Boston Public Radio

Pope Francis appoints first Black Cardinal and expresses support for gay rights — but is it just "lip service"?

The former Suffolk County said U.S. democracy as we know it will "cease to exist" if President Trump wins a second term.

Larry Calderone, president of Boston’s Police Patrolmen’s Association, weighed in on a range of reform proposals.

Barrett's vague response to what she's done to educate herself on racism was embarrassing and harmful, the Revs say.

Whitehouse detailed a 'court-capture machinery' to sway court rulings along partisan lines.

The Boston University law professor talked about his time standing vigil by the casket of Justice Ginsburg, and spoke on the expected appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to his former boss' vacant Supreme Court seat.

Today on Boston Public Radio: MSNBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed the written testimony of Ukraine Ambassador Bill Taylor, and the wider implications of Tuesday’s election for the Democratic in 2020. New York Times writer and “Shrill” author Lindy West discussed her latest book, “The Witches are Coming.” Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral spoke about the retirement of Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin, and divides over the death penalty in the Republican Party. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the prosperity gospel and President Trump’s spiritual advisor, as well as Pete Buttigieg’s relationship to Black voters. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam discussed the “okay boomer” meme and how it reflects current generational tensions. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed the significance of a diverse group of new lawmakers elected in Massachusetts on Tuesday. We opened the lines to callers to ask: how do you feel about the “okay boomer” meme?

Subscribers of Amazon Prime — the e-commerce giant’s membership service for discounted shipping rates and streaming video content — will now receive free membership to the company’s on-demand grocery service, AmazonFresh. According to Corby Kummer, a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Amazon’s move is the latest part of its growing effort to expand into the grocery business. Kummer said the key to Amazon’s strategy is cutting down on staff at Whole Foods, which the company acquired in 2017, to reduce operating costs and fund the delivery service. “While they chop local jobs of people who are at cash registers or people who smile at you when you go to Whole Foods ... they can lose money hand over fist,” Kummer said. “All of your friends who are smiling at you at Whole Foods are going to be gone, because you’re buying into meal delivery.” According to a February report from Bain & Company done in partnership with Google, 3 percent of US grocery shopping occurs online, but analysts expect the amount of online sales to triple within the next decade. Kummer is executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute and a senior editor at The Atlantic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to hear your thoughts on First Lady Melania Trump’s visit to Boston Medical Center. Medical Ethicist Art Caplan discussed concerns over whether law enforcement ought to have access to data from consumer DNA kits. CNN Analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed E.U. Ambassador George Sondland’s revised testimony regarding President Donald Trump's call with the president of Ukraine, lax enforcement of the S.T.O.P. Act, and the future for disaster relief in fire-prone areas of California. WGBH Science Correspondent Heather Goldstone discussed President Donald Trump formalizing his decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, and E.P.A. regulators allowing toxic chemicals to be dumped in the Merrimack River. Behavioral Economist Michael Norton discussed the psychology behind “pseudo-secret” menu options. WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed the Polaroid exhibit at the M.I.T. Museum, as well as a production of “X” at the Flat Earth Theater, and Paula Cole’s new album, “Revolution.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to talk about Tuesday’s elections and the 2020 presidential race. NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the high school referee shortage in Massachusetts, and new Red Sox Chief Officer Chaim Bloom. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU, discussed the Press Pause on Face Surveillance Campaign, along with revelations uncovered by the ACLU that Boston Police are collaborating with ICE officials. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the firing of McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook, and Amazon’s latest plan to dominate the food delivery industry. Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigrant Forum, discussed the Trump administration’s crackdown on refugees in the U.S., and flaws in Democratic Party's appeals to Latinx voters. CNN’s John King talked about the latest headlines surrounding the 2020 election. Playwright Ryan Landry spoke about his recent TEDx talk, titled “Cage of Normalcy,” and previewed a new show from his Gold Dust Orphans production company titled “Christmas on Uranus."

Today on Boston Public Radio: Shannon O’Brien and Charlie Chieppo discussed the latest headlines around the 2020 presidential race and the House impeachment inquiry. Charlie Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies, Senior Fellow at the Pioneer Institute and Adjunct Professor at Suffolk University. Shannon O'Brien is former State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for governor. Charlie Sennott discussed President Trump’s foreign policy in Lebanon, Brexit, and The Authoritarian's Playbook, a new podcast from the GroundTruth Project. Sennott is a WGBH News Analyst and CEO of the GroundTruth Project. We opened the lines to callers to ask: how do you feel about the verbal abuse of high school sports referees? TV critic Bob Thompson discussed Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary special, and reviewed Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” and “Dickinson.” Inaugural poet Richard Blanco discussed the vibrant world of ecopoetry. Director/producer Lynn Novick, producer Sarah Botstein, and Bard Prison Initiative alum Sebastian Yoon of the new PBS documentary College Behind Bars stopped by to discuss the film. We re-opened the lines to ask callers for their thoughts on the prison education system.