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Stories and commentaries that inform, challenge and occasionally amuse

One-third of Mass. residents are food insecure, report finds

Greater Boston Food Bank president and CEO Catherine D’Amato joins WBUR's Morning Edition to discuss they key findings from a new report the group released, and what steps government and...

U.S. and its allies condemn North Korea's failed attempt to launch a spy satellite

North Korean state media reported the rocket's second stage malfunctioned, and the projectile fell in the Yellow Sea, off South Korea's West Coast. North Korea says it will try again.

NPR

02:22May 31, 2023

Experts issue a dire warning about AI and encourage limits be imposed

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Scott Niekum, University of Massachusetts Amherst associate professor, about tech leaders issuing another warning about the potential threats AI poses to humanity.

NPR

05:06May 31, 2023

Debt ceiling legislation clears a hurdle and moves to House floor for a vote

The House of Representatives is on track to vote on the deal that President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated to lift the nation's debt limit.

NPR

03:32May 31, 2023

Man was arrested in Canada after police say he tried to make a 'clean getaway'

The man tried to steal more than $2,000 worth of toothpaste, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Photos posted online show two bags and a plastic wagon filled with...

NPR

00:28May 31, 2023

Air New Zealand asks international passengers to step on a scale before boarding

The program will gather on-board weight distribution data. And even though they're being weighed in public, there's no visible display for others to see. Customers can opt out if they...

NPR

00:27May 31, 2023

For Black drivers, a police officer's first 45 words are a sign of what's to come

A study finds a Black driver is more likely to face being searched, handcuffed or arrested when an officer's first words are commands rather than a greeting. (Story aired on...

NPR

03:46May 31, 2023

Joy Ryan, 93, is the oldest woman to visit every U.S. national park

A 93-year-old grandmother and her 42-year-old grandson just finished a tour of all 63 U.S. national parks. They became internet celebrities along the way.

NPR

03:38May 31, 2023

Trial begins for Robert Bowers, accused of killing 11 in a Pittsburgh synagogue

The trial for the accused shooter in the 2018 synagogue shooting is underway. Eleven Jewish worshippers were killed and six more injured. The shooter could get the death penalty.

NPR

03:19May 31, 2023

Russia is hit with more airstrikes. Does this point to an escalation in the war?

For well over a year, Russia has carried out airstrikes across Ukraine. Now Russia finds itself on the receiving end, including drones that hit apartment buildings in Moscow.

NPR

03:21May 31, 2023

Debt ceiling deal made it out of the rules committee and heads to the House floor

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with GOP strategist Brendan Buck about the path forward for the debt ceiling deal that's heading to the House floor today.

NPR

04:08May 31, 2023

In the Philippines, the Marcos family is a blueprint for authoritarianism

NPR's history podcast Throughline examines the rise and fall — and the eventual return of the Ferdinand Marcos family to political power in the Philippines.

NPR

07:02May 31, 2023

Deal that allows Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea has been extended

NPR's Michel Martin speaks to European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean about efforts to help Ukraine export grains and agricultural products.

NPR

03:50May 31, 2023

Denver schools adapt to the huge numbers of migrants resettling in the area

Denver has become a transit point and destination for migrants coming to Colorado from Mexico. Local schools have seen a surge in multilingual enrollment.

NPR

02:40May 31, 2023

Could Russia's economy finally be feeling the heat because of sanctions over the war?

Russia's economy has remained resilient in the face of sanctions and other trade and financial restrictions, but that could be changing now as economic challenges mount.

NPR

04:05May 31, 2023

The number of Asians and Pacific Islanders with diabetes keeps going up

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at risk for developing diabetes at lower weights and younger ages than others. Doctors are working from the inside the community to make people...

NPR

03:51May 31, 2023

Thanatologists are trying to recruit a new generation of people to the field

Many hospitals employ thanatologists, someone who plays music, usually a harp, for people who are dying. The nation's lone school for the trade aims to recruit younger people to the...

NPR

03:37May 31, 2023

Friendly fire killed an Iraqi interpreter. The U.S. told his family something else

The NPR Taking Cover podcast team tracks down the family of an Iraqi man who was mistakenly killed by Marines.

NPR

07:27May 31, 2023

Morning news brief

The House is on track to vote Wednesday on the debt ceiling deal. An appeals court clears the way for Purdue Pharma-Sackler bankruptcy deal. Trial begins in 2018's Pittsburgh synagogue...

NPR

10:40May 31, 2023

The Celtics lost Game 7. What went wrong?

WBUR reporter Simón Rios talks about the team's challenges in Game 7, from injured players to a weak defense, and what changes to look out for in the offseason.

Proposed task force would address Mass. domestic violence records law found to shield abusers

A WBUR investigation revealed that by keeping records secret, a statute designed to protect victims instead protects alleged abusers.

A landmark appeals court ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma-Sackler bankruptcy deal

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York cleared the way for a controversial bankruptcy deal that grants immunity from opioid lawsuits to members of the Sackler family.

NPR

03:30May 30, 2023

Contestant in cheese rolling is knocked unconscious but comes out on top

Contestants gather in England for the Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling to chase a big wheel of cheese down a steep hill. Canadian Delaney Irving regained conscious to find out she...

NPR

00:28May 30, 2023

Musician Noah Kahan reflects on 'Stick Season,' New England and his Boston Calling debut

The singer-songwriter rose to fame thanks to a song about Vermont. On Saturday, the 26-year-old takes the stage at Boston Calling. Ahead of his performance, he shared how New England...

This one goes out to all the Taylor Swift parents

For the parents of Taylor Swift fans, this concert was more than an event, writes Joanna Weiss. We heard the soundtrack of our kids’ childhoods, a discography that spans nearly...

As GOP presidential candidates visit New Hampshire, Trump still casts long shadow

A half dozen Republican hopefuls have traveled to New Hampshire to seek voter support, but polls show Trump with a big lead.

New 'food forest' in Mattapan a space to harvest food and grow community

The Edgewater Food Forest in Mattapan is a formerly vacant lot now filled with fruit trees and berry bushes. Anyone in the community can harvest food for free.

The unexpected story of how the birth control pill was invented and tested

In over 100 countries, the pill is available without a prescription. As the Food and Drug Administration considers a similar move in the U.S., advocates are revisiting the pill’s quirky...

Remembering Rick Hoyt, a Boston Marathon fixture

The son in the father-son wheelchair duo, known for competing in the Boston Marathon, has died. Rick Hoyt’s family says he passed away Monday from respiratory complications.

Boston cyclists hope more commuters give two wheels a spin

Boston officials hope to encourage at least 8% of commuters to bike to work by 2030. They invited cyclists to City Hall Plaza last week for free bike checks and...

With layoffs and higher interest rates, the tech industry in Mass. is course-correcting

Despite layoffs in the tech sector, many Massachusetts companies are still hiring. But insiders say higher interest rates could bring challenges, especially for startups.

Mass. high court says pedestrians could challenge arrests for racial bias

Boston University Law Professor Gerry Leonard joins WBUR's Morning Edition to talk about this ruling.

How are some districts responding to the teacher shortage? With H-1B visas

About 48% of school leaders in the Northeast reported feeling understaffed going into the current school year, according to a recent U.S. Department of Education survey. Districts in need of...

Why U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins is resigning

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins is expected to submit her letter of resignation to Pres. Joe Biden by end of day Friday, following a months-long investigation by the Department...

To find right whales, some scientists want to find their food's food

With climate change, their food source is migrating and the whales are moving, too. This makes it even more important to know where the are and where they’re going will...

Lynch allegations spark calls for changing toxic restaurant culture

The restaurant community continues to reel in the wake of abuse allegations against Boston chef and restaurateur Barbara Lynch. The accusations are raising broader questions about restaurant culture, and its...

Business

06:43May 16, 2023

What Boston City Council must consider as it redraws district map

Discrimination Attorney Ana Munoz spoke with WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy about the fine balance councilors must strike between the state Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, which allows...

Local Coverage

04:29May 12, 2023

The Melsheimer's Sack-bearer moth. Photo by Mike Nelson

Restoring a rare habitat to protect an unlikely ecological hero: moths

The Nature Conservancy is restoring a 97-acre site called the "Medicine Lots" on Martha's Vineyard. The site is a biological hotspot, home to 19 rare species, including 16 rare moths.