Boston Public Radio

Nothing says "happy holidays" like a Friday News Quiz. To prove it, we brought two bona fide Santa Clauses—that's right, two!—to face off on this week's…

Last Friday, France held a memorial for the 130 citizens killed during the terrorist attacks of November 13th. This week, the city hosts 50,000 visitors…

This afternoon, President Barack Obama announced there was no "specific, credible threat" on the homeland ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. He…

It has been ten days since Paris was wracked by a terrorist attack that killed 130 and injured hundreds others. But in that time, the City of Light has…

Attorney General Maura Healey says the public records reform bill approved by the House earlier this week, while a step in the right direction, does not…

If you've ever shared food with someone you work with, or passed notes about that one guy in your office who always chews with his mouth open and sneezes…

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to discuss former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg potentially entering the 2020 race. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed ongoing questions regarding Twitter’s ban on political ads, and Google’s new "paper phone." Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, joined us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed growing representation for the LGBTQ community on broadcast TV, and considered whether or not Bruce Springsteen is a gay icon. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed a study indicating that low-income districts had longer wait times in the 2018 election, and news of Kansas City voters removing Martin Luther King’s name from a boulevard. Former Senate investigator Daniel J. Jones and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns discussed their new film, “The Report.” Artists Keith Maddy and Ed Stitt joined for our weekly news quiz to promote the upcoming Open Studios event in Fenway.

Today on Boston Public Radio: MSNBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed the written testimony of Ukraine Ambassador Bill Taylor, and the wider implications of Tuesday’s election for the Democratic in 2020. New York Times writer and “Shrill” author Lindy West discussed her latest book, “The Witches are Coming.” Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral spoke about the retirement of Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin, and divides over the death penalty in the Republican Party. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the prosperity gospel and President Trump’s spiritual advisor, as well as Pete Buttigieg’s relationship to Black voters. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam discussed the “okay boomer” meme and how it reflects current generational tensions. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed the significance of a diverse group of new lawmakers elected in Massachusetts on Tuesday. We opened the lines to callers to ask: how do you feel about the “okay boomer” meme?

Subscribers of Amazon Prime — the e-commerce giant’s membership service for discounted shipping rates and streaming video content — will now receive free membership to the company’s on-demand grocery service, AmazonFresh. According to Corby Kummer, a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Amazon’s move is the latest part of its growing effort to expand into the grocery business. Kummer said the key to Amazon’s strategy is cutting down on staff at Whole Foods, which the company acquired in 2017, to reduce operating costs and fund the delivery service. “While they chop local jobs of people who are at cash registers or people who smile at you when you go to Whole Foods ... they can lose money hand over fist,” Kummer said. “All of your friends who are smiling at you at Whole Foods are going to be gone, because you’re buying into meal delivery.” According to a February report from Bain & Company done in partnership with Google, 3 percent of US grocery shopping occurs online, but analysts expect the amount of online sales to triple within the next decade. Kummer is executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute and a senior editor at The Atlantic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to hear your thoughts on First Lady Melania Trump’s visit to Boston Medical Center. Medical Ethicist Art Caplan discussed concerns over whether law enforcement ought to have access to data from consumer DNA kits. CNN Analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed E.U. Ambassador George Sondland’s revised testimony regarding President Donald Trump's call with the president of Ukraine, lax enforcement of the S.T.O.P. Act, and the future for disaster relief in fire-prone areas of California. WGBH Science Correspondent Heather Goldstone discussed President Donald Trump formalizing his decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, and E.P.A. regulators allowing toxic chemicals to be dumped in the Merrimack River. Behavioral Economist Michael Norton discussed the psychology behind “pseudo-secret” menu options. WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed the Polaroid exhibit at the M.I.T. Museum, as well as a production of “X” at the Flat Earth Theater, and Paula Cole’s new album, “Revolution.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to talk about Tuesday’s elections and the 2020 presidential race. NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the high school referee shortage in Massachusetts, and new Red Sox Chief Officer Chaim Bloom. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU, discussed the Press Pause on Face Surveillance Campaign, along with revelations uncovered by the ACLU that Boston Police are collaborating with ICE officials. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the firing of McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook, and Amazon’s latest plan to dominate the food delivery industry. Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigrant Forum, discussed the Trump administration’s crackdown on refugees in the U.S., and flaws in Democratic Party's appeals to Latinx voters. CNN’s John King talked about the latest headlines surrounding the 2020 election. Playwright Ryan Landry spoke about his recent TEDx talk, titled “Cage of Normalcy,” and previewed a new show from his Gold Dust Orphans production company titled “Christmas on Uranus."