Today on Boston Public Radio:
Sister Helen Prejean talked about President Trump’s last-minute string of federal executions, and her life-long effort to change public perception around the death penalty. Prejean has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to executions. Her latest book is “River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.”
Art Caplan discussed the latest headlines around a COVID-19 vaccine, from new distribution guidelines from the CDC, to the U.K.’s emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine. He also weighed in on whether the U.S. ought to offer financial incentives for vaccinations, and talked about ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in the NFL. Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty chair and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU School of Medicine.
Ali Noorani offered his thoughts on how President-elect Joe Biden can use the stories of immigrants to heal and unite the country. He also touched on Biden’s pick of Cuban-born Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security and other immigration headlines. Noorani is president and chief executive officer of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is "There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.”
Elizabeth Matos discussed the factors exacerbating the spread of coronavirus in prisons across the commonwealth and weighed in on why the Department of Corrections isn’t releasing inmates to home confinement, per a June recommendation by the Supreme Judicial Court. Matos is the executive director of the Boston-based nonprofit Prisoners' Legal Services.
Hosts Margery Eagan and Jared Bowen talked about what’s in the Mass. police reform bill, which is currently sitting before Gov. Charlie Baker.
Thomas Wilkins explained BSO Now, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's virtual concert platform, and talked about what it’s like to conduct a socially-distant orchestra with no audience. He also touched on some other things going on at the BSO, available for audiences to stream at BSO.org. Wilkins is the family and youth concerts conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Lee Pelton talked about the work of The Boston Foundation, and what he’s hoping to accomplish as the foundation's next president and CEO. He also reflected on his decade-long tenure as the president of Emerson College, and discussed how the school is dealing with pandemic-era learning.
Closing out Wednesday's show, we opened our lines to talk with listeners about your experiences navigating fall semester of college during the pandemic.
