Episodes
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BPR Full Show: Summer in New England
Today on Boston Public Radio: Jon Gruber discusses the latest on inflation, including the potential strategies of the Federal Reserve Bank and why the middle class is being left behind. He also explains the economic impacts of government failure and whether the US is heading in that direction. Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. His latest book is “Jump-Starting America How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream.” Then, we ask listeners how they’re dealing with rising inflation. Stephanie Leydon and Sarah Betancourt talk about their reporting on housing inflation and scarcity in Massachusetts from their new series “Priced Out,” and share about some of the stories they’ve looked into so far. Leydon is the Director of Special Projects at GBH. Betancourt is a reporter for GBH News. Then, we take listener calls responding to the housing crisis in Massachusetts. Jared Bowen shares the latest in the Boston arts scene, including Neil Diamond's 'Beautiful Noise' at the Colonial, Michael R. Jackson’s “A Strange Loop,” which just premiered on Broadway, the immersive show “Beyond King Tut” at the SoWa Power Station and ProBlak Gibbs’ new mural on the Greenway “Breathe Life Together.” Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. Matt Gertz talks about the link between right-wing media and today’s politics, including Fox News’ response to the Jan 6th hearings, its relationship to former President Donald Trump and criticism of Pete Buttigieg’s recent interview. Gertz is a senior fellow for Media Matters for America, which reports on news from the conservative media landscape. Mitra Kaboli and Ben Riskin preview their new podcast, “Welcome to Provincetown.” They share their inspiration for creating the podcast, and reflect on the stories they tell in it and their own experiences in the town. Kaboli is an audio documentarian, sound designer & artist, who hosts and co-created Welcome to Provincetown. Riskin is the principal of Room Tone, an audio advisory providing strategy consulting, business development, and management services to enterprise and independent podcasters, he co-created Welcome to Provincetown. We end the show by asking listeners what makes summer in New England great. -
BPR Full Show: Out in Space
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about the latest news from the Jan. 6 committee hearings. Art Caplan talks about California Gov. Gavin Newsom announcing that the state would begin manufacturing its own insulin. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Juliette Kayyem shares her analysis on the latest news from the Jan. 6 committee hearings, and the release of surveillance video footage depicting the police response to the Uvalde school shooting. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the Homeland Security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Corby Kummer weighs in on the end of the business lunch, and explained how some online restaurant reviews seemingly from customers are part of an extortion scam. Kummer is executive director of the food and society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Lee Feinberg and Terri Randall discuss the NOVA documentary “Ultimate Space Telescope,” and previewed what’s next for the James Webb Space Telescope. Feinberg is the Optical Telescope Element Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Randall is the director of the new NOVA documentary “Ultimate Space Telescope,” which airs on PBS, GBH2, on July 13 at 9 p.m. EST. Eric Deggans shares his thoughts on this year’s Emmy nominations. Deggans is NPR’s TV critic and author of the book “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.” We end the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners for their thoughts on images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. -
Corby Kummer: "Straight up extortion"
Some restaurants have begun receiving one-star reviews — but not from people who have ever visited the venue. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to explain this new extortion scheme is affecting restaurants. “After a series of mysterious one star reviews, they [restauranteurs] get a letter from India saying, ‘$75 gift card, please, if you want these reviews to come down,’” Kummer said. “It’s straight up extortion.” Kummer explained that Google is taking down reviews in some cases, but in other situations Google rules the review legitimate. “I think the solution is for Google to improve its system and figure out how to monitor when these things are happening,” Kummer said. “They say that they've got guardrails in place, but in this case, they're not working. It's a new scam.” Kummer is executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. -
BPR Full Show: Jan. 6 Hearings Continue
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’re persuaded by the deals of Amazon Prime Day. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the fourth straight championship win for the Boston Renegades, Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe receiving the Presidential Medal of Honor, and Condoleezza Rice’s recent buy-in to the Broncos. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose discusses the direction the Supreme Court is moving in, and its impact on democracy, particularly concerning an impending decision about gerrymandering. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Andrea Cabral shares some insights about what to expect in the upcoming Jan. 6 hearing, including the ways that former President Donald Trump incited white supremacist groups throughout his election and presidency, and the potential for his prosecution. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. We end the show by turning to coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings. -
BPR Full Show: How to forage mushrooms
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if President Joe Biden should run for a second term, or if not, who should replace him. Charlie Sennott shares his thoughts about Biden’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, Boris Johnson’s resignation and the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Sennott is a news analyst for GBH, where he also heads up the GroundTruth Project. Adam Chandler discusses the ways that start-ups can be market disruptors and the destruction they sometimes leave in their wake, including ghost kitchens, grocery delivery services and ride share companies, particularly given the fallout from Uber’s recent leak. Chandler is a journalist and author based in New York, and a former staff writer at The Atlantic. Tyler Akabane talks about his new store, The Mushroom Shop, discusses the cultural moment that mushrooms are having and shares his foraging recommendations. Akabane is the founder and owner of The Mushroom Shop, a specialty mushroom shop in Somerville. Then we ask listeners whether they buy into mushroom mania. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price weigh in on the corrupt politics of the Supreme Court in the context of their recent landmark decisions, as well as recent calls to serve a dormant warrant about lies told in Emmett Till’s trial. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, and the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast. Nick Quah shares his top podcast recommendations right now, including Stitcher, Rococo Punch and Room Tone’s “Welcome to Provincetown'', hosted by Mitra Kaboli, season 7 of Slate’s show “Slow Burn,” hosted by Susan Matthews, and the most recent installment of Pineapple Street Studios’ The 11th, called “His Saturn Returns.” Quah is Vulture’s podcast critic. We end the show by asking listeners whether they’d go on a cruise in a COVID world. -
BPR Full Show: Porchfest!
Michael Curry shares his thoughts about Boston's proposed tax rebate plan, the law enforcement responses to local white nationalism, a recent budget increase for the city's COVID-19 response and health care struggles facing people of color in the commonwealth. Curry is chair of the NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee, and is president and CEO of the Mass League of Community Health Centers. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson talk about the state of the MBTA: recent derailments, budget concerns and sources of political inaction, as well as Boston’s upcoming open street days and bike lane controversy. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Andy Ihnatko discusses new privacy settings for users of Apple products at sensitive locations as well as the rise and controversies of AI-generated art. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com Then, we ask listeners about whether they prefer to keep or get rid of their old, sentimental clutter Marie Fukuda and Red Shaydez talk about the upcoming Fenway Porchfest, including their roles in organizing and curating it. Fukuda is an arts advocate and member of the Boston Cultural Council. Shaydez is a rapper, community leader and artist in the commonwealth. We end the show by hearing music from Fenway Porchfest performers Jobe Freeman, Mar Fayos and International Show. -
BPR Full Show: Bumblebee
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’re keeping up with early pandemic disinfectant habits. Christopher Muther explains how to build the ideal Cape Cod vacation, and shared his thoughts on ABBA’s Voyage concert featuring hologram “ABBAtars.” Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Andrea Cabral discusses white supremacist group Patriot Front’s march through downtown Boston this past weekend, and criticism from Bostonians on the lack of a response from law enforcement. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Paul Reville weighs in on new Boston Public Schools superintendent Mary Skipper. He also talks about the K-12 schools that are spending billions of dollars on high-tech defense from mass shootings. Reville is the former secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Marcela García discusses the limited healthcare coverage for undocumented children in Mass., and calls on people to stop asking parents to release graphic images of their children killed in school shootings. García is an associate editor and columnist for the Globe’s op-ed page. She also serves on the Globe editorial board. Clarrissa Cropper and Katherine Nazzaro joine us to share their recommendations for summer reading. Cropper is a co-owner of Frugal Bookstore in Roxbury. Nazzarro is a bookseller at Porter Square Books: Boston Edition in the city’s Seaport neighborhood. We end the show by asking listeners if they would consider going to a concert headlined by a hologram. -
Corby Kummer: 10 minutes, 63 hotdogs and a protestor in a Darth Vader mask
On July 4, Nathan’s held its annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey Chesnut, who is ranked first in the world by Major League Eating, picked up his fifteenth win Monday, fighting off a protester mid-contest. Food writer Corby Kummer said on Boston Public Radio that he enjoys watching the spectacle. “It's a scene out of a cartoon or a movie,” Kummer said. “It's broadcast on ESPN. It is treated as a sport… I also think it's the strangest Roman Times era spectacle that exists today.” Chesnut has since said that he regrets fighting the protestor, who came up behind Chesnut in a Darth Vader mask. Kummer explained that ESPN had to refund some bets because the fight messed up the odds. Still, Chesnut remained victorious, with 63 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes, shy of his world record of 76, set in 2021. The contest, which takes place at Coney Island, is a July 4 tradition going back 50 years. “It is with watching any athletic challenge, can they do it?” Kummer asked. “I think that you find yourself inadvertently rooting for them because they're challenging themselves. They're pushing themselves to the extreme and you want them to achieve their horrible goals.” Kummer is executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. -
BPR Full Show: 63 Hot Dogs
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners how they’re escaping from the doom this summer. Art Caplan discusses concerns about in-vitro fertilization following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and rich New Yorkers getting bladder surgery to avoid bathroom breaks while driving to the Hamptons. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Juliette Kayyem updates listeners on the Highland Park shooting and law enforcement’s response to the Patriot Front march through Boston. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Shirley Leung weighs in on the latest challenges with the MBTA, the state of Boston nightlife and the status of return to office plans. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Corby Kummer talks about Nathan’s July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest, and tips for feeding dogs. Kummer is executive director of the food and society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Arthur Brooks breaks down his latest columns on politics, friendship and happiness. Brooks is the William Henry Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School, the happiness correspondent at The Atlantic and host of the podcast series “How to Build a Happy Life.” His latest book is “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” We end the show by asking listeners if they’re taking their dogs with them when they go out to eat. -
BPR Full Show: Boston's Lost Ambition
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about white supremacist group Patriot Front’s march along the Freedom Trail this past weekend. Trenni Kusnierek talks about WNBA player Brittney Griner’s pleas for release from Russian prison following her arrest at Moscow airport in February for allegedly carrying cannabis oil in her luggage. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. David Scharfenberg shares his thoughts on how Boston can lead on issues like climate change, public transit, and housing, off of his new Boston Globe series, “Reclaiming our ambition.” Scharfenberg is a staff writer for the Boston Globe. Lee Pelton discusses the white supremacist group Patriot Front marching along the Freedom Trail on during the holiday weekend, and weighs in on how Boston can ensure access to reproductive rights after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Nathaniel Stinnett explains how environmentalists can respond to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that limited the regulatory power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Stinnett is founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project. John King updates us on the latest news headlines, focusing on a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4. He also talks about the recent testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide and assistant to former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, before the Jan. 6 committee. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by asking listeners if they feel more empowered to negotiate with employers due to labor shortages.
