BUNS Podcast

March 31st vs the Tampa Bay Rays; that was supposed to be the day Fenway Park re-opened after one of baseball's longest winters, but collective bargaining negotiations pushed back the Red Sox's home opener to April 15 and condensed the missing games into double headers, shortening the length of the season.

As WTBU reporter Ben Silver found out, that's a big hit to the small and delicate ecosystem of vendors and businesses that line Lansdowne and Jersey St outside Fenway Park.

A new report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed a 25 percent increase in alcohol related deaths from 2019 to 2020. This increase coincided with the covid 19 pandemic WTBU reporter Owen Gund has details

A bill that will prevent discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles was passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives last week and now awaits Senate approval. The legislation defines natural and protective hairstyles as quote “braids, locks, twists, Bantu knots, and other formations”. WTBU reporter Anh Nguyen tells us more.

After a five-year long effort, Boston University Students for Reproductive Freedom group brings accessible and affordable emergency contraception to students on campus – through a vending machine.

Anh Nguyen tells us more.

The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, with teams across the league making trades to help their franchises now or in the future.

In Boston, the Bruins opted for both adding talent for the now, while also keeping an eye on the future. WTBU's Seth Helman has more.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden's supreme court nominee, is on her third day of confirmation hearings.

Some Republican senators have accused Jackson primarily of being soft on crime, a claim Jackson refuted by citing her respect for her brother's military and police service. This morning, Jackson reiterated her concern for law and order but emphasized the constitutional need to treat accused criminals fairly.

"Although we need accountability, although there is crime, we also have a society that ensures that people who have been accused of criminal behavior are treated fairly," Jackson said. "That is what our constitution requires, that is what makes our system so exceptional."

WTBU reporter Julia Ermi asked BU's School of Law Professor M. Tracey Maclin, who had Jackson as a student at Harvard, for more on what worries Republicans about Jackson's confirmation, and what we might expect from Jackson on the court.

Massachusetts has the fourth-longest commute time in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

WTBU Commentator Ruotong Liang says that might not be as bad as it sounds.

Locals celebrated the return of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston on Sunday, after the COVID-19 pandemic postponed in-person celebrations for the last two years.

WTBU reporter Dorothy Du has more.

Since last week, Boston's Marriott Copley Place has been picketed by union members who say that the hotel's recent decision to hire contractors from out-of-state will hurt local workers. Vanessa Bartlett has more.

If you've been looking for an apartment, you know that rents are through the roof. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has a solution in mind, but she needs help from Beacon Hill to make it happen. WTBU's Grace Ferguson has more on the market squeeze renters are feeling.