Boston Public Radio

Summer can be an expensive time. You have to book vacations, get a new bathing suit, buy sunscreen...you know how it is. Luckily, Brian O'Donovan of A…

The Supreme Court issued two historical decisions last week—one upholding the Affordable Care Act, and the other legalizing same-sex marriage across all…

The country of Greece, still reeling from 2008's economic recession, owes the International Monetary Fund €1.6 billion. That payment is due Tuesday. They…

Mayor Martin J. Walsh says Wynn Casino's claim they offered $150 million to the city to repair Sullivan Square is "inaccurate" and "unfair," he told Jim…

Evan Falchuk, head of the United Independent Party, announced yesterday he would be joining forces with anti-tax activists Yes on 1 to pass a ballot…

Are America's biggest retailers having a wardrobe malfunction? Former clothing powerhouses like Gap, J.Crew, and Abercrombie—once juggernauts in the…

Today on Boston Public Radio: WGBH's own Adam Reilly and Boston Globe reporter Frank Phillips provided a politics round table. WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott discusses President Donald Trump's role in Israel banning two Congresswomen from visiting the country on a political trip. Medical Ethicist Art Caplan discussed a new report that one in every 1,000 black men dies at the hands of police officers in America. We opened the lines to hear listeners' thoughts on an impending recession. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G Price III joined us for another edition of All Rev'd Up, where they discussed Jay Z's new deal with the NFL. Industrial designer Garrett Benisch discussed his efforts to design products with sustainability in mind, including a pen made with ink from refined human waste. Inaugural poet Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of Village Voice.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis spoke about his advocacy for the North-South rail link, as well as his views on the 2020 presidential race. Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bennet joined Jim, and guest host Shirley Leung, to speak about his candidacy. WGBH’s Emily Rooney quizzed our hosts on the Woodstock music festival. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh came on for “Ask the Mayor,” to take our listeners calls and questions. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed algorithms that exist to detect hate speech online. WGBH’s Callie Crossley spoke about the backlash Jay-Z is facing after signing into a partnership with the National Football League. Revolving Museum founder Jerry Beck and high school teach Coraly Rivera talked about the “Poetry Museum” arriving in downtown Boston next week.

Products that are deemed harmful, like cigarettes and alcohol, come with an added excise tax - dubbed the 'sin tax' - when consumers purchase them. Now Germany, and several Nordic countries, think it's time to add a sin tax on meat. The hope is that higher prices will disincentivize consumers from buying meat, specifically beef, that contributes to the worsening of climate change. Americans eat an average of over 200 pounds of meat a year, and cows contribute 41% of livestock greenhouse gas emissions. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to discuss the meat tax and alternatives to beef. "There are many ways to get animal protein if you want animal protein, go ahead. But don't have it from the animals that are contributing so much more to greenhouse gases and methane emissions," he said. "In the U.S. there's lots of reasonably priced alternative protein. Let them eat those alternatives and save the climate." The meat tax wouldn't hurt consumers' wallets too hard, Kummer said, but would be in place to stir people's conscience. "This isn't going to make meat unaffordable, it's just going to say, 'Think again - this is terrible for the environment and for the future.'" By Hannah Uebele

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd discussed the latest political headlines. Todd is moderator of Meet the Press and political director for NBC News. We opened the lines to hear from listeners about whether they think there is a disconnect between the way government operates and the will of the people. Former Suffolk County sheriff and former public safety secretary Andrea Cabral discussed how Jeffrey Epstein's apparent suicide is casting a spotlight on how federal prisons are rife with violence, sexual harassment, and chronic under-staffing. Cabral is now CEO of Ascend. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed new MBTA cars on the orange line and the planned merger between Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan. Paul Reville discussed the tuition hike at UMass and other education headlines. Reville is former secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, where he runs the Education Redesign Lab. Corby Kummer discussed a potential meat tax in Germany as the country reckons with the industry's environmental harm. Kummer is 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 opened the lines to discuss the sales tax holiday in Massachusetts.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to ask whether you're skipping traveling during your vacation time off from work because it's too expensive. Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie joined us to discuss the aftermath of Operation Clean Sweep on Boston's homeless population. We spoke with medical ethicist Art Caplan about President Donald Trump's proposal to allow the importation of cheaper pharmaceuticals into the United States. WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen shared his thoughts on the latest production of "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is now running on Broadway. We spoke with historian Nancy Koehn about Robert Kennedy's leadership style during his 1968 presidential campaign. WCRB's Brian McCreath and Celtic Sojourn's Brian O'Donovan joined us for a seasonal concert round table.