Boston Public Radio

The court is expected to decide on student loans to affirmative action.

Shepard Fairey's portrait of JFK will honor the “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in West Berlin 60 years ago.

The first Chinese American city councilor and first Filipino city councilor in New England share their experiences getting into local politics on Boston Public Radio.

Mayor Wu told BPR that the O'Bryant School of Math and Science is moving to West Roxbury to expand "high quality" school options.

A new documentary follows Michael Packard's tale of being scooped up in the mouth of a humpback.

Sy Montgomery offers a naturalist's perspective to recent bear sightings.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about yesterday’s Jan. 6 committee hearing, focusing on criminal referrals for former President Donald Trump. Jenny Slate and Ben Shattuck talked about the Golden Globes nomination for “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” and the legacy of Henry David Thoreau. Slate is a comedian, an alum of shows like “Parks and Rec,” “Saturday Night Live,” and the filmmaker behind “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.” Shattuck is a writer, the author of “Six Walks in the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau,” and co-owner of Davoll’s General Store in South Dartmouth. Governor-elect and Attorney General Maura Healey discussed her focus on keeping innovation in Mass. competitive, and prioritizing climate policy in order to meet the state’s climate goals. She also answered listeners’ questions during “Ask the Governor-elect.” Jared Bowen shared his thoughts on Damien Chazelle’s film “Babylon,” and the Front Porch Arts Collective’s play “Chicken & Biscuits.” Bowen is GBH News’ executive arts editor. Tiffani Faison talked about the recent opening of Tenderoni’s in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Faison is a James Beard Award-nominated chef, restaurateur, and TV personality. Her new restaurant, Tenderoni’s, opened in Fenway last month. EJ Dionne updated us on the Jan. 6 committee’s criminal referrals for former President Donald Trump. Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post. He’s also a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, and his latest book is “100% Democracy: The Case For Universal Voting.” We ended the show by talking with listeners about everything Christmas-related – and…filmmaker James Cameron scientifically confirming that Jack would have died on the life raft even if Rose had simply moved over in “Titanic.”

We opened the show by taking our listeners’ calls about the final public hearing held by the January 6th Committee. The Congressional panel voted to ask the Department of Justice to charge former President Donald Trump with crimes related to the attack on the Capitol. NBC Sports Reporter Trenni Casey discussed the dramatic conclusion to the World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina beat France via penalty kicks. She then contrasted that victory with the utter debacle of the final play between the Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Casey is an anchor and reporter with NBC Sports Boston, and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Charlie Sennott talked about the latest developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also discussed the return of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and how his far-right leaning government under his control will likely derail any form of peace talks between Palestine and Israel. Sennott is the founder and editor-in-chief of the GroundTruth Project and a GBH News Analyst. Rick Steeves discussed his latest trip to Italy, offered tips on pulling off the perfect roadside bathroom trip while on a guided tour, and revealed what training he gives to travel guides across the globe. Steves is an author, television and radio host, and the owner of “Rick Steves' Europe” tour group. You can catch "Rick Steves’ Europe" weeknights at 7:30 on GBH 2, and his radio show “Travel With Rick Steves” Sundays at 4:00 on GBH. Then we ended the show by broadcasting a livestream of the January 6th Committee hearing. The panel voted to refer criminal charges against Donald Trump to the Department of Justice.

Today on Boston Public Radio: David Leonard joined the show to talk about book-banning attempts across the country. Leonard has been president of the Boston Public Library since 2016. We opened our phone lines and heard from listeners about their thoughts on former President Donald Trump’s new line of NFTs — like this one that imagines him dressed as a wrestler, going for $99. Callie Crossley discussed Harvard’s new president Claudine Gay, a settlement for Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend and more. Crossley is the host of GBH’s Basic Black and Under the Radar with Callie Crossley. Tony Williams and Khalid Hill from “Urban Nutcracker” joined the show to talk about the 2022 edition of their show and gave us a very special tap-dancing performance. The show runs from December 17th to the 23rd at the Shubert Theatre in Boston. Sue O’Connell dug into the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act by President Joe Biden, a hot-mic moment for New Zealand’s prime minister and more. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current on NBC LX and NECN. The Handel and Haydn Society joined us for this week’s edition of Live Music Fridays. The Handel and Hayden Society will be performing “A Baroque Christmas” this weekend. We ended the show by talking with listeners about re-gifting.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about getting to know your neighbors. Shirley Leung talked about the housing groups calling for $3.2 billion in aid for Mass. renters, and concern over sports betting at Plainridge Park Casino due to the casino’s connection with Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe. Andrea Cabral discussed Jack Smith’s appointment to special counsel for the Department of Justice’s investigations into former President Donald Trump. She also talked about FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent arrest in the Bahamas. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former secretary of public safety. Jared Bowen shared his latest local arts and cultural rundown, focusing on “Torch Song” at The Moonbox Theatre and “Life of Pi,” adapted for Broadway. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor. Brian and Lindsay O’Donovan, Jenna Worden, and Karan Casey joined us to discuss this year’s “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn.” Brian O’Donovan and wife Lindsay O’Donovan, artistic director Jenna Worden, and vocalist Karan Casey are in this year’s “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn.” For more information and to get tickets, go to ChristmasCeltic.com. We ended the show by talking with listeners about where they’re shopping for holiday presents.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about the debate over Christmas trees in public spaces. Jon Abbott weighed in on the future of public media as his tenure at GBH comes to a close. Abbott is GBH’s outgoing President and CEO. Sen. Ed Markey discussed the need for stronger tech regulations, and Congress’ omnibus spending bill. Michelle Singletary explained how listeners can manage gift-giving expectations when they’re in debt. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column, "The Color of Money," provides insight into the world of personal finance. Her latest book is: “What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide.” Art Caplan talked about the military’s vaccine mandate rollback, and a recent survey on physicians’ attitudes towards treating anti-vaxxers. 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. Andy Ihnatko shared his thoughts on the new AI chatbot, Chat GPT. Ihnatko is a tech writer, blogger and podcaster. We ended the show by asking listeners if rising prices are causing them to ask friends to split dinner bills.