Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: Robert Tsai talked about the state of the presidential race as of Thursday morning, and weighed in on the President’s litany of lawsuits against states over ballot counting. Tsai is a professor of Law at Boston university. His latest book is "Practical Equality: Forging justice in a Divided Nation.”  Next, we turned to callers to get your thoughts on the ongoing election count, and what you make of the President’s lawsuits.  Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discussed the impact of voter suppression in the 2020 presidential race, and the persistent, unwavering faith that Trump supporters have in their president. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the limits of President Trump's authority over his top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, and the impact of Trump rallies on surging coronavirus cases throughout the U.S. In our last hour, we opened the lines to hear your thoughts on how election 2020 is playing out.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened Wednesday’s show by turning to callers, to hear your thoughts on Tuesday’s presidential election.  Rosa Brooks talked about her work over the summer with the Transition Integrity Project, and weighed in on how Tuesday’s results compare with some of the exercise's worst-case scenarios. Brooks is the co-organizer of the Transition Integrity Project, a former Pentagon official under the Obama administration, and the Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Policy at Georgetown University Law Center. Her forthcoming book is “Tangled Up in Blue: Policing the American City.”  CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem gave her analysis of Tuesday’s election results, and explained why she expects former Vice President Joe Biden will breach 270 electoral votes before the end of the week. 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.  Was

Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the current state of the 2020 presidential election. “My biggest fear was a systemic breakdown of voting, such that you would get a real question from both sides that these counts were not legitimate,” she said. “There are huge issues around the post office, and we still have votes to count, but you didn’t see the kind of the thing I would’ve worried about.” One potential threat, currently undetected, was nefarious interference from foreign governments, Kayyem noted. “You didn’t see any activity in particular of foreign activity or disruption,” she said. “My worry was that that would lead to a majority of the population going to the streets demanding our democracy work better.” 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.

Back in June, the bipartisan Transition Integrity Project gamed out a handful of likely outcomes for the 2020 election. On the Wednesday after Election Day, one of the group's co-organizers, Rosa Brooks, called in to Boston Public Radio for a debrief on how Tuesday’s results compared to the project's worst-case scenarios. "Never say never, but I am actually more optimistic now,” she said in reference to the possibility that President Trump might successfully manage to discredit and nullify late-counted election ballots. "The ballots will get counted, and the Trump team will make legal challenges. But I think we’re gonna get through this – I hope we’re gonna get through this – without the level of crisis that some of our exercises got us to." Brooks is the co-organizer of the Transition Integrity Project, a former Pentagon official under the Obama administration, and the Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Policy at Georgetown University Law Center. Her forthcoming book is “Tangled Up in Blue: Policing t

New York Magazine writer-at-larger Frank Rich talked about some worst-case scenarios for Democrats ahead of Tuesday's election tallies, and what he believes might happen to the careers of GOP Trump loyalists if the President loses his reelection bid.  Next, we opened lines to talk with listeners about your feelings on everything related to Tuesday's presidential election. Mass. ACLU Executive Director Carol Rose talked about the work being done by the ACLU to ensure a fair election as day-of voters head to the polls. She also touched on some complaints about long lines and improper ID checks that her organization has already received.  Robert Blair, an assistant professor of political science at Brown University and coordinator of the Democratic Erosion consortium, discussed his recent writing for the Boston Globe on why Democrats should have a plan for how to respond if President Trump loses the election and contests the results.  Jennifer Horn, former Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party and a co

New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich joined Tuesday’s Boston Public Radio, breaking down a slew of worst-case scenarios ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day vote tallies. "We all have a million fears – I’m speaking now, of course, of those of us who want to see Biden win,” he said. "I’m sure there’s another group of fears on the other side, as it were.” Rich spoke about the possibility of votes not getting counted, partisan court rulings, and the ominous presence of pro-Trump militias popping up the Midwest and elsewhere. He also weighed in on what he thinks might come of the careers of the many Republican Trump loyalists, should the president lose his reelection bid. Rich is writer-at-large for New York Magazine, where he covers politics and culture. He’s also an executive producer of the HBO’s “Succession,” and “Veep."

Today on Boston Public Radio: Washington Week moderator Robert Costa talked about his special report for the program, about the attitudes of Penn. voters ahead of Tuesday’s election, and how they have and haven't changed in the four years since 2016. We opened lines to talk with listeners about your anxieties and hopes ahead of Tuesday’s election. Charlie Chieppo and Shannon O’Brien joined for a politics roundtable, weighing in on where both of the candidates stands on the eve of Election Day. 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. Rep. Ayanna Pressley called in as a surrogate for the Biden/Harris ticket, to make her final appeal to voters ahead of Tuesday’s election. She also weighed in on Mass. police reform, and why she believes the U.S. is due for a third Reconstruction. Charles Stewart III talked about the varying outcomes of Tuesd

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about the idea of a one-term presidency, and whether you think it might benefit America's political system. Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downey talked about work being done at the Pine Street Inn to empower Boston's homeless residents to vote, and how her organization is preparing for Thanksgiving during the pandemic. Corey Lewandowski, a senior advisor for President Trump’s reelection campaign, talked about how he's feeling ahead of next Tuesday’s presidential election, and why he doesn’t believe in the constitutionality of a nationwide mask mandate. He also rebuked criticisms of President Trump’s refusal to address the QAnon conspiracy theory. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll talked about the experience of leading her city through Halloween season during the coronavirus pandemic, and discussed what’s being done to keep Witch City residents safe – and tourists at bay. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney reflected on the passing of Travis R

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd checked in to talk about the state of the presidential race, five days away from Election Day. Sen. Bernie Sanders called in as a surrogate for former Vice President Joe Biden, talking about why he hopes supporters of his presidential campaign will pivot to supporting the Democratic nominee. He also weighed in on the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and reflected on how much he’s missed in-person rallies. Next, we opened our lines to talk with progressive listeners about their thoughts on Joe Biden’s candidacy. Bill McKibben reflected on the future of the climate crisis, with a possible reelection win for President Trump on Tuesday, and this week’s confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. McKibben is a founder of the climate campaign 350.org, and the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in environmental studies at Middlebury College. He writes "The Climate Crisis," The New Yorker's ne

Today on Boston Public Radio:  We opened lines to ask: are the high early voting turnout numbers easing your election day jitters? Joan Donovan, Research Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, talked about the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory, and how media manipulation has allowed it to spread so effectively. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed rising cases of COVID-19 throughout the U.S., and explained why she’s reassured by the deployment of National Guard troops to cities throughout Texas ahead of the election. M.I.T. economist Jon Gruber talked about the ways varying election outcomes could impact the future of the Affordable Care Act, and responded to questions from listeners. We opened lines for our seasonal inquiry, asking: with temperatures expected to drop below 30 degrees this week, how cold does it need to get before you activate your heat?  Writer and naturalist Sy Montgomery returned for our monthly edition of “Afternoon Zoo,” where she talked about

Naturalist Sy Montgomery spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about how other animal species practice social distancing when signs of disease show in their communities. “When something is off, that might draw predators to your group, so you want to get away from the one who’s going to attract the shark or hyena,” she said. “If someone has a contagious disease, you want to get you and your family away from that disease, so a lot of animals will isolate.” This behavior isn’t true of all animal species however, Montgomery noted. “Elephants, for example, will stay by a sick or dying animal and not leave their side, and dogs are the same, they’ve been known to stay by their master’s graveside.” Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is "Condor Comeback."

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in the U.S., something national security expert Juliette Kayyem described as “deja vu all over again.” The CNN analyst returned to Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, where she weighed in on the surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations throughout the U.S., which are nearing their midsummer peak. "We’re seeing the cycle that we saw in February to March and we saw again in the spring and early summer, which is infections first, then hospitalizations… and then, likely, the death toll,” she said, adding that the situation is “bad, by any stretch of the imagination.”  In a moment of optimism, Kayyem said she believes hospitals and supply chains are better prepared this time around. However, she also noted that the situation is muddled by the sheer number of states seeing a rise in cases.   "This time around there’s no epicenter, and so where you could’ve focused March in New England, June in Florida and Arizona and Texas, this is now everywhere,” she said. “In the way t

Today on Boston Public Radio:  We opened Tuesday’s show by talking with listeners about Monday’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.  NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek weighed in on the Patriots’ 2020 slump, Tom Brady’s success playing with Tampa Bay, and the road ahead for televised sports, which’ve seen huge revenue losses during the pandemic. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett explained the troubling spike in coronavirus cases throughout Massachusetts, talked prevention policy, and responded to questions from listeners. Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation and Residency Director in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Satirist P.J. O’Rourke lamented the toxic U.S. political climate and explained why he thinks modern-day rich people are “too comfortable," in a conversation about his new book, “A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land.” Irene Mo

Today on Boston Public Radio:  We kicked off the show by opening lines to talk with listeners about the rise of coronavirus cases in the U.S., and ask: does it feel like we’re back in March?  David Carroll, Director of the Carter Center’s Democracy Program, talked about his organization’s shift in focus away from international elections and towards U.S. democracy ahead of the November election.  Immigration authority Ali Noorani discussed the 545 children who’ve yet to be reunited with their parents after being separated by immigration officials at the U.S. Mexico border, and the human rights groups working to help reunite the families. Chris Dempsey and Jim Aloisi discussed a range of transportation headlines, from news that Gov. Charlie Baker has started riding the MBTA Blue Line in an effort to show that it’s safe, to updates on how the MBTA is mitigating its enormous revenue losses. Dempsey is the Mass. Director of Transportation and former Assistant Secretary of Transportation. Jim Aloisi is former

Immigration expert Ali Noorani joined Boston Public Radio on Monday, offering a rebuke to President Trump’s attempts to pass blame for caging children at the U.S.-Mexico border onto the Obama administration.  “Who built the cages, Joe?” Trump asked former Vice President Joe Biden during the September presidential debate.  Noorani said that while it’s true that facilities in question were build under President Obama in 2014, their intended purpose was substantially different from their eventual use by the current president.  "They were set up as temporary holding facilities for children; unaccompanied minors at that point,” he explained. “The Trump administration took that infrastructure, and weaponized it.” And while the National Immigration Forum CEO admitted his organization has “many concerns” about the immigration policies of former President Obama, he described the Trump administration’s family separation policy as a “moral tragedy,” that’s left 545 children still without their parents.  Ali Noorani

Today on Boston Public Radio:  We started off the show by talking with listeners about your impressions of Thursday night’s presidential debate, the last before the November election. NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the growing number of professional athletes taking part in get-out-the-vote campaigns, a recent article by Celtics point guard Marcus Smart titled "This Article is Not About Basketball," and low sports viewership numbers for 2020.  Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talked about President Trump’s contentious “60 Minutes” interview, and weighed in on the rising number of coronavirus cases in Mass. Jill Shah spoke about the new stipend program for low-income families in Chelsea, Mass. Shah is president of the Shah Family Foundation, which is coordinating and supporting efforts between Chelsea and philanthropic partners to facilitate one of the largest universal basic income programs in the nation. Emerson Baker talked about the history of the Salem Witch Trials, a

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Friday about a new program in Cambridge aiming to help small local businesses during the upcoming winter season of the pandemic. The Patio Heater Reimbursement Program will reimburse restaurants up to $250.00 per portable patio heater. “I hope other cities will take it up, subsidizing these outdoor heaters is great,” he said. “Having the subsidy to give people indoor ventilators with proper MERV 13 filters I think would be a next step.” 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: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed former President Barack Obama’s rebuke of President Trump in a Wednesday stump speech for former Vice President Joe Biden. He also talked about the stakes for Thursday’s presidential debate, moderated by his NBC colleague Kristen Welker. We opened our lines to hear your thoughts on former President Obama joining the campaign trail for Joe Biden, and to talk about your feelings heading into the final presidential debate.  Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discussed voter suppression in the U.S., and why she’s not optimistic about the future of voting rights in the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court decision protecting late-arriving absentee ballots in Penn. She also touched on recent statements from an anonymous juror in the Breonna Taylor case, who said this week that the grand jury did not agree on whether Taylor's shooting was fully justified. Matthew Teitelbaum, the Ann and Graham Gund

The Boston School Committee decided unanimously to ditch the exam schools admission test for one year due to the challenges presented by administering an exam during a pandemic. The new plan instead will rely on grades, MCAS scores, and ZIP codes to determine eligibility and acceptance. While the School Committee accepted the new plan 7-0, former Education Secretary Paul Reville told Boston Public Radio Thursday it is an imperfect solution to the problem. “It’s not going to go away as a controversy,” said Reville. “This is a flawed plan, but any plan would be flawed in these times. To get a fair calculation of merit in the absence of a tool that applies to all students … to do that in this environment of coronavirus is impossible to do, so they’re settling for the next best thing.” The newly-approved system reserves the first 20 percent of seats at Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy and the O'Bryant School of Mathematics for Boston students with the highest pre-COVID grades in BPS, charter, private

Today on Boston Public Radio: We kicked off the show by opening lines to talk with listeners about Coronavirus and the classroom, and Wednesday’s news that Boston Public Schools will be returning to fully remote learning. Tiffany Faison, chef and owner of Sweet Cheeks, Tiger Mama, Fool’s Errand, and Orfano, checked in to talk about how her restaurants are holding up, seven months into the coronavirus pandemic. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the 545 migrant children who’ve yet to be reunited with their parents after getting separated by U.S. officials at the U.S. Mexico border. She also weighed in on President Trump’s refusal to tone down rhetoric around Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, despite the recent attempt on her life by a right-wing militia. MassLive reporter Steph Solis broke down Mass. ballot Question 1, concerning the state’s "Right to Repair" law, and talked about the often confusing campaigns for and against it. Medical ethicist Art Caplan ran through the latest coronavirus headlines, incl