EJ Dionne talked about President Biden’s meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also discussed speculation around whether Attorney General Merrick Garland will push to litigate abuses of power made under the administration of former President Trump. Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is " Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country.”
Next, we opened phone lines to talk with listeners about Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday.
Andrea Cabral weighed in on the Justice Department’s request for the Supreme Court to reinstate the federal death penalty against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. She also discussed Attorney General Merrick Garland’s efforts to protect U.S. voting rights. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently CEO of the cannabis company Ascend.
Christopher Muther discussed “re-queerification” efforts underway in Provincetown, the understated LGBT legacy of Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach and his experience returning to international travel for a trip to Iceland. Muther is a travel writer and columnist for The Boston Globe.
Michael Curry offered his thoughts on Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday, and weighed in on the recent vaccination incentives like the VaxMillions lottery and “Vax Express” train in Massachusetts. Curry is president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee.
Corby Kummer discussed the temporary extension of laws allowing for to-go cocktails and expanded outdoor dining in Massachusetts. He also provided some much-needed insight into the latest player in the vegan milk market. Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
We closed out Thursday's show by talking with listeners about post-vaccine travel and making the most of Summer 2021.
