Boston Public Radio Podcast

Fred Franzia, legend in cheap wine-making, has died. His wine label Charles Shaw, sold at Trader Joe’s, made wine more accessible to Americans for its shockingly cheap sticker price – giving to its affectionate title: “two-buck Chuck.” “Wine snobs hate this idea,” Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio Tuesday. “The idea that you can buy cheap wine, and he was in Napa and he said, very delicately, ‘take that and shove it Napa.’” Corby 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

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by asking listeners about the President’s recent claim that the pandemic is “over.” Trenni Casey talked the latest from the WNBA, Robert Sarver’s suspension from the NBA, the niche community of ultramarathoning and the latest Tom Brady happenings. Casey is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden talked his primary win and the controversial election that led to it, and discussed the future of his office, including the way they will deal with a slew of hate demonstrations in the city, his firing the head of his Juvenile Detention unit, and the MBTA transit police cover up. Corby Kummer talked about the legacy of “Two Buck Chuck” following the death of its creator Fred Franzia, a new energy efficient way to cook pasta, and told us about some notable restaurants in the Boston area. Kummer is executive director of the food and society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show with a call-in segment and heard from listeners about the migrants on Martha’s Vineyard moving to temporary housing on Cape Cod. Iván Espinoza-Madrigal discussed the relief efforts for the 50 migrants that landed in Martha’s Vineyard and calls for an investigation into the involvement of Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis. Iván Espinoza-Madrigal is the Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston. Andy Borowitz detail the political players and events that inspired his new book, "Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber." Andy Borowitz is a New York Times best-selling author, comedian, and news satirist of The Borowitz Report for The New Yorker. Charlie Sennott discussed the international implications of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the future of nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. Charlie Sennott is an analyst for GBH News and the editor, founder, and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Brian McGrory talked about his

This episode of Boston Public Radio is from Friday September 16, 2022. Elle Simone Scott of America’s Test Kitchen shared tips on how to make the perfect food board for hosting. Joanne Chang talks about her latest book inspired by her baking journals, “Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes.” Billy Collins shares some of his poetry ahead of his June 16 appearance at 2Life Communities’ annual gala. Boston Globe sports reporter Dan Shaughnessy discussed his latest book on the Boston Celtics, “Wish It Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics.” Chef Christopher Kimball previewed his latest cookbook “Vegetables,” sharing his favorite ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate. Law professor Rosa Brooks discussed her new book, “Tangled Up In Blue: Policing The American City,” and described her experiences as a reserve police officer in Washington, D.C. Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras told stories of strange food from around the world, including psychedelic honey, the anti-m

This is the podcast for BPR’s show on Thursday, September 15, 2022. We started the show with NBC Political Director and moderator of Meet The Press, Chuck Todd. We then turned to Eve Zuckoff, reporter for WCAI, who was on the ground in Martha’s Vineyard, reporting on the dozens of migrants sent to the island by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Andrea Cabral, former Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Sheriff of Suffolk County. We wrapped the live portion of our show with incoming Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. The remainder of the show was on tape, featuring Boston Globe reporter Billy Baker on his book “We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends” and Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton on the importance of widening your circle of friends.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show with a conversation with NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg on her new book "Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships." Then, we opened the lines to hear from listeners about making friends: at the office, in person and online. For the remainder of the show, we re-aired some of our favorite conversations, including: Charlie Warzel on his book “Out of Office,” coauthored with Anne Helen Peterson, reporter Spencer Buell and noise researcher Erica Walker, about health concerns over rising noise levels in the city, the New Yorker's Malcolm Gladwell about his book, “Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know," writer Lindy West about her book, “The Witches Are Coming." and Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of etiquette expert Emily Post, about her book “Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by talking with listeners about autumn, and the dread that comes with transitioning from summer to fall.  Trenni Casey talked about the Patriots’ flop of an opening game against the Miami Dolphins and what the loss says about Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s ability, winners from this year’s U.S. open, plus new rules for Major League Baseball.  Boston Mayor Michelle Wu returned for an hour of “Ask the Mayor,” discussing decision to challenge Boston’s 2020 census results, ongoing MBTA shutdowns and workaround shuttles, and her choice to vote for Suffolk County D.A. candidate Ricardo Arroyo in the September primaries. She also responded to questions from listeners.  Michael Kirk discussed his latest “Frontline” documentary, “Lies, Politics & Democracy,” which delves into former President Trump’s relationship with the GOP and how Republicans enabled anti-democratic efforts after his 2020 election loss.  John King weighed in on an August inflation report an

We began the show by talking with listeners on the war in Ukraine and media coverage. Kate Bronfenbrenner and Rafi, a Starbucks barista and active member of Starbucks Workers United, talked about the wave of unionization efforts, what workers are fighting for and the struggles ahead. Bronfenbrenner is the director of Labor Education Research and a senior lecturer at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and the co-director of the Worker Empowerment Research Project. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick talked about their latest documentary, “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” which examines the country’s unwillingness to accept refugees during World War II and American public figures who espoused antisemitic and anti-immigrant views. Burns is an award-winning documentarian. Novick is an acclaimed director and producer of documentary films. “The U.S. and the Holocaust” airs on GBH 2 on Sept. 18-20, starting at 8 p.m. Andrea Campbell joined us to discuss her Democratic primary win in the race for Mas

Today on Boston Public Radio: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley talked about her push to secure abortion care, gave thoughts on this week’s primaries and the big wins for women in Mass. politics and spoke on the strategy for Democrats headed into the midterms. Pressley is the U.S. representative for Massachusetts 7th District. Then, we asked listeners about the recent trend of “quiet quitting.” Shirley Leung talked about the excess of money on Beacon Hill, the fallout of the Orange Line shutdown, John Hancock stepping back from its role at the Boston Marathon, and the editor and chief of the Boston Globe stepping down. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Sue O’Connell talked about the passing of Queen Elizabeth and Bernard Shaw, an upcoming same-sex marriage vote in Congress, and the controversy surrounding the upcoming movie: “Don’t Worry Darling.” O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. Jared Bowen gave an arts rundow

Buoyed by inflation, “buy now, pay later” companies have gained popularity in America, claiming to offer help for people trying to manage finances in tough times. Their easy-to-use apps and virtual credit cards often don’t charge interest. But Corby Kummer tells Boston Public Radio the fact that people are using them — effectively going into debt — to buy groceries, is a symptom of a weak safety net. “There needs to be better SNAP there needs to be better nutrition assistance, there needs to be better income support for people who have to think about putting their groceries on layaway.” Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talked about the latest political headlines, including the special master situation in the Mar-a-Lago raid case, and his thoughts on the upcoming midterms elections. Todd is the moderator of “Meet The Press” on NBC, host of “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we asked listeners about how they feel about the rhetoric around the “end of COVID.” Andrea Cabral shared her thoughts on the latest on the Mar-a-Lago case, and the outcomes of the Mass. Primaries on Tuesday. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Corby Kummer discussed the rise in pay-later apps in grocery shopping, Governor of California Gavin Newsom’s new legislation on fast food worker minimum wage, the merits of blindfolded dining, and new girl scout cookies. Kummer is executive director of the food and society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlanti

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about yesterday’s primary election results. Neil deGrasse Tyson shared his upcoming lecture “The Search for Life in the Universe” at the Wilbur Theatre on Sept. 29. deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the author of the best-selling “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” among other books. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, where he has served since 1996. deGrasse Tyson’s new book coming out later this month is “Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization.” Geoff Diehl discussed his primary win for the Republican nominee for governor of Massachusetts, and the policy changes he would make regarding drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants, abortion, and more. Diehl is running for governor on the Republican ticket and will face Attorney General Maura Healey in November. Juliette Kayyem updated us on the latest news from the investigation into former President Donald

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by hearing from candidates in contested races in the Mass. primaries.  Trenni Casey talked about the controversy surrounding Boston’s recent LIV Golf Tournament and Serena Williams’ final match at the US Open. Casey is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose shared her thoughts on the latest in the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago raid, and shared some insight into voter participation and the ACLU’s work ahead of Mass. Primary Day. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Lee Pelton discussed the importance of voting in local elections, the plight of care workers in Mass., and how student loan forgiveness fits into the problematic landscape of equity in higher education. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Then, we continued to hear from candidates, and took calls from listeners about their voting experiences on Primary Day.

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years: Imani Perry talks about parenthood and how Black parents talk to their children about race. Perry is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Her latest book is "Breathe: A Letter To My Sons.” Neal Thompson tells stories from the Kennedy family, tracing the political family’s lineage from Ireland to the United States. Thompson’s new book is “The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty.” Roger Bennett shares his experience growing up in Liverpool, and why he relates more to the U.S. than his home country of England. Bennett is the co-host of The Men In Blazers podcast and NBC show. His memoir is “(Re)Born in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home.” Fiona Hill previews her memoir, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.” Hill served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years. Elle Simone Scott shares tips on how to make the perfect food board for hosting. Scott is Executive Editor and Inclusion Leader at America’s Test Kitchen. She is also founder of the mentoring organization SheChef. Her recently released book is “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings.” Joanne Chang talks about her latest book inspired by her baking journals, “Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes.” Chang is a James Beard Award–winning pastry chef and owner of the Cambridge bakery and cafe Flour. Billy Collins shares some of his poetry ahead of his June 16 appearance at 2Life Communities’ annual gala. Collins was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001-2003, and New York State Poet Laureate from 2004-2006. His numerous collections include “Nine Horses: Poems, The Trouble with Poetry,” “Ballistics,” “Horoscopes for the Dead,” “Aimless Love” and “The Rain in Portugal.” Dan Shaughne

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years. We begin today’s on-tape show by revisiting the secretary of state candidates’ debate on Greater Boston. Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery joins us for "The Afternoon Zoo,” focusing on how songbirds find their mates. Author Tim O’Brien explains how he redefined himself through parenthood via a collection of letters to his sons in "Dad's Maybe Book." Anchor Anthony Everett joins us to reflect on the 40th anniversary of WCVB Channel 5’s nightly news magazine, “Chronicle.” Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspel shares her trials and errors in gardening, foraging, and hunting through her book, “To Boldly Grow.” Journalist Ronan Farrow discusses his investigation into Harvey Weinstein, as recounted in his book, “Catch and Kill." Harvard biologist Daniel Lieberman educates us on the importance of staying active through his book, “Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and R

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years: We begin today’s on-tape show by revisiting the state auditor candidates’ debate on Greater Boston, with Democratic candidates – State senator Diana DiZoglio and transportation advocate, Chris Dempsey. Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins talk about their PBS series, “The Great Muslim American Road Trip.” ESPN’s Howard Bryant discusses the life and legacy of Celtics great Bill Russell. We replay a 2018 conversation with author Salman Rushdie on his modern day Don Quixote, “Quichotte.” Boston Globe reporter Billy Baker shares his experiences making new friends as an adult in his memoir, “We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends." Behavioral economist Michael Norton shares his latest research on friendship and human behavior.

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years. We begin today’s on-tape show by revisiting Greater Boston’s lieutenant governor debate, with state senator Eric Lesser, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and State Rep Tami Gouveia vying for the #2 office in the state. Boston Globe reporter Chris Muther and food critic Devra First talk about the hidden gems of Cape Cod. Charlie Warzel join us to talk about his book, “Out of Office.” Journalist Spencer Buell and noise researcher Erica Walker discuss noise levels in Boston. Malcolm Gladwell shares his book, “Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know.” Writer Lindy West talks about her book, “The Witches Are Coming.” Lizzie Post shares her book on cannabis etiquette, "Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties."

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years. We begin with Greater Boston’s debate featuring the Democratic candidates for Massachusetts attorney general. It was the first televised debate between former state prosecutor Quentin Palfrey, labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan and Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell – all vying to replace Maura Healey. Ben Shattuck talks about about following the hikes of Henry David Thoreau in “Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau.” Howard Bryant discusses his book, "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism."

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners about America’s political divide. Dr. Katherine Gergen-Barnett discusses the latest news on COVID-19 and monkeypox vaccines, and answers listeners’ questions in another edition of “Ask the Doctor.” Gergen-Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation and residency director in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Callie Crossley talks about Meghan Markle’s Spotify podcast “Archetypes,” and a new Madame C.J. Walker Barbie doll. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Micheal Twitty discusses the Jewish and African diaspora through his new book, “Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.” Twitty is a James Beard winning author, chef, and cultural historian. His new book is “Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.” Eric Deggans shares his thoughts on the latest on TV, fro