Boston Public Radio

On Monday, Sen. Cory Booker announced he would be dropping out of the 2020 presidential contest.

Retired Pope Benedict XVI voices support for the Catholic Church's practice of a celibate priesthood, while Pope Francis is considering the possibility of allowing older, married men to be ordained as priests in the Amazon region.

On Friday, the mayor called on the state legislature to "be bold" and act on the state's transportation issues.

Despite low revenues, Leung says the move isn't an indicator of troubles for the casino.

Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg are rising in the national polls after spending millions on TV ads.

Two actors spoke about the thematic racial tensions in the play.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Massachusetts Sen. President Karen Spilka discussed the timeline of the state’s hands-free driving bill, as well as upcoming changes to the state’s education investments. NBC Sports Boston Anchor Trenni Kusnierek spoke about Antonio Brown’s departure from the New England Patriots, along with the broader issue of rape culture in the U.S. Climate change activist Bill McKibben discussed Greta Thunberg’s U.N climate address, as well as Ed Markey’s environmental legacy in light of his upcoming Senate race against Rep. Joe Kennedy. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed food-conscious religious communities’ relationship to the imitation meat industry. Political writer Robert Kutner spoke about his new book, The Stakes: 2020 and the Survival of American Democracy. CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King discussed President Trump’s Ukraine scandal, as well as Elizabeth Warren’s climbing support in early polls.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to relocate to Kansas City, Missouri at the end of this month. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue says the move will save millions of dollars, but many see it as a purposeful attack on USDA researchers. Food writer Corby Kummer joined *Boston Public Radio *on Tuesday to speak about the consequences the relocation will have on the USDA and climate research. "This is one of the great tragedies of the Trump administration," he said. "These researchers have been compiling the statistics of crop yield, weather patterns, and productivity for animals, but they're "too science-y," they have bad news about climate and the Trump administration has waged a war on science." Purdue has set an ultimatum to it's researchers: relocate or give up your job, Kummer said. "This was one of the agencies that had the respect of the world, and is now being shredded and decimated." Two-thirds of its current employees will be unable to relocate, according to the USDA. Purdue did this intentionally to get rid of researchers, Kummer said. "The move is meant to knock researchers out and get rid of those who were giving them bad news about the climate."

Today on Boston Public Radio: Steve Kerrigan, CEO of the Edward M Kennedy Community Health Center, and Jennifer Horn, former chair of the New Hampshire Republican party, joined us for a political roundtable. They discussed Joe Kennedy III's bid for Ed Markey's senate seat, a whistleblower complaint lodged against President Donald Trump, and other political headlines. WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott delved further into the recent whistleblower complaint against Trump. The Trump administration has thus far refused to release any information about the complaint, but media reports indicate it is related to a conversation Trump had with Ukraine. We opened the lines to hear from listeners about their views on impeaching President Donald Trump. TV critic Bob Thompson recapped the Emmys and reviewed Netflix's latest police procedural, Criminal. Reverends Irene Monroe and and Emmett G. Price III joined us to discuss the Rhode Island Diocese's failure to protect parishioners from a predatory priest. WGBH Science Correspondent Heather Goldstone gave us an update from climate action summits in New York. Inaugural poet Richard Blanco highlighted the anthology “What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump,” Edited by Martin Espada.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the phones to hear from listeners about climate actions across the world today, and heard from WGBH reporter Bianca Vasquez Toness live from the field at Boston’s climate strike at City Hall. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed a new report that shows the abortion rate in America is at the lowest rate since Roe V. Wade. WGBH’s Emily Rooney joined us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed whether the Jeffrey Epstein scandal at MIT is a sign of big tech’s moral bankruptcy. Boston Globe consumer protections reporter Sean Murphy discussed some of his latest cases, including a family whose trip to Ireland ballooned to $17,000. We opened the lines again to hear from listeners about whether they’ve completely foregone phone calls for texting. Chefs Peter Davis of Henrietta’s Table and Erin Miller of Urban Hearth joined us for our weekly news quiz and to preview WGBH’s upcoming Chef’s Gala, which will be emceed by Jim and Margery.

Today on Boston Public Radio: · Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker discussed education reform, controversies surrounding RMV license suspensions, as well as recent calls for the resignation of MIT’s president over the handling of donations from Jeffery Epstein. · Chuck Todd, moderator of MSNBC’s Meet The Press, discussed congressman Joe Kennedy’s Senate run, which is expected to be announced Saturday. · Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey discussed the state’s current suit against OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma. · Alex Beam explained the dishwasher lobby’s efforts to persuade the Trump administration to weaken environmental rules, and why chess tournament players are losing weight. Beam is a Boston Globe Columnist, whose latest book is “The Feud: Vladmir Nabakov, Edmund Wilson and the End of a Beautiful Friendship.”