Boston Public Radio

President Trump has proposed cuts to the Centers for Disease Control, other global health agencies.

In the 2020 New Hampshire primary, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ended the night as the victor.

The Harvard economist said voting campaigns can be effective, but work best under specific circumstances.

Taza Chocolate co-founders speak about their transparent supply chain and unique chocolate making process.

Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s campaign said that he regrets the New York Police Department’s controversial use of stop-and-frisk while he was Mayor of New York City, and that he has realized the impact the technique had on communities of color.

"Do I think the Pentagon is now going to investigate? I think the answer is no."

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed rumors that President Trump intends on running for reelection in 2024, and weighed in on the ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in the NFL. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccines, and news that former Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Bush are all vowing to take the coronavirus vaccine publicly. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral offered her impressions of the Mass. police reform bill, and talked about why she expects Gov. Baker will sign it into law. She also talked about reporting on President Trump’s supposed plans to pardon those in his inner circle, and explained her recent endorsement of Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell’s campaign for city mayor. Lawrence Lessig discussed the legal window for Republicans to replace electors in a last-ditch effort to get President Trump reelected, and other extrajudicial efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Lessig is the Roy L. Furman professor of law and leadership at Harvard Law School, and the founder of Equal Citizens. His latest book is “They Don’t Represent Us: Reclaiming Our Democracy.” Former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville weighed in on whether schools ought to remain open as COVID cases surge across Mass., and other education headlines of the week. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed news that Comcast is going to begin charging heavy internet users with additional costs. He also weighed in on fines against Apple over waterproof iPhone claims, a problematic workplace culture at Google, and other major tech stories of the week. We closed Thursday's show by returning to callers, getting your impressions on the 2020 Christmas tree shortage, and reviving the debate around real trees versus fake trees.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Anti-death penalty Sister Helen Prejean talked about President Trump’s last-minute string of federal executions, and her life-long effort to change public perception around the death penalty. Medical ethicist Art Caplan broke down the latest headlines around a COVID-19 vaccine, from new distribution guidelines from the CDC, to the U.K.’s emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine. He also weighed in on whether the U.S. ought to offer financial incentives for vaccinations, and talked about ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in the NFL. Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigrant Forum, offered his thoughts on how President-elect Joe Biden can use the stories of immigrants to heal and unite the country. He also touched on Biden’s pick of Cuban-born Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and other immigration headlines. Elizabeth Matos, executive director of the nonprofit Prisoners’ Legal Services, explained the factors exacerbating the spread of coronavirus in prisons across the Commonwealth, and weighed in on why the Department of Corrections isn’t releasing inmates to home confinement, per a June recommendation by the Supreme Judicial Court. Hosts Margery Eagan and Jared Bowen talked for a few minutes about what’s in the Mass. police reform bill, which is currently sitting before Gov. Charlie Baker. The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Thomas Wilkins explained BSO Now, the organiation’s virtual concert platform, and talked about what it’s like to conduct a socially-distant orchestra with no audience. He also touched on some other virtual events going on at the BSO, available for audiences to stream at BSO.org. Emerson College President Lee Pelton talked about the work of The Boston Foundation, and what he’s hoping to accomplish as he takes over as president and CEO in June of 2021. He also reflected on his decade-long tenure as the president of Emerson College, and discussed how they're dealing with pandemic-era learning. Closing out Wednesday's show, we opened our lines to talk with listeners about your experiences navigating Fall semester of college during the pandemic.

During a Wednesday interview on Boston Public Radio, Sister Helen Prejean condemned a string of executions green-lit by President Trump in his final weeks in office. If Justice Department plans proceed, President Trump will have overseen 12 federal executions during his four-year term, the most since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served 12-years. “We have to begin to heal, to listen to each other,” Prejean said, reflecting on the politically divisive four years under Trump. “Not to see people as an enemy who disagrees with us, or belongs to a different political party – that’s healing. Killing killers is not part of healing, it’s just imitating and continuing the violence.” Prejean has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to executions. Her latest book is “River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.” To learn more, go to SisterHelen.org.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Boston Globe editor Brian McGrory talked about the President Trump’s sustained effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, stalled stimulus talks in Washington, and other national headlines. He also discussed the Globe series "Behind the Shield" and "A Beautiful Resistance." NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed news of Vanderbilt soccer player Sarah Fuller becoming the first woman to play in a Power 5 college football game, and the NFL’s stumbles in mitigating the spread of coronavirus among players and staff. Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mass., broke down the details of a newly-released police reform bill from the State House, and weighed in on whether the proposed reforms would bring meaningful change to policing in the Commonwealth. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you’re feeling about quarantine as we transition into winter. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the end of a Mass. law allowing restaurants to use public space for outdoor dining, poor worker condition for restaurant delivery drivers, and other major food headlines of the week. NHPR reporter and producer Jason Moon talked about season one of the NHPR podcast “Document,” titled “The List,” which delves into New Hampshire's secret blacklist of police officers and the legal battle to make it public. We ended the show by returning to listeners, this time to ask: is Mass. doing enough to support its restaurants through the pandemic?

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about community fridges popping up around Boston. “If you have extra food that is perishable and needs a refrigerator, different communities have set up community fridges,” he said. “They’re actually plugged into outdoor outlets, and have shelves where you can put in pantry food-bank-style donations.” Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy.