Episodes
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BPR Full Show 1/28: Preventing A Frozen Fido
GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen on how even apolitical spaces — film festivals, online niche communities — have become political in the wake of ICE's actions in Minnesota. Plus, "Job" at the SpeakEasy Stage and his conversation with actress Claire Foy.Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador to China and NATO, discusses Trump's Greenland push and China's response to Trump's tariff warning shots. Imari Paris Jeffries of Embrace Boston and Reverend Jeffrey Brown of My City at Peace discuss the abrupt change in city plans for Parcel 3 in Roxbury.Boston Globe Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein marks 17 years of giving advice and we explore her most recent columns, like one writer who raises the red flag when a boyfriend buys the wrong hair dryer. And Margery learns she's not alone in not knowing that Venmo payments aren't automatically private. -
BPR Full Show 1/27: When Enforcement Becomes Extremism?
BPR Full Show 1/27: When Enforcement Becomes Extremism? -
BPR Full Show 1/26: Another Murder In Minneapolis
We open the lines to hear reactions to yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis – this time of a 37-year-old ICU nurse, Alex Pretti. Boston Globe editor Brian McGrory weighs in on coverage of protests in Minneapolis and the Trump administration’s attempts to lie their way out of another extrajudicial killing, and the media’s role in calling out those lies. Michael Curry sits on the national board of the NAACP and leads Massachusetts’ community health centers. He joins us to discuss ICE’s incursion into Minneapolis – where robust social and refugee/immigrant services turned it into a target by the federal government. And live from Minneapolis, we also hear from Leslie Redmond, former president of the Minneapolis NAACP. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan on how local law enforcement in Minneapolis is on a collision course with federal agents, and local leaders can do to keep their communities safe. MIT economist Jon Gruber gives a macroeconomic view on President Trump's action on the world stage and how he's shredding our international alliances. Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton has called for ICE to be prosecuted for the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. He joins us to explain why he thinks the agency needs to be defunded. -
BPR Full Show 1/23: ICE And Ice Dams
For our weekly media analysis segment “Press Play," GBH’s Callie Crossley and The Bay State Banner’s Ron Mitchell talk about press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisting Trump never mixed up Greenland with Iceland ... and Bari Weiss' retribution campaign against 60 Minutes reporters. The Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism found that antisemitism is on the upswing in the state. We talk to commission members David Friedman and State Rep. Simon Cataldo about the latest report and their recommendations.For Live Music Friday, the new ‘You Can't Beat Boston' initiative unveils its original song, written and performed by Berklee College of Music students. We talk to two CEOs behind the initiative: Tom Hayes, CEO of Ocean Spray and Boathouse CEO John Connors. Plus, Berklee dean Rodney Alejandro.And, because everyone’s talking about this weekend's whopper winter storm, we talk to GBH meteorologist David Epstein.NBC10 Boston's media maven Sue O'Connell on the 32% of Americans who think the country is better off under Trump, and what’s behind the constant Band-Aid and makeup on Trump's hand. -
BPR Full Show 1/22: Applying To Join ICE
Political analyst and podcaster Chuck ToddFood policy analyst Corby KummerMassachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick TutwilerSlate journalist Laura Jedeed who was offered a job at ICE after “minimal vettingFormer Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral -
BPR Full Show 1/21: Bridging The Divide Through Service
The Culture Show's Jared Bowen on the death of fashion designer Valentino and Boston's Winteractive art installations.Harvard national security expert Juliette Kayyem on President Trump's continued threats against Greenland that are sowing chaos among European allies at Davos.Singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield performs for Live Music Friday. Her new album is called “Lightning Might Strike.” Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and her son Joe Kearns Goodwin join for a panel discussion on whether public service, civil or military, could bridge our country’s political divide. -
BPR Full Show 1/20: The 25th Amendment To Remove Trump?
CNN chief national correspondent John King discussing the latest national political headlines.Boston Mayor Michelle Wu from 12-1 for Ask the MayorNBC Sports Boston's Trenni Casey discussing the Pats, and the unruly NCAA -
BPR Full Show Jan. 16, 2026: National (Fig) Newton Day
Former New York Times editor Jill Abramson joins for Press Play to discus her latest column that asks why the press is still struggling to cover Trump, even as he governs increasingly like a king. Shannon O'Brien, reinstated chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, discusses her return and what's ahead for the pot industry in Massachusetts.The co-organizers of "Which Side? A Protest Music Teach-Out" join for Live Music Friday, ahead of a Burren Back Room session on Jan. 20. Our guests are organizers Joyce Linehan, James Sullivan, and musicians Jon Butcher, Ali McGuirk, Magen Tracey, and Erica Mantone.Rep. Bill Keating zooms in to discuss Trump’s aggressive posture towards Greenland, and investigations into the killing of Renee Good. NBC10 Boston' media maven Sue O'Connell on the hot, hockey series phenomenon on HBO: Heated Rivalry…A gay love story that has women swooning. Plus, how the internet is turning press for the new Melania Trump documentary into a meme. -
BPR Full Show Jan. 15, 2026: The Chat And Cut
Political analyst and podcaster Chuck Todd on the MAGA-fication of CBS news, and the first amendment implications of a federal investigation into a Washington Post reporter. Former Massachusetts secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral on ICE’s gestapo-like tactics in Minnesota and one woman’s story of how she was recruited into the agency. Amherst College’s Ilan Stavans on what Latino voters are making of Trump’s Venezuelan takeover. Plus, the lengths American citizens are going to protect their undocumented parents, including enlisting in the military.Environmentalist Bill McKibben gives a rundown on the global damage the Trump administration is inflicting on the climate, including the EPAs new air pollution rules and oil in Venezuela. Then, it's Am I The A Hole day. Today’s scenario involves a man at our beloved Costco, calling out a woman who cut him in line. Who’s the bigger jerk, the flippant line cutter or the man who swore at her for cutting him? -
BPR Full Show Jan. 14, 2026: Dr. Atul Gawande On The Lives Lost From Ending USAID
The Culture Show's Jared Bowen on a new PBS series “Breaking the Deadlock,” that explores the role of government in life and death decisions. Plus, we’ll get his thoughts on the new Bradley Cooper movie “Is this thing on?” and other arts headlines.Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley discusses her calls for an independent investigation into the ICE killing in Minnesota, and for extended ACA subsidies.Tufts international affairs expert Daniel Drezner on violence in Iran – where the death toll of protesters against the regime has soared past 2,500.Food policy analyst Corby Kummer on the closing of Time Out Market in Fenway, the environmental impact of the new dietary guidelines and how restoring wild oyster reefs in Massachusetts is a win for conservationists and seafood bars. Dr. Atul Gawande is the former assistant administrator for global health at USAID. He explains how the shutdown of the aid organization has had ripple effects around the world…including contributing to the deaths of over half a million people worldwide, most of them children. It’s the topic of his Oscar-shortlisted documentary “Rovina’s Choice.”
