Boston Public Radio

John King discusses the fate of Obamacare, and whether Jeb Bush might run for President. We also check in with him about whether the midterms hurt…

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…

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to ask: in light of the whistleblower news in Washington, have there ever been times when you’ve had to take a stand against authority? Was it the right choice? Tech Writer Andy Inathko discussed big tech’s relationship to China, following Apple’s choice to pull an app that helped pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong track police whereabouts. NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the NBA’s catering to Chinese interests, as well as basketball player Enes Kanter’s essay about refusing to be silent on Turkey President Erdogan’s authoritarian leadership. Author Imani Perry joined Boston Public Radio to discuss her latest book: "BREATE: A Letter To My Sons.” Harpreet Sareen, Assistant Professor at the Parson School of Design, discussed his research on cyborg botany, and the movement to make plant-robot hybrids. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed her latest column on why local craft breweries are pushing for more diversity. For our weekly news quiz, all-female Brazilian brass band Fanfarra Feminina Sagrada Profana joined to promote the upcoming HONK! Festival in Somerville.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Washington Post national politics correspondent Annie Linskey discussed the latest news surrounding the 2020 Democratic presidential race. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed pushback to a Trump administration move to end limits on slaughterhouse line speeds, and news that grocery chain Dean & Deluca has closed their flagship location. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the latest on the House impeachment inquiry, and updates regarding President Trump’s removal of troops from northeastern Syria. Nancy Koehn, Harvard Business School historian, spoke about Silicon Valley's move away from big spending in favor of profit. We opened the lines to callers to hear your thoughts on balancing motherhood and work life. Journalist & author Naomi Klein discussed her new book: “On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal” Jonathan Alsop, founder of the Boston Wine School, previewed WGBH’s upcoming Food & Wine Festival.

An effort backed by the Trump administration to speed up slaughter lines of pigs is facing legal challenges from food workers' unions that argue the new rules will put laborers in danger. Food policy expert Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio Thursday to discuss the new rule, and the workers' safety complaint. "This makes my blood boil. Already the line speeds, the industrial processing allowed in big meat slaughterhouses is hugely dangerous to workers," said Kummer. "They get mad cow brain disease if they're working on the line slicing open brains of pigs and beef and they do, and they have progressive neurological diseases, and meat companies just through them out the door and say, 'We don't owe you any disability.'" The suit challenges the Department of Agriculture's move to eliminate maximum speed guidelines that the agency estimated would provide annual savings in the millions of dollars for large plants. Kummer said this rule expressly throws worker safety out the window in favor of industry benefits. "These new laws friendly to industry increasing line speed, the USDA said we don't care about overload, burnout, physical toll and repetitive stress injury, we're not even going to weigh that in our final rules, we're going to leave that for OSHA," he said. "What they're doing is destroying the health of the workers and even saying flat out, 'We don't care we're going to leave it to OSHA to come in and try and mop up the mess.'" Corby Kummer is executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrtition Science and Policy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to hear their thoughts on Trump’s choice to not comply with House impeachment proceedings. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed three LGBT descrimination cases that the Supreme Court heard on Tuesday. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed President Trump’s decision to pull troops out of northeast Syria, as well as the latest on the House impeachment inquiry. WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed Trinity Rep’s production of “Prince of Providence,” as well as “Homer at the Beach,” a gallery of Winslow Homer paintings on display at the Cape Ann Museum. Listeners phoned in to discuss whether cell phones have any place in theaters and schools. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam discussed his latest piece, which bemoans a new interior design trend: Judging books exclusively by their covers and using them as decorative objects. Listeners phoned in to give their thoughts on reading in 2019.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to callers to ask: in light of accusations that he solicited sex workers at a Florida spa, is the NFL doing enough about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft? Author Holly Jackson discussed her new book, “American Radicals: How Nineteenth Century Protest Shaped the Nation.” Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed Sen. Bernie Sanders’ recent heart attack, and the questions it’s raised about whether public officials have an obligation to disclose personal health issues. Attorney General Maura Healey responded to questions from callers as part of her monthly “Ask the AG” series. CNN chief national correspondent John King discussed the latest national headlines, including the House's subpoena of EU ambassador Gordon Sondland following Tuesday morning's canceled deposition.