Today on Boston Public Radio:
We kicked off the show by opening lines to talk with listeners about the rise of coronavirus cases in the U.S., and ask: Does it feel like we’re back in March?
David Carroll from the Carter Center talked about his organization’s shift in focus away from international elections and towards U.S. democracy ahead of the November election. Carroll is director of the Carter Center’s Democracy Program, where he’s been monitoring and observing elections for 30 years.
Ali Noorani discussed the 545 children who have yet to be reunited with their parents after being separated by immigration officials at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the human rights groups working to help reunite the families. He also addressed critiques of the Obama administration’s immigration legacy, and drew distinctions between President Donald Trump and his predecessor. Noorani is president and chief executive officer of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is "There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.”
Chris Dempsey and Jim Aloisi Discussed a range of transportation headlines, from the pushback the MBTA is getting on proposed service cuts to MassDOT's outdated auto-centric vision for the Mass Pike Project in Allston. Dempsey is the Massachusetts Director of Transportation and former Assistant Secretary of Transportation. Jim Aloisi is former transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board, and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine.
Bob Thompson talked about the end of streaming service Quibi, and reviewed “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” and the return of “Supermarket Sweep.” Thompson is a professor and founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Next, we opened lines to ask: Are you planning on giving up holiday traditions this year, or will you be doing everything you can to keep Halloween and Thanksgiving alive?
Enes Kanter discussed his new campaign to raise awareness about the cruelty of factory farming, and how it was influenced by his time spent alone in the NBA bubble. He also offered a positive update to news from a few months ago about dismal levels of voter registration among players in the NBA. Kanter is a center for the Boston Celtics, a human rights and animal rights activist, and the founder of the Enes Kanter Foundation.
