Boston Public Radio

On Wednesday, WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen said the film "Joker" was disturbing and fascinating.

A new FRONTLINE documentary takes viewers inside Saudi Arabia's power structure to find answers about the journalist's murder.

Juul's new CEO used to be a tobacco industry executive.

Thirty-two prisons bought uninspected and degraded meat for their inmates, Corby Kummer says.

The law will go into effect in 2023, but a legal fight with the NCAA seems imminent, says Trenni Kusnierek.

WGBH News Reporter Craig LeMoult said Monday that legislators aren't equipped to respond to new data about ultrafine emissions particles.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Massachusetts Governor and 2020 presidential candidate Deval Patrick discussed his election campaign, and offered his thoughts on the assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani. We opened our lines to talk with callers about your techniques for getting out of bed in the morning, and the drawbacks of the snooze button. Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, joined us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the implications of Thursday’s assassination of Qassem Soleimani, and the wildfires ravaging Australia. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed a same-sex kiss in the new Star Wars movie, and the Trump administration’s removal of mentions of sexual orientation from executive branch discrimination guidelines. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed the end of Julian Castro’s 2020 campaign, and the increasingly white field of Democratic presidential candidates. Two environmentally sustainable business owners: Sarah Levy of Cleenland, and Samantha Putos of Bee Balm, joined us for our weekly news quiz.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jennifer Horn discussed The Lincoln Project, a PAC of prominent Republicans whose mission is to “defeat Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box.” Horn is a Lincoln Project founder, 2-time challenger for New Hampshire’s 2nd congressional district, and former chair of the New Hampshire GOP. We opened our lines to talk with callers about New Year's resolutions, impeachment, and the 2020 election. Andrea Cabral discussed a year-end report from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts advocating for judicial independence, as well as news that the Boston Police Department will no longer be releasing data on street investigations. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed newly unearthed documents indicating that FDA oversight failures led to thousands of opioid-related deaths, and the prison sentence for a Chinese doctor who edited genes of human embryos. Former Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville discussed the lack of diversity for Massachusetts teachers, and poor sanitary conditions in Boston public school bathrooms. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed the closing of the 102-year-old No Name Restaurant, and her recent Globe profile of WHDH owner Ed Ansin. Harvard Bioengineer Kit Parker talked about the future of the lab-engineered meat industry.

We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations, including: Daniel J Jones and Scott Z Burns discussed their collaboration on the new movie, The Report. Daniel J Jones’ investigation into the CIA’s use of torture is the subject of The Report, which Burns directed. Daniel Leader, a pioneer in the American baking world, discussed his latest book, "Living Bread." Naomi Klein joined Jim and Margery to talk about her new book, "On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal." Malcolm Gladwell, staff writer for the New Yorker, discussed his new book, "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know." Investigative reporter Ronan Farrow won a Pulitzer-Prize for public service for his reporting on Harvey Weinstein. He joined Jim and Margery to discuss his new book: "Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators." Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton discussed his latest research, which looks at why minimalism is the new status symbol. Writer Joshua Foer discussed the latest edition of "Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders."

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed whether the Patriots’ Sunday loss to the Miami Dolphins signals the end of their reign in the NFL. Constitutional law professor Kent Greenfield discussed his recent op-ed criticizing Sen. Mitch McConnell’s partiality ahead of the Senate impeachment trial. In our second and third hours we spotlighted some of our favorite conversations, including: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Robert Woodward discussed his book FEAR: Trump in the White House Author Susan Orlean joined Jim and Margery to talk about her latest work, The Library Book Poet Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of The Village Voice. Chef Dorie Greenspan discussed her new cookbook: Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton shared his research on the dark side of the inside joke.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michael Curry and Lylah Alphonse discussed Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s statements about Mitch McConnell’s role in the Senate impeachment trial, a Trump-themed festival in Arizona, and the passing of Boston City Counselor Chuck Turner. Curry is senior vice president and general counsel at Mass League of Community Health Centers, and a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors. Alphonse is the Managing News Editor at the U.S. News & World Report. Evan Falchuck and Lou DiNatale discussed their new report on the center-leaning politics of Massachusetts voters. Falchuck is a former gubernatorial candidate and CEO of the health care tech company VillagePlan, and DiNatale is a veteran Massachusetts pollster. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed an investigation into the safety of airline food, and the surging popularity of so-called “ghost kitchens." Journalist and author Sy Montgomery discussed the growing crisis of ocean trash on marine life, the hard-to-decipher facial expressions of cats, and Sy’s favorite animals stories of 2019. Comedian Chris Fleming discussed his decade in comedy on YouTube, and his forthcoming show at the Wilbur.