Boston Public Radio

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.

The secretary of state touted his success in keeping the state safe in 2016, and is confident he'll be able to do it again in the next election.

In response to the release of the redacted Mueller report, Rep. Ayanna Pressley has renewed her call to impeach President Donald Trump.

Following the release of the redacted Mueller report Thursday, Rep. Jim McGovern told WGBH News he “doesn’t trust” U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s assessment that there was “no collusion” between Russia and the Trump campaign in the lead up to the 2016 election.

A teacher at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School is under investigation after a controversial panel involving the use of a racial slur.

Washington Post columnist EJ Dionne talks about President Biden’s meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also discusses speculation around whether AG Merrick Garland will push to litigate abuses of power made under the administration of former President Trump. Next, we opened phone lines to talk with listeners about Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday. Former Suffolk County sheriff Andrea Cabral weighs in on the Justice Department’s request for the Supreme Court to reinstate the federal death penalty against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. She also discusses AG Merrick Garland’s efforts to protect U.S. voting rights. Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther discusses “re-queerification” efforts underway in Provincetown, the understated LGBT legacy of Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach, and his experience returning to international travel for a trip to Iceland. Michael Curry offers his thoughts on Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday, and weighs in on the recent vaccination incentives like the VaxMillions lottery and “Vax Express” train in Massachusetts. Curry is President and CEO of the Mass. League of Community Health Centers, and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, and chair of the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Food writer Corby Kummer discusses the temporary extension of laws allowing for to-go cocktails and expanded outdoor dining in Massachusetts, and provides some much-needed insight into the latest player in the vegan milk market. We close out Thursday's show by talking with listeners about post-vaccine travel, and making the most of Summer 2021.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Thursday about NotMilk, a plant-based product from start-up NotCo, that purportedly mimics cow’s milk better than other alternatives. “I’m really eager to go out and try it, because the company says that NotMilk can taste, cook, and froth like cow’s milk,” he said. “It is so much better for the environment than milk that comes from cows, which produce methane.” Plant-based milk alternatives and plant-based proteins are a very important part of the future, Kummer noted. 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.

President Joe Biden’s decision to meet with Vladimir Putin initially prompted skeptics to question whether it would only serve to elevate the Russian leader’s position on the world stage. Washington Post columnist EJ Dionne told Boston Public Radio on Thursday that Biden did well to push back against Putin’s defense of jailing opposition leader Alexei Navalny — Putin insisted he’s only trying to avoid the likes of disorder America experienced in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Biden just said, “That’s ridiculous,’” said Dionne, noting the straightforwardness in the American president’s response. “Whether you like Biden or not I think if you’re an American friend of democracy you looked at what Biden said, and said, ‘That is what a defense of democracy looks like,’” said Dionne. There were no big achievements from the summit, but no expectations of that either, said Dionne. “On the whole I think (Biden) came out pretty well.” EJ Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan talks about the benefits and drawbacks of vaccine lottery incentives, in light of the VaxMillions program announced Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Baker. Next, we open phone lines to hear listener thoughts on the Massachusetts newly-announced VaxMillions lottery program. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses President Biden’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She also spoke about the national security implications of the looming hurricane and wildfire season. Bina Venkataraman talked about the Boston Globe’s new six-part series, “Future Proofing the Presidency,” about the legacy of former President Trump and the future of American democracy. Venkataraman is the editorial page editor of The Boston Globe. Her latest book is “The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age.” Washington Post financial columnist Michelle Singletary discussed her latest book, “What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits.” Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery returned for our monthly edition of “Afternoon Zoo.” She talked about her sympathy for the humpback whale who nearly swallowed a lobster fisherman off of Cape Cod, stand-up fathers of the animal kingdom, and the dogs who are learning to talk to their owners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines to talk with listeners about the day-to-day impact of Massachusetts ending its COVID-19 state of emergency. National Immigration Forum president and CEO Ali Noorani discusses the significance of the newly-released film adaptation of “In The Heights,” which highlights the value of Hispanic immigrant communities in the U.S. He also recaps Vice President Kamala Harris' recent trip to Guatemala and Mexico, and touches on President Biden’s plan to redirect $2 billion in funding for former President Trump's border wall to other national security issues. Dr. Andrew Budson talks about his experience working on clinical trials for Aduhelm, a controversial Alzheimer's drug that recently gained authorization from the FDA. He also speaks to whether he’d recommend it to his own patients. Budson is a professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, and Chief of Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology at the Boston VA Healthcare System. His latest book is Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What to Do About It. RoxFilm festival director Lisa Simmons previews this year’s Roxbury International Film Festival, which runs from June 17th through the 26th. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek gives an update on the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and talks about her own experience preparing to cover the games for NBC. She also touches on recent dialogue around women coaches in the NBA. CNN’s John King discusses President Biden’s forthcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the U.S.’ pivot toward addressing domestic terrorism. We close out Tuesday’s show by talking with listeners about the enormous backlog of Girl Scout cookies that piled up as a result of slow sales in 2020.