Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: Shannon O'Brien and Joe Malone joined for a politics round-table about the upcoming Democratic debates and to preview the Robert Mueller testimony. O'Brien is the former treasurer of Massachusetts and former Democratic nominee for governor. Malone is also a former state treasurer. TV expert Bob Thompson gave a recap of the recently announced Emmy nominations. We opened the lines to ask our listeners how they feel about the upcoming Mueller testimony. Huntington Theatre Company's Director of Eductation Meg O'Brien, and rising high school senior at Codman Academy Arie Dowe spoke about the Huntington Theatre's collaborative production with the school to put on King Lear. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III discussed white male privilege. Harvard business historian Nancy Koehn talked about Abraham Lincoln's connection with the GOP. We opened the lines again, this time to ask our listeners how they feel about swimming in open water, after recent shark sightings in Cape Co

Today on Boston Public Radio: In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing tomorrow, we opened the lines to ask our listeners for their memories and thoughts about the event. Dorothea Gillim, executive producer of *Molly of Denali, *joined to talk about the new PBS Kids show. Mayor Marty Walsh and new director of the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement Yusufi Vali joined Jim and guest host Shirley Leung to take listeners' calls in "Ask The Mayor." Boston Globe reporter Sean Murphy talked about the latest cases where people have been wronged by a variety of companies and services. WGBH's Callie Crossley spoke about the hazards of multitasking. Will and Dave Willis, owners of Bully Boys Distillers, joined for our Friday News Quiz.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jim And Margery talked to New York Times Magazine staff writer and lecturer at Yale Law School, Emily Bazelon whose latest book, Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, looks at the causes of Mass Incarceration Environmentalist and journalist Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org discussed his latest book, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? MIT economists Jonathon Gruber and Simon Johnson discussed their latest book: Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream TC Boyle joined Jim and Margery to talk about his latest novel Outside Looking In. Poet Richard Blanco gave a crash course on the literary tools that can make your poetry more poetic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: United States Senator Ed Markey spoke about his experience visiting detention facilities at the Texas border. To wait or not to wait? We opened the lines to ask our listeners about Nancy Pelosi's impeachment strategy. *Boston Globe *columnist Shirley Leung joined to discuss the role women played in the Apollo 11 mission. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed her recent Washington Post column about the border crisis. Food writer Corby Kummer spoke about Arby's introduction of meat-based vegetables in a jab against the plant-based meat industry. Economist Jonathan Gruber explained the pros and cons of rent control. Harvard business historian Nancy Koehn spoke about the hazards of multi-tasking. We opened the lines again, this time to ask our listeners about how they manage multi-tasking.

More fast food chains are adding plant-based meat alternatives onto their menus, like Burger King's "Impossible Whopper" made with Impossible Foods patties. While other franchisees like White Castle, and TGI Friday's embrace plant alternatives, Arby's has blatantly rejected the trend with their introduction of a meat-based vegetable. Food writer Corby Kummer explained the intention behind Arby's new product - turkey breast coated in powdered carrot juice. "It's a publicity stunt. So they're inventing these things that are meat substitutes for carrots - the marrot," he said. Kummer explained how some franchisees like McDonald's and Wendy's are waiting to see how their competitors fare before adopting plant-based meat foods into their stores. "What this shows is that companies are cowardly. They want to see that it's actually catching on before they invest money," Kummer said. "It's a real wait and see approach. But Arby's has taken it a step farther to get itself the publicity we are giving them." Kummer i

Today on* Boston Public Radio*: We opened up the phone lines and heard from our listeners about Amazon Prime Day. Should consumers boycott the company over its treatment of workers? We spoke with NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek about everything Wimbledon. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins joined us to discuss critical coverage in the Boston Globe. Medical ethicist Art Caplan parsed Vice President Joe Biden's newly unveiled health care plan. Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton joined us to discuss the final season of Poldark, the new season of Grantchester and a mini series Press, which focuses on two competing newspapers in England. CNN’s John King gave us the latest in national politics from CNN's John King. Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum discussed Vice President Mike Pence's visit to an immigrant detention center last week.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former CEO of the Democratic National Convention Steve Kerrigan and former Republican State Rep. Geoff Diehl joined us for a politics roundtable. We spoke to media scholar Bob Thompson about the 20th anniversary of Spongebob Squarepants, and other entertainment news. Criminal justice expert Andrea Cabral joined us to discuss how visits to Massachusetts prisons fell 23 percent after a rule change in 2018. We opened up the phone lines and took calls from our listeners on President Donald Trump's attacks on several U.S. representatives, including Massachusetts' own Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. We spoke with Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price about a poll saying that Americans are seeking less guidance from clergy. Monroe and Price co-host the All Rev’d Up podcast, produced by WGBH. WCAI environmental reporter Heather Goldstone joined us to look at how climate litigation is on the rise around the

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked listeners about the crumbling Red Line. Is the city's fraught public transportation making you consider moving away? Is the next frontier in fake meats a plant-based fish? Food writer Corby Kummer weighed in. 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 Nutrition Science and Policy. Emily Rooney, host of WGBH's "Beat the Press," shared her famous list of observations and frustrations. Sue O'Connell explained why she believes Megan Rapinoe is a new kind of sports icon. O'Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as a politics reporter for NECN. Massachusetts-born soccer star Sam Mewis is fresh off a World Cup win with the U.S. women's national team. She joined us to debrief the team's victorious trip to France and their fight for equal pay. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed the Tru

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press,” weighed in on the latest national news. We asked you about Amy McGrath, who is challenging Mitch McConnell in Kentucky for his Senate seat, and her flip-flop on whether she would have voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice. Former Suffolk County sheriff Andrea Cabral weighed in on the news that ICE is preparing to conduct immigration raids in major American cities. Poet Richard Blanco shared some of his favorite works about summer and the Fourth of July. Former state Secretary of Education and Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Paul Reville discussed new BPS superintendent Brenda Cassellius and her first days on the job. Chris Wilkins and Jo Frances Meyer of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra previewed their season of free outdoor summer concerts. WGBH News reporter Bianca Vásquez-Toness shared her new reporting on how Boston’s Latinx parents are under-represented in school decisions.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed the USWNT’s fight for equal pay. We opened up the lines and asked listeners about burnout, a syndrome resulting from — as Katie Johnston writes in the Boston Globe — “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Do you have it? Is your burnout score as high as Jim’s? Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed the Jeffrey Epstein case. Boston Globe columnist and author Alex Beam discussed Norman Mailer’s take on the moon landing 50 years ago. New Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius stopped in to chat about her first days on the job. Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn explained the leadership steps and qualities that allowed Americans to put the first man on the moon. Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan looked at an announcement from Netflix to remove images of tobacco use from future programming.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the phone lines and asked listeners for their thoughts on the Jeffrey Epstein case. We discussed the US Women's Soccer Team's fight for gender pay parity with NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek. Former Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi and Chris Dempsey, Director of Transportation for Massachusetts, joined to weigh in on the controversy surrounding the management of the RMV and the recent MBTA fare hikes. Legal analyst Michael Zeldin looked at former special counsel Robert Mueller's upcoming congressional testimony. Boston Globe travel writer Chris Muther gave us his take on the rooms at the Encore Casino. We got the latest in national politics from CNN's John King. Could you pass a U.S. Citizenship test? We opened up the lines and quizzed listeners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Our political roundtable, featuring analyst and principle of Chieppo Strategies Charlie Chieppo and commentator and senior fellow with the Independent Women’s Forum Jennifer Braceras, tackled the latest headlines. Charles Sennott, founder of The GroundTruth Project, discussed Iran’s announcement that it will enrich uranium beyond the levels allowed under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal. We opened up the lines and asked listeners about the USWNT’s big win at the World Cup. Will it advance the team’s quest for equal pay with their male counterparts? TV authority Bob Thompson shared his best and worst television moments of the week. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price discussed their new podcast, “All Rev’d Up.” Naturalist Sy Montgomery shared her new book, “The Magnificent Migration,” about wildebeests migrating across the Serengeti. Musician Livingston Taylor previewed his upcoming show at the Wilbur.

Today on Boston Public Radio: New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe discussed his latest book, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. Cartoonist Roz CHast and humorist Patricia Marx discussed their latest collaboration, Why Don’t You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It? A Mother’s Suggestions. Comedian Jay Pharaoh joined us to talk about his latest projects, including a new standup tour, web series, and the movie Unsane, directed by Stephen Soderberg. Judge Richard Gergel discussed his latest book, Unexampled Courage, which recounts a racist attack on a South Carolina native after World War II and how that episode sparked the civil rights movement. Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton joined us to go over his latest research on identity branding. Norton is the Harold M. Brierly Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. His latest book is Happy Money, the Science of Happier Spending. The alt-rock band Guster joined us for an in-studio per

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed an increase in diabetics going to Canada to buy insulin due to lower costs. Do those lifelike dolls schools have girls take care of actually reduce teen pregnancy? Does shaving hair actually make it grow back thicker? We opened up the phone lines to ask our listeners about medical myths they find people tend to believe. We broke down the symbolism of President Trump's military parade on the 4th of July and Democrats' recent calls to decriminalize border crossings with national security expert Juliette Kayyem. Tech journalist Andy Ihnatko joined us for a primer on how to get the best pictures out of your iPhone during the 4th of July fireworks. Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum examined the new rules that will give Attorney General William Barr more influence over the immigration courts. Author Gary Styneghart discussed his latest book "Lake Success." Author Christopher Castelanni discussed his newest book "Leading Men."

Controversy continues to rise over the living conditions of migrant children living in detention centers in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's custody. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to describe the substandard food and resources being offered at the detention centers. "The institutional cruelty of the food that's being fed to people in five detention centers, mostly around Texas, is just disgusting. It's everything processed that's easy to buy, cheap to serve and is associated with obesity, bad dental health, chronic disease like diabetes," he said. 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 Nutrition Science and Policy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We took listeners' calls during a discussion about President Donald Trump's "Salute To America" plans for a military parade on July 4. The US Women's National Soccer Team faces England this afternoon in a semi-final match of the World Cup. We got the latest from NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek. Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU Massachusetts, broke down the Supreme Court's recent decision to send a decision on the placement of a citizenship quesiton on the US census back to a lower court. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the quality of the food served in migrant detention centers. 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 Nutrition Science and Policy. WCAI correspondent and environmental reporter Heather Goldstone joined the show for a debrief on the plight of the right whale and other environmental headlines. Goldstone h

Today on Boston Public Radio: WGBH News Political Reporter Adam Reilly and Joanna Weiss of Experience Magazine joined us for a political round table. WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott debriefed President Donald Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un over the weekend. We opened up the lines and fielded calls from our listeners on the MBTA's new fare hikes, which went into effect today. Media scholar Bob Thompson joined us to discuss "The Loudest Voice in the Room," Showtimes' new mini-series about Roger Ailes, and other TV headlines. The Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price joined us for another edition of "All Revved Up," and discussed the role faith plays in the 2020 presidential election. Historian Nancy Koehn breaks down Frederick Douglass' famous address, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July." Actor Ben Levi Ross, the lead in a new run of "Dear Evan Hansen," which is coming to the Boston Opera House July 10.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We started the show by opening up the lines to ask our listeners for their opinions on last night's second 2020 Democratic debate. Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat the Press, joined Jim and guest host Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung. Rooney talked about attempts to discredit E. Jean Carroll's accusation that President Trump sexually assaulted her. Boston Police Commissioner William Gross joined us for "Ask the Police Commissioner," to take questions from us and our listeners. NECN's Sue O'Connell talked about the 2020 Democratic party debates as well as Stonewall's 50th anniversary. Callie Crossley, host of WGBH's "Under the Radar," discussed the debates as well as the emergency border aid funding bill. Nadine Malouf and Christian Barillas, lead actors in the Huntington Theatre Company's "Yerma," joined for our weekly News Quiz.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked you about last night’s Democratic debate. We were joined by Jessica Tang, president of the Boston Teacher’s Union. Former Suffolk County sheriff Andrea Cabral discussed an oversight at the RMV that could have prevented a deadly car accident. As Wayfair employers protest migrant detention, will consumers join in and boycott the retail giant? Historian Nancy Koehn shared her analysis. Facebook has unveiled its own cryptocurrence — should we be trusting the company with our money? Tech blogger Andy Ihnatko weighed in. We opened up the lines and asked listeners about whether gyms and bars should be “politics-free” zones. Are millennials growing horns on the backs of their head? Alex Beam, renowned evolutionary biologist, weighed in.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Washington Post political reporter Annie Linskey discussed tonight’s first Democratic 2020 debate, including how candidates like Elizabeth Warren are traveling to facilities for migrants at the border ahead of the debate. Then we opened up the lines and asked listeners about the squalid conditions at border camps for migrants. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley also called in with her thoughts. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem also discussed the conditions at the government-run facilities for migrants. Michael Norton, professor at the Harvard Business School, shared his research on polarization in the U.S. Then we opened up the lines and asked our listeners. Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan discussed the situation at the border. WGBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen reviewed the Nantucket Film Festival, the new movie “Yesterday,” and others.