Episodes
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BPR Full Show: After the Snow
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about youth mental health during the pandemic. John Della Volpe talks about Gen Z’s relationship to political activism, and the events that pushed them to action. Della Volpe is director of polling at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics and a former Biden campaign adviser. His new book is: “Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear And Passion To Save America.” EJ Dionne discusses a surge in book ban efforts across the country. He also weighs in on the road ahead for President Joe Biden’s first nominee to the Supreme Court. Dionne is a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is “Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country.” Dan Adams updates us on the latest headlines from the local marijuana industry, including Gov. Charlie Baker’s filing of the Clardy Law, which would treat driving impairment from alcohol and marijuana the same way. Adams is a cannabis reporter and author of the “This Week in Weed” newsletter for the Boston Globe. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III share their thoughts on the Pope’s statement on COVID-19 information, and the state of the Supreme Court. Rev. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Rev. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast at GBH. Richard Blanco shares some of his favorite winter-themed poems, including Wallace Stevens’ “The Snowman,” Jay Parini’s “Below Zero,” and Mark Strand’s “Lines for Winter.” Blanco joins us regularly to lead Village Voice, a conversation about how poetry can help us better understand our lives. He’s the fifth presidential inaugural poet in US history. His latest book, “How to Love a Country,” deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We end the show by asking listeners how they handled Saturday’s snow storm. -
BPR Full Show: Snowpocalypse
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about the blizzard heading towards Massachusetts this weekend. Judge Nancy Gertner discussea Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement announcement, and the current state of the Supreme Court. Judge Gertner is a retired U.S. District Judge for the U.S. District Court here in Massachusetts. She’s currently a Senior Lecturer on Law at Harvard University. Callie Crossley talka about the states fighting back against threats to voting rights, and the students at Wharton who believe that the average American worker makes over six-figures per year. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Anthony Everett shares the legacy of the WCVB television series “Chronicle,” which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Everett is the Emmy Award-winning anchor of “Chronicle,” WCVB Channel 5's nightly news magazine. Its 40th Anniversary special airs tonight at 8 on WCVB. Sarah Harmon talks about organizing “Primal Scream” events around Greater Boston, and stress relief during the pandemic. Harmon is a mother, a therapist, a yoga and mindfulness teacher who runs multiple wellness groups, including Sarah Harmon Wellness, The School of MOM and The Postpartum Wellness Group. Sue O’Connell shares her thoughts on Michael Avenatti’s cross-examination of Stormy Daniels, and Sarah Palin's restaurant visit two days after testing positive for COVID. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as NECN's political commentator and explainer-in-chief. We wrap up the show by asking listeners how they’re handling pandemic stress. -
BPR Full Show: Gov. Baker, AG Healey, and more
Today on Boston Public Radio: Gov. Charlie Baker discusses current vaccination rates in Mass., and overpaid unemployment benefits in the state. He also takes listeners’ calls during “Ask the Governor.” Andrea Cabral shares her thoughts on the delay of Mayor Michelle Wu’s vaccine mandate for city workers, and a new gun law in San Jose that requires gun owners to have liability insurance and pay an annual fee. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, focusing on President Joe Biden’s potential picks for Justice Stephen Breyer’s replacement and rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Todd is the moderator of “Meet The Press” on NBC, host of “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Attorney General Maura Healey discusses her decision to run for governor, and the dismissed charges in the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home case. We end the show by talking with listeners about Spotify’s refusal to remove Joe Rogan from their platform. -
BPR Full Show: Fiscal Finaglers
Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan shares his thoughts on DJ Ferguson, a 31-year-old man who was denied a heart transplant at Brigham and Women’s after he refused to get vaccinated. He also talks about Neil Young urging Spotify to remove Joe Rogan from the platform – or face the removal of all of his music. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. We then ask listeners for their thoughts on refusing a heart transplant in order to remain unvaccinated. Juliette Kayyem discusses Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement announcement, and concerns over potential cyber attacks from Russia. 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. Ali Noorani weighs in on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to kick migrant children who arrived in the country without their parents out of Florida shelters and from transitional foster care by refusing shelter and foster care license renewal applications. 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.” Shirley Leung talks about the Mass. officials trying to regain unemployment money they overpaid to people, and a “millionaire’s tax” that voters will consider on the ballot this November. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Sy Montgomery updates us on the latest stories from the animal kingdom, from her recent resuscitation of Monet, the wild painted turtle, to the scientists who taught goldfish to operate vehicles. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is "The Hummingbirds’ Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings." We wrap up the show by asking listeners if they keep a secret stash of cash away from their partners. -
Corby Kummer: Restaurateurs moving to suburbia "not really completely new"
While many think the suburbs have a “boring, white bread reputation,” the pandemic has caused a wave of restaurateurs to set their eyes on suburbia over the big city. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Monday to share why increasing numbers of restaurateurs are choosing to open restaurants in the suburbs rather than the big city – and how new of a trend this really is. Although the pandemic spurred many people to move from urban areas to suburbia, Kummer notes that independent, award-winning restaurants have long pre-dated the pandemic. “There's lots of different groups that are opening restaurants, and I think there's a more discerning customer base that wants higher quality,” Kummer noted. Kummer pointed to Il Capriccio Ristorante e Bar in Waltham, an award-winning Northern Italian restaurant that first opened in 1981. The original owner of IL Capriccio, Enzo Danesi, worked at Barsanti’s in Boston and Le Bocage in Cambridge before opening his restaurant in Waltham. Il Capriccio recently reopened at The Merc at Moody and Main. “This is part of a trend that has been accelerated by the pandemic and people moving to suburbs, but it's not really completely new,” Kummer said. Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. -
BPR Full Show: Thank You for Being a Friend
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on the state of ‘Jeopardy!’ after Amy Schneider continued her streak to become the second-place record holder for consecutive game wins. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the athletes taking extreme caution around COVID-19 before the Beijing Olympics, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills this past weekend. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka discusses the Mass. legislature moving forward with a $55 million COVID-19 response bill, and the possibility of passing same-day voter registration in the state. Spilka is president of the State Senate. Billy Baker shares the challenges of making friends in adulthood, especially for men. Baker is a Boston Globe reporter. His memoir, “We Need To Hang Out,” is out today in paperback. Bob Luz talks about how the restaurant industry has been impacted by Mayor Michelle Wu’s indoor vaccine mandate. Luz is President and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. We then open the phone lines, asking listeners about their experiences with the indoor vaccine mandate. John King updates us on the latest political headlines, from rising tension between Russia and Ukraine to former Attorney General Bill Barr cooperation with the Jan. 6 committee. King is CNN’s Chief National Correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by talking with listeners about the challenges of making and keeping friends as an adult. -
BPR Full Show: Sky High
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners about their marijuana habits, after a report showed cannabis tax revenue has surpassed alcohol revenue in the state. Lylah Alphonse updates listeners on the latest news from Rhode Island, including the status of marijuana legalization and the state of hospitals amid the Omicron surge. Alphonse is the Rhode Island editor for The Boston Globe. Charlie Sennott weighs in on growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and the Biden Administration’s foreign policy decisions. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Edgar B. Herwick III looks back on this season of the Curiosity Desk, including answering questions about fruit flies, right-on-red rules and unwritten rules of Boston. Edgar B Herwick III is host of the Curiosity Desk at GBH, which just wrapped up season one of its YouTube show. The Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III discusses Dorothy Day’s legacy after the Archdiocese of New York asked the Vatican to make her a saint. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston and the inaugural dean of Africana studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast at GBH. Corby Kummer talks about the growth of quality restaurants in suburbs and vodka infused oysters. Kummer is the executive director of the food and society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. We end the show by asking listeners what items they have not been able to find at the grocery store, and Americans’ allegiances to particular food brands. -
BPR Full Show: Tuna melts, mac and cheese and all things comfort food
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners what parts of pre-pandemic life they have left behind as we enter year three of COVID-19. LaTosha Brown weighs in on what the fight for voting rights and recent legislative failure means for the country’s Black community. LaTosha Brown is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Callie Crossley talks about the death of fashion journalist and Vogue editor André Leon Talley, and where to find the best comfort food in Boston. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Andy Ihnatko updates listeners on all things tech, including a study by the Fed into whether the U.S. should create a “digital dollar” and debates over the effect of 5G on airports. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Sue O’Connell discusses a viral clip of a TV reporter getting hit by a car while on live air, the death of Meat Loaf and controversial updates to the M&M characters. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as NECN's political commentator and explainer-in-chief. Eliza Parad critiques the state of bike safety in Boston, and what the city should do to improve biking in the city. Parad is the Director of Organizing for the Boston Cyclists Union. We end the show by asking listeners for their favorite comfort foods. -
BPR Full Show: Jeopardy!
Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates listeners on all things politics, including the failure of Democrats to pass voting rights legislation and the state of President Joe Biden’s term. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on Attorney General Maura Healey’s announcement that she is running for governor. Andrea Cabral tells the story of a con artist from Rhode Island arrested after faking his own death, and discusses debates over the efficacy of road tests for driving while high. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Paul Reville explains how things are going in schools amid the Omicron surge and mental health crisis. Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also heads the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Shirley Leung discusses the state overpaying unemployment and asking for money back, and the latest news from Mass. and Cass. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Tom Nichols shares tips on competing in Jeopardy and why he thinks long running winning streaks are antithetical to the show’s character. Nichols is a Contributing Writer and proprietor of “Peacefield” newsletter at The Atlantic, a professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and a five-time Jeopardy winner. We end the show by asking listeners for stories of grudges they still hold. -
BPR Full Show: Going Gray
Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on the CDC’s messaging around Omicron, and threats to trans healthcare in Arkansas. Caplan is director of the division of medical ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on the U.S. sending citizens free at-home tests and masks. Juliette Kayyem talks about the unique challenges of protecting synagogues following the hostage standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas. 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. Blair Miller and Elizabeth Bartholet discuss the state of adoption laws and child welfare amid the disappearance of Harmony Montgomery. Miller is a Boston Channel 25 reporter and the adoptive father of Harmony Montgomery’s brother. Bartholet is the Morris Wasserstein Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Harvard Law School, and Faculty Director of the Child Advocacy Program. Nia Grace and Gabriel O’Malley share their experiences running restaurants in one of the toughest winters for the industry, and their reactions to Mayor Michelle Wu’s vaccine mandate. Grace is owner of soul food restaurant Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen in Roxbury and the recently opened The Underground Café + Lounge, and co-founder of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition. O’Malley is co-owner of The Plough and Stars in Cambridge. Matt Gilbert recommends the best of TV from 2021, including “Succession” and “The White Lotus,” and what he’s looking forward to in 2022, including “All Creatures Great and Small” and “The Gilded Age.” Gilbert is the TV critic for The Boston Globe. We end the show by asking listeners their opinions on letting hair go gray and the sexism in cultural norms around gray hair.
