Boston Public Radio

A GBH News reports highlights how the loss of a public park in 1960s laid the ground for today's battle for better air quality.

Gov.-elect Healey wants to bet big on climate technology.

More than 2,500 books were banned in different U.S. districts in the 2021-22 school year, a recent report found.

Missteps made in Gov. Baker's pardon request led to a hasty withdrawal.

Markey also warned tech mogul Elon Musk to clean up his Twitter act.

Mayor Michelle Wu signed the proposal and sent it to the state Legislature. But she says the extension of voting rights for immigrants needs more study.

Summer is around the corner and school’s about to be out. So should older kids be obligated to work or go to summer camp? We opened the lines to hear from listeners. Carolyn Beeler, a journalist from The World , shares details about their journalism initiative called The Big Fix, which aims to explore global solutions for addressing climate change. Retired federal judge Nancy Gertner delves into the possibility of E Jean Carroll suing Trump for the third time, specifically regarding his comments following the sexual assault civil trial. She also discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the "independent state legislature" theory that the Supreme Court of the United States may or may not be grappling with in time for the 2024 election. Corby Kummer, a food policy analyst, highlights the inspiring efforts of individuals in Arizona who have successfully combated historic drought by transforming lawns into forest gardens and cultivating urban farms in food deserts. Kummer also touches upon Michelle Obama's new venture, PLEZi Nutrition company. The Revs engage in a conversation about the increasing trend of Americans praying in their cars rather than traditional places of worship. Additionally, they discuss what Ron DeSantis' lack of "God-talk" signifies for Republican politics on a broader scale. Charlie Sennott, an analyst from GBH News, provides a roundup of various global news topics, including the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Ukrainian President Zelensky's meeting with the Pope in Italy, the recent elections in Turkey, and the Israel-Gaza conflict. We closed to show by asking listeners about their snacking rituals. According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly half of Americans are eating three or more snacks a day. We wanted to know how our listeners related.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. We started the show by hearing from listeners about the state of motherhood in 2023. Mary Callahan and Leisie Kelly are two of the performers behind Speakeasy Stage Company’s The Prom, currently showing through June. It’s a musical about washed up actors who infiltrate small-town Indiana, and the chaos that unfolds when two girls decide they want to take one another to prom. They performed as part of Live Music Friday. Mitch Zuckoff is a Boston University professor and author whose latest book is “The Secret Gate: A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice During the Collapse of Afghanistan.” He joined to discuss his reporting on heroism and sacrifice during the fall of Afghanistan. Mayor Michelle Wu is back for “Ask the Mayor.” Jim and Margery asked about her performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and about her homelessness plan for Mass & Cass. They also discussed city districting, an influx of migrants to the city, Summertime open streets and BPD overtime fraud. Then, we opened the phone lines again to get people’s thoughts on shorts in the office. Was Jim’s decision to roll up to the studio in shorts today appropriate or a travesty?

We asked listeners to call in with their thoughts on last night’s CNN town hall with Donald Trump. Andy Ihnatko joined to debrief yesterday’s Google I/O conference, plus, gave updates on the White House’s efforts to reign in on AI. Andrea Cabral covered the George Santos indictment and how former Boston Police Union head Dana Pullman is getting 2.5 years in prison for kickback fraud. She also talked about Boston redistricting, and blowback to the New York Times’ profile of Elizabeth Holmes. Juliette Kayyem discussed criticisms of how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s handled shootings in his state, most recently with the mall shooting in Allen. She’ll also weigh in on the E. Jean Carroll case, and a race between the U.S. and Russia over who can have the biggest naval presence in the Arctic. Nick Quah reviews podcasts for Vulture. This week, he shared his thoughts on Stiffed, Mallwalkin', Holy Week, You Didn't See Nothin, and She Wants More. A piece from The Wall Street Journal showed human brains are bad at multi-tasking. And yet, we can’t help ourselves. Why? What are your worst multi-tasking habitats? Listeners called in.

A Manhattan jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the author E. Jean Carroll. What impact will this verdict have on his presidential run? Will these allegations of sexual abuse convince undecided voters to look elsewhere for a president, or is this ignorable “locker room talk”? We asked listeners for their opinion. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the new guidelines for breast cancer screening, how the FDA is looking at the first OTC birth control pill and the end of the WHO’s COVID-19 global health emergency designation. GBH’s Jared Bowen discussed “Beetlejuice” at Broadway in Boston, “The Prom” at SpeakEasy Stage and “Angels in America” at Central Square Theater. Environmentalist Bill McKibben shared the latest climate news. Naturalist Sy Montgomery discussed a new airline for cats and dogs. Amazon is preparing to add return fees. Will that change your online buying habits? Listeners weighed in.

New Hampshire will now mandate that all schools in the state must teach cursive and multiplication tables. We asked our listeners if they agree with the mandate and believe cursive is important. Trenni Casey, anchor/reporter for NBC Sports Boston, discussed the 7 horses dead at Churchill Downs leading up to the Kentucky Derby, a matchmaking experience, and the latest with the Celtics. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Mass., discussed their involvement in North Brookfield to support the rights of the LGBTQ community there seeking to put a drag performance on during their Pride celebration, and the latest with silenced Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr. Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart discusses their 2023 spring season, starting May 12. Also, we get answers on how he keeps his luscious hair. We opened up the lines to ask listeners about how they feel about the beloved Christmas Tree Shops closing down their store locations. Chaos ensued. CNN’s John King joins remotely for the latest political headlines including the CNN Townhall tomorrow and how CNN came to the decision to have Trump on stage.