Boston Public Radio Podcast

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Juliette Kayyem on the Importance of Staying Buoyed Dec 04, 2020

Show notes

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 Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

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 Dec 02, 2020

Show notes

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’ Dec 02, 2020

Show notes

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 Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

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 Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

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 Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

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 Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

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.

BPR Full Show 11/25/20: Breaking With Tradition Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

Today on Boston Public Radio:
M.I.T. economist Jon Gruber talked about shifting attitudes around the decriminalization of cannabis, and discussed the economic, public health, and social justice implications of marijuana legalization.
We opened up the lines to talk with listeners about this year’s Black Friday, getting your takes on pandemic-era shopping sprees.

National security expert Juliette Kayyem dove into the logistics of COVID vaccine distribution, and talked about a "rolling recovery” through the final months of the pandemic. She also talked about questions of presidential pardons during the final months of the Trump administration, and weighed in on President-elect Biden’s latest string of cabinet picks.

Behavioral economist Michael Norton broke down his research on why human beings have such a hard time breaking from tradition, ahead of this COVID-era Thanksgiving. He also took some time to respond to questions and comments from listeners on the subject.
Former DNC chairman Steve Grossman talked about his work with his organization The Initiative for Competitive Inner City, and their first-ever report ranking concentrated poverty in 450 American cities. He also discussed means of encouraging and stimulating growth in inner city economies, reflecting on the initiatives he'd like to see on a federal and state level.
TV expert Bob Thompson discussed news that former Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings is temporarily taking on Jeopardy hosting duties in the wake of Alex Trebek’s passing. He also reviewed the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion, and HBO’s “Between the World And Me.”
We closed out Wednesday’s show by returning to listeners, to talk about the Thanksgiving Day traditions you’re holding onto this year – and maybe some ones you’ve invented in the time of coronavirus.

BPR Full Show 11/24/20: Feeling Convivial Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

Today on Boston Public Radio:
Filmmaker Michael Kirk discussed his latest film for FRONTLINE, “Battle for the Court,” about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s decades-long effort to transform the Supreme Court. You can catch Kirk’s film on Tuesday night at 10:00 on PBS, or online at PBS.org/Frontline.
Next, we opened our lines to get your takes on President-elect Joe Biden’s prospective cabinet picks.
Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the emergence of a third prospective COVID-19 vaccine – this time from biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca – and its global implications for the next future of the coronavirus pandemic.
Artist and performer David Byrne spoke about "American Utopia,” his Broadway show, Spike Lee-directed HBO special, and now newly-released book created in collaboration with artist Maira Kalman. He also offered some thoughts on Joe Biden’s 2020 win, and explained why he’s been busy doodling in quarantine.
Food writer Corby Kummer gave the latest updates on struggles within Boston’s restaurant industry, cruel worker practices at U.S. slaughterhouses, and other major food headlines.
Travel guru Rick Steves weighed in on President-elect Joe Biden’s victory and the handful of ballot wins for cannabis legalization in the 2020 election. He also reflected on mindfulless and the Thanksgiving spirit, and what he's hoping his travel company will be able to achieve in 2021.

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