Boston Public Radio Podcast

Medical ethicist Art Caplan spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about President Donald Trump’s behavior towards a potential COVID-19 vaccine. “Trump has really done severe damage - he’s beaten up the CDC, he’s beaten up the FDA, he’s gone after Fauci, and he definitely has put on the sidelines his own coronavirus task force,” he said. “He’s basically said, ‘I’m going on the anti-science platform.’” Caplan worries about anti-vaxxers, regarding COVID-19. “If we get a vaccine and we don’t get a lot of people taking it then a lot of the impact of the vaccine is gone,” he said. “When people start to say ‘Forget it, I’m not taking a vaccine,’ that’s horrible news for science.” Art 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.

Joe Biden has blamed President Donald Trump for inciting the alleged domestic terrorist plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Trump tweeted "liberate Michigan" back in April, and this past Saturday joined in on ‘lock her up’ chants, referring to Whitmer, at a rally in Muskegon. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about Trump’s behavior. “It’s not enough to say that Trump incites violence; he incites a particular kind of violence known as terrorism that’s the use or threatened use of violence for political or social purposes,” she said. “He’s been doing this for years, but the Michigan thing made it take off, and we need to call it terrorism.” Trump incites violence in a particular way, such that he can have plausible deniability, Kayyem noted. “It’s called stochastic terrorism - you can call it random terrorism - which is simply a way of describing how a leader uses his words and platforms to incite his followers in which it’s vague enough that he

Today on Boston Public Radio:  We opened the show by talking with listeners about the worrying rise of coronavirus cases throughout the U.S. Carol Rose discussed the impact Judge Amy Coney Barrett could have on future Supreme Court rulings around voter rights, and why voter suppression is a real threat, even in liberal Mass. She also talked about abortion rights in the state, and State House legislation that would expand abortion access in the Commonwealth. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts.  Larry Calderone responded to a series of to city-wide police reforms being touted by Mayor Walsh, from use of body cameras by officers working overtime, to the establishment of an external Office of Police Accountability and Transparency. Calderone is president of Boston’s Police Patrolmen’s Association, the city’s largest police union.  We reopened lines to discuss the new no-strings-attached stipend program for low-income residents in Chelsea, Mass., and hear how getting an extra $200-400

Today on Boston Public Radio:  Media maven Sue O’Connell and GBH’s Adam Reilly weighed in on the national political headlines of the day, including ongoing negotiations in Washington over additional COVID stimulus funding. They also touched on a few statewide stories, from Gov. Baker’s formal announcement that he won’t be voting for Trump, to Saturday’s end of the Mass. eviction moratorium. We opened lines to talk with listeners about recent reporting in the Boston Globe on the dozens of Mass. State Troopers who've engaged in criminal behavior without facing repercussions on the force.  GBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott broke down the latest international headlines, discussing the steady reemergence of COVID-19 across Europe, the reelection of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and political unrest in Chile. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung talked about a pilot program offering no-strings-attached checks for low-income families in Chelsea, and recent rep

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Friday about hibernating restaurants, which will close during the winter due to COVID and try to reopen in the spring. “There’s only one choice many restaurants have since the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) money ended, which is look at their expenses, see how much it would cost to try to stay open with extremely limited capacity, and say ‘We’re closing the doors and hoping in warmer weather we can bring back outdoor dining,’” he said. Many Boston restauranteurs have told Kummer that they’re hoping to hang on until April, he noted. “But what I thought was ‘You really think there’s going to be a vaccine in wide use by April?’” he said. “But I think that the realistic calculus here is that once warm weather opens, there are more takeout possibilities, more outdoor dining possibilities, and restaurants can try to stay on.” Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of N

Today on Boston Public Radio: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse discussed the influence of dark money in Washington, and reflected on this week’s Senate hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.  We opened up lines to hear your thoughts on Congress’ inability to pass more coronavirus stimulus relief.  Beat the Press host Emily Rooney offered her impressions of Thursday’s dueling presidential town halls, and discussed the suspension of C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully after he falsely claimed that his Twitter account was hacked. She also read a conspiracy-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Jay Wexler, Boston University law professor and former clerk for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, recounted his time honoring his former boss at a days-long vigil, and reflected on the expected appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the Boston restaurants that are “hibernating” this winter in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and talk

Today on Boston Public Radio: Renée Landers recapped the week’s Senate hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, what the public learned about Barrett’s judicial approach, and whether she believes the nominee would help overturn Roe v. Wade. Landers is a professor of law and faculty director of the health and biomedical law concentration at Suffolk University’s School of Law.  We then opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on court-stacking, and whether Democrats should work to expand the Supreme Court if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed before the election.  NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd caught us up on the Senate hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, and dueling town hall interviews for President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Next, we opened lines to talk with listeners about the two presidential town hall debates taking place Thursday night, for both President Tump and former Vice President Biden.  Matt Stout, w

Today on Boston Public Radio: We spent today’s show airing live audio from day three of the Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. You can watch the full recording of Wednesday’s hearing by visiting WGBH.org/News, or clicking the link here.

Today on Boston Public Radio We spent today’s show airing live audio from day two of the Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. You can watch the full recording of Tuesday’s hearing by visiting WGBH.org/News, or clicking the link here.

Today on Boston Public Radio We spent today’s show airing live audio from day one of the Senate confirmation hearing for US Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. You can watch the full recording of Monday’s hearing by visiting WGBH.org/News, or clicking the link here.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by talking with listeners about new legislation, unveiled Friday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, that would establish a Congressional panel with the authority to decide when a president is unfit to lead.  Beat the Press host Emily Rooney weighed in on the failed attempt by militiamen to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She also talked about the challenges with celebrating Halloween during the coronavirus pandemic, and gave Jim and Margery a debate-themed pop quiz.  Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the latest news around how the restaurant industry is struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, and why the federal government isn’t doing more to help. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh weighed in on the stalled reopening of Boston Public Schools, discussed how he’s preparing for the looming eviction moratorium, and responded to questions from listeners as part of our monthly “Ask the Mayor” series.  Under the Radar host Callie Crossley offered her take on Tuesday

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Friday about transitioning to indoor dining at restaurants, as the colder winter months emerge. Diners should be ‘moderately nervous,’ when it comes to indoor dining, Kummer said. “We should be paying a lot of attention to what the restaurants are doing. So ventilation is a really big deal, and fresh air is the key.” 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 offered his post-debate debrief, following Wednesday night’s vice-presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence. He also touched on other headlines around the November election, including President Trump’s threat that he'll opt out of a forthcoming virtual town hall debate.  We opened lines to talk with you about your impressions of Wednesday night’s vice-presidential debate. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral talked about the West Roxbury resident who was stopped by ICE officers while out jogging, and a recent decision by the Department of Justice to sidestep policy keeping prosecutors from taking steps that could interfere with elections.  Republican Congressional candidate John Paul Moran discussed his views on climate change, LGBT rights, political partisanship, and more, in a conversation about his campaign for Mass.’ 6th Congressional District.  We opened lines to talk about P

MIT economist Jonthan Gruber discussed the stalled negotiations in Congress over further coronavirus relief spending, and how large-scale tax evasion among the nation’s richest dwarfs the budget shortfalls that are keeping everyday Americans from receiving additional financial aid. We opened lines to ask listeners: how is the federal government’s inability to pass another stimulus packaging affecting you? Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed new FDA rules that make an election-ready COVID-19 vaccine highly unlikely, and ethical concerns with the handling of coronavirus infections within President Trump’s administration. Boston Globe editor-in-chief Brian McGrory talked about his experience running the Boston Globe from what his colleagues describe as “the dreariest looking room in America,” why he expects the current whirlwind news cycle will only going to get crazier in the final months of 2020, and his thoughts on the Baker administration's limited transparency throughout the coronavirus pandemic. For

Boston Public Schools put a pause to reopening plans on Wednesday, citing the city’s COVID-19 positive test rate climbing over 4%. Paul Reville, former Massachusetts education secretary, spoke with Boston Public Radio about the difficult situation. “I certainly sympathize with what Boston is doing - I mean it’s hit a certain point and is trying to be cautious at same time as there’s tremendous tension to want to provide in-person schooling especially to the neediest and youngest students,” he said. “They’re trying to bend over backwards to do that, and they’re being cautious, and you certainly can’t fault them for that.” Reville is a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Elaine Weiss, is "Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools and Communities Help Students Overcome the Disadvantages of Poverty."

Medical ethicist Art Caplan spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new guidance on COVID-19 vaccine approval. On Tuesday, the agency required that pharmaceutical companies developing a COVID-19 vaccine must monitor subjects two months after vaccination, to look for side effects. This makes it unlikely that a vaccine will be approved before Election Day, something urged by President Donald Trump. “I was very pleased that the FDA issued some straight science guidelines about what they want to improve a vaccine,” Caplan said. “It pretty much ensures, in order to meet them, that there won’t be a vaccine approved before election day - but I think that’s appropriate, we’ve got to go prudently, we don’t want people to be fearful that they can’t trust the data.” Art 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: We opened lines to talk with listeners about the president’s bout with COVID-19, and his abrupt departure from Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday evening. NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed abysmal voter registration statistics among players in the NBA, political advocacy in the WNBA, and the latest news around Patriots quarterback Cam Newton’s COVID-19 diagnosis. We aired audio from Monday night’s Senate debate between Sen. Ed Markey and GOP challenger Kevin O’Connor. Tina Chéry, civic leader and founder of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, discussed the wide-reaching issue of gun violence in Mass., and what her organization is doing to confront it during the coronavirus pandemic. CNN’s John King talked about the latest polling on voter attitudes ahead of the November election, and why the president appears to be falling out favor with the American electorate. He also caught us up on the Republican effort to appoint Judge Amy Coney Barrett

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett offered her medical perspective on the latest headlines around President Trump’s fight with COVID-19, helping parse together exactly how sick the president actually is. 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. Jennifer Braceras and Michael Curry weighed in on the wider political implications of President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis. Braceras is a political columnist and director of the Center for Law & Liberty at the Independent Women’s Forum. Curry is Deputy CEO & General Counsel Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and member of the national NAACP Board of Directors, Chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. We opened lines to talk ask listeners: is the Trump administration blowing an opportunity to use his diagnosis as a teachable moment? CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the gro

President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday, and was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for monitoring on Friday. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Monday about how the rest of the world views the news of Trump contracting the coronavirus. “What our enemies are looking at are unbelievable unforced error at this stage, that basically here is a country already on its knees and now a White House that has failed to protect itself,” she said. “It goes against the narrative of the United States’ ability to beat the virus, since Trump could not keep it out of his own home.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio:  Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discussed Friday’s news that President Trump has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and a concerning rise in coronavirus infections throughout Mass. 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.  We opened lines to talk with listeners about news that Donald Trump has contracted coronavirus. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem weighed in on the president’s COVID diagnosis, and the national security risks it poses to the U.S. and elsewhere abroad. Natalie Jennings, editor of the Washington Posts’ “The Fix,” offered the updates around President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis, and discussed what’s currently known about the health of those in the president's inner circle. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discussed the media’s reaction to news of Donald Trump’s COVID diagnosis, and questions about White House