Boston Public Radio

On Tuesday, the 12 candidates for the Democratic nomination for president will meet for another debate in Westerville, Ohio.

Dr. John Winickoff, the former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium and a pediatrician at Mass General, supports Baker’s vape ban, and said the science backs him up.

The Flixbus is promising better bus service for an affordable price.

Should young football players be allowed to tackle, when research shows repeated hits cause long-term brain damage?

A new law in California guarantees free meals to public school students.

Inaugural poet Richard Blanco gave Jim and Margery a crash course in poetry.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Mass. Senate President Karen Spilka discussed her views on mental health parity, NDAs in the public sector, and Massachusetts transportation reform. NBC Sports Boston anchor Trenni Kusnierek reflected on Monday’s memorial for Kobe and Gigi Bryant, and the NHL debut of a 42 year-old Zamboni driver. We opened the lines to talk with callers about your views on early voting in the 2020 primaries. Former Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville discussed racial inequity at Boston's exam schools, the dipping graduation rates at Boston Public Schools, and a group of illiterate California students who sued their state and won $53 million for troubled schools. Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther discussed the impact of the coronavirus on local tourism, the "Shame Plane,” and whether it’s poor form to recline your seat on an airplane. CNN’s John King talked about the South Carolina primary, and what to expect from Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate. We re-opened our lines to continue the debate about reclining seats on an airplanes.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Charlie Chieppo and Jennifer Nassour joined us for a political roundtable. Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies, senior fellow at the Pioneer Institute and adjunct professor at Suffolk University, and Nassour is a former Chairwoman of the Mass GOP and founder of Conservative Women For A Better Future. We opened our lines to ask callers your thoughts on Bernie Sanders being the 2020 Democratic frontrunner, and Monday's verdict in the trial of Harvey Weinstein. TV writer Bob Thompson reviewed Hulu’s “High Fidelity” and Netflix’s “Gentrefied.” Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the Catholic Church’s lax handling of sexual abuse, and the racial inequities at Boston’s exam schools. WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott provided an update on the Taliban’s reduction of violence deal in Afghanistan, and President Trump’s Monday visit to India. Poet Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of “The Village Voice,” where he discussed the persona poem.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with listeners about Massachusetts’ new distracted driving law. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed whether Bernie Sanders ought to release his full medical records, and the latest news on the coronavirus. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed Matell’s new “Self-Care Barbie,” and reporting from the Atlantic on the political history between Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders. Boston Lyric Opera director Esther Nelson, alongside soprano Elena Stikhina, discussed the B.L.O.’s upcoming production of “Norma,” as well as Boston's lack of an opera house. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed the potential impact of coronavirus on the tech industry, and his thoughts on the new Sony Walkman MP3 player. “Under the Radar” host Callie Crossley discussed the quarantine on Mike Bloomberg coverage at Bloomberg News, and her thoughts on Massachusetts new distracted driving law. Kim Senior and Shayne Kenyon of “Sweat,” now playing at the Huntington Theater, joined us for our weekly news quiz.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to callers to discuss Wednesday night’s Democratic debate. WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed a possible peace deal between the U.S. and Taliban forces, and the 900,000 Syrians currently fleeing to Turkey amidst Bashar al-Assad’s recent military advancements. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the sentencing of Trump associate Roger Stone, and the question of whether Attorney General Bill Barr will resign. ESPN’s Howard Bryant discussed his new book, “Full Dissidence: Notes From an Uneven Playing Field.” Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’sAll Rev’d Up, discussed Wednesday night’s Democratic debate, and the possibility of the U.S. having its first Jewish president in Bernie Sanders or Mike Bloomberg. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam discussed concierge medicine, rank choice voting, and remembered the life of Jesuit astrophysicist Rev. George Coyne. Rep. Ayanna Pressley discussed Elizabeth Warren’s performance at Wednesday night’s debate, and her view that Attorney General Barr ought to resign.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to ask caller: do debates influence how you vote? MIT economist Jon Gruber discussed housing affordability in Massachusetts, and whether rent control is the most effective solution. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed fraud charges against Mass. Rep. David Nangle, and former GE executive Ann Klee’s move to construction company Suffolk. Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn discussed Jeff Bezos’ pledge to commit $10 billion towards combating climate change. Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery discussed the role pangolins may have played in the spread of coronavirus, and news on the graciousness of crows. We re-opened our lines to talk with listeners about your experiences at dog parks, in light of a New York Times article arguing that they're bad for a dog’s health and development. WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen discussed 40 years of “Sheer Madness” at the Charles Playhouse, and a new exhibit at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, titled “Boston’s Apollo: Thomas McKeller and John Singer Sargent.”