Boston Public Radio

Last week, in a mission to rescue 70 hostages being held by the group that calls itself the Islamic State, Army Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler was killed.…

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio Tuesday. Highlights included:On the upcoming Benghazi hearings in…

The adoption of a landmark nuclear weapons treaty with Iran officially kicked off October 18th, 90 days after the United Nations Security Council…

If someone dared you to jump in to the Charles River for a nice little swim, you might blanch a little bit. But what if someone asked you to drink from…

Governor Charlie Baker's administration is hoping to target the state's opioid crisis with a new bill unveiled Thursday. The bill would limit doctors to…

Senator Ed Markey believes that Congress is past due for a historic showdown on gun control."I think we're close to a tipping point," Markey said on…

Dunkin’ Donuts has devalued reward points and removed free birthday drinks as part of their new rewards program — and brand loyalists are not happy. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to share his thoughts on the backlash on Tuesday. “The whole idea is, this worked for them, and it created loyalty,” Kummer told hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. “It’s dumb to take something away that keeps customers coming and spending money.” “[At Dunkin Donuts, customers were saying] ‘here’s when I was born, and it’s my birthday — make me feel special.’ What a dumb thing to take that away.” In the wide-ranging interview, Kummer also discussed the rise of NFT reservations and paywalled restaurants, the arrival of vegan meats at Hannaford deli counters, and the $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons Merger. Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about new polling that puts the economy and inflation at the top of mind for voters just three weeks out from the midterm elections. Trenni Casey talked about Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s marriage to Dana Blumberg. Casey is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson discussed MA Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey questioning MBTA officials over multiple safety incidents, and the current state of driving in Boston. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Corby Kummer talked about the $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger, and backlash after Dunkin’ Donuts altered their rewards program. Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. We then continued our conversation on changes to the Dunkin’ Donuts rewards program with listeners. John King updated us on the latest political headlines, focusing on Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s denial of the 2020 election results. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Maggie Haberman joined us to talk about her new book on former President Donald Trump titled, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.” Haberman is a senior political reporter at The New York Times and CNN analyst. Then, we opened our lines to ask: Are American politics irreparably warped? What does it say about us that we can’t stop talking about former President Trump? Charlie Sennott from the GroundTruth Project discussed the latest news in international politics. From the recent escalations in the war in Ukraine and China’s president, Xi Jinping, readying himself for his newest presidential term. Bill McKibben discussed today’s climate news, why the world shouldn’t rely on King Charles III to lead on climate policy, lessons after Hurricane Ian — which ripped through Florida just a few weeks ago — and investments into storm preparation. McKibben is an environmentalist, author, journalist and founder of 350.org. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price discussed Boston Muslims pushing for double-parking privileges, recent abortion rallies in Boston and Kanye’s deep-dive into antisemitism. Monroe and Price are hosts of GBH’s podcast All Rev'd Up. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III on BPR | Oct. 17, 2022 We closed the show by asking listeners about their thoughts on sacrificing certain things to fight climate change.

Writer George Saunders received a MacArthur fellowship in 2006, and his first novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo,” published in 2017, won the Booker Prize. His latest collection of short stories, “Liberation Day,” is scheduled for release on October 18. Ahead of Saunders’ upcoming appearance at Harvard Bookstore (October 25) GBH’s Arts and Culture reporter James Bennett II interviewed Saunders about the writer’s penchant for surreal settings, his quirky -- yet fully realized -- characters and his knack for sublimating the drama of daily drudgery. We hope you enjoy this bonus podcast!

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on the death penalty, after a jury sentenced the Parkland school shooter to life in prison. Shirley Leung talked about her latest piece on Massachusetts Question 1 aka "the millionaire's tax," the return of the looming eviction wave, and the Boston Pops clarinet player who went on to make $100 milllion for Boston University through the stock market. Callie Crossley shared her thoughts on the Jan. 6 hearings, the new Little Mermaid movie, and the newest product from Kellogg: Eggo-Nog. Jared Bowen discussed an MFA’s directors dealings with a dubious English art dealer, “My Obsession” at the Boston Ballet, Step Afrika!’s “Drumfolk,” and shared his thoughts on the movies “Tár” and “Hocus Pocus 2.” Regie Gibson joined us with his Atlas Soul Trio ahead of a pair of shows with the Boston Celebrity Series to talked about his love of language, and play a few songs.