motta discuss light pollution in Massachusetts. Mario Motta is a retired cardiologist and specialist on the medical effects of lights on humans

Today: Jonathan Van Ness of Netflix's 'Queer Eye' fame joins ahead of a stop on their "Hot and Healed" tour in Boston this weekend. Then, civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo discusses attacks on trans people in today's political climate, and the fallout at Harvard -- where she is a clinical instructor of cyberlaw -- over the school's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

BPR Full Show 11/19: Yo-Yo Ma Gets A Smug Mug!

Today: Cellist Yo Yo Ma previews his sold out Celebrity Series of Boston performance is this Friday at Symphony Hall: “We the People: Celebrating Our Shared Humanity.” It will be simulcast free of charge at more than 20 venues across the state, from Cape Cod to North Adams. For more information, go to CelebritySeries.Org

BPR Full Show 11/18: Ask The Mayor November Edition

BPR Full Show 11/17: Trump Economic Storm

Today: Rickey McGee was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the shooting death of a convenience store clerk who was killed during a robbery in the Fenway. For 28 years, McGee maintained his innocence. Behind bars, he co-founded the Harriet Tubman Project in 2021, which brings together incarcerated people fighting wrongful convictions. In October he was released from prison, and thanks to McGee’s own advocacy and the Innocence Program at the Public Defender’s Office, prosecutors officially dropped the murder case after new evidence weakened the testimony of the prosecution's main witness. McGee joined Jim and Margery in Studio 3 on Monday with his partner Jacqueline Fonseca, who works for the New England Innocence Project.

The Boston Globe's Nancy Barnes and Shirley Leung join for “Press Play" media analysis. The talk about AI in journalism, new polls about Americans' trust in media, and the 2025 Globe Summit. GBH's Callie Crossley discusses a bill on book banning, new lousy polling numbers for President Trump and Cheryl Hines' new memoir. Shelter Music Boston performs for Live Music Friday. They’re celebrating 15 years of performing in local homeless shelters. We talk with founder Julie Levin, founding violist Rebecca Strauss and managing director Carrie Eldridge-Dickson NBC10 Boston's Sue O’Connell recaps her trip to Canada reporting on the Christmas tree cutting ceremony. Plus, SCOTUS declining to hear case to overturn same-sex marriage and an alligator in the Charles River.

BPR Full Show 11/13: Government Shutdown Has Ended