Boston Public Radio

Late last week, Congressman Kevin McCarthy abruptly withdrew his name from the running to be the next Speaker of the House. The California Republican was…

This weekend, an army of activist brass bands descends on Somerville to celebrate the tenth annual HONK! Fest. To celebrate, Jim Braude and Margery Eagan…

In the wake of the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, Democrats in Congress have launched a renewed push for gun control legislation like…

Doctors Without Borders, the international organization in charge of a hospital in Afghanistan bombed by an American airstrike this weekend, has called…

Thomas Hughes was a 29 year old investment banker at the prestige firm of Moelis & Company when he missed a family Easter brunch at the Yale Club in New…

Over the weekend, an American airstrike in the northern city of Kunduz, Afghanistan led 12 staff members and seven patients dead at a hospital run by the…

Today on Boston Public Radio: Sen. Elizabeth Warren called in to talk about student loan forgiveness and what is coming ahead for Democrats in the midterms. Warren has been representing Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since 2013. We opened our lines to ask listeners: What is motivating you to cast your ballot on Nov. 8? Juliette Kayeem discussed the purchase of conservative social media app Parler by rapper Kanye West, and deadly floods in Nigeria over the weekend. Kayyem was the assistant secretary for Homeland Security under former President Barack Obama, and is the faculty chair of the Homeland Security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her 2022 book is “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Jeremy Hobson discussed his new live, call-in national radio show, “The Middle,” which aims to reach middle America. Hobson is the former co-host of NPR’s “Here and Now.” Sy Montgomery joined us for another edition of, “The Afternoon Zoo.” She discussed recent mystery respiratory illnesses in dogs, a new report that finds animal populations have plummeted nearly 70% in the last 50 years and more. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and Boston Public Radio contributor. Her latest book is “The Hawk’s Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty.” Jim Salge discussed how climate change is impacting fall foliage, and fielded questions from listeners about everything fall foliage. Salge is a foliage reporter, photographer and former meteorologist at the Mount Washington Observatory.

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!