Episodes
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BPR Full Show 12/7/20: Making the Grade
Today on Boston Public Radio: Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky, a pediatrician and psychiatrist at MGH, talked about the mental and physical strain that remote learning has taken on the thousands of Mass. kids stuck at home through the pandemic, and offered her assessment of the state's pandemic response with respect to public education. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about Dr. Pinksy's comments about schooling in Mass., and ask: did we get it wrong? Charlie Sennott, GBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO, talked about the potential problems with the U.K.’s fast-tracked approval of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. He also reflected on President-elect Joe Biden’s choices for secretary of state and director of national intelligence director, and weighed in on the future of “Trumpism” after President Trump leaves office. TV expert Bob Thompson discussed news that Warner Brothers plans to release all of their 2021 films online at the same time they’ll be in theaters. He also reviewed Netflix’s “Mank,” Showtime’s “Your Honor,” and HBO's new documentary about The Bee Gees, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, discussed last week’s Supreme Court ruling on COVID restrictions and religious liberty, reflecting on the impact of the court’s decision to side with religious organizations. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung explained the growing tension between Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker and local leaders and public health officials around the spike in Mass. residents who’re testing positive for COVID-19. Anthony Rudel, general manager for music at GBH, talked about GBH’s upcoming collaboration with performance arts organization The Handel & Haydn Society, for their annual holiday production of “Messiah.” -
BPR Full Show 12/4/20: Making Hay While the Sun Shines
Today on Boston Public Radio: We kicked off Friday's show by turning to listeners to talk about all things coronavirus, from the incoming vaccines to your thoughts on the winter ahead. Media magnate Sue O’Connell offered her prediction about the public reputation of the Trump family, post-presidency. She also weighed in on recent comments from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that’ve drawn condemnation from LGBT advocates, and gave a quick review of the Hulu holiday rom-com about two lesbians, called “The Happiest Season." Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called in for our monthly “Ask the Mayor” series. He discussed the city's ongoing efforts to mitigating the spread of coronavirus, his views on the latest police reform bill, and what he thought of the recently-released four hour documentary about his administration, titled “City Hall.” CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talked about the latest news on distributing a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. She also touched on the current COVID surge, overcrowding in hospitals, and why she’s started calling social-distancing “smart-distancing." GBH’s A Celtic Sojourn host Brian O’Donovan detailed this year’s virtual Celtic Christmas Sojourn, with performances from musicians around the world. He also discussed the enormous amount of work that went into putting together the event safely, leading him to call it the “NBA of Christmas shows.” We closed out Friday’s show by returning to listeners about “revenge travel,” and asking: Now that there's the promise of a vaccine, is it safe to start thinking about travel? -
Juliette Kayyem on the Importance of Staying Buoyed
National security expert Juliette Kayyem joined Boston Public Radio Friday, where she offered a comprehensive rundown of everything going on with respect to the now multiple coronavirus vaccines. Despite the increasingly grim number of infections heading into winter, she said that she’s staying emotionally buoyed by the prospect of a vaccine in the coming months. “It’s always easier to go through the storm when you can see the light,” she said. "In the last week alone, the amount of progress we’ve gotten to in terms of vaccine and vaccine distribution is tremendous.” She added, “it’s that split screen where we’re in the darkness but we can see the light, and I think it’s gonna be like that for a while.” Juliette 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. -
BPR Full Show 12/3/20: A Nation Up a Tree
Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed rumors that President Trump intends on running for reelection in 2024, and weighed in on the ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in the NFL. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccines, and news that former Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Bush are all vowing to take the coronavirus vaccine publicly. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral offered her impressions of the Mass. police reform bill, and talked about why she expects Gov. Baker will sign it into law. She also talked about reporting on President Trump’s supposed plans to pardon those in his inner circle, and explained her recent endorsement of Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell’s campaign for city mayor. Lawrence Lessig discussed the legal window for Republicans to replace electors in a last-ditch effort to get President Trump reelected, and other extrajudicial efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Lessig is the Roy L. Furman professor of law and leadership at Harvard Law School, and the founder of Equal Citizens. His latest book is “They Don’t Represent Us: Reclaiming Our Democracy.” Former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville weighed in on whether schools ought to remain open as COVID cases surge across Mass., and other education headlines of the week. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed news that Comcast is going to begin charging heavy internet users with additional costs. He also weighed in on fines against Apple over waterproof iPhone claims, a problematic workplace culture at Google, and other major tech stories of the week. We closed Thursday's show by returning to callers, getting your impressions on the 2020 Christmas tree shortage, and reviving the debate around real trees versus fake trees. -
BPR Full Show 12/2/20: Beyond Bars
Today on Boston Public Radio: Anti-death penalty 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. Medical ethicist Art Caplan broke down 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. Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigrant Forum, 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. Elizabeth Matos, executive director of the nonprofit Prisoners’ Legal Services, explained 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. Hosts Margery Eagan and Jared Bowen talked for a few minutes about what’s in the Mass. police reform bill, which is currently sitting before Gov. Charlie Baker. The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Thomas Wilkins explained BSO Now, the organiation’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 virtual events going on at the BSO, available for audiences to stream at BSO.org. Emerson College President Lee Pelton talked about the work of The Boston Foundation, and what he’s hoping to accomplish as he takes over as president and CEO in June of 2021. He also reflected on his decade-long tenure as the president of Emerson College, and discussed how they're 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. -
Anti-Death Penalty Activist Sister Helen Prejean: ‘We Have to Begin to Heal’
During a Wednesday interview on Boston Public Radio, Sister Helen Prejean condemned a string of executions green-lit by President Trump in his final weeks in office. If Justice Department plans proceed, President Trump will have overseen 12 federal executions during his four-year term, the most since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served 12-years. “We have to begin to heal, to listen to each other,” Prejean said, reflecting on the politically divisive four years under Trump. “Not to see people as an enemy who disagrees with us, or belongs to a different political party – that’s healing. Killing killers is not part of healing, it’s just imitating and continuing the violence.” 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.” To learn more, go to SisterHelen.org. -
BPR Full Show 12/1/20: Kicked from the Curb
Today on Boston Public Radio: Boston Globe editor Brian McGrory talked about the President Trump’s sustained effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, stalled stimulus talks in Washington, and other national headlines. He also discussed the Globe series "Behind the Shield" and "A Beautiful Resistance." NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed news of Vanderbilt soccer player Sarah Fuller becoming the first woman to play in a Power 5 college football game, and the NFL’s stumbles in mitigating the spread of coronavirus among players and staff. Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mass., broke down the details of a newly-released police reform bill from the State House, and weighed in on whether the proposed reforms would bring meaningful change to policing in the Commonwealth. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you’re feeling about quarantine as we transition into winter. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the end of a Mass. law allowing restaurants to use public space for outdoor dining, poor worker condition for restaurant delivery drivers, and other major food headlines of the week. NHPR reporter and producer Jason Moon talked about season one of the NHPR podcast “Document,” titled “The List,” which delves into New Hampshire's secret blacklist of police officers and the legal battle to make it public. We ended the show by returning to listeners, this time to ask: is Mass. doing enough to support its restaurants through the pandemic? -
Corby Kummer: Boston's Booming Community Fridges
Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about community fridges popping up around Boston. “If you have extra food that is perishable and needs a refrigerator, different communities have set up community fridges,” he said. “They’re actually plugged into outdoor outlets, and have shelves where you can put in pantry food-bank-style donations.” 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. -
BPR Full Show 11/30/20: Winter is Coming
Dr. Ken Duckworth, senior medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. and national medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, talked about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health during the holiday season. He also took time to fielding questions and comments from listeners. Next, we opened our lines up to ask: with winter encroaching, are you ready to answer the call of the great outdoors? GBH investigative reporter Chris Burrell discussed growing momentum in the State House around legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to register for drivers licenses. He also discussed the latest news around Mass.’ purported investments in minority-owned businesses. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, host of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, weighed in on President-elect Joe Biden’s Catholic faith, and debated the real impact it might have on his presidency. They also discussed Wilton Gregory, who became the first-ever Black-American cardinal this past weekend. TV expert Bob Thompson reviewed NOVA’s “Saving Notre Dame,” and talked about the onslaught of welcome holiday content from country legend Dolly Parton. He also offered a belated review of Netflix’s hit show “The Queen’s Gambit." We closed out Monday's show by reopening our lines to talk with listeners about “The Queen’s Gambit,” and ask: have got you gotten swept up in this current chess craze? -
Dr. Ken Duckworth: Coping During COVID
Dr. Ken Duckworth spoke to Boston Public Radio on Monday about mental health, teletherapy, and coping support during the pandemic. “Supply [of therapists] was always inadequate to demand,” he said. “But demand has exploded in the context of the pandemic.” More people are experiencing distress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, addiction relapse, and recurrence of trauma since COVID-19, Duckworth said. “More people are seeking help and I think that really reflects the experience that people are having.” Ken Duckworth is the Senior Medical Director for Behavioral Health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and the Medical Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
