The Wake Up

Overdose prevention sites, sometimes called supervised injection sites, allow people to use illegal drugs under the eye of medical workers and volunteers, who can step in to help in the event of an overdose. They are illegal under federal law, but the Massachusetts state senate passed a bill to allow cities and towns here to create them. GBH's State House Reporter Katie Lannan joins Jeremy to talk...

Three decades ago, Boston's city government bulldozed buildings Pamela Saucer-Richardson's owned on Erie Street in Dorchester and took control of the land. Her father had about $5,000 in unpaid property taxes. That land has sat vacant since. Now the city wants to give it to nonprofits — but no one has reached out to Saucer Richardson's family, she said. GBH's Paul Singer explores the history behin...

Paris Alston continues our Wake Up Well series and is joined by mental health advocate and founder of Purespark Niesha Deed and our digital producer Gal Tziperman Lotan to let our listeners weigh in on how they start their day the right way.  Plus GBH's Craig Lemoult gets you ready for the Paris Olympics with a look at the US's best hope for a medal in the event of Sabre. 

Calefaction. Filipendulous. Contrafactum. Do you know the meanings and origins of GBH's Edgar B. Herwick III's trivia vocabulary words? Play along to find out.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid, and she joined Paris to tell her why. She also spoke about a potential campaign finance challenge and whether she'd be interested in being her running mate. (Spoiler alert: No.)

What's next in the 2024 election? Paris and Jeremy speak with GBH's Adam Reilly and UMass Boston politics Prof. Erin O'Brien about how we got here, what's next, and what to expect in the Democratic National Convention.

Local writer Nick Basbanes and a colleague have filed a class-action lawsuit against Chat GPT and Microsoft over using  their published works without permission.  Basbanes believes the chatbot might be taking and using his work to fuel its AI, and has done so without any sort of permission or compensation.

It's summer, which means sharks are getting extra attention. GBH meteorologist Dave Epstein and Megan Winton, research scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, talk about how warming waters affect sharks and what humans need to know about them.

In Boston’s wealthier and whiter neighborhoods, people looking to go for dinner and a drink have plenty of options. In neighborhoods where there are more people of color, sit-down restaurants with a liquor license are much harder to come by. There's a bill to change that --- and Nick Korn, a partner and researcher with Offsite, an organization that develops training for the restaurant industry, jo...

How hot is it? Pretty hot, GBH Meteorologist Dave Epstein said, but it's the humidity that will ultimately get you. He joins Paris and Jeremy, who is back from parental leave, to discuss.

Increasing extremism and political violence are raising red flags for UMass Lowell security studies Prof. Arie Perliger, an expert on extremism. He joins Jeremy to discuss what the weekend shooting of former President Donald Trump means now.

To get the next generation of engineers interested and engaged in STEM fields, Nehemiah Mabry, also known as Dr. Nee, is trying something new: A Twitch livestream exploring problem-solving, engineering, and fun with science. He joins Paris to talk about it. Find his livestreams at twitch.tv/novabuildingstuff .

The former Soldiers' Home in Chelsea is now a temporary shelter for homeless and migrant families. GBH's Marilyn Schairer got a look inside, and spoke with some of the people staying there. Plus: Dave Epstein has tips for summer lawn care.

The Mass. state senate is about to vote on a $3 billion bond bill that includes spending on lab-grown meat, ticket pricing, and life sciences spending. So what's in the bond bill and what's next? GBH's Katie Lannan joins Paris to break it down.

Republican voters who identify as Never Trumpers are in a precarious position in this election. Former Massachusetts GOP Chair Jennifer Nassour joins Paris to talk about who she is leaning toward. Plus: Why does humidity feel so awful? GBH's meteorologist Dave Epstein explains.

President Joe Biden has said that he's staying in the presidential race. But that's not stopping other Democrats from talking about what would happen if he does decide to step aside. Rep. Seth Moulton joins Paris to talk about the party's "deep bench" and how, exactly, a new nominee could be chosen. 

Ask anyone who spends their time fighting for something to change: Revolution does not come easy. So what happens when one grows tired of fighting? Craig Andrade, associate dean of practice and director of the Activist Lab at Boston University’s School of Public Health, talks to Paris about how activists can care for their own health and well-being while working towards a better world.

Local playwright Mfoniso Udofia is undertaking an epic project: Tracking the life of a Nigerian-American family, and what it means to live the Nigerian dream, over nine plays put on over two years. She joins Paris to talk about her inspiration and bringing her plays to different communities.

Massachusetts high school teacher Geoffrey Esper is going for glory: Victory at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Plus: Edgar B. Herwick III of GBH's Curiosity Desk joins Paris for Independence Day trivia.

What do Massachusetts Democrats think of last week's presidential debate? They're mostly keeping their opinions to themselves. GBH's State House reporter Katie Lannan joins Paris to talk it through.

Gladys Vega, executive director of La Colaborativa in Chelsea, has been leading an effort to house people coming to Massachusetts in the former Chelsea Soldiers' Home. So what makes such an effort work? "Love, compassion, respect, and dignity, but it's a lot of work," Vega tells Paris.

What did young voters think of last night's debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump? Alexi Cohan, producer of GBH's Politics IRL video series, spoke with a group of highly engaged young voters after the debate and joined Paris to share their thoughts. 

What can Americans expect from tonight's debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump? Will it change anyone's mind? UMass Boston political science Prof. Erin O'Brien joins Paris to discuss.

New research from the CDC shows that loneliness can take a toll on physical and mental health. So what can people do to build stronger communities? Dr. Robert Waldinger, clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, joins Paris to discuss.

Mattapan Square is almost always bustling, with local residents milling around businesses and suburban drivers using Blue Hill Avenue to avoid traffic on I-93. So how could an upcoming redesign of Blue Hill Avenue reshape the square, and do residents think it'll help? Paris hits the block to find out. Plus: A conversation with State Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley, who represents the area, about her hop...