Boston Public Radio

During Martha Coakley's concession speech this morning at her campaign's headquarters in Somerville, one subject in particular made her visibly emotional:…

One of the most exclusive clubs in the city became even more exclusive yesterday after the death of Tom Menino: the club of Boston mayors. Today, there…

Nancy Koehn never thought she would get cancer, and she sure as hell never thought she would get it twice. Her second diagnosis came over the phone. She…

Feeling a little hungry right now? You will be after this week's News Quiz, where top-notch chefs Jody Adams of Rialto and Trade and Steve DiFillippo of…

Get in the Halloween spirit with Boston Public Radio's Friday News Quiz! This week, Chuck Lechien, Jr., founder and creative director of the Boston Circus…

Today on Boston Public Radio: Anti-death penalty Sister Helen Prejean talked about President Trump’s last-minute string of federal executions, and her life-long effort to change public perception around the death penalty. Medical ethicist Art Caplan broke down the latest headlines around a COVID-19 vaccine, from new distribution guidelines from the CDC, to the U.K.’s emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine. He also weighed in on whether the U.S. ought to offer financial incentives for vaccinations, and talked about ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in the NFL. Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigrant Forum, offered his thoughts on how President-elect Joe Biden can use the stories of immigrants to heal and unite the country. He also touched on Biden’s pick of Cuban-born Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and other immigration headlines. Elizabeth Matos, executive director of the nonprofit Prisoners’ Legal Services, explained the factors exacerbating the spread of coronavirus in prisons across the Commonwealth, and weighed in on why the Department of Corrections isn’t releasing inmates to home confinement, per a June recommendation by the Supreme Judicial Court. Hosts Margery Eagan and Jared Bowen talked for a few minutes about what’s in the Mass. police reform bill, which is currently sitting before Gov. Charlie Baker. The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Thomas Wilkins explained BSO Now, the organiation’s virtual concert platform, and talked about what it’s like to conduct a socially-distant orchestra with no audience. He also touched on some other virtual events going on at the BSO, available for audiences to stream at BSO.org. Emerson College President Lee Pelton talked about the work of The Boston Foundation, and what he’s hoping to accomplish as he takes over as president and CEO in June of 2021. He also reflected on his decade-long tenure as the president of Emerson College, and discussed how they're dealing with pandemic-era learning. Closing out Wednesday's show, we opened our lines to talk with listeners about your experiences navigating Fall semester of college during the pandemic.

During a Wednesday interview on Boston Public Radio, Sister Helen Prejean condemned a string of executions green-lit by President Trump in his final weeks in office. If Justice Department plans proceed, President Trump will have overseen 12 federal executions during his four-year term, the most since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served 12-years. “We have to begin to heal, to listen to each other,” Prejean said, reflecting on the politically divisive four years under Trump. “Not to see people as an enemy who disagrees with us, or belongs to a different political party – that’s healing. Killing killers is not part of healing, it’s just imitating and continuing the violence.” Prejean has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to executions. Her latest book is “River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.” To learn more, go to SisterHelen.org.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Boston Globe editor Brian McGrory talked about the President Trump’s sustained effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, stalled stimulus talks in Washington, and other national headlines. He also discussed the Globe series "Behind the Shield" and "A Beautiful Resistance." NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed news of Vanderbilt soccer player Sarah Fuller becoming the first woman to play in a Power 5 college football game, and the NFL’s stumbles in mitigating the spread of coronavirus among players and staff. Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mass., broke down the details of a newly-released police reform bill from the State House, and weighed in on whether the proposed reforms would bring meaningful change to policing in the Commonwealth. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you’re feeling about quarantine as we transition into winter. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the end of a Mass. law allowing restaurants to use public space for outdoor dining, poor worker condition for restaurant delivery drivers, and other major food headlines of the week. NHPR reporter and producer Jason Moon talked about season one of the NHPR podcast “Document,” titled “The List,” which delves into New Hampshire's secret blacklist of police officers and the legal battle to make it public. We ended the show by returning to listeners, this time to ask: is Mass. doing enough to support its restaurants through the pandemic?

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about community fridges popping up around Boston. “If you have extra food that is perishable and needs a refrigerator, different communities have set up community fridges,” he said. “They’re actually plugged into outdoor outlets, and have shelves where you can put in pantry food-bank-style donations.” 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.

Dr. Ken Duckworth, senior medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. and national medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, talked about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health during the holiday season. He also took time to fielding questions and comments from listeners. Next, we opened our lines up to ask: with winter encroaching, are you ready to answer the call of the great outdoors? GBH investigative reporter Chris Burrell discussed growing momentum in the State House around legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to register for drivers licenses. He also discussed the latest news around Mass.’ purported investments in minority-owned businesses. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, host of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, weighed in on President-elect Joe Biden’s Catholic faith, and debated the real impact it might have on his presidency. They also discussed Wilton Gregory, who became the first-ever Black-American cardinal this past weekend. TV expert Bob Thompson reviewed NOVA’s “Saving Notre Dame,” and talked about the onslaught of welcome holiday content from country legend Dolly Parton. He also offered a belated review of Netflix’s hit show “The Queen’s Gambit." We closed out Monday's show by reopening our lines to talk with listeners about “The Queen’s Gambit,” and ask: have got you gotten swept up in this current chess craze?