Boston Public Radio

When mass shooters fit the definition of terrorism, why aren't they charged with it?

Richard Blanco walks Jim and Margery through the writing tool of showing, not telling.

Though the debate over the question is not over, the Supreme Court delivered a strong blow to the Trump administration.

In 2019, several states have passed laws restricting access to abortions, leaving some wondering if it means the end of Roe v. Wade.

Emily Bazelon is the author of "Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration," a new book that examines prosecutorial power, and how that has affected the justice system for decades.

Another hate crime rattled a synagogue this weekend, leaving one woman dead and others injured. Reverend Irene Monroe and Reverend Emmett Price say this shooting fits into a pattern of white nationalist violence.

Ali Noorani spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about how different Latinx communities voted in this year’s presidential election. “The case that the Trump campaign made to Latinos in Texas was saying that the Biden administration is going to take our guns away, and touching on social cultural issues around abortion and gay marriage,” he said. “The Democrats made relatively little effort to engage this sizable block of voters that has traditionally been very Democratic. The Trump campaign didn’t need to win that block of voters they just needed to cut into that margin.” Ali Noorani is Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about the different approaches to outdoor dining tenting. “New York says if you have outdoor tenting, then 50% of the wall space has to be open,” he said. “That seems absolutely right, at the minimum, so two of the sides have to be open to the fresh air.” However many restaurants aren’t abiding by these guidelines, Kummer noted. “What we’re seeing is the equivalent to giant igloos or tents, that are deathtraps,” he said. “There is no circulation at all, and that’s a clear violation of what any city should be doing.” The larger picture is that safe outdoor dining is the best way to dine, Kummer added. “That is what restaurants should be investing in.” 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: Rufus Gifford, deputy campaign manager for President-elect Joe Biden, discussed Biden’s weekend victory, and reflected on the president-elect's message of unity in the face of a concession refusal from President Trump. Next, we opened our lines to hear your thoughts on Joe Biden’s presidential victory, after days of election uncertainty. Charlie Chieppo and Shannon O’Brien returned to the show for a politics roundtable, discussing Joe Biden’s victory and President Trump’s repeated allegations of wide-scale voter fraud. Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies, a senior fellow at the Pioneer Institute, and Adjunct professor at Suffolk University. O’Brien is former state treasurer and Democratic nominee for governor of Mass. Jonathan Alter discussed the lasting impact of former President Jimmy Carter, in a conversation about his new biography, “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life." Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, talked about the challenge for President-elect Joe Biden in unifying a deeply divided America, and discussed the racial breakdowns of the American electorate. GBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project Charlie Sennott talked about the impact of President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential win on America’s role on the world stage, and the hesitation from autocratic world leaders like Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in acknowledging his victory. TV guru Bob Thompson remembered the widely beloved “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek, who died on Sunday. We closed our show by reopening lines to talk with listeners about the outcome of the 2020 election.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show to talk with listeners about the latest results of the 2020 presidential election, as former Vice President Joe Biden appeared close to a victory. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talked about the move by several TV news outlets to cut away from President Trump's Thursday press conference, after he repeated false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. She also discussed news that former Red Sox manager Alex Cora is returning to manage the Red Sox after January’s cheating scandal, and read her weekly list of fixations and fulminations. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called in for our monthly edition of “Ask the Mayor.” He talked about the state of the 2020 presidential race, COVID testing in Boston, whether he plans to run for reelection, and what he thinks about the return of Alex Cora to the Red Sox. As always, Walsh also responded to questions and comments from callers. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talked about Joe Biden's razor-thin lead in the Georgia presidential race, and the role that former Georgia House minority leader Stacey Abrams in the state's election. She also weighed in on the possibility of election-related violence, and recent writing by Monica Hess in the Washington Post about the unique advantages of having women in positions of power. We finished out our show by returning to callers to talk about the state of the 2020 presidential race.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Robert Tsai talked about the state of the presidential race as of Thursday morning, and weighed in on the President’s litany of lawsuits against states over ballot counting. Tsai is a professor of Law at Boston university. His latest book is "Practical Equality: Forging justice in a Divided Nation.” Next, we turned to callers to get your thoughts on the ongoing election count, and what you make of the President’s lawsuits. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discussed the impact of voter suppression in the 2020 presidential race, and the persistent, unwavering faith that Trump supporters have in their president. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the limits of President Trump's authority over his top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, and the impact of Trump rallies on surging coronavirus cases throughout the U.S. In our last hour, we opened the lines to hear your thoughts on how election 2020 is playing out.