Boston Public Radio

In the wake of allegations that President Donald Trump coordinated with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to gain political dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, it’s still unclear how Congressional Democrats will respond.

TV guru Bob Thompson breaks down the latest popular culture headlines.

WGBH's science correspondent gave live updates from Climate Week New York City.

Inaugural poet Richard Blanco highlights an anthology of poems that embody or express empathy or outrage in the age of President Donald Trump.

Two local chefs joined us for our news quiz.

A new report connects increased access to contraception with decreased abortion rates.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to callers: with all this snow, are you happy to have something other than Trump to talk about? NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed a possible fall from grace for the Patriots, equal pay for Canada’s curling teams, and the resignation of NHL coach Bill Peters over allegations of racism. City council president Andrea Campbell discussed her year-long term as Boston City Council President, and her ongoing mission to establish a Boston City Inspector General. WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed the Netflix film “The Irishman,” and a new exhibit at the MFA highlighting the art of ancient Nubia. Environmental journalist Bill McKibben discussed the dire state of climate action in light of last week’s U.N. climate report, and the U.N. Climate Conference currently under way in Madrid. CNN’s John King discussed the latest political headlines regarding the 2020 presidential race and the House impeachment inquiry. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU, discussed the use of SPOT the robot dog by Massachusetts State Police.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Shannon O’Brien and Charlie Chieppo discussed the latest national and state political headlines, including news around the House impeachment inquiry and developments in the Grant Thornton R.M.V. controversy. Charlie Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies, Senior Fellow at the Pioneer Institute and Adjunct Professor at Suffolk University. Shannon O'Brien is former State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for governor. TV writer Bob Thompson reviewed the PBS documentary “College Behind Bars” and Netflix’s “The Irishman.” Charlie Sennott discussed President Donald Trump's support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, and his claims of having re-opened talks with the Taliban. Sennott is a WGBH News Analyst and C.E.O. of the GroundTruth Project. MIT economist Jon Gruber discussed the feasibility and long-term impact of a wealth tax like the ones being proposed by Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. We opened lines to callers to ask: If you had to choose, would you rather watch movies at home or in a theater? Boston Pops Orchestra conductor Keith Lockhart previewed upcoming holiday programming from the Pops.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the implications of a study from Virginia Commonwealth University, indicating that mortality rates are on the rise for people aged 25-64. We opened lines to callers to ask about your strategies difficult political conversations this Thanksgiving. CNN’s Juliette Kayyem discussed President Trump campaigning with absolved war criminals, and Jared Kushner’s latest assignment: building the wall. WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” the new biopic on Fred Rogers. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed a letter from LGBT Justice Department employees to A.G. William Barr, criticizing the Trump administration’s stance on Title IIV of the Civil Rights Act. Journalist and author Sy Montgomery discussed San Francisco International Airport’s new therapy pigs, and Quilty the Cat’s brigade to free her fellow sheltered felines. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam discussed PETA’s campaign for Sesame Street to introduce a vegan puppet, and a definitive fix for jet lag.

Today on Boston Public Radio: In light of the inevitable traffic jams to come this Thanksgiving, we opened lines to ask callers about the drivers that drive you crazy. NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed ongoing tumult between Colin Kaepernick and the NFL, and a sit-in protest staged by climate activists at a Harvard-Yale football game. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed three Baltimore men who were released from prison after serving 36 years for wrongful murder convictions, as part of a broader conversation on failures of the U.S. justice system. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed a CDC report cautioning Turkey cooks not to wash their birds, and consumer blowback to Dunkin's choice to ditch styrofoam cups. Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn, alongside the Kennedy School’s David Gergen, discussed lessons that Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation can offer a divided nation today. CNN’s John King called in for his weekly political roundup, discussing impeachment and the 2020 presidential race. Playwright Ryan Landry discussed the late Mr. Rogers' views on consumer culture, Marie Kondo’s new product line, and the Gold Dust Orphan’s upcoming production of “Christmas on Uranus."

You might be searching the web and flipping through cookbooks on the quest of making the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, but food writer Corby Kummer has an unbreakable rule to follow regardless of which recipe you choose: Don't wash your turkey. Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to explain how washing a turkey can spread bacteria, including the kind that can cause salmonella. "Every Thanksgiving, if you have a frozen turkey, don't take it out the morning of and run it under hot water and put it on the counter," he said. "The very best way to defrost a turkey is starting days ahead in cool-ish water in the refrigerator for days - the slower it defrosts at a cool temperature, the better and safer." This isn't just a once-a-year-turkey warning, Kummer noted, but a rule that also applies to chicken preparation. "Don't wash chicken, don't wash your roast chicken or chicken pieces, clean them with a paper towel," he said. "Otherwise it spreads [bacteria] all over your sink and then on your hands." 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.