Boston Public Radio

Rooney pointed out similarities between the Kobe Bryant tragedy and Stephen Colbert's family.

In Ezra Klein’s book “Why We’re Polarized,” he explores the reasons and history behind America's political divisions.

The former Mass. Education Secretary said he expects a more severe response from the university once an internal investigation is concluded.

On Wednesday, Dershowitz said that advanced a controversial legal theory in which he claimed a president could invite electoral interference from a foreign power to aid them because it would be in the public interest.

Trump defense attorney Alan Dershowitz argued in the impeachment trial the president is allowed to engage in a quid pro quo.

What would the former Patriots player and convicted murderer have been like without football brain injuries?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to hear our listeners' takes on Senator Elizabeth Warren refusing a Fox News town hall. Is this a winning strategy, or did she alienate the 2.5 million viewers who might have tuned in? Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, gave our listeners a preview of an event May 20 in partnership with the Kendall Square Orchestra: Symphony for Science. Bruce Bean, Wade Regehr, and John Gabrieli, neuroscientists from Harvard and MIT, will use a $9 million donation from Bob Broderick to study the effects of cannabis on the brain. They joined Jim and Margery at the Boston Public Library to discuss their research. Emily Rooney joined the show as she does every Friday for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Boston Globe's interim editorial page editor Shirley Leung on a proposal for a marijuana equity fund. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus say a Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket would be a dream. Harris considers that option more of a nightmare. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed that and more. New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik made the case for liberalism on the show, and in his new book, A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism. We wrapped things up on a high note, with a Sing That Thing News Quiz, joined by Jared Bowen and Anthony Trecek-King.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” joined us on the line to talk about the debate over impeachment, Bill DeBlasio jumping into the 2020 race, and other political headlines. Then we opened up the lines and asked our listeners: Will the new anti-abortion laws in states like Georgia and Alabama turn you into a single-issue voter on abortion? Could it change the dynamics of the presidential race for you? Fifteen years ago this week, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage. WGBH News reporter Gabrielle Emmanuel spoke with the couple who started it all. Former State Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, who wrote the landmark opinion that legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, looked back on the decision. Harvard health policy professor John McDonough looked at the role health care could play in the 2020 campaign. Former industrial trawler-turned-kelp-fisherman Bren Smith discussed his new book, “Eat Like A Fish.” Playwright Ryan Landry examined our soceity’s obsession with artificial scents.

Today on Boston Public Radio: The Alabama state legislature has passed a near-total ban on abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. We spoke to medical ethicist Arthur Caplan about the slate of anti-abortion legislation across the country, including a law passed recently in Georgia and bills being considered in Ohio and other states. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, and co-host of the "Everyday Ethics" podcast. Then we opened up the lines and asked our listeners: Do you fear for the future of safe, legal abortion in the United States? Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem examined rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Kayyem is on the faculty of Harvard’s Kennedy School and a CNN analyst. We looked back at Massachusetts’s trailblazing case to legalize same-sex marriage 15 years ago. Sue O’Connell examined the decision’s legacies and the cultural changes it created. O'Connell is co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News and host of NECN’s "The Take with Sue O’Connell." Joining us with his picks for the best arts and cultural events around town this week was Jared Bowen, WGBH's executive arts editor and host of "Open Studio." Taking a long view on Elizabeth Warren's proposal to break up tech giants like Facebook was historian Nancy Koehn, who looked at the history of government intervention in corporations. Koehn is an historian at the Harvard Business School, where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration. A hands-free driving law is being debated at the State House. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners: do you support it?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked you: Are there too many Democratic candidates for 2020? NBC sports anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek looked at the backlash against Nike’s maternity policy. A new FRONTLINE documentary dives into the history of Trump’s trade war with China. We spoke with correspondent Laura Sullivan. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the town of Warwick, Rhode Island’s controversial proposal to force kids with school lunch debt to get jelly and sunflower butter sandwiches instead of hot meals. We opened up the lines and asked you how you think the new casino in Everett will impact the city’s nightlife. CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King brought us up to speed on the latest political headlines. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam looked at a provocative new essay asking: Was Shakespeare a woman?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the phone lines and asked our listeners to respond to a recent U.N. report that said one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction. Tech writer, blogger and podcaster Andy Ihnatko discussed Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes’ op-ed calling for the company to be broken up. Emily Rooney, host of Beat the Press on WGBH, talked about the passing of Boston based journalist Tom Ellis. Shirley Leung talked about the city of Boston’s record on hiring female and minority contractors. Leung is the interim editorial page editor of the Boston Globe. Playwright Ryan Landry discussed his new play “The Ebonic Woman.” Callie Crossley, host of Under the Radar on WGBH, discussed the significance of the birth of the first biracial member of England’s royal family. Adam Zand and Greg Peverill-Conti joined us for our weekly news quiz. Zand and Conti are the founders of the Library Land Project.