Episodes
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A Veteran Sizes Up The Afghanistan Papers — Plus, Where Impeachment Goes Next
The Washington Post’s Afghanistan Papers report was a deeply depressing read, establishing beyond a shadow of a doubt that the war was mismanaged from the outset and misrepresented by military and political leaders. So how did that expose read to the men and women who actually served there? Adam Reilly talks it over with Erik Edstrom, an Army vet and Bronze Star winner and author of the upcoming Un-American: A Soldier’s Reckoning Of Our Longest War. Plus, after watching nearly every minute of the House’s impeachment proceedings, Peter Kadzis offers his thoughts on where the process goes next — and what the political fallout will be. -
Can Elizabeth Warren Bounce Back?
For the better part of 2019, Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign seemed to be doing everything right. But then, about two months ago, her poll numbers started dropping instead of climbing — and the decline was precipitous. So what went wrong, exactly? And what will it take for Warren to rebound? This episode of the Scrum starts with insights from the Washington Post’s Annie Linskey, who may know Warren better than any other journalist and says healthcare policy played a key role in Warren’s decline. Next, Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk with UMass Boston political scientist Erin O’Brien about whether other factors might be at play (gender, maybe?) and what it would take for Warren to regroup. ’ -
Spilka Speaks! Plus, Kadzis On Impeachment
It was a very Beacon Hill way to end 2019 — a flurry of legislating on various important topics that left observers saying 1) “Good job!” and 2) “What in God’s name took so long?” In a conversation with WGBH News State House correspondent Mike Deehan, Senate President Karen Spilka talks about the Legislature’s big achievements; how she’d answer critics who question its pace; the state of Governor Charlie Baker’s agenda and the Senate GOP; and Deval Patrick’s presidential campaign (spoiler: she’s not overly enthused). First, though, Peter Kadzis shares some deep thoughts on possible presidential impeachment after watching a whopping 35 hours of testimony last week. Can't get enough of local and national politics? Subscribe to The Scrum, WGBH News' politics podcast, with Adam Reilly, Peter Kadzis, and an ever-expanding roster of guests. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Spotify Castbox Overcast -
Has Charlie Baker Launched His Own Political Party? Plus, Deep Thoughts On Deval 2020
If you follow Massachusetts politics, you know that moderate Republican activist and commentator Ed Lyons is a Charlie Baker superfan who really, *really *doesn’t like President Trump. In this episode of the Scrum, Lyons talks with Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis about a provocative thesis he floated recently in Commonwealth magazine — namely, that Baker is in the process of creating a de facto third party here in Massachusetts. First, though, Kadzis and Reilly size up Deval Patrick’s presidential launch — which (among other things) kept this episode from coming out last week, as originally scheduled. -
About Last Night: What The 2019 Boston Elections Actually Mean
Does Michelle Wu’s ticket-topping win mean she’ll run for mayor? Is a city council comprised mostly of women and people of color a purely symbolic development, or something more? And what’s next for Dudley (a/k/a Nubian) Square? Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly size up these storylines, and a few others, with Sue O’Connell of NECN and Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner. It’s both the #bospoli fix you want *and* the #bospoli fix you need. -
What's At Stake In The Allston-Brighton Boston City Council Race?
There are plenty of interesting subplots when it comes to this year’s Boston City Council elections. Will Michelle Wu top the at-large ticket, paving the way for a mayoral run? Will the council end up majority woman, and/or majority person of color? And what’s going to happen in District 9, a/k/a Allston-Brighton — a neighborhood where the pace of change has been dauntingly fast of late? In this episode, Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly tackle the latter topic in a conversation with the two candidates vying to represent District 9, which just happens to be where the WGBH mother ship is located: legislative aide Craig Cashman and neighborhood activist Liz Breadon, who finished first and second in an extremely close preliminary race back in September. Take a listen. -
"The Urgency Has Just Grown So Much": Michelle Wu Talks Development And Representation
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu has been everywhere over the past few months — campaigning against fare hikes at the “T,” calling out the Boston Herald for some questionable cover art, and now calling for the abolition of the very powerful, deeply entrenched Boston Planning and Development Agency. Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly talk about why she thinks the BPDA needs to go, what it would take to actually make it happen, and whether Mayor Marty Walsh’s defense of the agency passes muster. Also discussed: how the role of a Boston City Councilor has changed during Wu’s six years in office, and what the implications of an majority-female Boston City Council would be. -
Marty Walsh: "I Still Have A Lot Of Governing Left In Me"
The last time Marty Walsh sat down with the Scrum, he was wrapping up his first year as mayor. Now, as he approaches the six-year mark, Walsh finds himself in an unusual position: after winning a second term in a landside in 2017, he’s mentioned as a possible candidate for governor and US Senate — but he’s been forced to play defense after scandals at City Hall, and some political observers speculate that he’s just not enjoying his job as much as he used to. In a wide-ranging interview at City Hall, Walsh spoke with Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly about (among other things) his political future, Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu’s push to abolish the Boston Planning and Development Agency, and how his own battle with alcoholism informs the way he thinks about opioid addiction. -
Three Quick #Mapoli Hits: Warren Takes Iowa, The ZBA Scandal Spreads, Hands-Free Holdup On The Hill
Instead of their usual deep dive into one subject, Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis take a different tack in this episode of the Scrum — chatting with their WGBH News colleagues Saraya Wintersmith, Isaiah Thompson, and Mike Deehan about, respectively, how Elizabeth Warren’s playing in Iowa, the still-unfolding scandal inside Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeal, and why a long-awaited hands-free cell phone bill is in limbo at the State House. -
How The Jasiel Correia Scandal Feels In Fall River
If you don’t live in Fall River, the mess that city’s currently grappling with — namely, a mayor who’s been indicted not once but twice by the Feds, yet is still in office and could, theoretically, be reelected this fall — is simultaneously diverting and comforting. Come for the over-the-top scandal; stay for the reassuring fact that, however bad things may seem in *your* city or town, at least they’re not Fall River bad. If you’re a Fall River resident, though, or if you’ve got deep ties the community, the picture looks very different. In this episode, Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly head south and talk about the mood on the ground with Bob Kerr, a legendary journalist and longtime Fall River resident, and Lynne Sullivan, who edited the Fall River Herald News when Correia was elected, indicted, beat a recall election, and then was indicted again. Also discussed: what Correia’s second indictment says about the state of the burgeoning marijuana industry in Massachusetts and elsewhere, and why Correia’s superfans are staying loyal as his prospects grow increasingly dim.
