Today on the podcast, Jim Braude and Margery Eagan hear from NBC’s Chuck Todd about chaos in the Republican Party around the future of speaker Johnson, and Democrats’ opportunity both go low and go high. Then they end the show with a dive into the profound and perverse with Am I the A-Hole, asking the audience if a KitchenAid stand mixer makes a quality gift for a woman who doesn’t cook. Even better, how about a Crockpot?

NBC's Chuck Todd returned for his weekly D.C. roundup, including thoughts on the foreign aid bill. Then, we opened the phone lines to discuss the pros and cons of school breaks. Former secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral gave her take on the trials of Donald Trump & Karen Read, plus a recent SCOTUS ruling on workplace discrimination, and parents fined $50 for changing their toddler in a public park after a bathroom emergency. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed a new Globe series on housing affordability in Boston and outdoor dining in the North End. Environmentalist Bill McKibben talked about whether the movement is losing momentum and why John Kerry says we’re in a “critical moment” for staving off the worst impacts of climate change. MIT economist Jon Gruber gave an explainer on the state of the economy, cooling interest rates and the bumpier-than-expected soft landing. We ended the show with AITA. This week, it's a case of unused gifted kitchen appliance.

Why does speaking up for the Palestinian people prompt such backlash? And more broadly, should colleges and schools cancel speakers just because some disagree with their perspectives? We opened the lines to discuss. Jim Aloisi & Stacy Thompson return for our monthly transit panel. Their list of topics included slow-and-steady financial progress for the MBTA, and record funding from Beacon Hill Democrats. Corby Kummer zooms in from Greece to talk about a NYTimes piece on the best restaurants in Boston Robert Stoner from the MIT Energy Initiative joins to talk about the potential for clean hydrogen power in getting us out of the climate crisis. Andrea Campbell joined for “Ask the AG”. She spoke about news on AI, her new initiative to address youth gambling, and more.

Today on the podcast, hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan hear from The GoundTruth Project’s Charlie Sennott on the latest on the Middle East, and if a paywall in journalism is needed to pay the bills. Then they talk with the audience, asking... have you ever been trapped in a conversation that seems to never end? How do you gracefully exit a conversation?

It's day two of Trump's hush money trial and finding potential jurors proves difficult. We opened the lines to discuss. NBC Sports Boston's Trenni Casey with a marathon recap, the Celtic's honoring Mike Gorman and rumors that Rory McIlroy is in talks with Saudi-backed LIV. GroundTruth's Charlie Sennott on Iran's weekend attack on Israel and how to rebuild the pipeline for local news. NYU medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed why providers should barter with patients to settle medical bills, why Americans are sleeping less, and new information that connects the US bird flu outbreak to chicken waste fed to cattle. CNN's John King with the latest political headlines. Former education secretary Paul Reville discussed Mass. reading reform, why the cost of college keeps rising and a Gobe Magazine-Emerson College poll finding that conservatives think the value of college is declining. We wrapped up our show by talking about how to get out of a conversation early.

We opened the show by discussing the 128th Boston Marathon Retired Federal Judge Nancy Gertner on the start of Trump's criminal trial in NY 2018 marathon winner Des Linden, on her memoir "Choosing to Run" Former police commissioner and prolific marathoner Bill Evans Journalist Susan Zalkind on "The Waltham Murders" Bobbi Gibb, on her historic 1966 marathon Sy Montgomery & Matt Patterson, on their book "Of Time and Turtles" – because life's a marathon, not a sprint, and we could learn a thing or two from the way turtles experience time.

Today: Retired Judge Nancy Gertner walks us through day one of the first ever criminal trial against a former president – Donald Trump facing criminal charges for “hush money” payments to the adult film actress known as Stormy Daniels.

MBTA general manager Phillip Eng joined for "Ask The GM" Callie Crossley discussed the death of OJ Simpson and backlash against a Black Romeo & Juliet co-star. For Live Music Friday, Winkler, an Allston-based indie pop group performed. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discussed spiking rates of anxiety and depression among young people, and how worried should we really be about bird flu. Corby Kummer discussed France going the way of the all-you-can-eat buffet, and a new EPA rule aimed at curbing PFAs in drinking water. We ended the show this week by discussing a Porta-Potty report by one of our own producers - the great Hannah Loss.

Today: MBTA general manager Phillip Eng joins Jim and Margery at the Boston Public Library on April 12, 2024.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley discussed her thoughts on Biden's action on student loans and the war in Gaza. NBC's Chuck Todd discussed the latest national political headlines. Andrea Cabral discussed the former Trump exec Allen Weisselberg sentenced to jail for lying; and the parents of a Michigan school shooter being sentenced to 10-15 years for their role. Tatishe Nteta, professor of political science at UMass Amherst, discussed the role of Black voters this election. Boston Globe's Shirley Leung discussed the boom in people buying second homes on the cape during the pandemic; and people tearing up their pavement in Somerville to beat the city heat. AITA for going to rave when my boyfriend's grandma passed away? We posed the question to our listeners to debate.