Episodes
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What The ZBA Scandal Says About Boston Development
It’s the biggest story in Boston politics — a scandal that’s been brewing in City Hall ever since John Lynch, a former employee at the Boston Planning and Development Agency, admitted that he took a $50,000 bribe from a developer and, in return, convinced a member of Boston's Zoning Board of Appeal to allow a project in South Boston to move forward, thereby netting the developer in question an extra $500,000. The scandal is still unfolding. Depending on where it goes next, it could spell trouble for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh if and when he seeks a third term. But one thing is already clear: Lynch’s guilty plea, and the surrounding circumstances detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, raise troubling questions about the way development has worked in the city for decades. Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly talk it over with Yawu Miller, the senior editor of the Bay State Banner, who’s reported extensively on how Boston development seems to favor the well connected and leave ordinary residents feeling powerless and frustrated. -
In The 2020 Democratic Senate Race, They're Not JK
It’s easy to forget, given the media’s obsession with a hypothetical Ed Markey-Joe Kennedy III Senate primary contest, but the Democratic 2020 Senate race is already a three-person contest. As Kennedy continues his political Hamlet act, labor lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan and foster-kid-turned-corporate-executive Steve Pemberton have committed to challenging the incumbent — and they say they’re in for the long haul, regardless of what Kennedy ultimately decides. Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly speak with Liss-Riordan and Pemberton about their campaigns and then size up their prospects (spoiler: they’re impressed). -
Beyond 'Zombie Reaganism': Conservatives Seek Focus Amidst Trump's Chaos
Since Ronald Reagan's 1980 election, two general rules governed Washington: at home, markets know best; abroad, when in doubt, intervene. Donald Trump's election scotched all that. Attempting to fashion an ideologically lucid agenda for the right, several hundred conservative intellectuals and activists gathered in Washington for a conference called "National Conservatism". Peter Kadzis was there, and spoke with (among others) writer and editor Daniel McCarthy, a mover and shaker in this ongoing project. After that convo, Adam Reilly gets Kadzis‘s take on what it all means. -
Baker: No To A T Ride, Yes To Nantucket. Plus, Walsh's Woes
For a traditionally slow time of year, it’s been a remarkably busy stretch in local politics. Marty Walsh is experiencing one of the roughest stretches in his mayoralty; Elizabeth Warren’s presidential stock is at an all-time high; and Charlie Baker is (once again) touting improvements to the MBTA but refusing to actually ride it. Reilly and Kadzis size it all up, starting with the recent crackdown by Boston police on denizens of what’s known, for better or worse, as Methadone Mile. -
The Dems Take Detroit — But Were They Really In The Midwest?
The second round of Democratic debates has come and gone, but did the state of play actually change? Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly kick it around with their colleague Phillip Martin, WGBH News’s senior investigative reporter. Also discussed in this episode: Politico’s take on how African-American journalists feel about media coverage of the presidential race to date, and the very important question (for Phillip and Adam, at least) of who qualifies as “Midwestern.” -
Marty Walsh And The Boston Calling Extortion Trial
Two members of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s administration are currently on trial in federal court, accused of illegally forcing the Boston Calling music festival to use union labor back in 2014. Isaiah Thompson, who’s covering their trial for WGBH News, breaks down the case against Kenneth Brissette, Boston’s head of tourism and entertainment, and Timothy Sullivan, the city’s intergovernmental affairs chief, which he calls rife with ambiguity. Then Thompson, Peter Kadzis, and Adam Reilly size up the political implications of the proceedings. First, though, Peter offers his take on what Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony tells about culture and politics in the 21st century. Spoiler alert: it’s not uplifting. -
The Squad Versus Pelosi Versus Trump
It was a chilling moment: an eager crowd calling for an American citizen and United States congresswoman to be sent back to her native Somalia, as the president of the United States — whose protracted denunciation sparked their chant — silently let it run its course. But what’s become a story about malignant American nativism started out, not too long ago, as a story about a tactical, ideological, and generational split inside the Democratic Party. After a quick back-and-forth with Peter Kadzis, Adam Reilly sizes up the Squad versus Nancy Pelosi versus Donald Trump with Jen Deaderick, the author of She the People, and Tina Opie, a management professor and organizational-behavior specialist at Babson College. -
Just In Time For The Fourth, It's The 2019 Muzzles
It is, at this point, a storied July 4 tradition: WGBH news contributor and media critic extraordinaire Dan Kennedy looks back at the past 12 months and details a set of egregious, embarrassing cases in which the First Amendment was brazenly flouted. In this episode of the Scrum, Kennedy discusses his personal (un)favorites with Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis — who has some interesting things to say about violations that involve #mapoli. After you’ve listened, be sure to check out the full 2019 New England Muzzle Awards here — and make sure to catch the 2019 Campus Muzzle Awards, too. -
INSTASCRUM: Unpacking The Democratic Debates
They were messy, stressful, and boring, depending on the moment—and they’re going to have a major impact on the Democratic landscape as the party seeks its next nominee. Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly size up two nights of debates with Paul Singer, their WGBH News colleague and ex-USA Today politics editor. Don’t miss the debut of Kadzis and Singer’s 2020 Democratic Power Rankings (TM) at the very end. -
Two From Kadzis: Baker And Walsh's T Tiff / Warren Gets The Kiddie Table
We’re doing something different in this episode. Instead of bringing his wisdom incrementally, over the course of a Q and A with a guest or two, Peter Kadzis steps into the spotlight — weighing in on the politics of MBTA dysfunction and CNN’s decision to stick Elizabeth Warren in the JV Democratic debate, even though her campaign seems to be surging.
