Boston Public Radio

Richard Blanco, the nation's fifth inaugural poet, shared poems that seize on the changing of the seasons as an opportunity to reflect on death, rebirth, and the passage of time.

As the world watched Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford testify, another major Me Too moment was happening: Bill Cosby was sentenced Tuesday to three to 10 years in prison.

A restaurant in Maine gives new meaning to 'blunt instrument' by getting the lobsters high so that their death is more humane

The congressman and sports reporter will co-host a forum next week about mental health in the U.S.

Like much of his presidency, President Donald Trump is offering to solve a problem his predecessors couldn’t in a manner that bucks the conventional wisdom.

Rep. Geoff Diehl, the endorsed Republican candidate hoping to unseat Sen. Warren, defended President Trump’s White House invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about the idea of a one-term presidency, and whether you think it might benefit America's political system. Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downey talked about work being done at the Pine Street Inn to empower Boston's homeless residents to vote, and how her organization is preparing for Thanksgiving during the pandemic. Corey Lewandowski, a senior advisor for President Trump’s reelection campaign, talked about how he's feeling ahead of next Tuesday’s presidential election, and why he doesn’t believe in the constitutionality of a nationwide mask mandate. He also rebuked criticisms of President Trump’s refusal to address the QAnon conspiracy theory. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll talked about the experience of leading her city through Halloween season during the coronavirus pandemic, and discussed what’s being done to keep Witch City residents safe – and tourists at bay. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney reflected on the passing of Travis Roy, a former hockey player-turned activist and motivational speaker. She also discussed news of the unmasked "anonymous" Trump staffer, and read a pre-election list of fixations and fulminations. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talked about the perforce of moderator Kristen Welker at the last presidential debate, and specifically her handling of questions about race and “the talk” that nonwhite parents have with their children in the U.S. She also touched on how grocery chain Trader Joe's has managed to weather economic storm of the pandemic, and previewed Sunday’s episode of Under the Radar. We closed the show by opening our lines to talk with listeners about the shows, movies, and music you’re taking in to offset the unease of this pre-election moment.

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd checked in to talk about the state of the presidential race, five days away from Election Day. Sen. Bernie Sanders called in as a surrogate for former Vice President Joe Biden, talking about why he hopes supporters of his presidential campaign will pivot to supporting the Democratic nominee. He also weighed in on the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and reflected on how much he’s missed in-person rallies. Next, we opened our lines to talk with progressive listeners about their thoughts on Joe Biden’s candidacy. Bill McKibben reflected on the future of the climate crisis, with a possible reelection win for President Trump on Tuesday, and this week’s confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. McKibben is a founder of the climate campaign 350.org, and the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in environmental studies at Middlebury College. He writes "The Climate Crisis," The New Yorker's newsletter on the environment. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral talked about Gov. Charlie Baker's nomination of Associate Justice Kimberly Budd to succeed the late Justice Ralph Gants as chief justice of the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court, and reflected on the Philadelphia police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. Next, we opened lines to ask: is all politics personal? Sen. Elizabeth Warren talked about the future of Roe v. Wade in the wake of Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, and why she’s optimistic about the notion of building "back better," and the future of the country under a Joe Biden presidency.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to ask: are the high early voting turnout numbers easing your election day jitters? Joan Donovan, Research Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, talked about the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory, and how media manipulation has allowed it to spread so effectively. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed rising cases of COVID-19 throughout the U.S., and explained why she’s reassured by the deployment of National Guard troops to cities throughout Texas ahead of the election. M.I.T. economist Jon Gruber talked about the ways varying election outcomes could impact the future of the Affordable Care Act, and responded to questions from listeners. We opened lines for our seasonal inquiry, asking: with temperatures expected to drop below 30 degrees this week, how cold does it need to get before you activate your heat? Writer and naturalist Sy Montgomery returned for our monthly edition of “Afternoon Zoo,” where she talked about the different ways groups of animals pick their pack leaders, and the reasons why certain animals will occasionally social distance.

Naturalist Sy Montgomery spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about how other animal species practice social distancing when signs of disease show in their communities. “When something is off, that might draw predators to your group, so you want to get away from the one who’s going to attract the shark or hyena,” she said. “If someone has a contagious disease, you want to get you and your family away from that disease, so a lot of animals will isolate.” This behavior isn’t true of all animal species however, Montgomery noted. “Elephants, for example, will stay by a sick or dying animal and not leave their side, and dogs are the same, they’ve been known to stay by their master’s graveside.” Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is "Condor Comeback."

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in the U.S., something national security expert Juliette Kayyem described as “deja vu all over again.” The CNN analyst returned to Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, where she weighed in on the surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations throughout the U.S., which are nearing their midsummer peak. "We’re seeing the cycle that we saw in February to March and we saw again in the spring and early summer, which is infections first, then hospitalizations… and then, likely, the death toll,” she said, adding that the situation is “bad, by any stretch of the imagination.” In a moment of optimism, Kayyem said she believes hospitals and supply chains are better prepared this time around. However, she also noted that the situation is muddled by the sheer number of states seeing a rise in cases. "This time around there’s no epicenter, and so where you could’ve focused March in New England, June in Florida and Arizona and Texas, this is now everywhere,” she said. “In the way that one should worry that 50 states are demanding the same thing, this is what worries me." 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.