Boston Public Radio

Pope Francis approved a decree from the Vatican stating that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions.

Trump is heard to be pushing a Georgia official to find voter fraud.

“What we are anxious about is that we don’t declare victory too soon," said Bonita Tenneriello of Prisoners' Legal Services.

The House of Representatives approved the $1.9 trillion stimulus package Wednesday, paving the way for President Joe Biden's first major legislative win.

“When these trials occur, Black folks, Black integrity, Black dignity, Black pride is always on trial,” the Rev. Emmett Price said.

Native Americans aren't being prioritized at a time when their communities are among those hit hardest by the pandemic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Arthur Brooks explains the role of charitable giving in finding happiness and other tips on the search for fulfillment. He’s the William Henry Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School, the happiness correspondent at The Atlantic and host of the podcast series How to Build a Happy Life. Callie Crossley discusses the legacy of feminist theorist and activist bell hooks, who died this week at 69. She also talks about City Councilor Lydia Edwards’ primary win in the special state Senate race, and concerns that former President Barack Obama’s presidential library may gentrify part of Chicago. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Rick Steves shares stories from different Christmas traditions across Europe. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves’ Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, “Rick Steves’ Europe,” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Andy Ihnatko goes over the latest tech headlines, including a new Adobe graphic design tool and Google’s move into augmented reality. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Sue O’Connell weighs in on the new West Side Story remake, and a controversy in the Sex and the City reboot over a character having a heart attack. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as NECN's political commentator and explainer-in-chief. Fiona Hill previews her memoir, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century,” and weighs in on the similarities and differences between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Hill served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, and was a witness in Donald Trump’s first impeachment hearing. Dan Adams reflects on five years of marijuana legalization in Massachusetts, and what still needs to happen to make legalization just and equitable. Dan Adams is cannabis reporter for Boston Globe and author of the “This Week in Weed” email newsletter.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest from Washington D.C., including Republicans’ outlook on COVID-19 and the state of voting rights legislation. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Andrea Cabral discusses an upcoming movie about the Boston strangler, and the state of democracy in the U.S. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Paul Reville critiques a South Dakota “dash for cash” event that had teachers on their hands and knees grabbing money for their classrooms. He also talks about parents serving as substitute teachers amid a teacher shortage and the future of learning pods. Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also heads the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Shirley Leung shares insights from her interview with Mayor Michelle Wu, and discusses the Globe’s picks for Bostonians of the year. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Catherine Peterson weighs in on vaccine requirements at venues in the city, and what she thinks of the amount of American Rescue Plan Act funds directed towards the arts sector. She also talks about a new mentorship program for BIPOC arts leaders. Catherine Peterson is the Executive Director of ArtsBoston. Jon Gruber explains the state of inflation in the U.S., why it’s happening and possible solutions. Gruber was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health care reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth And The American Dream.” Christopher Kimball previews his latest cookbook “Vegetables,” sharing his favorite ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate. Chris Kimball co-founded America’s Test Kitchen, and now runs Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street in Boston. His latest cookbook is “Vegetables.” Then, we replay our conversation with listeners about whether they would be open to becoming chattier on the T following Wu’s invitation for riders to talk with her.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they would be open to becoming chattier on the T, following Mayor Michelle Wu’s invitation for riders to talk with her. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the $380 million settlement reached between USA Gymnastics and the victims of Larry Nassar. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Corby Kummer talks about the latest news on a potential statewide egg shortage, and the fifteen-minute grocery delivery start-ups opening up in downtown Boston. 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. Meredith Goldstein answers listeners’ questions on romance and relationships, and shares advice from her recent columns. Goldstein is an advice columnist and features writer for the Boston Globe. Her advice column, “Love Letters,” is a daily dispatch of wisdom for the lovelorn that has been running for more than a decade. She also hosts the “Love Letters” podcast. John King updates us on the latest political headlines, focusing on the texts from Trump allies to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne talks about Governor Charlie Baker’s latest plan to distribute over two million rapid tests to Massachusetts towns in need, and the state of democracy in the U.S. 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." Then, we ask listeners their outlook on climate change, after tornados sweeping through Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee left dozens dead and scores of buildings demolished. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III weigh in on Gen Z’s relationship with religion and a Black medical illustration going viral. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the inaugural dean of Africana studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Shaleen Title shares takeaways from her recent academic paper on solutions to equity issues in cannabis laws, and the state of legalization and decriminalization of drug use across the country. Shaleen Title is a former Cannabis Control Commissioner who is now the Distinguished Cannabis Policy Practitioner in Residence at the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University. She is also the CEO and co-founder of the Parabola Center. Charlie Sennott discusses civilian casualties from the War on Terror that the U.S. military hid from the public, and how U.S. democracy compares to other countries. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Brian O’Donovan previews this year’s return to an in-person Christmas Celtic Sojurn, and his inspiration behind the event. Brian O’Donovan is host of Celtic Sojourn on GBH. A Christmas Celtic Sojourn begins its holiday run tomorrow, with a sold out show in Rockport. Tickets are still available for shows at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston – www.christmasceltic.com. We end the show by talking with listeners their experiences with holiday yankee-swap events.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their thoughts on the labor market, amid worker shortages and unionization fights to grow worker power. Mike Keiley gives tips on how to ethically and responsibly gift pets during the holidays, and debunks pet adoption myths from the pandemic. Keiley is the director of adoption centers and programs at MSCPA-Angell. Callie Crossley discusses Simone Biles’ pick as Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year, and Jussie Smollett’s guilty verdict for lying about a staged racist, homophobic attack. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Andy Ihnatko teaches listeners how to best protect their passwords, after an annual list of most common passwords included “123456” and “password1.” Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Sue O’Connell weighs in on the Supreme Court dismissing the Justice Department’s challenge to Texas’ restrictive abortion law, and the Ghislaine Maxwell trial for her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as NECN's political commentator and explainer-in-chief. Sam Green previews his latest exhibit, “32 Sounds,” mixing visual, narrative, and live music components to create a “live documentary.” Sam Green is the director behind “32 Sounds,” showing this Saturday at Mass MoCA. We end the show by talking with listeners about which holiday traditions they’re keeping, ditching and beginning anew amid the pandemic.