Boston Public Radio

David Axelrod is a grizzled veteran of American politics, first covering it as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and then working campaigns for Richard…

Before you climb up onto your roof with a shovel* to clear off the forty feet of snow that's accumulated in the past few days, you may want to listen to…

"American Sniper"—the Clint Eastwood blockbuster about real-life Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle—has broken record after record at the box office. But the…

Oh, how the tables have turned. High School Quiz Show host Billy Costa put Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on the other side of the answer sheet this week…

After ISIS released video of the brutal murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh, the reaction of the pilot's home country was swift. By dawn, two…

It doesn't take a close reading of Emily Post's Etiquette handbook to know that there are three topics that should never be discussed in polite company:…

A new poll finds that new Millennials, the generation that loves to dine out, tip less frequently than the two previous generations. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to explain the “confusing, messy” world of restaurant tipping. The poll, published by YouGov, found that 63 percent of Millennials tip regularly, compared to 89 percent of Baby Boomers, and 81 percent of Generation Xers. But, according to the poll, Millennials feel guiltier about their habits. “The only good thing about this is that they feel guilty,” said Kummer. “They think they should be doing more, and they’re not sure how to handle it.” Waiters and waitresses in most states in America rely on tips to cover a substantial part of their income, as employers can pay servers about $2 an hour as long as tips cover the remainder of the minimum wage. If tips don’t get employees to minimum wage, employers are required to pay the difference, although Kummer said this system often leads to wage theft and isn’t often enforced. Even so, attempted solutions didn’t end up changing consumer behavior. “The solution was to incorporate tips right into the check … but restaurant customers don’t like it, they feel their control is being taken away from them, they have no autonomy, and they wish to be able to punish the people who didn’t come to the table or give them good enough service. What they’re not thinking in that moment of wanting to withhold tips is that signal will not be sent to the server, they’re almost always pooled.” Kummer said there’s one surefire way to absolve any guilt you have of your counterparts who may not tip: “You need to personally make up for it.” 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're on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations: Mark Leibovich, chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, discussed his book "Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times." Anand Giridharadas joined BPR to talk about his book "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World." Comedian and podcaster Hari Kondabolu talked about his documentary, The Problem With Apu. Journalist, author and animal behaviorist Sy Montgomery joined Jim and Margery for another edition of the Afternoon Zoo. Comedian, actor and screenwriter Ike Barinholtz discussed his film, The Oath.

We're on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations: Ron Chernow joins Jim and Margery to talk about his biography, “Grant.” Harvard Business School's Michael Norton discusses his latest research, which looks at what is more valuable to people, saving money or saving time. Author Karl Ove Knaussgard discusses his book, “Autumn.” Patti Smith discusses why she considers herself a writer above all her other talents. It’s the subject of her memoir “Devotion (Why I Write).” Salman Rushdie discusses his novel, “The Golden House.” Sy Montgomery and Elizabeth Marshall Thomas discuss their book “Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind.”

For this episode of Boston Public Radio, hour one was live, with Ascend CEO Andrea Cabral and WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen filling in for Jim and Margery: NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed how former NBA player Dwayne Wade has been using his platform to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ rights. Corby Kummer discussed why there is a generational difference in tipping in restaurants. 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. Patrick Swanson, the artistic director of the Christmas Revels, previewed some songs the group are performing at the Sanders Theater through Dec. 29. Then, we replayed some of our favorite holiday interviews: Rob Kapilow, the composer, conductor, and music commentator, broke down what makes Irving Berlin’s White Christmas great. Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart challenged Jim and Margery to a speed read of The Night Before Christmas. Jared Bowen led a special cinema classic challenge, and we asked him why Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” still holds up. We opened the lines and ask you about the best and worst holiday music. We wrapped things up by asking you when it’s time to come clean with your kids about Santa Claus.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jennifer Nassour and Steve Kerrigan joined us for a politics roundtable. Nassour is a former Chair of the MassGOP and COO of ReflectUS, and Kerrigan is President and co-founder of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, and former CEO of the DNC. TV writer Bob Thompson reviewed Eddy Murphy’s return to SNL, FX’s “A Christmas Carol”, and the bevy of options for online Yule log viewing. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed a new test to diagnose Alzheimer’s, and a Wayne State University study on society’s attitudes surrounding infidelity. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price III, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed an editorial in Christianity Today calling for the removal of President Trump, and a 16 year prison sentence for a man who burned an LGBT flag. Attorney General Maura Healey stopped by the Boston Public Radio studio for our monthly “Ask the AG” series.