Boston Public Radio

The former Suffolk County Sheriff had qualms with the Justice Department’s motion to drop charges against the former national security advisor, who pled guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017.

CNN’s chief national correspondent said the president is likely looking to stoke his base ahead of the November elections.

The world that we reopen into will be "180 degrees different" from our previous idea of normal, Kayyem says.

The medical ethicist said activists should take more responsibility for putting others' lives at risk.

The one-time $1,200 stimulus check just won't be enough for Americans to survive a long economic recovery, Gruber says.

Spring SAT and ACT tests were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Will the tests revive?

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former FBI agent Peter Strzok weighed in on corruption and within the Trump administration and its impact on U.S. national security, in a conversation about his new book, “Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump." Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell offered her thoughts on Mayor Walsh's police task force, the rocky transition to hybrid learning for Boston Public Schools students, and discussed whether she intends to enter the 2021 Boston mayoral race. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney reflected on Thursday night’s town hall with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, critiques of the media from writer James Fallows, and read a rank choice voting-themed list of fixations and fulminations. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed news that a former homeland security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence is publicly backing Joe Biden for president, and explained why she believes the Trump administration is directly responsible for the bulk of the nearly 200,000 U.S. coronavirus deaths. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talked about a recent assertion from AG Bill Barr that COVID-19 restrictions are akin to slavery, and polls showing a close race for South Carolina’s Senate seat between Sen. Lindsay Graham and Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison. Tech writer and BPR contributor Andy Ihnatko called in to answer all your remote-learning tech questions.

Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Friday about Olivia Troye, former homeland security, counterterrorism and coronavirus adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, who quit her job in July and has now endorsed Joe Biden. “She’s a significant staffer, so it is big in the sense that she left the task force, she left government, and then she goes public in support for Biden,” Kayyem said. “It assures the president to be the pig that he is in terms of how he talks about people.” Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd weighed in on the latest headlines around November’s elections, and President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. GBH News’ Adam Reilly discussed new GBH/MassINC polling on voter attitudes around the 2021 Boston mayoral race. We opened lines to ask listeners: is it time for leaders in the science and medical communities to call out President Trump’s reckless statements on coronavirus and climate change? Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the recent settlement reached between the city of Louisville, Ky. and the family of Breonna Taylor, as well as last week’s study from Harvard Law School on stark racial disparities in the Mass. justice system. Harvard Business School behavioral economist Michael Norton discussed research on leisure, and what we know about those of us who have a hard time letting loose. We also opened lines to hear your thoughts on active and inactive leisure time. Shannon O’Brien, former Mass. Treasurer and advisory board member of the Brookline-based voting app Voatz, discussed growing interest in online voting, and the pros and cons of current online voting systems. Travel guru Rick Steves called in to reflect on a series journals he wrote as a teenage traveling “urchin,” and discuss how traveling has shaped his worldview. We opened lines to talk with listeners about what Rick Steves describes as the “traveler’s mindset,” and ask: have you been able to use the coronavirus pandemic to discover new things about the places around you?

Today on Boston Public Radio: MGH psychiatrist and pediatrician Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky discussed how remote learning can hinder childhood development, in a conversation sparked by her recent Atlantic piece, titled "We Flattened the Curve. Our Kids Belong in School." We opened lines to hear your thoughts on the rollout of remote learning, and whether Mass. ought to be doing more to prioritize children’s mental wellbeing. Boston City Counselor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu called in to talk about why she’s running to lead the city, and how she’d improve on the job being done by current mayor Marty Walsh. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the ways companies are navigating COVID-19 testing for employees, and President Trump’s willingness to hold largely mask-free rallies during the coronavirus pandemic. We opened lines to talk with listeners about Michelle Wu’s campaign for mayor, and the improvements you’d like to see from future Boston leadership. Naturalist and journalist Sy Montgomery discussed the varying ways animals cope with wildfires, and why dogs have such a hard time recognizing people in face masks.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Mass. AG Maura Healey reflected on the life and career of Mass. Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants, who died on Monday. Deval Patrick, former Mass. Gov. and Chairman of the Together Fund, called in to continue the conversation about the life and legacy of former Mass. SJC Chief Justice Gants. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek talked about the Patriots' win – and Tom Brady’s loss – this past Sunday, and weighed in on the growing number of NFL and NBA players using their platform to advocate for social justice causes. Heather Goldstone, Chief Communications Officer at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, discussed the link between climate change and the current string of record-setting hurricanes and wildfires in the U.S., and touched on why the COVID-19 pandemic has had a minimal impact on the climate crisis. Jim Aloisi and Chris Dempsey discussed potential service cuts and fare hikes for the MBTA, and Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu’s track record on transportation issues in light of news that she’s running for city mayor. Jim Aloisi is former Mass. Transportation Secretary, a member of the Transit Matters Board, and a contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Chris Dempsey is the Director of Transportation for Massachusetts and former Mass. Assistant Secretary of Transportation. GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen talked about the Museum of Fine Arts' reopening, a new exhibit at Mass MoCA from artist Blane De St. Croix., and the documentary “Our Time Machine,” which was released to “virtual theaters” last Friday. CNN’s John King talked about the near-certain coronavirus transmission taking place at the president's reelection rallies, and news Tuesday of a diplomatic deal reached between Israel, the U.A.E., and Bahrain. We opened lines to ask listeners: as museums and movie theaters reopen, do you feel comfortable returning to the great indoors?