Boston Public Radio

The South Bend mayor has seen a surge in the polls, but marginalized voters aren't yet convinced by his campaign and reputation.

"The ordinance is going to continue to make progress on equity and diversity in the new industry," said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

"It's either a legal product or it's not," Rooney said.

Gov. Charlie Baker stands by his transit plans, he said Thursday.

TV expert Bob Thompson breaks down the disclaimer Disney Plus included on some of its older programming that warns of "outdated cultural depictions."

President Trump's proposals would provide more transparent prices to patients.

Today on Boston Public Radio: MIT economist Jon Gruber discussed the social and economic impacts of when women have abortions. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners about the affordable housing crunch in Boston. Have you left the city because of sky-high rents? Are you thinking about it? Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam gave us an evolutionary explanation of how dogs won humans over. WGBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen shared his reviews of productions of “Miss Saigon,” “Yerma,” and other shows around town. Naturalist Sy Montgomery explored the latest news from the Animal Kingdom, including the work of a turtle sanctuary and rescue in central Massachusetts. It’s time for our summer concert roundtable! WCRB’s Brian McCreath, Berklee’s Rob Hochschild, and WGBH’s own Brian O’Donovan shared their picks.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked listeners about the controversy over the U.S. Women's Soccer Team celebrating its high-scoring win against Thailand. Is criticism of the team sexism in action? Trenni Kusnierek, reporter and anchor at NBC Sports Boston, weighed in on that and other sports headlines. Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts,** **talked about the launch of the ACLU’s campaign to regulate facial recognition technology. Lawyer Ruth Greenberg, the head of the compassionate release pop-up clinic at Boston University, discussed why the state's Department of Corrections is failing to grant more terminally-ill prisoners compassionate release. Legendary actor Ed Asner of "Up" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" shared his new play, "God Help Us." John King, CNN's Chief National Correspondent and host of "Inside Politics," updated us on the latest national news. It's the 80th anniversary of "The Wizard Of Oz." Joining us with his reflections was Ryan Landry: playwright, lyricist, actor and founder of the Gold Dust Orphans theatrical company.

If you shop at grocery stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania or New Jersey, then you may have met Marty the Robot taking care of a clean-up on Aisle 4. But food writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio that he thinks this technology has alternative motives.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We went over the latest political headlines with analyst Charlie Chieppo and former NAACP of Massachusetts president Michael Curry. Charles Sennott, executive director of The GroundTruth Project, discussed rising tensions with Iran and the latest updates on the shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners: With the Red Line yet to bounce back after a nasty derailment last week, what will it take to fix the beleaguered MBTA? Do our leaders have enough of a sense of urgency on this issue? Food writer Corby Kummer looked at the robots invading our grocery stories and the new marketing ploy Kraft is using to get kids to use salad dressing. On “All Revved Up,” Reverend Irene Monroe and Reverend Emmett Price discussed a police incident in Phoenix that is raising red flags. Daniela Lamas, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a staff writer for the medical TV drama “The Resident,” explains how she sometimes gets to write the endings for TV that she wish would happen in real life with her patients. Television expert Bob Thompson looks back on the 25th anniversary of OJ Simpson’s famous white Bronco chase.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked you about a statue of Myrtle the Turtle that’s making waves in Boston. Residents complain the bronze statue gets too hot in the sun during the day and is dangerous for children to play on. Should it stay or should it go? We talked to comedian Hannah Gadsby, creator of the Netflix special Nanette, about her new show coming to Boston. Sue O’Connell, host of “The Take,” discussed the turtle statue and other happenings around town. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh took our questions and yours for a full hour on “Ask the Mayor.” Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creator of “Bojack Horseman,” shared his new collection of short stories, “Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory.” Callie Crossley, host of “Under the Radar with Callie Crossley,” looked at the cultural impact of Ava DuVernay’s new documentary about the Central Park Five. Our Friday News Quiz featured two architects, Eric Robinson and Kevin Deabler, who are partnering with affordable housing developer Community Builders and thePine Street Inn to build what will be Boston’s largest complex of permanent supportive housing forthe homeless.