Boston Public Radio Podcast

Medical ethicist Art Caplan spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about herd immunity, regarding COVID-19. “Herd immunity, bad idea - Sweden tried it - didn’t work,” he said. “Sweden basically said, let’s let [COVID-19] run its course, we’re not going to isolate, we’re going to let everybody get infected, and then once that’s done we won’t be able to infect each other, we’ll all have antibodies.” But Sweden had terrible death rates, Caplan noted. “Too many old people died, too many vulnerable people died, so they admitted it was a mistake.” President Donald Trump’s new virus advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, is pushing for a herd immunity response, Caplan added. “This idea is now circulating back in the White House with this new advisor Dr. Scott Atlas,” he said. “I don’t know why we’re listening to this again, because we have this giant example of a country failing.” Art Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Grossman Schoo

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the need to wear a mask when going out to eat. “Our diner code of conduct says to wear masks at all times away from the dining table: when entering the restaurant, ordering and interacting with servers, when walking to the restroom or just getting fresh air,” he said. “So that’s the most important thing you can do to protect servers, and also diners.” 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.

CNN analyst and national security expert Juliette Kayyem called in to Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, where she recapped a Wednesday report from ABC News accusing officials from the Department of Homeland Security of withholding information about Russian interference in the upcoming election. The report, she noted, also details how attacks on Joe Biden from President Trump appear to “either amplify, mirror, or follow” messaging from Russian bots across social media. Kayyem also weighed in on a new ad from Joe Biden's campaign, and explained why the president is losing a “culture war” over face masks. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, and faculty chair of the homeland security program at the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Stephen Lynch called in to make his final pitch to primary voters, where he spoke on his views about Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and his regret for voting in favor of the Iraq War. Dr. Robbie Goldstein, an MGH physician and candidate for Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District, responded to criticisms from his opponent Rep. Stephen Lynch, discussed his opposition to the Hyde Amendment, and spoke on the importance of having members of Congress who trust science and hard data.  We opened lines to hear your thoughts on Mass. primary pay, and recent statements from President Trump about police brutality and golf.  Carol Rose, executive director of the Mass. ACLU, talked about the threat that a stripped-down USPS poses to voter rights, and explained why she believes voter intimidation is a more pressing threat to U.S democracy than voter fraud.  Rep. Joe Kennedy III called in to make his final campaign pitch to Mass. primary voters, and discussed why he envision

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations.  On today's episode of Boston Public Radio:  Former U.S. Senate investigator Daniel J. Jones and director Scott Z. Burns discussed their collaboration on the new movie "Report,” about Jones’ investigation into the CIA’s use of torture. Daniel Leader, a pioneer in the American baking world, discussed his latest book, "Living Bread." Author and activist Naomi Klein talked about her new book, "On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal." New Yorker staff writer and host of the “Revisionist History” podcast Malcolm Gladwell discussed his new book, "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know." Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow discussed his new book, "Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators." Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton discussed his latest research on why minimalism is the new status symbol. Writer Joshua Foer talked about the latest ed

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations.  On today's episode of Boston Public Radio:  New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik discussed his latest book, "A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism.”  Harvard Business School behavioral economist Michael Norton explained the pathology of the “ask braggart,” a person whose sole motivation behind asking you a question is to tell you about themselves. Norman Mineta, the former statesman who served as cabinet secretary for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, talked about about a new PBS documentary, "Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story." New Yorker staff writer George Packer discussed his latest book, "Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century." John Waters, filmmaker, writer, artist, and one of our greatest cultural commentators, discussed his latest book, "Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder." Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creator of BoJack Horseman, discussed

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd recapped this week’s Republican National Convention, and discussed whether the week’s speeches will have an impact on swing voters. We opened lines to hear your impressions from night three of the RNC. Media maven Sue O'Connell talked about the absence of LGBTQ issues at the year's RNC, and the impact a second Trump term might have on LGBTQ rights. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed peaceful protests in various sports leagues over police brutality, and debate around the ethics of cash bail systems and the Massachusetts Bail Fund. Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville talked about the challenges of keeping college students socially distanced during the fall semester, and news about how charter schools are navigating their own return to classes. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the return of students to college campuses, and whether you think they’ll be willing t

As some schools and colleges opt for in-person learning this fall, Paul Reville told Boston Public Radio on Thursday that even with concerns about COVID-19 spread in classrooms and dorms, society has to accept some level of risk in order to deliver its mandate to provide an education to people. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen, but we’ve got to be vigilant and we’ve got to be able to react quickly if things start to get out of hand,” he said. “It’s all a matter of risk tolerance. The notion that we’re going to get to zero risk is just totally unrealistic, none of us have zero risk in our day to day lives.” Reville is former Secretary of Education and 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.”

Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm headed toward the Texas and Louisiana coasts. “You have to shelter differently because of COVID, so there’s a mandatory masking policy by all organizations who are running shelters,” she said. “It does not matter what a governor or local official says - no mask, no shelter, and I think that’s exactly right.” 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: We opened lines to hear your impressions from night two of the Republican National Convention.  Former Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski gave his take on nights one and two of the RNC, and defended his stance that President Trump deserves four more years in office. CNN analyst and national security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed the heightened challenges of navigating Hurricane Laura and other storms during the coronavirus pandemic, and the worrying rise in political influence from proponents of the QAnon conspiracy theory.  MIT economist and Affordable Care Act architect Jonathan Gruber discussed why public services function better outside of the private sector, and weighed in on the economic and political factors that are creating issues at the U.S.P.S Nancy Koehn talked about the key components of crisis leadership, and reflected on how national and global leaders have handled the COVID-19 crisis. Koehn is a Harvard Business School historian and author of “Forged

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to hear your take on night one of the Republican National Convention.  NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed institutional racism in New England's collegiate sports, 77 false positive COVID-19 tests in the NFL, and a recent statement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who said he should have “listened earlier” to Colin Kaepernick.   Mass. State Senator Becca Rausch talked about the successes and setbacks of mail-in voting in Mass., and responded to questions and comments from listeners.  Ali Noorani, Executive Director for the National Immigration Forum, discussed unfair assumptions about foreign-born voters in the U.S., and concerns about the looming furlough of 70% of employees at the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Former New Hampshire GOP chair and Lincoln Party co-founder Jennifer Horn talked about her impressions from night one of the RNC, and her PAC’s latest anti-Trump ad, titled “Evil.” CNN Chief National

Ali Noorani spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about the impact of naturalized immigrants on voting in 2020. “It’s in really important parts of the country where you see the share of eligible voters who are foreign-born really skyrocket,” he said. “48 percent of eligible voters in Miami-Dade, Florida are foreign-born, and 22 percent of eligible voters in Fort Bend, Texas are foreign-born; So Georgia, Texas, and South Florida are communities that are going to see a disproportionate impact of foreign-born voters this November.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with listeners about recent protests and accusations of environmental racism over the proposed removal of 124 trees along Roxbury's Melnea Cass Boulevard.  Robbie Goldstein, an MGH physician and candidate for Mass. 8th congressional district, talked about his views on expanding health care coverage in the state, abortion rights, and why he’s running for the seat of current Rep. Stephen Lynch.   Politico's Stephanie Murray broke down the latest headlines around several Mass. congressional races, as well as the ongoing Senate primary race between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III.  DNC Chair Tom Perez talked about last week’s Democratic National Convention.  Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the history of racist housing practices in liberal neighborhoods in and around Boston, and previewed season two of their podcast All Rev’d Up, which premiers this Wednesday.  TV expert Bob Thompson lent his t

Tom Perez, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, spoke with Boston Public Radio on Monday about last week’s 2020 Democratic National Convention. “We were able to accomplish our plan, which was to demonstrate to the country that the Democratic party is both the party of diversity and inclusion and accomplishment,” he said. “Joe Biden, I thought, made the best political speech of his life.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: Following Joe Biden’s nomination Thursday night, we opened lines to hear your takes on the former vice president and now-official 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. Media maven Sue O’Connell talked about her impressions of this week's Democratic National Convention, and why some are calling it “the gayest convention ever." Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley offered her impressions of the Democratic National Convention, and explained what it was about Kamala Harris that led her to write a prescient open letter to the newly-elected senator in 2016. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed her reporting on the handful of businesses stepping up to support employees with child care, and a partial return of in-person business conferences to Boston. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius called in to discuss their strategy for schooling in the fall, and responded to questions and comments from listener

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed Thursday morning's news of the arrest of former Trump advisor Steve Bannon. He also recapped everything that’s going on with the Democratic National Convention.  We opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on the first three nights of the DNC. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed Thursday's arrest of Steve Bannon, and a Florida appeals court’s decision to throw out video evidence in the prostitution case against Patriots owner Robert Kraft.  Sen. Elizabeth Warren discussed why she’s all in for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, her thoughts on the looming eviction crisis, and why she feels it’s important for the federal government to support the arts during the coronavirus pandemic.  Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville broke down the latest headlines from the education sector, with K-12 schools and colleges scrambling to sort out how they’ll operate this sch

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed prescription delays brought by USPS cutbacks, and the importance of keeping kids active and socially distanced throughout the pandemic.   We opened lines to ask parents: is life during COVID-19 making your kids more active or less active? CNN analyst and national security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed Tuesday's release of the final volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian election interference, and sharp critiques of the president's handling of national security from Miles Taylor, his former DHS Chief of Staff. Mass. AG Maura Healey discussed her office’s forthcoming lawsuit against the Trump administration over changes at the USPS, and spoke to callers as part of our monthly “Ask the AG” segment. Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery discussed the important work of the Turtle Rescue League, bizarre mating habits of Brazilian frogs, and the reason why sharks like to have friends.

Medical ethicist Art Caplan made his weekly call into Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, where he discussed worries about kids not getting much-needed exercise while they’re learning from home. The conversation came on the heels of a recent study from the American Heart Association indicating only about 40 percent of American adolescents are aerobically fit.  "The best we could do, I think, is build it into our plans for remote education this fall,” he said. "Let’s talk recess and phys ed as well as math and English.” Caplan also stressed that group sports aren't the ideal solution to the problem, saying “[if] we get a rebound of COVID, then the kids are gonna be bringing it to the field. It’s not that they get it there, it’s that they track it in – so to speak." Arthur Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and the director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

The Senate Intelligence Committee released a nearly 1,000 page report on Tuesday, detailing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The report describes President Donald Trump’s campaign advisors as having extensive contact with Russian intelligence officials during the 2016 election. Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was said to have had the most extreme link with Russian intelligence. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about this new report. “The substance of it is more damning than the Mueller Report because it shows, and more than implies, the direct relationship with Manafort and senior leaders in the Russian intelligence agency,” she said.  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:  We opened our lines to ask listeners: are you experiencing work-from-home burnout?  Trenni Kusnierek talked about the recent appointment of Jason Wright as the NFL’s first Black team president, and Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask’s decision to step away from the NHL. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Boston Sports, and a Boston Public Radio contributor.  Steve Kerrigan recapped the Monday night kick-off of the Democratic National Convention. Kerrigan is the CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, and former CEO of the Democratic National Convention.  Chris Dempsey discussed the return of commuters to the roads of Mass., and the data behind why public transportation might be safer than you think. Dempsey directs the coalition Transportation for Mass., and is a former Mass. assistant secretary for transportation.  Journalist Robert Kuttner discussed failures in U.S. coronavirus testing, and his recent piece for the American Prospect titled "Falling Upwar