Boston Public Radio

Thompson's best, worst, and what to watch this week all come from network TV.

Goldstein's new season of the Love Letters podcast explores how to tell if you've found 'the one.'

The roller-coaster controversy has some people wondering how far "cancel culture" will go.

Even with housing assistance, many families need more help to move into high-opportunity areas, Chetty said.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Aeronaut's Jason McCool joined us for our weekly news quiz.

The governor has faced criticism for imposing a four month ban on vaping devices, but the Boston Globe business columnist said she thinks Baker made the right call.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne discusses the Inflation Reduction Act’s potential impact on climate, as well as what its passage says about polarization in America, and the ability of Democrats in Congress to get things done ahead of the midterms. Dionne is a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is “Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country.” Then, we ask listeners about what the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage says about polarization in Congress. Brian McGrory discuss the impacts of the recent MBTA closures, Mayor Michelle Wu’s strategy in dealing with developers in the city, and the potential for a 2024 Trump or Biden presidential run. McGrory is the editor-in-chief of the Boston Globe. Bruce Marks talks about the work NACA is doing to help Americans afford homes, and explains the factors which are driving the housing crisis across the country. Marks is the CEO and founder of NACA, the nation’s largest Housing and Urban Development-certified nonprofit. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price III share their thoughts on the NFL’s controversial record with player activism and supporting women, as well as recent calls for the church community to confront its ableism, and considerations about changing the Mass. state seal. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, and the inaugural dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host GBH's “All Rev’d Up” podcast. Ayo Edebiri talks about her upbringing in Boston, her role in Hulu’s “The Bear,” and her upcoming projects. Edebiri is a comedian, writer, producer and actress. She plays Sydney in “The Bear,” and Missy in the Netflix series “Big Mouth.” We end the show by asking listeners how they’re holding up through this summer’s heat waves.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners how they find idle time to relax. Michael Curry weighs in on the U.S. response to monkeypox, and U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’ new hate-crime hotline. Curry is chair of the NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee, and is president and CEO of the Mass. League of Community Health Centers. Kevin and Michael Bacon preview their latest music together, and discussed their tour across New England. Michael is an Emmy Award-winning film and television composer. Kevin is an actor – currently starring in Showtime’s “City on a Hill” and the new thriller “They/Them.” Together they form the “Bacon Brothers” musical duo. Irene Li discuss BIPOC women in the farmer’s market scene, and the state of the restaurant industry. Li is a James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Mei Mei Dumplings. Shirley Leung updates listeners on the state of the MBTA, with the upcoming Orange Line shutdown and continued slew of dangerous incidents. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Brad Vernatter, Omar Najmi and Mack Wolz perform a few songs, and discuss their upcoming performances of “Romeo and Juliet” on the Common with the Boston Lyric Opera. Vernatter is artistic and general director for the BLO. Najmi and Wolz are performers with the BLO. They were accompanied on piano by Douglas Sumi. We end the show by discussing recent studies showing the harmful effects of unhealthy food.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talks about Sen. Joe Manchin’s role as the 50th vote in the Senate, the impact of Kansans voting to retain their abortion rights, and the possibility of a red wave in the midterms. Todd is the moderator of “Meet The Press” on NBC, host of “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we ask listeners if they think the MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown will be worth the hassle. Andrea Cabral discusses the latest headlines from the ongoing Alex Jones trial for spreading misinformation about the Sandy Hook mass shooting. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Then we open the phone lines to let listeners lead the conversation, sharing the stories they can’t stop thinking about. David Abel shares his thoughts on potential climate legislation in Congress, how the current drought is impacting the Charles River, and how climate change is affecting Maine’s puffin population. Abel is a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer who covers the environment for the Boston Globe. Andy Ihnatko weighs in on the new CHIPS+ act, which incentivizes United States' companies to manufacture their own semiconductors, a recent controversy surrounding video footage from Ring doorbells, and the resurgence of Google Glass. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We end the show by asking listeners whether they prefer iced or hot coffee in the summertime.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about Kansas voters deciding to protect abortion rights in their state in the face of a potential abortion ban. Art Caplan talks about TV personality and Pennsylvania senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz’s history of dubious medical claims, and President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 rebound case. Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Juliette Kayyem discusses recent catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, and the state of abortion rights in Republican-dominated states. Kayyem is the former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland-security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her most recent book is “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Lyndia Downie updates us on the state of homelessness in Boston, following record heat in the area. Downie is the president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn. Rick Steves shares travel tips and tricks from his most recent tour through Europe. Steves is an author, television and radio host, and the owner of “Rick Steves’ Europe” tour group. You can catch “Rick Steves’ Europe” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2, and his radio show “Travel With Rick Steves” on Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH 89.7. His latest, the six-hour mini-series “Rick Steves Art of Europe,” will be available to stream to GBH members starting in October. Meredith Goldstein talks about her latest “Love Letters” columns offering love and relationship advice. Goldstein is a features writer for the Boston Globe, where she authors the “Love Letters” column, and hosts the “Love Letters” podcast. We end the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on Boston’s booming rat population.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’re boycotting the NFL following the recent sexual harassment allegations against Deshaun Watson. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the recent allegations against Watson, the underdog victory for England Women’s soccer in the 2022 Euro Championships and death of a hiker on Mt. Washington. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose talks about how state legislatures have been reacting in the wake of Republican challenges to mail-in voting laws, and the recent passage of the CROWN act in Mass., which prohibits discrimination based on hair-type. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Lee Pelton reflects on the life and legacy of Bill Russell, Boston’s recent rank as the 2nd least affordable in the U.S. and a recent Harvard study which ties upward mobility to having wealthy friends. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Chris Muther recaps his recent piece on a five-star hotel in Hyannis, and discusses the guilt Americans feel taking vacations, the “lost luggage epidemic” and a popular new trend: the coastal grandmother aesthetic. Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Jared Bowen talks about Shakespeare on the Common, Brad Pitt in his new movie “Bullet Train,” a new play at the Company One Theater, Can I Touch It? and Grand Horizons at the Gloucester Stage. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We end the show by asking listeners to share their feelings about the current pickle craze.