Boston Public Radio

What would the former Patriots player and convicted murderer have been like without football brain injuries?

Yes, we should be focusing on the flu, but we should also be wary of just how unprepared we are for an outbreak in America.

On Tuesday, US Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling charged the chairman of Harvard University’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, Charles Lieber, with lying about his connections to a Chinese university.

Epic is being critiqued for not making its medical data easier to be shared between doctors and patients.

After more than a year since the first marijuana shops in the state opened their doors, however, many minority business owners say they’ve been locked out of the marijuana industry.

Fine dining restaurants are serving up climate-minded meals.

Today: Andrea Cabral and Sue O'Connell fill in for Jim and Margery.We speak with national security expert Juliette Kayyem about the Wisconsin school shooting, and the drone mania on the east coast.And, Linda Matchan, editor for Globe Santa, and the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Catherine D’Amato, discuss ways we can help each other this giving season.

We start the show by asking about the acceptance of political violence, following the healthcare executive murder. Then, GBH News executive arts editor Jared Bowen discusses Commonwealth Shakes' A Christmas Carol and Made in Germany at the Harvard Art Museums. National security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses the Wisconsin school shooting, and the arrest of a US-Iranian citizen in Massachusetts in connection to a drone strike that killed American soldiers in Jordan earlier this year. Catherine D'Amato of the Greater Boston Food Bank and Linda Matchan of Globe Santa talk about how to help the hungry and less fortunate this holiday season. CNN's John King joins to discuss the latest national politics headlines. Then we open up the phone lines to hear about your best and worst holiday office party experiences.

Today:Looking for the best bottle to bring to that family or office holiday party? TJ and Hadley Douglas of The Urban Grape have you covered. And, through December 29th, Boston audiences have a chance to see SIX on its North American tour, at the Emerson Colonial Theater through Broadway in Boston. We’ll talk with the women playing Catherine of Aragon & the notorious Anne Boleyn.

We start the show by asking listeners whether they are making big purchases in expectation of Trump tariffs in 2025. TJ and Hadley Douglas of Urban Grape join us for a holiday wine tasting, and to discuss how American wine producers could be impacted by the tariffs.NBC Boston's Sue O'Connell discusses the two men arrested for flying a drone near Logan, Trump considering a pardon for Eric Adams and the fate of TikTok.Carol Rose of the ACLU of Massachusetts discusses the DOJ's report on Worcester police and data privacy legislation proposed by Sen. Warren that aligns with the ACLU's work to pass the Location Shield Act.Two of Henry VIII's wives join us, Anne Boleyn (Gaby Albo) and Catherine of Aragon (Chani Maisonet), from the Boston cast of SIX.Then, we ask whether gift cards are ever acceptable as holiday gifts.

Today:We talk with one of the legislators – State Senator Nick Collins – who led the charge to defeat Boston Mayor Wu’s plan to shift the tax burden towards commercial properties in the city.And, states don’t have to give into anticipatory obedience on everything Trump will try to rollback – We talk with Terri Gerstein of NYU's Wagner Labor Institute and Paul Sonn of the National Employment Law Project, who say states can and should act now to shore up worker protections ahead of Jan. 20.