Boston Public Radio

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Today on Boston Public Radio: M.I.T. economist Jonathan Gruber explained why he’s (mostly) optimistic about the prospect of a Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, and the Biden administration’s ability to distribute it. He also touched on his thoughts around a case involving the Affordable Care Act that’s currently before the Supreme Court. We opened our lines to hear your thoughts on the word of COVID-19 vaccine, and whether you’d feel confident enough to take it. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem weighed in on President Trump’s refusal to concede defeat to President-elect Joe Biden, and the support he’s getting from his staff and GOP congressional leaders. Rep. Seth Moulton talked about the national security risks created by President Trump’s refusal to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, and his pride in helping to create recently-passed legislation to establish a three-digit mental health hotline. He also previewed a Veteran's Day virtual town hall that he'll be co-hosting Wednesday night. We opened lines to ask: with the Trump administration spreading misinformation about the election and refusing to accept the electoral math, are you worried about the possibility of a coup? Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed news around a potential coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer, weighing the impact of President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed on the company’s breakthrough, and talking about the logistics of distribution. GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen discussed the latest news around the MFA’s delay of a controversial exhibit presenting the works of painter Philip Guston, as well as their new Claude Monet exhibit. He also talked about a new work from playwright Andrei Kureichik about the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Belarus, called “Insulted. Belarus(Sia)."

President Donald Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, stating baseless claims of voting fraud. The Trump administration, along with leading Republicans, have also refused to recognize Biden’s victory. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the damaging false narrative touted by Trump and his supporters. “Nothing is unexpected in the sense that Trump has built a lifetime into this being his exist; it is clear that this is a charade,” she said. “It’s damaging to our election process and [it shows] the patheticness of the Republican Party, which is in my mind now irredeemable.” 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.

Pfizer announced this week that their COVID-19 vaccine exceeds expectations for effectiveness. So when can Americans expect to see doses in their doctor’s office? Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan told Boston Public Radio some people could receive the vaccine “as early as the end of December.” The vaccine itself needs to pass another milestone before it’s authorized for emergency use: current test subjects need to be monitored for safety issues for a few more weeks. Then, the distribution may be limited by logistics within the supply chain due to refrigeration requirements. Higher risk populations like health care workers and older people will likely be prioritized, but Caplan said the broader population could see the vaccine by spring 2021. “It’s a two-dose vaccine … even if you start administering it in April, you’re probably not going to start seeing benefits until May and June, because it takes that long to work.” Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Jim McGovern talked about his Tuesday reelection win against Republican challenger Tracy Lovvorn, who happens a QAnon conspiracy theory proponent. He also touched on the future of further COVID relief, and the food insecurity crisis afflicting the U.S. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed the return of Red Sox manager Alex Cora, following his sign-stealing scandal, the Patriots’ Monday night win over the New York Jets, and the achievement of Chris Nikic, who became the first person with Down’s syndrome to complete an Ironman. We opened lines to talk with listeners about President Trump’s refusal to concede defeat to President-elect Biden, and the support his messaging his getting from GOP congressional leaders. Ali Noorani, President & CEO of the National Immigration Forum, talked about the impact of President Trump’s immigration policies on the decision of voters in last Tuesday’s Presidential election, and why Latinx Americans went for Trump at higher rates than most pollsters expected. Food writer Corby Kummer talked about the impact of Gov. Charlie Baker’s latest coronavirus restrictions on restaurants in Mass., and a new Trump administration rule freezing wages for immigrant farm workers in the U.S. He also weighed in on the tantalizing prospect of turkey dinner-flavored candy corn. CNN’s John King talked about his whirlwind election week performance on CNN, and discussed Republican attempts to litigate Joe Biden’s victory. We closed Tuesday’s show by returning to listeners to discuss all things election 2020.

Ali Noorani spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about how different Latinx communities voted in this year’s presidential election. “The case that the Trump campaign made to Latinos in Texas was saying that the Biden administration is going to take our guns away, and touching on social cultural issues around abortion and gay marriage,” he said. “The Democrats made relatively little effort to engage this sizable block of voters that has traditionally been very Democratic. The Trump campaign didn’t need to win that block of voters they just needed to cut into that margin.” Ali Noorani is Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.