Boston Public Radio

Mayor Michelle Wu answered questions on how to increase the city budget and the future of congestion pricing.

Sarah Bartley from the nonprofit United Way of Massachusetts Bay and David Shapiro, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston, discussed the supporting migrants arriving in the state.

James Beard Award cookbook author Grace Young is raising awareness about the struggles facing Chinatown neighborhoods.

Andrea Campbell chose last week the head of her office’s newly created Housing Affordability Unit starting in July, focusing on expanding affordable housing across Massachusetts.

Joe Spaulding, the longtime president and CEO of the Boch Center, first met the theater’s current namesake in the ticket line for a Cat Stevens concert. The rest is history.

But Republican Michael Sullivan, former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, disagreed: “I felt a great deal of sadness.”

We start the show full of holiday stress. So we ask listeners: how do you deal with holiday gifting stress? Or, are you like Jim who, supposedly, has everything under control this year? NAACP's Michael Curry reacts to the UnitedHealthcare shooting and resulting public discourse the healthcare system. Former secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discusses Biden’s pardons, Trump plans to scrap ICE rules that prohibit the arrest of immigrants in churches & hospitals, and more. Environmentalist Bill McKibben talks changing tactics to fight climate change over the next four years.PBS travel guru Rick Steves takes us on a 20-minute Holiday food tour across Europe, from German gingerbread markets to Roman fruit cakes, to Swiss fondue. Plus, he teaches us a new Swiss word. Then it's a Santa-themed "Am I the A-Hole?"

Today:Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joins Jim and Margery at the Boston Public Library on December 11, 2024.

We start the show by continuing our discussion on the poor state of healthcare in the U.S. Then, GBH News art editor Jared Bowen discusses his recent trip to the Crystal Bridges museum in Arkansas and the 2025 Golden Globe nominations. And, it's Ask the Mayor with Michelle Wu. Actor and author Marianne Leone discusses her new book "Five Dog Epiphany: How a Quintet of Badass Bichons Retrieved Our Joy." Finally, Jim wanted to talk about regifting, Margery wanted to talk about reusable bags --- so we open up the phone lines to ask about both.

Andrea Cabral and Shirley Leung guest host. They start the show by asking about our obsession with the UnitedHealthcare CEO killer. Then, NBC Sports Boston's Trenni Casey discusses journaling in the NFL and a new study showing that hockey players are more likely to develop CTE the longer they play.NBC Boston host and 'local woman' Sue O'Connell discusses the rise of Theo Von and the "Real World" experience of Trump's transportation secretary pick.Nadia Liu Spellman of Dumpling Daughter & Karen Clarke of Clarke's Cakes and Cookies are food venders at this year's Snowport Holiday Market. They bring us cakes and dumplings. We ask folks to write in with their favorite holiday cookies. CNN's John King discusses the latest national political headlines, including the likelihood that Trump's cabinet picks will be confirmed, and what's next for Kamala Harris.This holiday season lots of packages may be landing on your doorstep, leaving them at risk to "porch pirates," aka package stealers. Have you been a victim of package theft? And what have you done to thwart their efforts? We hear from you.

Today: Andrea Cabral and Shirley Leung fill in for Jim and Margery.Charlie Sennott of The GroundTruth Project and Frontline's Martin Smith update on the latest out of Syria.And, outgoing Harvard professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad discusses DEI in retreat, and the right's original big lie -- about identity politics.