Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed her expectations President-elect Biden’s handling of LGBT issues, and reflected on the widespread child sex abuse scandal hanging over the Boy Scouts of America.  We opened lines to talk with listeners about your experiences with the Boy Scouts of America, and what you make of the organization’s uncertain future in light of widespread child abuse allegations. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney weighed in on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s erratic press conferences, the approval of two prospective coronavirus vaccines, and read a Thanksgiving-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley discussed a petition from Harvard University affiliates to prevent Trump administration officials from teaching or speaking on campus. She also touched on the ending of O Magazine, former President Obama’s new memoir, and ongoing efforts by President Trump to delay the certification of votes for Joe Biden

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd, moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC, talked about the latest news regarding President Trump’s attempts to negate his election loss, and spoke on the thousands of frustrated Fox News viewers migrating to stations like OAN and Newsmax. Next, we opened lines to talk with listeners about your plans for this COVID-era Thanksgiving.  Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral gave a debrief on the various efforts by GOP leaders to overturn the results of the November election, from figures like President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and others. Artistic director Michael Bobbitt discussed the anti-racist efforts of his New Repertory Theater, and what he feels needs to happen in order to better diversify American theater spaces. He also talked about the latest project from New Rep: a virtual play series called “Showstopper." Food writer Corby Kummer talked about the CDC’s recent recommendation that Ame

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about how to celebrate Thanksgiving during the pandemic. Should typical Thanksgiving celebrations be ‘canceled’ this year? Kummer says yes. “It is my prescription, and it is the CDC’s prescription as of this morning,” he said. “The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving, says the CDC, is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by opening lines, to talk with listeners about the Baker administration’s efforts to keep schools opened in Mass., despite of surging coronavirus cases. Medical ethicist Art Caplan broke down the latest news around coronavirus vaccines, including the logistics and timeline of distributing them throughout the world, and the importance of staying cautious in the months leading up to their widespread national distribution. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talked about President Trump’s continued attempts to negate his election loss, with the recent firing of Christopher Krebs, who headed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and who pushed back against the president's claims of widespread election hacking. Boston Globe culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt discussed her new multimedia series for the Boston Globe called “A Beautiful Resistance,” about celebrating Blackness in America. She also weighed in on the historically tragedy-oriented coverage

Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about how foreign policy could change post-Trump. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has stated his intent to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran, Kayyem said. “Biden has said he wants to get back into the deal, and the Iranians are playing hardball now because they’re going to have their best leverage now,” she said. “But things will get back to normal, the good news is that everyone is positioning for Biden.” What concerns Kayyem is whether the United States’ allies will be ready to trust the country again, she noted. “To me the thing that rings most compelling for the challenge President-elect Biden is going to encounter is the worry amongst our allies that we were the country that did elect Donald Trump, and that almost reelected him,” she said. “That piece of it worries me, since there is something unreliable about us.” Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security an

Medical ethicist Art Caplan joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, talking about the flurry of news on two promising coronavirus vaccines from U.S. developers Pfizer and Moderna. Caplan cautioned that while word of the vaccines is promising, delays in distribution mean that people need to continue taking the pandemic seriously for foreseeable future. "I’m worried that we’re going to forget that over the next couple of months, we’ve gotta be hyper-cautious,” he said. "We don’t [yet] have vaccines – we have flaring, forest-fire levels of virus all over the place… if we can just get through the dark winter, I think there’s a spring coming. But we’ve gotta get through the dark winter with prudence.” Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Filmmaker Mike Shum discussed his latest documentary for FRONTLINE, "American Voices: A Nation in Turmoil,” about the perspectives of Americans on the events of 2020, from Black Lives Matter protests to the coronavirus pandemic. Next, we opened our lines to ask listeners: do you think Joe Biden will be able to make good on his pledge to unite the country?  NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek weighed in on news that the MLB is appointing its first-ever female general manager in Kim Ng, who’ll be managing the Miami Marlins. She also discussed how college sports leagues are navigating the pandemic, including plans to contain next year's March Madness to select stadiums in Indianapolis. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett returned to give an update on all things coronavirus. She discussed the latest news around a vaccine, the potential return of lockdowns to Mass., and responded to questions and comments from listeners. Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett gave a roundup of recent COVID-19 developments going on across the country, and here in Massachusetts, on Boston Public Radio this Tuesday. “Things are pretty dire across the country - everyday we hear news about states and governors who are finally putting in orders around masks and starting to close indoor dining, bars, and gyms,” she said. “Populations that really didn’t believe COVID-19 was true, or didn’t believe the severity of it, are now getting very ill, some on their death beds resenting this is true.” As for Thanksgiving festivities, Dr. Gergen Barnett asks people to get creative celebrating the holiday remotely. “Increasingly states with very high rates - and in Massachusetts we’re certainly barreling up to high numbers - we’re really asking people to please just have this Thanksgiving be like no other Thanksgiving, be creative, maybe take an outdoor hike with masks on,” she said. “There’s lots of other ways to appreciate gratitude on Thanksgiving besides sitting ar

Today on Boston Public Radio: We kicked off Monday’s show by talking with listeners about the disastrous coronavirus surge throughout the U.S., and new developments in the race for a vaccine. Boston Globe political reporter James Pindell discussed GOP efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and weighed in on the slew of issues facing Democrats in the wake of underwhelming Election Day results. Emily Oster, Brown economist and co-author of CovidExplained.org, made her case for why the benefits of moving forward with in-person learning outweigh the risks, and discussed the economic divide between pandemic-era education for wealthy kids versus their less well-off peers. T.V. expert Bob Thompson reviewed the latest episodes of “The Crown” and “SNL,” and talked about the known details of a forthcoming show from Jon Stewart on Apple TV Plus. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up, debated the impact of evangelical voters on the 2020 election, and weighed in on th

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by talking with listeners about America’s worsening coronavirus crisis, and why you think the United States ended up where it is today.  Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman discussed his new in-depth documentary about Boston Marty Walsh's administration, titled “City Hall.” Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talked about the spread of election misinformation on Fox News, read a COVID-themed list of fixations and fulminations, and previewed Friday’s episode of Beat the Press. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley talked about Rudy Giuliani's chaotic press conference at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping, Stacey Abrams’ efforts ahead of January's runoff election in Georgia, and her excitement about America’s (soon to be) first second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins joined for our monthly “Ask the D.A.” series. She talked about her views on the prosecution style of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Netflix's true crime ser

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed President Trump’s deluge of lawsuits attempting to delegitimize his election loss, and gave his take President-elect Biden’s leveled reaction. We opened lines to hear your takes on what exactly President Trump is planning, as he spreads false claims about voter fraud and refuses to concede his loss to Present-elect Biden.  Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discussed members of the legal community who are actively distancing themselves from President Trump’s effort to litigate his way into a second term. She also reflected on why white American voters have so reliably swung Republican. Sen. Ed Markey talked about the surge of coronavirus throughout the U.S., and why he’s worried about it getting worse in the final months of the Trump administration. He also weighed in on Trump’s refusal to concede defeat, and the actions he hopes President-elect Biden will make to move the U.S. forwa

Former Massachusetts education secretary Paul Reville returned to Boston Public Radio on Thursday, lamenting failures in the Commonwealth’s execution of pandemic-era public schooling. Amid news of high remote-learning rates and inefficient virtual classrooms, Reville warned that student learning losses are piling up, “literally day to day now,” and argued that the state needs to do more to prioritize education ahead of services like gyms, restaurants and movie theaters. “I think it needs to be a more urgent national and statewide priority, to put in place conditions in schools that’re going to give both teachers and parents that sense of security that they can send their children back to school safely,” he said. During the interview, Reville also discussed his hopes for the public education priorities of President-elect Joe Biden, and weighed in on the challenge of limiting the spread of COVID-19 as college students head home for Thanksgiving. Reville is a former Mass. Secretary of Education and a profe

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

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 Divis

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 fo

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.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about the different approaches to outdoor dining tenting. “New York says if you have outdoor tenting, then 50% of the wall space has to be open,” he said. “That seems absolutely right, at the minimum, so two of the sides have to be open to the fresh air.” However many restaurants aren’t abiding by these guidelines, Kummer noted. “What we’re seeing is the equivalent to giant igloos or tents, that are deathtraps,” he said. “There is no circulation at all, and that’s a clear violation of what any city should be doing.” The larger picture is that safe outdoor dining is the best way to dine, Kummer added. “That is what restaurants should be investing in.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rufus Gifford, deputy campaign manager for President-elect Joe Biden, discussed Biden’s weekend victory, and reflected on the president-elect's message of unity in the face of a concession refusal from President Trump.  Next, we opened our lines to hear your thoughts on Joe Biden’s presidential victory, after days of election uncertainty.  Charlie Chieppo and Shannon O’Brien returned to the show for a politics roundtable, discussing Joe Biden’s victory and President Trump’s repeated allegations of wide-scale voter fraud. Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies, a senior fellow at the Pioneer Institute, and Adjunct professor at Suffolk University. O’Brien is former state treasurer and Democratic nominee for governor of Mass. Jonathan Alter discussed the lasting impact of former President Jimmy Carter, in a conversation about his new biography, “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life." Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, talked about t

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show to talk with listeners about the latest results of the 2020 presidential election, as former Vice President Joe Biden appeared close to a victory.  Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talked about the move by several TV news outlets to cut away from President Trump's Thursday press conference, after he repeated false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. She also discussed news that former Red Sox manager Alex Cora is returning to manage the Red Sox after January’s cheating scandal, and read her weekly list of fixations and fulminations. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called in for our monthly edition of “Ask the Mayor.” He talked about the state of the 2020 presidential race, COVID testing in Boston, whether he plans to run for reelection, and what he thinks about the return of Alex Cora to the Red Sox. As always, Walsh also responded to questions and comments from callers.  Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talked about Joe Biden's razor-thin lead in