Episodes
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Bonus BPR: How Amateur Traders Beat Wall Street
On Boston Public Radio Friday, Emily Rooney described how a group of people organized by social media used a Wall Street tactic to redistribute millions of dollars away from hedge funds, and into the pockets of amateur traders by buying up stock from a dying retailer, GameStop. “This was an insurrection by a group of people who said we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore, and they beat Wall Street at their own game and now Wall Street is really really mad,” she said. How did they do it? BPR producer Zoe Mathews checked in with MIT economist Jon Gruber for a primer, ahead of his definitive explainer next week on the show. -
BPR Full Show 1/29/21: Dream On
Today on Boston Public Radio: Dr. Howard Koh, former state commissioner of the Department of Public Health, talks about new updates from pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson on their forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine, and the risks posed by the coronavirus variants that are popping up around the world and here in the U.S. He also speaks about President Biden’s handling of the pandemic during his first 10 days in office, and the bumpy vaccine rollout here in Mass. Next, we open lines to talk with listeners about your experiences trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Mass. Boston City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi George calls in to talk about her newly-announced mayoral campaign. She speaks on her push to bring more mental-health professionals into Boston schools, offers her take on Boston mayor Marty Walsh’s handling of the pandemic, and talks about what she’d do differently to support struggling businesses. Ali Noorani, CEO of the National Immigrant Forum, talks about President Biden’s reversal of his predecessor's immigration agenda, and the pushback he’s getting from GOP leadership. He also talks about his impressions of Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney critiques the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Mass., recaps recent clean-energy goals set by automaker GM, and does her best to explain what’s going on with GameStop and the stock market. Dr. Deirdre Leigh Barrett, Harvard researcher and author of “Pandemic Dreams,” gives an update on her work studying pandemic-era dreaming, and talks about the apparent impact of factors like gender and occupation on how we're process the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley discusses her concerns with members of Congress bringing guns in congressional chambers, President Biden’s plan to move forward with printing Harriet Tubman’s face on $20 bills, and the passing of actress Cicely Tyson. She also defends the barbecue of her hometown, Memphis, Tenn., as the gold-standard. -
BPR Full Show 1/28/21: Who You Gonna Call?
Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd weighs in on the members of the GOP aligning with former President Trump on impeachment, and talks about frustration with what he describes as “fact-deserts” throughout much of the U.S. He also discusses the challenge for President Biden in negotiating with Republican leadership to pass his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Next, we open lines to talk with listeners about your experiences using state government resources to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discusses her concerns with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green’s history of supporting QAnon and other dangerous conspiracy theories. She also talks about Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys extremist group who was revealed by Reuters to be a former government informant, and weighs in on a recent flurry of anti-protest bills from GOP congressional leaders. GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen recaps his hours-long experience trying to get his father a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. He also discusses the reopening of museums and movie theaters in Boston, reviews the new Claude Monet exhibit at the MFA, and talked about the ongoing light show at the Hatch Shell. Mass. A.G. Maura Healey returns for our monthly edition of “Ask the A.G.” She speaks about the abrupt resignation of Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, the complicated rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Mass., as well as the status of her office's ongoing investigation into a road rage incident concerning Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins. As always, Healey also responds to questions and comments from listeners. -
BPR Full Show 1/27/21: Sisyphean
Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville discusses the CDC’s latest statement reassuring schools that they can operate safely in-person, and frustration from the Mass. educators about their standing in the state's vaccine rollout plan. Next, we turned to listeners, hearing your thoughts on whether the state ought to prioritize vaccinating teachers ahead of school reopening in Mass. M.I.T. economist Jonathan Gruber breaks down President Biden's plan to expand the child tax credit, and explained the significance of making those credits fully refundable. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talks about the state of the forthcoming Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. She also discusses how President Biden is preparing FEMA to take preemptive action against natural disasters brought by climate change. Medical ethicist Art Caplan weighs in on President Biden’s handling of the pandemic during his first week in office, and talks about the need for countries to anticipate snags in vaccine manufacturing and distribution. He also touches on the slow rollout of vaccines in Mass., and concerns he has with the 22,000 fans attending this year's Super Bowl. Then, we return to callers for the ongoing conversation about teacher vaccinations and in-person learning. Sy Montgomery returns for our monthly edition of "Afternoon Zoo." Among other animal stories, she talks about the bizarre and slow-paced mating rituals of the Shipworm, the majesty of mosquito birth, and the thieving monkeys of Bali. -
'Grocery Workers Could Say The Same Thing,' Reville Says of MTA Vaccine Frustration
On Wednesday’s Boston Public Radio, former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville offered his thoughts on contention between the Mass. Teacher’s Association and Gov. Charlie Baker, after teachers were slotted down in the state’s COVID-19 vaccine priority list. On Monday, state officials announced they’d be prioritizing residents 65 and older, and bumping educators to second priority in phase two of the vaccine rollout. Despite the delay, Gov. Baker is continuing to pressure schools to bring students and teachers back for in-person learning. "Grocery workers could say the same thing,” Reville said in response to frustrations expressed by MTA representatives. "Postal workers could say the same thing, or people that work in pharmacies – everybody feels that way.” Also on Monday, a report from officials at the Centers for Disease Control was released, indicating that schools with proper safety precautions are a low-risk for COVID-19 transmission. Reville said there are "lots of tradeoffs,” but added that he fully supports bringing back certain groups of at-risk students. "I think it’s time to move back with children who are most disadvantaged, and in the youngest age groups,” he said, “where we know transmissibility is low, and the vulnerability is low, and the symptoms tends to be more mild.” Paul Reville is the former Mass. 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 Elaine Weiss, is: "Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools and communities help Students Overcome the Disadvantages of Poverty.” -
BPR Full Show 1/26/21: Watching COVID
Today on Boston Public Radio: We start Tuesday's show by opening lines, getting your reactions to the bumpy rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Mass. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek weighs in on quarterback Tom Brady’s Sunday win with the Buccaneers, and what it means about the role Patriots coach Bill Belichick played in his team’s success over the past two decades. She also reflected on the death of baseball legend Hank Aaron, and discussed sexual harassment allegations made against New York Jets GM Jared Porter. FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk talks about his latest FRONTLINE documentary, “Trump’s American Carnage,” about the chaos of President Trump’s four years in power, beginning with his ban on Muslims entering the U.S., and culminating with January’s attack on the Capitol. Dr. David Fajgenbaum talks about his experience battling a rare condition known as Castleman disease, and how it ended up providing insights into treating COVID-19. Dr. Fajgenbaum is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Associate Director of the Patient Impact for the Penn Orphan Disease Center. TV expert Bob Thompson talks about the future of late-night T.V. post-Trump. He also speaks on the performance of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman at last week's inauguration, and reviews Netflix's "The Forty-Year-Old Version," "White Tiger," and "Lockdown" on Amazon Prime. CNN’s John King discusses the future of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate, and how he's expecting Congress to handle President Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. He also touches on President Trump's legacy with the Republican party, and news that his former press secretary, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, is running for governor of Ark. We close out Tuesday's show by opening lines to listeners, hearing your thoughts on movies and television centered around the COVID-19 pandemic. -
BPR Full Show 1/25/21: Working It Out
Today on Boston Public Radio: Washington Post opinion columnist EJ Dionne discusses the litany of challenges facing President Biden, and why he believes he ought to prioritize urgency over unity. He also talks about his expectations for the future of the filibuster. Victim’s rights attorney Kenneth Feinberg discusses the open question of whether a federal victim’s compensation fund ought to be instated in response to the pandemic. We then open lines to listeners, to hear your thoughts on whether a COVID-19 victim compensation fund is necessary. Daniel Lieberman, a professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, talks about his new book, “Exercised,” about the evolution of humans and our aversion to exercising. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up, talk about the need for civil rights leaders to maintain pressure on the Biden administration on issues of racial equity, and weigh in on critiques of Biden from conservative faith leaders in the Catholic Church. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung speak on her reporting about struggling Boston restaurants, and renewed focus from city and state leaders in prioritizing small businesses for grants and loans. She also talks about the challenges facing Mayor Marty Walsh as U.S. Labor Secretary. We close out Monday’s show by opening lines, talking with listeners about your experiences trying to stay in shape in quarantine. -
BPR Full Show 1/22/21: Pushing Buttons
Today on Boston Public Radio: We open lines to talk with listeners about Gov. Charlie Baker’s latest easing of restrictions in Mass., and the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines here in the Commonwealth. Media maven Sue O'Connell discussed President Biden's latest executive order addressing Title VII protections for LGBT Americans, and weighs in on the planned appointment of Dr. Rachel Levine to assistant secretary of health. The appointment would make her the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Journalist and co-founder of The American Prospect, Robert Kuttner, discusses the state of America’s debt and why he’s not concerned about the impact of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package on the country’s deficit. He also touches on pushback to Biden’s $3 trillion green infrastructure plan, and recaps his reporting on white supremacists hiding in law enforcement. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talks about the Boston Globe’s new “Fresh Start” initiative, which’ll allow people to apply to have past coverage of them anonymized. She also discusses misinformation coming out of Fox News, and reads an inauguration-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko talks about potential security concerns with President Biden having a Peloton bike in the White House. He also speaks about the legacy of outgoing FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, and offers tips on getting the best possible deal out of your internet or cable provider. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley talks about President Biden’s move to cancel former President Trump’s 1776 Commission, created in reaction to the New York Times’ 1619 Project. She also weighs in on Black business owners in Tulsa, Okla. who say they’re being priced out of a historic Black neighborhood, and news that former First Lady Melania Trump outsourced thank-you notes to her White House staff. We close out Friday's show by talking with listeners about the button in the Oval Office that summoned drinks for presidents Obama and Trump, asking: if you had a button that brought you anything, what would it bring? -
BPR Full Show 1/21/21: 'The Best Cracker I've Ever Tasted'
Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd talks about Wednesday’s inauguration, what he’s expecting for vaccine rollout under President Biden, and weighs in on an upcoming NFL playoff game between his team, the Green Bay Packers, and Tom Brady’s Buccaneers. Next, we open lines to talk with listeners about your hopes for the America’s future under President Biden. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral talks about the significance of yesterday’s inauguration. She also discusses Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins being placed on the shortlist for US Attorney for Mass., and whether recent allegations about a road rage incident ought to be disqualifying. Food writer Corby Kummer discusses some of the flaws still lingering in U.S. food supply chains, 10 months into the pandemic. He also talks about the concept of “humanewashing” at Whole Foods supermarkets, and best tipping practices for services like Instacart and Uber Eats. Medical ethicist Art Caplan weighs in on issues with America's vaccine rollout, and seniors who are dropping out of new vaccine trials to get already-approved vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. He also talks about why it’s so difficult to accurately determine whether someone who’s been inoculated can still infect others with COVID-19. Travel guru Rick Steves offers thoughts on Wednesday's inauguration, and discusses his hopes for travel in 2021. We close out Thursday’s show by talking with listeners about the concept of “ugly Americans,” and whether you’ll feel better about traveling to other countries with President Trump out of office. -
Whole Foods Gets Called Out For Its Misleading Animal Welfare Labels
Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about a new report by Farm Forward that investigates the differences between animal welfare labels on food. “Whole Foods gets dinged, because they decided they weren’t going to go with the Animal Welfare Society or Certified Humane, they were going to do their own standards and they would put their own animal welfare label on their goods,” he said. “That should always raise red flags - if a company is doing its own certification, who’s checking independently to verify what’s happening?” 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.
