Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with Arlene Isaacson about the Respect for Marriage Act, before opening the phone lines to listeners. Michael Curry discussed Andrea Campbell making history as the first Black woman to be Attorney General-elect of Mass., and questions over the future of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. He’s also a member of the national NAACP Board of Directors, where he chairs the board’s Advocacy and Policy Committee. Andrea Cabral talked about recently publicized text messages revealing the coordination behind and celebration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Cabral is the former Suffolk County Sheriff and the former Secretary of Public Safety. Nick Quah shared some of his favorite podcasts this month, focusing on “Björk: Sonic Symbolism,” “Richard’s Famous Food Podcast,” and “My Dad Wrote a Porno.” Quah is a podcast critic for Vulture and New York Magazine. Lidia Bastianich discussed the 25th anniversary of “Lidia’s Kitchen” on PBS, and shared how Julia Child influenced her career as a chef. Bastianich is a chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur. “Lidia’s Kitchen” is on CREATE TV and PBS. She’ll be at Eataly Boston on Tuesday, December 6 to meet people and sign books. Jon Gruber explained why Democrats are pushing to raise the debt ceiling, and potential outcomes if Democrats fail in their efforts. Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act. His latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream.” We ended the show by asking listeners how they’re preparing for Thanksgiving.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by taking our listeners’ calls to get their reaction to former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he is running for president in 2024. Boston Globe Business columnist Shirley Leung talked about the record-breaking number of women on corporate boards in Massachusetts. She also talked about the Boston Globe appointing Nancy Barnes as the paper’s new editor, making her the first woman to lead the Globe in its 150-year history. Then National Security expert Juliette Kayyem provided analysis on the aftermath of Ukraine’s accidental missile launch into Poland. She also discussed how Trump’s 2024 announcement influences the current leadership choices among Republicans in Congress. Kayyem also talked about how Elon Musk’s handling of Twitter is creating a security risk for users and is allowing misinformation to spread wide and far. She also discussed how our cultural obsession with tech figures allowed Samuel Bankman-Fried to build a cryptocurrency house of cards. Playwright Ryan Landry provided a colorful list of suggestions for how to properly handle Thanksgiving dinner with your family. He also previewed his new holiday play, “Little Christmas Tree Shop of Horrors,” which starts its run on Dec. 1 at the Iron Wolf Theater at the South Boston Lithuanian Hall. Former State Education Secretary Paul Reville gave his opinion on how incoming Gov. Maura Healey should try to address the setbacks students experienced during the pandemic. He also discussed how right-leaning nonprofit "Parents Defending Education" has been suing local schools because of how they approach topics of race, sex and gender. Animal expert and naturalist Sy Montgomery talked about how bees play with toys, octopus rage-induced object tossing, romantic reptiles and cuddly turkeys. We ended the show by asking our listeners’ if they have endured the wait times and high ticket prices similar to Taylor Swift’s to see a favorite artist or musician.

Today on Boston Public Radio:  We began the show by asking listeners how they feel about the state of extremism post-midterms. Trenni Casey shared her thoughts on Mike Tyson’s new cannabis endeavor based off of his infamous ear-bite, mounting pressure on female athletes to lose weight, and the controversies about the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. Casey is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett talked about the current RSV–respiratory syncytial virus–spike which has been straining pediatric emergency departments, and increasing mental health issues in kids. Gergen-Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center. Retired Federal Judge Nancy Gertner discussed the Supreme Court rejecting a challenge to ban bump stocks, and news that Trump wanted the IRS to investigate his rivals. Gertner is a retired federal judge and a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School. Jared Bowen talked about museums taking political action against protestors attacking paintings, as well as political leaders that have dipped their toe into art, and photojournalist Harry Benson’s exhibit at the Addison Gallery of American Art. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor. John King gave us his continued analysis of the midterm election results. King is CNN’s chief national correspondent and the host of “Inside Politics.” We ended the show by asking listeners about their comfort food in the cold weather.

Raising Cane’s is suing an Indiana shopping center after finding out that a lease banned the sale of chicken fingers, stemming from a noncompete agreement former property owners had reached with a nearby McDonald’s in 1984. “It’s really wild,” Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Monday. “The idea that McDonald’s takes the exclusive right in a shopping center to sell deboned chicken products…completely new to me.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about Democrats’ performance in the midterms. Art Caplan talked about colleges and universities grappling with mental health crises among students. 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. Charlie Sennott discussed Russia’s retreat from Ukraine, and President Joe Biden’s meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping. Sennott is a GBH News analyst, and editor-in-chief at the GroundTruth Project. Mark Anastasio and Ned Hinkle shared the Coolidge Corner Theatre and Brattle Theater’s Noirvember programming. Anastasio is the Director of Special Programming at Coolidge Corner Theatre. Hinkle is the creative director at The Brattle. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talked about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ turn to white evangelicals, and 2022 midterm election wins for Muslim Americans. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast. Corby Kummer shared his thoughts on Colorado becoming the latest state to approve free meals to students, and talked about National Pickle Day. 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 ended the show by asking listeners how early is too early to turn the heat on.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by asking listeners whether the results of the 2022 midterm elections are a sign of the Republican Party’s split from former President Donald Trump. Lindsay Andon, Dave Shanahan, and Scott Cousland joined us to talk about Project ComeBack, a local nonprofit that pairs veterans with rescue horses in order to mutually heal. Andon is the founder of Project ComeBack. Shahan is a veteran who spent 9 years in the National Guard and was deployed in Afghanistan. Cousland is a veteran with nearly a decade of serving. Callie Crossley discussed Stacey Abrahams’ recent election loss, and shared her thoughts on ongoing legal troubles for both Harvey Weinstein and Alex Jones. Crossley is the host of GBH's Under the Radar. Shirley Leung talked about layoffs at major tech companies, such as Meta and Twitter. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Sue O’Connell weighed in on the so-called “Rainbow Wave” in the 2022 midterm elections, with numerous LGBTQ+ candidates winning elections. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current on NBC LX and NECN. Tiny Habits joined us for a Live Music Friday at our studios in Brighton. Tiny Habits is Judah Mayowa, Maya Rae, and Cinya Khan. We ended the show by talking with listeners about ditching social media and smartphones for good.

Washington Post opinion columnist E.J. Dionne discussed how the youth vote helped prevent a crushing defeat for Democrats on election day. He then provided some predictions on how a Republican controlled Congress would govern in this political climate. He ended by discussing the waning enthusiasm around Donald Trump, just as Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s political prospects are rising. We then opened our phone lines to get listeners’ opinions on why they think Democrats were able to limit their losses during the midterms. Andrea Cabral offered her take on the issues that drove voters to the polls. Then she discussed how the Department of Justice is reportedly investigating U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins for alleged ethics violations. She also discussed how Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson lost his election after holding the office for 25 years. Andrea Cabral is the former Suffolk County Sheriff and the former Secretary of Public Safety Andy Ihnatko came on to discuss how Elon Musk's unpredictable decision-making process is causing chaos at Twitter. Ihnatko discussed how Twitter's new blue-check mark subscription service is already leading to widespread confusion and the spread of misinformation. Ihnatko also warned that the exit of senior staff at the company has exposed users to potential security risks. He also defended the use of the term art to describe AI created images. Comic Lenny Clarke joined to discuss his upcoming spot with the Comics Come Home, back for its 26th-annual benefit show at TD Garden this Saturday. Clarke also discussed the importance of his Boston accent, how he learned to use the internet and explained that he wants to befriend Elon Musk so he can fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. Hankus Netsky and Eden MacAdam-Somer from the New England Conservatory came on to discuss a free 6-day festival celebrating 50 years of their contemporary music department. They also played some music as preview as to what can be expected at the festival, along with fellow musician Janice Ellen. We ended the show by taking listener calls about what types of long-time family traditions are you ready to abandon now that the holidays are approaching.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by hearing from listeners about the results of Tuesday's midterm elections. Michael Curry discussed the historic wins in Mass., where Maura Healey has made history as first openly lesbian U.S. governor and first woman elected governor of the state; her running mate Lieutenant Governor-elect Kim Driscoll also makes them the first time in U.S. history that voters have elected two women to a state’s top two executive spots; and Andrea Campbell will become the first Black woman elected Attorney General in the state. Curry is President and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, where he chairs the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Juliette Kayyem discussed the relatively smooth election evening, and made that the case the temperature of political violence may have cooled slightly amid an environment of unprecedented threats against election workers. Kayyem is former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland-security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Art Caplan discussed wins for reproductive rights through state constitutional amendments, and a call for physicians not to report self-managed abortions to law enforcement in states that have restricted access to reproductive care. 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. Matt Gilbert, Boston Globe TV critic, discussed the Globe's readers choice for best TV show: All in the Family, and the other shows that topped the newspaper's bracket challenge. We closed the show by opening the lines again to hear from listeners about the election.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with candidates for statewide office, asking them to make their final pitch to voters: Democrat candidate for Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Attorney General and Mass. gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey, Republican candidate for Attorney General Jay McMahon, incumbent Secretary of State Bill Galvin, Republican Mass. State Auditor candidate Anthony Amore, and Democrat Mass. Sen. and Mass. State Auditor candidate Diana DiZoglio. Trenni Casey talked about the Boston Bruins canceling their plans to add defenseman Mitchell Miller after multiple NHL players and officials spoke out against his past abuse towards a former classmate. She also discussed WNBA star Brittney Griner’s potential transfer to a Russian penal colony. Casey is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston. Jenny Slate shared how she started her career in comedy, and talked about her local roots as a Milton native. Slate is a comedian, actor, and author. Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith discussed Dorchester Councilor Frank Baker accusing Allston-Brighton Councilor Liz Breardon of anti-Catholicism in her role in establishing new city voting districts. They also weighed in on this year’s ballot questions. Reilly and Wintersmith are political reporters for GBH News. Jared Bowen talked about “Wakanda Forever” in the absence of the late Chadwick Boseman, and former Chelsea Record photojournalist Arnie Jarmak’s work on display at Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Art. Bowen is GBH executive arts editor. John King shared his thoughts on the races to watch during the 2022 midterm elections. King is CNN’s chief national correspondent, and the host of “Inside Politics.” We ended the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about the midterms.

Holiday meals may look a little different this year due to numerous food shortages and high prices. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Monday to share what you can expect at grocery stores. While turkey shortages have happened in years prior, this season will be particularly rough: more than 6 million turkeys have died already this year due to avian flu outbreaks nationwide, and that number is expected to rise. “Once there’s one turkey with avian flu, enormous warehouses full of turkeys have to be destroyed,” Kummer said. Instead of panic-buying holiday staples like turkey, Kummer suggests switching to alternative holiday dishes, such as capon. 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.