Boston Public Radio

Medical ethicist Art Caplan weighs in on Jeff Sessions' decision to not defend the Affordable Care Act's protection of people with pre-existing conditions.

The actor, singer and bestselling author discusses his latest novel, a re-imagining of an Irish myth set in modern-day New York City.

It’s time for another edition of Village Voice, our recurring conversation about poetry and how it can help us to make sense of the news of the day.…

Tinder’s algorithm of swiping left and right is more than just a popular way to meet future soulmates and one-night stands — the dating app has revealed…

The achievement gap between students from low-income households and students from wealthier ones is one of the most persistent challenges facing Boston…

Two members of the Typewriter Rodeo returned to Boston Public Radio with their infamous rhyme-on-demand segment. Poets Genna Rose and Sean Petrie joined…

The Senate Intelligence Committee released a nearly 1,000 page report on Tuesday, detailing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The report describes President Donald Trump’s campaign advisors as having extensive contact with Russian intelligence officials during the 2016 election. Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was said to have had the most extreme link with Russian intelligence. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about this new report. “The substance of it is more damning than the Mueller Report because it shows, and more than implies, the direct relationship with Manafort and senior leaders in the Russian intelligence agency,” she said. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to ask listeners: are you experiencing work-from-home burnout? Trenni Kusnierek talked about the recent appointment of Jason Wright as the NFL’s first Black team president, and Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask’s decision to step away from the NHL. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Boston Sports, and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Steve Kerrigan recapped the Monday night kick-off of the Democratic National Convention. Kerrigan is the CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, and former CEO of the Democratic National Convention. Chris Dempsey discussed the return of commuters to the roads of Mass., and the data behind why public transportation might be safer than you think. Dempsey directs the coalition Transportation for Mass., and is a former Mass. assistant secretary for transportation. Journalist Robert Kuttner discussed failures in U.S. coronavirus testing, and his recent piece for the American Prospect titled "Falling Upward: The Surprising Survival of Larry Summers.” Kuttner is a co-editor for the American Prospect, and the Ida and Meyer Kirstein Chair at Brandeis University. His latest book is “The Stakes: 2020 and the Survival of American Democracy." CNN’s chief national correspondent John King talked about night one of the Democratic National Convention, and what current polling indicates about the standing of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden ahead of the November election. Lyndia Downie, President and Executive Director of the Pine Street Inn, discussed the organization’s success in stopping the spread of COVID-19 among Boston’s homeless population, and the challenges they’re anticipating after the state’s eviction moratorium is lifted in October.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about concerns regarding President Trump’s moves to curb mail-in voting ahead of the November election. TV expert Bob Thompson talked about ABC's decision to finally release an episode of "Black-ish,” which the network thought too controversial to air in 2018. He also reviewed HBO's “Lovecraft Country.” WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed widespread protests in Lebanon in the wake of the Beirut explosion, and implications of the recent diplomatic agreement struck between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the faiths of Sen. Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden, and questions about their impact on a Biden-Harris administration. Dr. Ken Duckworth talked about mental health issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, and responded to questions and comments from listeners. Ken Duckworth is the senior medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. and the national medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

As of last week, all food processor employees in Michigan must now be routinely tested for COVID-19, making it the first state in the nation with this requirement. Food writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Friday that "this is a piece of good news" in the meatpacking industry, which has so far been "callous and cruel to its workers, not caring if they live or die." 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: - Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch spoke about the US Postal Service removing many mail-processing machines across the country. - Political commentator Sue O'Connell explained the recent allegations against Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who is running against Congressman Richard Neal for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district seat. - WGHB's Emily Rooney gave her thoughts on Massachusetts's 4th congressional district race. - Food writer Corby Kummer spoke about Michigan becoming the first state to mandate that meatpacking workers must have regular COVID-19 screenings. - Callie Crossley discussed how recent right-wing journalists and politicians are mispronouncing vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris' name. - Yankee Magazine's Annie Copps spoke about the surge in home cooking that's occurred during the pandemic.