Boston Public Radio

The NAACP national convention was supposed to be held in Boston this summer. With the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the events have gone virtual.

The medical ethicist reflected on a recent New York Times editorial from Judith Heumann and John Wodatch.

COVID-19 has changed the way candidates campaign, and how voters elect them.

Ready to get back to the office? You could be waiting for over a year, Kayyem says.

Temporary employment benefits expire at the end of this week.

The Gold Dust Orphans founder was featured in a recent HBO documentary about the notoriously vicious lawyer.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about Kansas voters deciding to protect abortion rights in their state in the face of a potential abortion ban. Art Caplan talks about TV personality and Pennsylvania senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz’s history of dubious medical claims, and President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 rebound case. 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. Juliette Kayyem discusses recent catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, and the state of abortion rights in Republican-dominated states. Kayyem is the 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 most recent book is “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Lyndia Downie updates us on the state of homelessness in Boston, following record heat in the area. Downie is the president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn. Rick Steves shares travel tips and tricks from his most recent tour through Europe. Steves is an author, television and radio host, and the owner of “Rick Steves’ Europe” tour group. You can catch “Rick Steves’ Europe” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2, and his radio show “Travel With Rick Steves” on Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH 89.7. His latest, the six-hour mini-series “Rick Steves Art of Europe,” will be available to stream to GBH members starting in October. Meredith Goldstein talks about her latest “Love Letters” columns offering love and relationship advice. Goldstein is a features writer for the Boston Globe, where she authors the “Love Letters” column, and hosts the “Love Letters” podcast. We end the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on Boston’s booming rat population.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’re boycotting the NFL following the recent sexual harassment allegations against Deshaun Watson. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the recent allegations against Watson, the underdog victory for England Women’s soccer in the 2022 Euro Championships and death of a hiker on Mt. Washington. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose talks about how state legislatures have been reacting in the wake of Republican challenges to mail-in voting laws, and the recent passage of the CROWN act in Mass., which prohibits discrimination based on hair-type. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Lee Pelton reflects on the life and legacy of Bill Russell, Boston’s recent rank as the 2nd least affordable in the U.S. and a recent Harvard study which ties upward mobility to having wealthy friends. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Chris Muther recaps his recent piece on a five-star hotel in Hyannis, and discusses the guilt Americans feel taking vacations, the “lost luggage epidemic” and a popular new trend: the coastal grandmother aesthetic. Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Jared Bowen talks about Shakespeare on the Common, Brad Pitt in his new movie “Bullet Train,” a new play at the Company One Theater, Can I Touch It? and Grand Horizons at the Gloucester Stage. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We end the show by asking listeners to share their feelings about the current pickle craze.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Attorney General Maura Healey shares her thoughts on the outcomes of the recent state legislature session, and took listener calls and answered questions on another installment of “Ask the AG.” Howard Bryant discusses the life and legacy of Bill Russell, including the impact of his presence in Boston and his role as a social justice advocate during the Civil Rights movement. Bryant is a columnist and commentator for ESPN. Then, we ask listeners about their memories of Bill Russell. Katie Krall talks about her experience being a female coach in the MLB, the unorthodox career path that led her to work in baseball, and the culture around women’s sports today. Krall is a player development coach for the Portland Sea Dogs, a Boston Red Sox affiliate team. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price discuss the Kansas nuns opposing a state abortion amendment, the Pope Francis’ recent ‘apology tour’ in Canada, and Beyonce’s new album. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. 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 GBH's All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco reads poems about the chaos in our country right now, including “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost, Anna Akhmatova’s “Lot’s Wife,” and his own “And So We All Fall Down”. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in United States history. His latest book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various sociopolitical issues that shadow America. We end the show by talking about recent legislation in the statehouse.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Mayor Michelle Wu discusses her administration’s strategy to combat climate change, as well as the rise of extremism in Boston, and the city’s new Police Commissioner Michael Cox. She also answers listeners’ questions during “Ask the Mayor.” Callie Crossley talks about teen activist Olivia Julianna’s abortion fundraising off of Rep. Matt Gaetz’s insulting her appearance, school segregation in the U.S., and National Chicken Wing Day. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Charlie Sennott shares his thoughts on the latest from the war in Ukraine, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s potential trip to Taiwan, and the U.S. strategy to get WNBA player Brittney Griner back from Russia. Sennott is a news analyst for GBH and the founder of the GroundTruth Project. Sue O'Connell reacts to Gov. Charlie Baker signing a bill to protect abortion, Verizon deciding to drop One American News (OAN), and Republicans’ hypocrisy concerning the same-sex marriage vote. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. Ron Savage and Larry Ward from the Cambridge Jazz Foundation talk about their work and the process of putting on the Cambridge Jazz Festival, and played some music. Ward is the executive producer of the Cambridge Jazz foundation. Savage is the Dean of the Professional Performance Division at the Berkeley College of music and the artistic director of Cambridge Jazz foundation. We end the show by asking listeners if they avoid working on Fridays.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including the DOJ’s investigation into former President Donald Trump, and Senator Joe Manchin’s long-awaited compromise on an energy bill. 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. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on Manchin’s deal. Andrea Cabral discusses a trade proposal for Brittney Griner, the basketball player detained in Russia, and Alex Jones’ trial for spreading misinformation about Sandy Hook. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Ben Shattuck previews his latest book, and discusses the life and legacy of Henry David Thoreau. Shattuck is a painter, co-owner of Davoll’s General Store in Dartmouth, and the author of “Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau.” Shirley Leung talks about politicians joining Starbucks picket lines, and drama around the future of Gunstock Mountain Resort in New Hampshire. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. James Bennett II previews the latest news in arts and culture, including favorites from Newport Jazz Festival and controversy over high ticket prices for Bruce Springsteen tickets. Bennett II is GBH’s arts and culture reporter. We end the show by discussing the prices for Bruce Springsteen tickets and the high prices of live events.