Boston Public Radio

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lobbied against the bill because it included resources for the LGBTQ community.

Two mass shootings in one week have gun control advocates wondering whether legislation will ever be enacted.

"We have the capacity to force a vote, and I think it’s time we do that," the Massachusetts senator said.

The governor acknowledged criticism from lawmakers but insisted the current mix of state and local efforts is most effective.

Students and advocates are calling on Harvard University to acknowledge its role in slavery and offer reparations.

Healey tells Boston Public Radio she supports legislation to update the state's existing hate crime laws.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We’re on tape today, bringing you the ultimate BPR book club with back-to-back conversations from over the years with some of our favorite writers. Some of today’s highlights are featured below: Kevin Young discusses his latest collection of poetry, BROWN. Young is the poetry editor of the New Yorker and the Andrew W. Mellon director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture. Ann Patchett talks about her book “Commonwealth,” and as owner of Parnassus Books, argues for all readers to shop at local, independent bookstores. T.C. Boyle drops in on the dropout culture with his novel “Outside Looking In,” which is based on the research of Timothy Leary.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, previewing President Joe Biden’s Thursday press conference and sharing his thoughts on whether the U.S. could soon have stronger gun reform laws. 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. Next, we open the phone lines, asking listeners whether they’re resigned to living in a country where mass shootings happen regularly. Andrea Cabral discusses the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case that could expand the scope of the Second Amendment. She also shares her thoughts on the debate over gun reform laws and filibuster rules in Congress. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Jared Bowen highlights Asian artists whose work is on display in the Boston area, from Shen Wei to Andy Li. He also talks about the Huntington Theatre’s renovation project. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. Then, we aired live audio from President Biden’s afternoon press conference.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on whether Massachusetts could mandate vaccines for public sector employees like prison guards and state police. He also talks about AstraZeneca’s recent PR blunders. Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU School of Medicine. Ali Noorani updates us on the latest immigration headlines, including the increase in unaccompanied migrant children crossing the U.S-Mexico border. Noorani is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is "There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.” Gov. Charlie Baker talks about vaccine equity in Massachusetts, calling for an increased supply of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a way to remedy vaccine distribution issues. He also addresses concerns over state police and other public sector employees who are hesitant to get vaccinated. Next, we open the phone lines, asking listeners what they think about Massachusetts schools reopening. Sen. Elizabeth Warren discusses the rise in violence against Asian Americans, and explains why the government should invest more money into childcare and environmentally-friendly infrastructure. She also weighs in on the debate over the filibuster. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about pandemic weight gain.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners for their thoughts on Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s historic appointment as the first Black person and first woman to serve as mayor of Boston. Trenni Kusnierek shares her thoughts on gender inequity in the NCAA, and the popularity of Loyola University Chicago’s Sister Jean. She also discusses the barring of foreign spectators from the Tokyo Olympics. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Alec MacGillis explains how Amazon is contributing to regional inequality and an increasing wealth gap. He also discusses his new book, “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America.” MacGillis is a senior reporter for ProPublica, where he covers politics and government. His latest book is “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America.” Next, we ask listeners whether they thought vaccines should be mandatory. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price weigh in on students and scholars’ calls for Harvard to give reparations for slavery. They also talk about the fetishization and sexualization of Asian women in the context of the Atlanta massage parlor shootings. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail, and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at the Boston University School of Theology. Price is an executive director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about the reopening of movie theater chains across the U.S.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners what they thought about Massachusetts reopening as COVID-19 infections rise again. Michelle Singletary explains why you shouldn’t wait to file on the new tax filing deadline of May 17, and what the Child Tax Credit looks like for the 2021 tax season. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column, "The Color of Money," provides insight into the world of personal finance. Brian McGrory talks about the Supreme Court’s agreement to hear the death penalty case of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev. He also shares his thoughts on the legacy of Mayor Marty Walsh. McGrory is the editor-in-chief of The Boston Globe Next, we opened the phone lines to talk with listeners about Zoom Escaper. Attorney General Maura Healey discusses vaccine rollout across the state, and her proposal to update and clearly define Massachusetts’ hate crime laws. As always, she responds to listeners’ questions and comments for Ask the AG. Healey is Massachusetts' attorney general.