Episodes
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BPR Full Show 8/12/20: The Pick Is In
Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Mass. Treasurer and state gubernatorial candidate Shannon O’Brien discussed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate. Michael Curry talked about Biden’s pick and how Harris on the ticket might influence voters. Curry is the deputy CEO and general council for the Mass. League of Community Health Centers and a member of the NAACP board of directors, where he also chairs the board’s advocacy and policy committee. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about Harris joining Biden’s presidential ticket. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed evolving attitudes around faster, less effective coronavirus testing, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ethically dubious claims about Russia's supposed COVID-19 vaccine. Colby College sociologist and former police officer Neil Gross talked about why he believes progressives looking to effect change in police forces should consider joining them. MIT economist Jon Gruber talked about President Trump’s proposals for coronavirus relief, and offered his take on benefits of the $600 per week unemployment benefits that recently ran out. We returned to listeners to hear more of your thoughts on Harris as Biden's running mate. Richard Pickering and Kate Sheehan from Plimouth Plantation discussed the return of the newly-restored Mayflower II, and the museum's ongoing effort to raise awareness about the impact of the English settlers on the local Wampanoag population. -
BPR Full Show 8/11/20: On Getting Away & Getting By
Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to ask listeners: as Congress quarrels about further coronavirus relief, how are you coping with the economic stress of the pandemic? NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek talked about the status of college football, and how Boston’s sports teams are faring with their respective returns. Journalist Oscar Guerra discussed his new documentary for FRONTLINE, “Love, Life & the Virus.” Ali Noorani, Executive Director for the National Immigration Forum, talked about unique economic burdens for immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent polling of American attitudes around immigration. Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther talked about what he thinks it’s going to take for Americans to feel comfortable flying again, and his recent experience navigating COVID requirements to vacation with his parents in Maine. CNN’s John King discussed the dysfunction in Washington over more coronavirus relief, and President Trump’s call to bring back college football. We opened lines to talk with listeners about your experiences traveling during the summer of COVID. -
BPR Full Show 8/10/20: Letter of the Law
Today on Boston Public Radio: CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the U.S.’ passing of 5 million coronavirus cases, and a new report from American intelligence about Russian meddling in the 2020 election. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on the U.S. Postal Service. Politico’s Stephanie Murray broke the latest news around the Mass. Senate race., and a recent scandal for congressional challenger Alex Morse. TV expert Bob Thompson reviewed the miniseries “Upright”, Disney Plus' “Howard,” and the TV remake of “The Fugitive.” Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, talked about words with racist origins that we still use, and a disconnect within the Catholic Church around the Black Lives Matter movement. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko recapped cybersecurity news from last week's Black Hat security conference, and discussed President Trump’s attempt to ban U.S. companies from working with Tik Tok and WeChat. Poet Richard Blanco called in for our monthly edition of “The Village Voice,” where he talked about the poet Dorianne Laux, and read some of her work. -
BPR Full Show 8/7/20: Thought for Food
Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on the return to colleges and universities in the fall. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the restaurant industry’s reckoning around toxic workplace culture, and a commemorative feast at a Michigan prison to celebrate the life of George Floyd. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discussed a Georgia High School suspending students for sharing photos of crowded hallways, and read her list of fixations and fulminations. Nia Grace, owner of Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen and co-founder of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition, discussed Boston's Black Restaurant Month, and talked about how Darryl’s is holding up through the pandemic. Media maven Sue O’Connell talked about President Trump’s claim that Joe Biden is “anti-god,” and reflected on worries about the efficiency of the USPS ahead of the November election. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed major conflicts of interest for the president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and her recent endorsement of Jesse Mermell to fill Rep. Joe Kennedy’s vacant congressional seat. We opened lines to talk with listeners about how you're supporting local businesses through the pandemic. -
Corby Kummer: Prisoners Organize Memorial Tribute Lunch For George Floyd
Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Friday about an innmate at the Muskegon Correctional Facility in Michigan who organized a special meal to honor the life of George Floyd. "This innmate decided as a tribute, and sign of solidarity to George Floyd, to gather together other prisoners who had the liberty to use plastic knives, and have a memorial tribute lunch, which took weeks of meticulous planning," he said. Kummer is a *senior editor at The Atlantic*, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy. -
BPR Full Show 8/6/20: 'The Land of Educational Uncertainty'
Today on Boston Public Radio: The Greater Boston Food Bank’s Catherine D’Amato talked about the state’s new “Breakfast After the Bell” program, and other ways Mass. is addressing food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about your feelings around school reopening and distance learning. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed a handful of obituaries for victims of COVID-19 that place blame on the government’s pandemic response, and news that Trader Joe's is sticking with their ethnically insensitive branding. We aired our October interview with Susan Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., where she discussed her book “Tough Love,” and spoke on the presidential campaign of Joe Biden. Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville talked about the confusion around how Mass. K-12 schools are going to operate in the fall. We opened lines to ask listeners: with COVID-19 cases beginning to climb, should we consider scaling back reopening in Mass.? Travel guru Rick Steves talked about employing the “traveler’s mindset” while stuck at home, and the importance of positive serendipity as a traveler. -
BPR Full Show 8/5/20: A Bully's Pulpit
Today on Boston Public Radio: New York Times bestselling author Larry Tye discussed his new biography on Sen. Joseph McCarthy, “Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy.” We opened lines to talk with listeners about the legacy of Sen. Joe McCarthy, and America’s love affair with bullies. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the Tuesday explosion in Beirut, and a shift in tone from some GOP governors on coronavirus safety. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed an ethical quandary at Brigham and Women’s hospital over testing of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, and the dangers of fraudulent COVID-19 cures that are floating around the internet. Jane Oates, president of the nonprofit WorkingNation, defended the $600-a-week unemployment benefits, and addressed critiques of the program from some congressional Republicans. We opened lines to talk with parents about your experiences juggling work from home while caring for the kids. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed layoffs at her own station, and broke down the latest updates on the return of sports. -
BPR Full Show 8/4/20: Fastidiousocity
Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Ayanna Pressley discussed the looming spike of evictions across the U.S., and how her HELP Act, introduced in Congress last week, would address the crisis. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about who you think former Vice President Joe Biden ought to pick as his running mate in the 2020 election. Carol Rose from the Mass. ACLU talked about the status of the state’s police reform efforts, and how the ACLU is responding to President Trump's deployment of federal agents in Portland, Oreg. Harriet Cross, the outgoing British Consul General to New England, talked about why she’s leaving Boston for Trinidad, and what mail-in voting looks like in the U.K. Mass. State Sen. Becca Rausch broke down the Commonwealth's vote-by-mail system. CNN’s John King discussed the latest Washington headlines, including news on the standstill over further COVID-19 reflief funding, and the president’s apparent reversal on messaging about mail-in ballots in Florida. We opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on voting by mail. -
BPR Full Show 8/3/20: The Doctor Is (Back) In
Today on Boston Public Radio: Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone discussed his Friday decision to put a hold on phase three reopening in Somerville. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed a federal appeals court's decision to vacate the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the appeals court's decision to vacate Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, talked about why they feel Joe Biden ought to pick a Black woman as his VP candidate, and weighed in on the demolition of a Nelson Mandela mural in Roxbury. TV expert Bob Thompson discussed controversy around an allegedly toxic workplace culture at “Ellen,” and reviewed Beyonce’s “Black King” visual album and HBO’s documentary “The Weight of Gold.” Boston Medical Center’s Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett talked about the state of COVID-19 in both Mass. and the U.S., and responded to listener questions and comments. -
BPR Full Show 7/31/20: JB²
Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Pentagon official and Georgetown University professor Rose Brooks talked about the Transition Integrity Project, her exercise examining various potential outcomes in the November election. We opened lines to ask listeners: are you anxious about the prospect of election interference and voter suppression in November? Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed the potential conflict of interest surrounding a trial of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and her concerns for underprivileged kids who might be unable to return to school in the fall. “Under the Radar” host Callie Crossley talked about lax mask enforcement policies at retail chains like Walmart, and gave her thoughts on Michelle Obama’s new podcast. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed Wednesday's Congressional testimony from several tech CEOs, and research showing that many election officials are vulnerable to cyber attacks. Brian O’Donovan, host of WGBH’s “A Celtic Sojourn,” talked about the music venues that Boston is losing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We opened lines to listeners to continue the conversation about Boston's performance spaces.
