Boston Public Radio

Born out of Meek Mill’s incarceration for popping a wheelie, the nonprofit has pushed through legislation in 10 states.

From dark medical mysteries to light celebrity chat shows, there’s plenty of podcasts to listen to.

With the affirmative action ruling’s ramifications still unclear, a group of Republican attorneys general sent letters to top U.S. employers.

Co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation spoke to Boston Public Radio about current issues, including narrowing the T's control of commuter rails.

The upcoming convention is reigniting a history that goes back to the organization’s founding.

“20 Days in Mariupol” captures violence and destruction in the earliest days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years: Imani Perry talks about parenthood and how Black parents talk to their children about race. Perry is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Her latest book is "Breathe: A Letter To My Sons.” Neal Thompson tells stories from the Kennedy family, tracing the political family’s lineage from Ireland to the United States. Thompson’s new book is “The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty.” Roger Bennett shares his experience growing up in Liverpool, and why he relates more to the U.S. than his home country of England. Bennett is the co-host of The Men In Blazers podcast and NBC show. His memoir is “(Re)Born in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home.” Fiona Hill previews her memoir, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.” Hill served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, and was a witness in Trump’s first impeachment hearing. Howard Bryant discusses his book, "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism." Bryant is a columnist and commentator for ESPN. First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid previews her book, “Secrets Of The Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women And How They Are Changing The World,” and explained why Iceland is leading the globe in gender equity. Reid is the First Lady of Iceland. Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Rigueur share insights on all things Oprah, from their podcast “Oprademics.” Jackson is an associate professor in the department of Africana studies at Wellesley College. Rigueur is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins. They host the “Oprahdemics” podcast from Radiotopia. Daniel Leader discusses his latest book, "Living Bread." Leader is a pioneer in the American baking world.