Boston Public Radio

The executive director of the National Immigrant Forum expressed frustration with several Trump administration policies.

Amazon recently announced that subscribers to Amazon Prime will be able to receive free delivery on grocery sales purchased through their website.

Chaim Bloom replaces Dave Dombrowski as the leader of roster operations for the franchise.

The people behind the film series speak about their experiences within BPI and its long-lasting effects after prison.

Presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco previews a new poetry anthology focused on climate change.

The “Under The Radar” host lent her perspective on recent comments from Barack Obama.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We kicked off the show by opening lines to talk with listeners about the rise of coronavirus cases in the U.S., and ask: does it feel like we’re back in March? David Carroll, Director of the Carter Center’s Democracy Program, talked about his organization’s shift in focus away from international elections and towards U.S. democracy ahead of the November election. Immigration authority Ali Noorani discussed the 545 children who’ve yet to be reunited with their parents after being separated by immigration officials at the U.S. Mexico border, and the human rights groups working to help reunite the families. Chris Dempsey and Jim Aloisi discussed a range of transportation headlines, from news that Gov. Charlie Baker has started riding the MBTA Blue Line in an effort to show that it’s safe, to updates on how the MBTA is mitigating its enormous revenue losses. Dempsey is the Mass. Director of Transportation and former Assistant Secretary of Transportation. Jim Aloisi is former transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board, and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. TV Expert Bob Thompson talked about the death of streaming service Quibi, and reviewed “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” and the return of “Supermarket Sweep.” Thompson is a professor and founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Next, we opened lines to ask: are you planning on giving up holiday traditions this year, or will you be doing everything you can to keep Halloween and Thanksgiving alive? Celtics center and human rights activist Enes Kanter discussed his new campaign to raise awareness about the cruelty of factory farming, and how it was influenced by his time spent alone in the NBA bubble. He also offered a positive update to news from a few months ago about dismal levels of voter registration among players in the NBA.

Immigration expert Ali Noorani joined Boston Public Radio on Monday, offering a rebuke to President Trump’s attempts to pass blame for caging children at the U.S.-Mexico border onto the Obama administration. “Who built the cages, Joe?” Trump asked former Vice President Joe Biden during the September presidential debate. Noorani said that while it’s true that facilities in question were build under President Obama in 2014, their intended purpose was substantially different from their eventual use by the current president. "They were set up as temporary holding facilities for children; unaccompanied minors at that point,” he explained. “The Trump administration took that infrastructure, and weaponized it.” And while the National Immigration Forum CEO admitted his organization has “many concerns” about the immigration policies of former President Obama, he described the Trump administration’s family separation policy as a “moral tragedy,” that’s left 545 children still without their parents. Ali Noorani is the President and CEO 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: We started off the show by talking with listeners about your impressions of Thursday night’s presidential debate, the last before the November election. NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the growing number of professional athletes taking part in get-out-the-vote campaigns, a recent article by Celtics point guard Marcus Smart titled "This Article is Not About Basketball," and low sports viewership numbers for 2020. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talked about President Trump’s contentious “60 Minutes” interview, and weighed in on the rising number of coronavirus cases in Mass. Jill Shah spoke about the new stipend program for low-income families in Chelsea, Mass. Shah is president of the Shah Family Foundation, which is coordinating and supporting efforts between Chelsea and philanthropic partners to facilitate one of the largest universal basic income programs in the nation. Emerson Baker talked about the history of the Salem Witch Trials, and the elements at play in 1692 Salem that are relevant to America today. Baker is a professor of history and a General Education Faculty Fellow at Salem State University. He's also the author of multiple books, including “A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience." Food writer Corby Kummer compared the eating habits of former Vice President Joe Biden to those of President Donald Trump. He also discussed various ways restaurants and food brands are pivoting for the election, and reflected on rising food insecurity in the U.S., seven months into the coronavirus pandemic. Closing out the show, we talked to listeners about your strategies for staying outside and virus-free in the winter of coronavirus.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Friday about a new program in Cambridge aiming to help small local businesses during the upcoming winter season of the pandemic. The Patio Heater Reimbursement Program will reimburse restaurants up to $250.00 per portable patio heater. “I hope other cities will take it up, subsidizing these outdoor heaters is great,” he said. “Having the subsidy to give people indoor ventilators with proper MERV 13 filters I think would be a next step.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed former President Barack Obama’s rebuke of President Trump in a Wednesday stump speech for former Vice President Joe Biden. He also talked about the stakes for Thursday’s presidential debate, moderated by his NBC colleague Kristen Welker. We opened our lines to hear your thoughts on former President Obama joining the campaign trail for Joe Biden, and to talk about your feelings heading into the final presidential debate. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discussed voter suppression in the U.S., and why she’s not optimistic about the future of voting rights in the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court decision protecting late-arriving absentee ballots in Penn. She also touched on recent statements from an anonymous juror in the Breonna Taylor case, who said this week that the grand jury did not agree on whether Taylor's shooting was fully justified. Matthew Teitelbaum, the Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, discussed how the MFA is adapting to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as how they're working to confront issues of race in the art space. He also gave a debrief on the opening of the MFA's long-awaited exhibit showcasing the work of painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Next, we turned to callers to hear your thoughts on the censorship of art, in a conversation about a series of postponed exhibits of artist Philip Guston. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko weighed in on the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit brought against Google, as well as Apple’s buyout of the Charlie Brown TV specials, and new AI-powered "neural filters” coming on the latest edition of Adobe Photoshop. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville talked about Wednesday's decision by city officials to bring Boston Public Schools back to all-remote learning, and other headlines around the shaky return to classrooms during the coronavirus pandemic.