Episodes
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BPR Full Show: Senator Elizabeth Warren Calls In
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners – including Senator Elizabeth Warren – about the country’s child care crisis, as families struggle to pay for care and centers downsize due to lack of staff. Shirley Leung discusses a proposal to house Mass. and Cass’ homeless population in an empty detention center, and the state of fundraising in the mayor’s race. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Callie Crossley talks about Tesla’s $137 million payment to a former Black employee for racial discrimination at work, the quilt exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts and Georgia’s youngest farmer, a six year old girl. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell weighs in on the New York Times’ article and subsequent Twitter controversy, “Who is the Bad Art Friend?”, and criticism of Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix stand-up special. 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. Andy Ihnatko breaks down Monday’s Facebook outage and the latest criticism facing the company following accusations by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We end the show by asking listeners about their experiences with the Boston Marathon, as the race returns this Monday. -
BPR Full Show: A Tough Egg To Crack
Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including a federal judge siding with the Justice Department to block the restrictive Texas abortion law, current negotiations over a possible debt limit extension and what motivates Senator Kyrsten Sinema. 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 talk with listeners about their thoughts on the early stages of the 2022 Massachusetts Governor race, including Donald Trump’s endorsement of former state Rep. Geoff Diehl. Andrea Cabral talks about the terrible conditions at Rikers Island, and how the Justice Department could be doing more work for police reform. 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 discusses school board fights over mask mandates, and protests against legacy admissions in some of the country’s most elite universities. 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.” Dan Carpenter weighs in on why it is taking so long to approve the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11, as Pfizer officially asks the Food and Drug Administration to issue Emergency Use Authorization. Carpenter is a professor of government at Harvard University, and oversees The FDA Project, a theoretical, historical and statistical analysis of pharmaceutical regulation in the United States as it is carried out by the F.D.A. His most recent book is “Democracy by Petition: Popular Politics in Transformation, 1790-1870.” Corby Kummer talks about the impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, Guy Fieri’s latest ventures and changing animal welfare laws that could raise egg prices in Massachusetts. 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 their thoughts on the potential for higher egg prices, as laws increasing pen space for hens are set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. -
Corby Kummer: "There's Not Going to Be An Egg Shortage" in Massachusetts
Massachusetts state legislators may revise a 2016 ballot law on animal welfare to prevent a potential statewide egg shortage. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Thursday to share his thoughts on this, and more. “First of all, there’s not going to be an egg shortage,” Kummer said. “It’s only an economic measure to protect farmers.” While the law also contains enclosure standards for pigs and calves, legislators are concerned with rules on acceptable enclosure space for egg-laying hens. According to the bill, egg-laying hens must be given at least 1.5 square feet of floor space and be able to fully extend both wings without touching the sides of the enclosure. In a measure to counteract the potential egg shortage, lawmakers are attempting to amend the enclosure requirements from 1.5 square feet to 1 square foot, following enclosure laws in other states. Unless legislators pass this amendment, the law will go into effect as written on Jan. 1, 2022. Representatives for egg farmers, supermarkets, and some animal rights activists support changes to the law, noting that vertical or multi-tiered aviary systems that allow hens to fly upwards, perch, and roost within 1 square foot. While Kummer acknowledged that some farmers may struggle economically to adjust enclosure spaces to fit this new rule, he believes that the idea of an egg shortage caused by enclosure regulations is an “excuse.” “This is another way for the industry to protect itself at the expense of animal welfare,” Kummer said. “But, if the country has enacted 1 square foot, then maybe Massachusetts should be consistent with that.” 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: Polyamorous Cats and Car-Eating Rats
Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan talks about healthcare workers resigning following vaccine mandates, after New York’s largest healthcare provider lost 1,400 employees after a state mandate went into effect. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Then, we hear from listeners about how they are planning for the holidays this year with the current status of the pandemic. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson discuss why they think the MBTA is safe, how much they think the city should spend on transportation and the plan for the Mass. Pike development project in Allston. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and a contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Dr. Virginia Sinnott-Stutzman takes calls from listeners about caring for their pets, from dog food supply chain issues to combating kennel cough. Sinnott-Stutzman is a senior staff veterinarian at Angell Animal Medical Center. -
BPR Full Show: Happy Graduation, 18 Months Later
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners where the boundaries of protest lie, after activists followed Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema into the bathroom to protest her centrist policies. Trenni Kusnierek previews tonight’s wild card game between the Yankees and Red Sox and the return of the Boston Marathon. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose talks about the status of the Texas abortion law and how the government should respond to internet privacy issues for users, and previews the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming agenda. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Michael Curry weighs in on vaccine mandates to combat the pandemic, and the debate over safe injection sites as a solution to the crisis at Mass. and Cass. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board’s advocacy and policy committee. Stephanie Leydon previews the launch of GBH’s new multi-platform project, “The Big Quit,” which profiles people who used the pandemic to quit aspects of their life for something new. Leydon is the Director of Special Projects at GBH. John King updates listeners on all things politics, including Sinema’s centrist politics, and the persisting gridlock in Congress. He also talks about Donald Trump’s political ambitions for the 2024 presidential election. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. Then, we talk with listeners about whether they found meaning in postponed graduations and life-cycle events during the pandemic, or whether the moment had passed. -
BPR Full Show: Rachael Rollins Refuses to Stay Silent
Today on Boston Public Radio: District Attorney Rachael Rollins responds to Republican attacks, following a tied party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on her nomination for U.S. Attorney. She also talks about her decision to move towards overturning a 50-year-old rape conviction, after the victim expressed worries about identifying the wrong perpetrator. Rollins is the Suffolk County DA and nominee to be the State’s next U.S. Attorney. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on Facebook, as the company comes under fire by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Charlie Sennott talks about a partnership between over 150 investigative journalists to leak the Pandora Papers, which exposed financial secrets of some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful people. He also discusses the need for better immigration policy from President Joe Biden. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. British Consul General Peter Abbott talks about opportunities for offshore wind energy partnerships between the U.S. and U.K., and the relationship between Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Abbott is the British Consul General to New England. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III debate the ethics of singing Amazing Grace and other songs with troubled histories, given that Amazing Grace was written by a slave trader. They also discuss a racist email sent to Black students at UMass Amherst. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Adam Reilly weighs in on the state of the mayor’s race, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s endorsement of City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu, and who he thinks has a leg up in the historic election. Reilly is a reporter for GBH news, co-host of the Scrum Politics podcast and co-host of Election 2021: Boston’s Race Into History on GBH 2. We end the show by asking listeners whether they enjoy apple picking as a fun fall activity -- or decry its performativity -- as October begins. -
BPR Full Show: Will Brady and Belichick Hug?
Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their thoughts on Tom Brady’s impending return to Gillette stadium this Sunday. Jon Gruber explains why the super rich pay a lower tax rate than most Americans, and breaks down President Joe Biden’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund his spending priorities. Gruber teaches economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth And The American Dream.” Shirley Leung updates listeners on the latest business headlines, including her thoughts on the latest slew of issues with the MBTA and what it would take to get people back to the office on public transportation. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Callie Crossley talks about what it means for the mail system with postal workers ordered to deliberately slow down delivery, and weighs in on the mayoral race, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s endorsement of City Councilor Michelle Wu. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell discusses the latest updates in Britney Spears’ fight for freedom as her father was suspended as her conservator. She also talks about Liz Cheney’s comments on 60 Minutes this week admitting wrongdoing in her 2013 condemnation of same-sex marriage. 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. Andy Ihnatko weighs in on Senate testimonies about recent reports of the harmful effect of Instagram on teenagers’ mental health, and how Apple Music is lagging behind Spotify in subscribers. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Then, we continue our conversation about Brady’s return in anticipation of Sunday’s football game. -
Oh Deer! Is Venison the Most Eco-Friendly Food?
That deer in your garden? It might just be the most eco-friendly dinner to eat — provided you kill it yourself. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Thursday to discuss Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspell’s proposal that venison is “unequivocally the single most ecologically friendly food you can eat.” “If you get farm-raised venison in a restaurant, it’s not really addressing this [environmental] issue, because the only thing that’s legal to sell is farm-raised venison,” Kummer said. “You have to go out and kill it.” Haspell argued that due to invasive deer populations posing threats to native animals and plants, the spread of Lyme disease by deer ticks, and the greenhouse gas emissions deer produce, wild venison could be considered the most eco-friendly food to consume. In her piece, Haspell noted that a Connecticut town reversed its no-hunting ordinance in 2000 after being overrun by deer. Scientists who monitored the situation found that in the seven following years, deer density dropped by 87%, and Lyme disease cases in the community dropped as well. “The minute I see cute deer in a backyard — which we do a lot in Jamaica Plain — I think, ‘ticks! Lyme disease!’” Kummer joked. “So there are a lot of advantages to thinning deer [populations].” Both Haspell and Kummer believe, however, that some people will refuse to hunt and eat wild venison despite its eco-friendliness. “As the Haspell column in the Post makes clear, the farther you are from the animal, the more comfortable you are eating it,” Kummer said. “The closer you are, and you see that it’s cute — or if you ever name an animal that you raise, there is a shibboleth against things that you see. So there’s absolutely no problem with inhumanely-raised slaughtered chickens, but when it comes to a deer that’s invading your garden and giving you Lyme disease, ‘no, no, no — don’t do it.’” 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: Annissa Essaibi George Says She's the One For the Job
Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talks all things politics, including Democratic efforts to avoid a government shutdown, and what it would mean for the country if the United States defaults on its debt. 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 asked listeners how they were coping with the turbulent start of the school year amid the pandemic. Andrea Cabral discusses gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson’s decision to relocate from Springfield to Tennessee, and the rise of the Proud Boys during the Trump era. 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. City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George shares her views on policing and how she would work to solve the addiction crisis at Mass. and Cass. She also responds to a controversy surrounding a conflict of interest between her position on City Council and her husband’s work in real estate development. Essaibi George is Boston City Councilor At Large and a candidate for Boston mayor. Corby Kummer weighs in on the state of restaurants, including staff struggles to make sure patrons wear masks, and one restaurant owner’s decision to raise wages to keep staff. He also talks about how eating venison can help the planet. 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. Bill Walczak talks about ideas for boosting voter turnout, following a dismal showing in Boston’s preliminary mayoral election. Walczak is the former president and CEO of Codman Square Health Center. He was a candidate for mayor of Boston in 2013. Then, we talk with listeners about how they’re managing phone addiction. -
BPR Full Show: For the Love of Coffee
Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on the role of vaccine mandates, and the quick spread of vaccine misinformation on social media. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Then, we asked listeners about their experiences with the MBTA following a slew of recent derailments and other accidents. Juliette Kayyem updates listeners on all things national security, including updates on trials of those involved in the Jan. 6 riots, which have been slowed down due to an abundance of evidence. 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. Jamarhl Crawford and Tanisha Sullivan criticize a lagging timeline and lack of transparency regarding efforts for police reform, and discuss the need to put reform at the top of the agenda in the mayoral race. Crawford is an activist, community organizer and Editor of The Blackstonian. Sullivan is an attorney and the President of NAACP Boston Branch. They are both members of the Boston Police Reform Task Force. Brian McGrory talks about the impact of The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, how the Globe is covering the mayoral race and Tom Brady’s upcoming return to Gillette Stadium Sunday. McGrory is the editor-in-chief of the Boston Globe. Jared Bowen previews latest art exhibits, including the Titian exhibit at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Frida Kahlo exhibit at Brandeis’ Rose Art Museum and Mariano Rodríguez’s exhibit at Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Modern Art. Bowen is GBH’s Executive Arts Editor and host of the TV series Open Studio. Then, we ask listeners what they love (or hate) about coffee in honor of today’s National Coffee Day.
