Boston Public Radio

Massachusetts’ film tax credit is a boost, too, says Cambridge filmmaker Eric Aronson.

Fifty years after Boston's court-ordered busing plan aimed to address racial segregation in public schools, the city continues to deal with its effects. Three panelists emphasized the need to shift focus from busing to investing in quality education within neighborhoods.

Andrea Campbell said the Children’s Justice Unit is working to respond to complaints at Southwick Regional School and others.

Monica Tibbits-Nutt celebrated her one-year anniversary as Massachusetts' secretary of transportation with a detailed overview of her accomplishments such decreasing the Sumner Tunnel closures and the East-West rail.

One year after the Supreme Court’s ruling on race-conscious admissions, some elite universities revealed a drop in enrollments among Black students and other racial minorities. But data from more schools is needed to understand the full impact on school admissions.

The proposal’s been pending on Beacon Hill for months. Senate President Karen Spilka has been skeptical, but Boston’s mayor says conversations are ongoing.

Today: Boston Globe Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein discusses the region's newest romance-specific brick-and-mortar bookstore, Lovestruck Books, in Harvard Square.And, the team from the Urban Nutcracker joins Jim and Margery at the BPL for Live Music Friday.

BPR Full Show 12/20: The 2024 Finale

We start the show by asking people how they maintain a "no crap for Christmas" policy.Ashish Jha was Biden’s COVID-19 response coordinator, now he’s the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. He joins to talk about RFK Jr. at the helm of HHS and whether the U.S. is ready for another pandemic.Former secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral reacts to a Georgie appeals court disqualifying Fani Willis, GOP officials targeting Liz Cheney for prosecution in 2025 and the third guilty plea in the Cambridge/Watertown brothel case.Former secretary of education Paul Reville discusses how Linda McMahon will impact the Department of Education, skill gaps at Massachusetts community colleges, a lawsuit alleging price-fixing at major universities, and pushback to Newton’s multilevel teaching model. Vulture podcast critic Nick Quah talks about this year's best shows. Then it's "Am I the A-Hole" day. At issue is an early Christmas dinner time.

Today:Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University school of public health, and former COVID-19 coordinator under President Biden joins Jim and Margery in Studio 3 -- He reflects on mistakes made around school closures and vaccine mandates.And, our final Am I The A-Hole segment of the year: Is one family member the jerk for wanting to hold the big Christmas meal later in the afternoon than 1:00 p.m., so he can enjoy time with his own young children and family before meeting up with the big group?

Today: Andrea Cabral and Sue O'Connell fill in for Jim and Margery.We speak with national security expert Juliette Kayyem about the Wisconsin school shooting, and the drone mania on the east coast.And, Linda Matchan, editor for Globe Santa, and the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Catherine D’Amato, discuss ways we can help each other this giving season.