Boston Public Radio

Tariffs are meant to hold countries accountable and increase domestic manufacturing, but there could be costs to consumers and the economy.

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse criticized Biden’s reasoning for pardoning his son, while Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley defended Biden's right to pardon his son but urged the president to use his executive powers to address sentencing disparities.

Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung noted that Black Friday's excitement has changed, as fewer people lined up for early-morning sales. Instead, online shopping saw record sales.

The senator believes Trump will act in a revengeful way "towards individuals who he believes harmed him.”

Andrea Campbell said the attorney general's office can only get involved if the dispute between the auditor and Massachusetts Legislature goes to litigation.

RFK Jr's vaccine skepticism is concerning to doctors, but his calls for improving nutrition are appealing — if he can execute his plan.

Robert Pinsky is a three-time U.S. Poet Laureate, who’s performed alongside Bruce Springsteen and for Lisa Simpson. He joined alongside Berklee professor and bandmate Stan Strickland for Live Music Friday.Ron Mitchell & Breje Williams reflected on MLK’s legacy of activism ahead of MLK dayDiana DiZoglio on efforts to bring transparency to the state legislatureLaTosha Brown,activist & organizer behind Black Voters Matter, on Kamala’s loss, and the path towards equity under Trump 2.0.

Today: LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter, reflects on the 2024 election, and the need to buckle in for the work of the next four years.And, three-time poet laureate Robert Pinsky joins for Live Music Friday, accompanied by Stan Strickland, ahead of a show at Regattabar in Harvard Square.

Today:Legendary environmentalist Bill McKibben joins to discuss how the incoming energy secretary refuses to link the rise in wildfires to climate change … And how those fires are reshaping the home insurance industry.And, Boston University professor Anthony Jack studies higher education leadership. He chronicled the vast disparities among Harvard students during pandemic-related campus closures, and argues elite campuses remain very unequal in his new book: “Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality & Students Pay the Price.”

NBC political director Chuck Todd returns for his Thursday D.C. roundup.Then we ask listeners about a potential TikTok ban. Former secretary of public safety, Andrea Cabral, weighs in on Pam Bondi's AG confirmation hearing, Jack Smith hanging up his hat and other law & order headlines.Environmentalist Bill McKibben returns for his monthly roundup of climate headlines. This week, that's the L.A. wildfires and climate resistance under Trump.Anthony Jack is a professor at Boston University and author of the book “Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality & Students Pay the Price.” He joins us to discuss. Am I the A-hole if I use the ADA stall when I don't have a disability? Callers discuss.

Today:We ask listeners to weigh in on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu not taking maternity leave after becoming just one of very few women to give birth while holding elected office … A source with intimate knowledge of the matter calls in.And, tech guru Andy Ihnatko explains what the end of Tik-Tok would look like, and why thousands of users are flocking to yet another China-owned video sharing app, instead of Mark Zuckerberg’s “Reels.”