Boston Public Radio

The homeland security expert said the looming storms will likely make it more difficult to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The “Open Studio” host admitted he wasn’t the best dancer, but advocated for listeners to give the virtual classes a try.

The Boston Globe Editor-in-Chief notes that the number of obituary pages has essentially tripled in length.

The Lincoln Project ran an ad targeting Donald Trump, called 'Mourning In America.' The president responded.

Rep. Joe Kennedy III defended his call for an independent investigation of an altercation between Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees and corrections officials at the Bristol County House of Corrections in Dartmouth on May 1.

"We're hoping they make the surveillance tapes available," says executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts.

Six days after the close of a tumultuous 2020, Americans witnessed a new level of tragedy at the nation’s capital. Fueled by lies of a rigged election, angry protests turned riotous, leaving five people — including at least one police officer — dead, dozens wounded, and, within a week, one president impeached. Boston Public Radio interviewed a handful of congressional leaders about their experiences during the Jan. 6 insurrection, and the duty they felt to hold the president accountable for what they witnessed. Here’s a compilation of what they had to say.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We kick things off by opening lines, talking with listeners about the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Mass. Media Sue O’Connell talks about the prospective mayoral campaign of William Gross, Boston’s first Black police commissioner, First Lady Melania Trump’s reaction to the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, and a recent Supreme Court ruling restricting access to abortion pills. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discusses a pending investigation from Mass. A.G. Maura Healey into a road rage incident involving Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins, and questions around whether a Natick Town Meeting member ought to be prosecuted after photos emerged of her inside the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 insurrection. She also reads a ban-themed list of fixations and fulminations. R.I Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse talked about what’s to come for the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, and whether he thinks it’s appropriate for federal leaders to invoke the 14th amendment to censure Congressional proponents of the President’s election-related conspiracy theories. He also recounts his experience being at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Jennifer Horn talks about the future of the Lincoln Project, and the Republican Party as a whole, post-Donald Trump. Horn is former Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and a columnist for the New Hampshire Union Leader. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley discusses criminal charges being brought against eight former Mich. state officials over their alleged roles in the Flint water crisis. She also returns to conversation about the incoming Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and weighs in on a soon-to-be published thriller novel from political activist Stacey Abrams. We close out Friday’s show by talking with listeners about a new campaign launched by the Boston Globe, urging readers to make a commitment to ordering takeout at least once a week to support restaurants struggling through the pandemic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Jim McGovern talks about the significance of Wednesday’s impeachment of President Trump, where he played a key role, and reflects on what’s to come for American democracy. Next, we open lines to talk about Wednesday’s impeachment, and whether you’re worried about it backfiring on President-elect Biden. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral raises some legal questions about the Senate’s ability to conduct an impartial impeachment trial of President Trump. She also talks about the failings of Capitol police in preventing last week’s riot, and reflects on the death of Lisa Montgomery, the first woman to be federally executed in nearly 70 years. National Immigration Forum CEO Ali Noorani discusses the legacy of President Trump’s immigration policy, and what he’s hoping from President-elect Biden on issues like refugee resettlement and President Trump’s travel ban. He also talks about challenges with getting undocumented immigrants access to COVID-19 vaccines. Former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville talks about the state of hybrid learning in Mass., and presses for the reinstatement of standardized testing in order for officials to have a clearer understanding of the pandemic’s toll on statewide learning. Next, we reopen lines to check in with parents and teachers, to hear how remote learning is impacting your lives and the lives of students in the Commonwealth. GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen talks about his impressions of Frederick Wiseman’s “City Hall,” an in-depth documentary about the administration of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. He also reviewed the film “Sound of Metal,” and discussed an exhibit of works by photographer Robert Frank at the Addison Gallery.

Despite recent statements made by President Trump in Alamo, Tx., Ali Noorani said on Thursday’s Boston Public Radio that the outgoing president's years-long promise of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border fell far short of expectations. "He claimed that hundreds of mile of wall had been built,” the National Immigration Forum CEO said of Trump’s Tuesday statement, but noted that "if you look at the numbers, most of the work that has been done in terms of border infrastructure has been fortifying existing infrastructure." Still, he said Trump’s efforts to stifle immigration during his presidency will have an impact that extends beyond dreams of a massive border wall. “We also have to be realistic – and be clear – that by shutting down the border to perfectly legal asylum claims, by shutting down the border and forcing tens of thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico while their claims are being processed, he did fundamental change the way the border region is seen on the U.S. side… [and] also on the Mexican side.” "I think the Biden administration is going to have a lot of work to do to rebuild an immigration system, much less a functioning border management system,” he said. Ali 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.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Jake Auchincloss discusses Wednesday’s impeachment vote in the House of Representatives, taking place mere days after he was sworn into his first congressional term, and why he’s optimistic about America’s future. BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius talks about the current state of hybrid learning at Boston Public Schools, and reflects on the lessons she and other education officials have learned in the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem responds to last week’s insurrection, and the resignation of Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf one week before President-elect Biden takes office. She also speaks on her recent piece for The Atlantic, “How MAGA Extremism Ends.” We opened our lines to talk with listeners about Wednesday’s impeachment proceedings, and whether you believe President Trump ought to be removed from office over his role in last week’s insurrection. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discusses COVID-19 vaccine refusals at U.S. nursing homes, and the complicated logistics of creating a vaccine mandate. He also offers his take on President-elect Biden’s strategy for COVID-19 vaccine rollout, releasing as many first doses to Americans as are available. We return to listeners to discuss Wednesday's impeachment proceedings, and the likelihood of a second presidential impeachment in 13 months. M.I.T. economist Jon Gruber puts Wednesday’s impeach proceedings into the context of U.S. economics, reflecting on the cost-benefit analysis of last week’s riot, and a potential second impeachment of President Trump.