Boston Public Radio

"You wanna leave before you wanna leave," the mayor said in reference to his Monday announcement that he won't be seeking a tenth term.

The city's chief of economic development says he wants to help Boston confront its racial identity.

Michael Curry doesn't know what will come of Gov. Charlie Baker's promise to allocate 20% of vaccines to hard-hit communities.

Andrea Cabral speaks about the rise in restrictive voting laws being passed by Republican-controlled legislatures.

Annissa Essaibi-George also spoke about her push for mobile vaccine clinics and commended Gov. Charlie Baker for allowing businesses to expand capacity limits as COVID-19 infections drop.

The House of Representatives passed the Equality Act last Thursday, but the bill's future in the Senate remains uncertain.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on the latest with COVID as states drop mask mandates and pushes to legalize psychedelic-assisted therapies. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on the end of mask mandates and the state of the pandemic. Juliette Kayyem explains the latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kayyem is former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her forthcoming book is: “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Corby Kummer talks about Chef Jose Andres feeding Ukrainian refugees, people forcing dietary restrictions on their pets and the death of Legal Seafoods founder George Berkowitz. Kummer is 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. Paul Reville updates listeners on the latest in the search for a new Boston Superintendent. 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.” Andrew Bacevich discusses the military efforts of Russia and Ukraine in the second week of Russia’s invasion. Bacevich is president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University, and author of numerous books, including: “The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory” and “After the Apocalypse: America's Role in a World Transformed.” We end the show by talking with listeners about their thoughts on legalizing psychedelics, after the soap company Dr. Bronner’s began backing efforts to legalize drugs.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by asking listeners their latest thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trenni Kusnierek talks about how the sports world is responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and a Swedish speed skater giving his Olympic gold medal to the daughter of a Swedish publisher detained in China. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, she’s also a BPR contributor. Christine Abely explains what the sanctions against Russia are, how they work and the effect they have. Abely teaches international business transactions and contracts at New England Law in Boston. Lee Pelton weighs in on the reparations bill the U.S. House of Representatives is considering, and what he would like to see from Boston’s new Superintendent. Pelton is the President and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Dorothy Stover discusses why she’s bringing a proposal to make all beaches in Nantucket topless. Stover is a Nantucket-based sex educator, and the advocate behind Nantucket Top Freedom & Equality, a proposed bylaw that would allow all people to go topless on Nantucket beaches. She runs the Nantucket Love School, a program that teaches best practices for love and relationships. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on topless beaches for gender equality in Nantucket. John King runs down the latest political headlines, including how CNN is covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his expectations ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union tonight. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by talking with listeners about their thoughts going into the State of the Union.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their reactions to the latest news from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. EJ Dionne weighs in on the increasingly violent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dionne is a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is “Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country.” Elizabeth Turnbull Henry updates listeners on where the state stands on its emissions goals, and why Massachusetts is falling behind and running out of time. Henry is president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about President Joe Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and the 10 year anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death. Rev. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Rev. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, and the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host the GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Attorney General Maura Healey discusses her rejection of Brookline bylaws banning the installation of oil and gas, and takes questions from listeners on fraudulent unemployment claims, phishing cases and more. Healey is Attorney General of Massachusetts.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners if they felt that the U.S. government's sanctions and rhetoric against Russia were enough of a response. Tom Nichols shares his analysis of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, discussing paths to nuclear confrontation and the motives of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nichols is a contributing writer and proprietor of “Peacefield” newsletter at The Atlantic, a professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and a five-time Jeopardy winner. Callie Crossley discusses President Joe Biden's nomination of Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) talks about his recent trip with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the Munich Security Conference, and shares his thoughts on U.S. sanctions against Russia. Congressman Keating represents Massachusetts’ 9th Congressional District. Judge Nancy Gertner discusses the latest on LGBTQ and abortion rights before the Supreme Court, and President Biden's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Judge Gertner is a retired U.S. District Judge for the U.S. District Court here in Massachusetts. She’s currently a Senior Lecturer on Law at Harvard University. Sue O'Connell talks about recent anti-LGBTQ laws targeting LGBTQ youth in Texas and Florida, and Hank the Tank, a 500 pound bear authorities suspected of breaking into dozens of California homes. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about the historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Throughout the show, we speak with listeners about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Chuck Todd updates us on the latest headlines out of Ukraine, focusing on the future of NATO. Todd is the moderator of “Meet The Press” on NBC, host of “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Andrea Cabral discusses the resignation of the Manhattan prosecutors leading New York’s investigation into former President Donald Trump and his business practices. She also talks about the vandalism of a Maya Angelou bust during an anti-vaccine protest at the Boston Public Library. Cabral is the former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety. She’s now the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Israr Akakhil and Jeffrey Thielman discuss efforts to relocate Afghan evacuees six months following the U.S. exit from Afghanistan. Akakhil is a former interpreter for the U.S. Army forces in Afghanistan, and a resident of Charlestown, Mass. Thielman is president and CEO of the International Institute of New England, one of the state’s major refugee resettlement nonprofits. Charlie Sennott shares his analysis of the unfolding events in Ukraine, as well as President Biden’s announcement of further sanctions against Russia. Sennott is a news analyst for GBH, where he also heads up the Groundtruth Project.