Boston Public Radio

Pope Francis appoints first Black Cardinal and expresses support for gay rights — but is it just "lip service"?

The former Suffolk County said U.S. democracy as we know it will "cease to exist" if President Trump wins a second term.

Larry Calderone, president of Boston’s Police Patrolmen’s Association, weighed in on a range of reform proposals.

Barrett's vague response to what she's done to educate herself on racism was embarrassing and harmful, the Revs say.

Whitehouse detailed a 'court-capture machinery' to sway court rulings along partisan lines.

The Boston University law professor talked about his time standing vigil by the casket of Justice Ginsburg, and spoke on the expected appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to his former boss' vacant Supreme Court seat.

The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory on a mental health crisis. We asked listeners how they believe social media is impacting children and teens. Trenni Casey discussed the passing of Rick Hoyt, an iconic figure in the Boston Marathon who passed away at the age of 61, as well as her experience at the Taylor Swift concert. Victor RosaTrio, who was wrongfully convicted and spent over 30 years behind bars, has just won a $13 million settlement. He joined alongside his lawyer, Mark Loevy-Reyes, to discuss his case and the implications of the settlement. Ross Mathews, known for his career as Jay Leno's intern, now co-hosts the Drew Barrymore Show and serves as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. He talked about his upcoming show at the Wilbur on June 9th. John Davidson, renowned for holding the record as the most frequent guest-host for the late Johnny Carson, now runs John Davidson's Club Sandwich in Sandwich, New Hampshire. He shared insights on how to make the most of your 80s and may even treat us to a song or two. CNN’s John King provided his perspective on the ongoing debt ceiling talks and other significant headlines from Washington. Style over comfort? Apparently not anymore since formal dress sneakers are now appearing on all types of professionals. We ended the show with thoughts from listeners.

It’s graduation season. We had listeners call in to share who their commencement speakers were. Michael Curry & Jennifer Nassour joined for a politics panel. They discussed the fallout from the Rachael Rollins scandal, budget talks in Washington, Dianne Feinstein & more… Former Federal Judge Nancy Gertner defended the advisory committee that recommended Rachael Rollins, plus, other court headlines. Jared Bowen returned for an arts roundup. He discussed a sound installation at MAAM and Women & Abstraction at the Addison Gallery of American Art and an auction of Donna Summer’s wardrobe. We also got his thoughts on the SCOTUS Andy Warhol/Prince prints ruling and the new Little Mermaid film. Reverends Emmet G. Price III and Irene Monroe offered their perspective on new data showing Americans are switching religions at a growing rate. They also talked scandal at the megachurch Hillsong, and a RNS piece asking whether faith makes a person more civic-minded. Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe’s film critic. He just published his 100th piece at the paper, and he joined to discuss that and the summer movie lineup. The New York Times reported that a man sat in first class while his family was in coach. We opened the phone lines to hear from listeners what they thought about this arrangement and first class in general.

Overall, birth rates are declining. Yet, women having kids in their forties increased. We began the show by asking listeners why they think women are waiting to have kids. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett joined to discuss life "post-COVID", Biden-Harris' administration efforts to combat the mental health crisis in the nation and more. She’s the Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation at Boston Medical Center and Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University Medical School. GBH’s Callie Crossley, newly crowned by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as a “2023 Distinguished Bostonian", shared her thoughts on the Rachael Rollins scandal, the Supreme Court's ruling against Andy Warhol, and more. Sue O'Connell provided insights on the recent anti-trans laws in Florida, Kansas City's potential as the first-ever LGBT sanctuary city, and the incident involving Harry and Meghan's car chase. Tracy Chang from Pagu and Jimmy Liang from JP Fuji Group joined us to celebrate AAPI heritage month and discuss various restaurant ventures in the food world, as well as their community work. Jimmy mentions sweet advice that his grandmother gave him. Cliff Notez, a genre-fluid musical artist, known for his contributions to Boston's local arts scene, was our live music guest. Taylor Swift is too powerful to ignore. We asked listeners once again how they’re reacting to the sold out shows, trains, hotels etc. Do listeners who aren’t going to the concert, do they feel like they’re missing out?

Rachel Rollins is in the headlines. We wanted to hear thoughts from listeners if and when someone can come back from disgrace. Ron Mitchell and Mel Miller discuss the leadership change at the Bay State Banner. Andrea Cabral addresses an ethics probe into Rachael Rollins' conduct as US Attorney, leading to her resignation. Shirley Leung from the Boston Globe talks about hearings on Beacon Hill to address the gender and racial wage gap, a public transit/housing law in Brookline, and the Globe's support for imprisoned WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich. Michael Curry talks about the Mass League of Community Health Centers launching a new research division, the challenges posed by an influx of migrants in Massachusetts, and the significant life expectancy gap between Back Bay and Nubian Square. Ismael Samad, co-founder of Nubian Square Markets, and Kamaal Jarrett, founder of Hillside Harvest, discuss the grand opening of Nubian Markets, showcasing flavors from the African diaspora. We wrapped up the show by asking listeners if Boston should also go the way of Seoul, South Korea, and ban children from entire zones?

We opened the lines to hear what people think about Elon Musk’s comment on how working from home highlights income inequality and is immoral. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed new research revealing increased brain activity prior to death, and the FDA's lift of the blood donation ban on gay and bisexual men. National security expert Juliette Kayyem examined cyberattacks on the Philly Inquirer and city of Lowell, and the immediate consequences of the end of Title 42. David Hogg from March For Our Lives and John Rosenthal of Stop Handgun Violence joined us to discuss gun violence in America. Jan De Leon Griffin, organizer of the "100 Words" Boston writing competition, and authors Rhiannon Varmette, Oswald Guy, and Miranda Norman joined us to share details of the program and read the winning submissions. Martha Stewart is on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit edition this year, at 81 years old – the oldest person ever to be featured on the cover. We closed to show with listener reactions.