Boston Public Radio

Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey reflected on being one of the lead sponsors of the bill that established Juneteenth as a federal holiday and his proposed Right to Contraception Act.

The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) is marking its 10th anniversary with a vibrant celebration themed "¡Pa’lante! A Decade of Impact." The festivities will be held at Bow Market in Somerville. LEF Director Javier Juarez highlighted the significance of their work in a recent discussion.

The grocery, cafe and gathering space celebrates first anniversary in one of Boston's most dynamic neighborhoods.

Boston is set to host the third annual Embrace Ideas Festival, a multi-day celebration of Black art, culture, joy and excellence. Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston, alongside author and historian Ibram X. Kendi, will spearhead this year's festivities.

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.

Best of BPR 6/22: Addiction Recovery's 13th Step & Thousands In Mass. Prisons Waiting For Vital Education

It’ been one year since Roe v. Wade was overturned. We asked listeners how they felt the impacts over the past year. Chris Burrell and Kenneth Gumes join to discuss the current state of education in Massachusetts prisons, based on Chris' latest reporting. Andrea Cabral delves into various topics, including Hunter Biden, the Federal Trade Commission's investigation into Amazon, and more. Lauren Chooljian, a reporter for NHPR, has faced significant harassment due to her coverage of sexual abuse perpetrated by Eric Spofford. She'll share insights from her reporting. Shirley Leung takes a moment to reflect on the Dobbs ruling's impact over the past year and explores the concept of the "urban doom loop." Additionally, she highlights a new lawsuit against restaurateur Tiffani Faison and presents a proposal for supportive housing. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of JFK's "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" speech, Shepard Fairey has been commissioned to create a portrait of JFK for the JFK Library. Shepard will join the conversation via Zoom from Lisbon. Our show closed by talking about the new phone-free Finnish Island. Do you shut off your phone on vacation? Or are you doomed to take selfies?

Best of BPR: AAPI Representation In Local Politics & The Cost Of Love

The lost Titanic submarine has dominated the headlines this week. Why are we so obsessed? And what does it say about us that the story of a ship carrying 700 migrants that sank off the coast of Greece gets largely ignored? Medical ethicist Art Caplan shed light the Harvard Medical School Morgue incident. Nina Liang, Quincy city councilor, and Coco Alinsug, Lynn city councilor joined to share their respective achievements in local government as Asian Americans. Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein dove into the pressures of summer wedding season and shared the latest from the Love Letters podcast. A performance by Renaissance Men vocal ensemble and Kairos Dance Theater in anticipation of their upcoming show, Folktales Fables and Feasts. Finally, we opened the phone lines to continue the discussion on the costs of dating. Are you going to dinner? Who picks up the check?

Headlines are flooded with news of the missing Titanic tourist submersible. We opened the lines to see if listeners would take a big risk into the depths of the ocean if they had the means to do so. Gerry Condon & Helen Jaccard of the Golden Rule sailboat joined to tell us more about the project of Veterans for Peace. They advocate for nuclear disarmament. Lee Pelton, president of The Boston Foundation, discussed the anticipated SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action as a former college leader and its impacts on nonprofits; and a new report that several cities in Mass have disregarded the state’s affordable housing requirement. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joined for Ask The Mayor where she answered questions from listeners. She addressed the car accident she was in, home rule petitions and more. Do you have a go-to toilet in Boston? Do we need more public restrooms in the city? We asked listeners to text or call to share their thoughts.