Boston Public Radio Podcast

Some primary care physicians are being left out of the first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations, even if they are treating patients with the illness. Medical ethicist Art Caplan told Boston Public Radio on Wednesday the issue is a “snafu” in the distribution plans that routed much of the initial doses to hospitals, and left out doctors with no hospital affiliation. “If you write rules for the states, like the CDC, or the states adopt rules that say give the vaccine first to nursing homes then to healthcare workers, then you’re giving them out at hospitals and nursing homes,” said Caplan. “The reason they’re getting missed even if they have patient populations that have a lot of COVID … it’s just not where they are.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discusses news around the COVID-19 vaccines, from their slower-than-anticipated rollout in the U.S., to questions of whether vaccine skeptics are right to feel hesitant about getting their shot. She also responds to questions and comments from listeners. Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation and Residency Director in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Next, we open lines to talk with listeners about Tuesday’s runoff elections in Ga., and the possibility of an end to divided government in 2021.   Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mass., discusses upsides and drawbacks to Mass.' newly-signed police reform law. She also touches on the significance of the state's newly-passed ROE Act, which expands abortion protections in Mass, and talks about Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to veto it. Then, we return to listener lines to talk about your feeling on returning to office spaces in 2021. CNN’s John King breaks down the latest headlines on the national stage, from the dual Senate runoff elections taking place in Ga. Tuesday, to the dozens of congressional Republicans saying they’ll contest certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek talks about Tuesday’s fully-masked basketball game between B.U. and Holy Cross, a first in college basketball, and reflects on the Patriots’ losing 2020 season without quarterback Tom Brady.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Georgia Public Broadcasting political reporter Stephen Fowler gives a primer on Tuesday's Senate runoff races in Ga., and discusses President Trump's controversial call to Ga. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over the weekend, where he pressured Raffensperger to nullify his state's election tally. Next, we open our lines to talk with listeners about the latest effort from GOP congressional leaders to call President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory into question.  New Yorker writer and environmental advocate Bill McKibben discusses President Trump’s legacy of inaction on global warming, and the potential impact that President-elect Biden's incoming environmental team could have in combatting the global climate crisis. The.Ink publisher Anand Giridharadas weighs in on Congress' failure to approve $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks, and discusses why he believes federal leaders are paving the way for future billionaire bailouts. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of the podcast All Rev’d Up, reflect on Monroe’s recent writing for GBH about the nation’s ongoing struggle to address white supremacy. They also weigh in on reporting about the problematic legacy of Boston police sergeant Clifton McHale, and the muted reaction it garnered from city leaders. TV expert Bob Thompson reviews the "City Hall,” filmmaker Frederick Wiseman’s in-depth documentary about Boston Mayer Marty Walsh’s administration. He also offers his take on CNN’s new documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President," as well as Netflix's “Bridgerton" and “History of Swear Words.” We close out Monday’s show by talking with listeners about a new study, published last month in Nature, which found that man-made “stuff” now outweighs all living biomass on the earth. 

Thursday's Boston Public Radio is entirely on tape and features the ultimate BPR book club — back to back conversations from over the years with some of our favorite writers. Some highlights of the show include: George Saunders discussed his novel, "Lincoln in the Bardo," his first foray into what he describes as serious prose. Writer Susan Orlean discusses her latest book, a tribute to the public library, "The Library Book." ESPN’s Howard Bryant discusses his book, "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism."

Wednesday's Boston Public Radio is entirely on tape, and features the ultimate BPR book club: back to back conversations from over the years with some of our favorite writers. Some highlights of the show include: Poet Kevin Young discusses his latest collection of poetry, BROWN. Kevin Young is poetry editor of the New Yorker and the incoming director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Owner of Parnassus Books Ann Patchett makes a pitch to all readers to shop at local, independent book stores. She also discussed her book, "Commonwealth." Writer T.C. Boyle drops in on the dropout culture with his novel "Outside Looking In," which is based on the research of Timothy Leary.

Today on Boston Public Radio, GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen and NBC 10's Sue O'Connell filled in for Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. Former Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the latest with President Donald Trump's pardons. Then, Irish comedian Maeve Higgins talked about maintaining friendships through the pandemic. The rest of Tuesday’s show featured re-airs of some of our favorite segments: Norman Mineta talked about the PBS documentary of his life and career, "Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story." Mineta is a former statesman who served as cabinet secretary for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. New Yorker writer George Packer discussed his latest book, “Our Man: Richard Holbrooke And The End Of The American Century.” John Waters spoke about his latest book, “Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom Of A Filth Elder.” Waters is a filmmaker, writer, artist, and social commentator. Raphael Bob-Waksberg discussed his collection of short stories "Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory." Bob-Waksberg is the creator of the animated Netflix show “Bojack Horseman.” Ben Mezrich discussed his latest book, “Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Redemption and Betrayal.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jared Bowen and Sue O’Connell fill in for Jim and Margery. First, they get a politics roundup from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill, with GBH reporter Adam Reilly. Then, Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G Price III join us for this week’s edition of All Rev’d Up. The rest of Monday’s show features re-airs of some of our favorite segments: Author and journalist Naomi Klein joins Jim and Margery to talk about her book, "On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal." New Yorker staff writer and “Revisionist History” host Malcolm Gladwell discusses his new book, “Talking To Strangers: What We Should Know About The People We Don't Know.” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow discusses his new book, “Catch And Kill: Lies, Spies, And A Conspiracy To Protect Predators,” about his experience reporting on the crimes of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton discusses his latest research about why minimalism has become the new status symbol. Journalist Joshua Foer discusses the latest edition of “Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.”

Note: BPR is on tape for the holidays. For Thursday’s program, we brought you some of our favorite conversations from the not-too distant past. Today on Boston Public Radio: Bishop Michael Curry joins us to preach the power of love in dark times, in a conversation sparked by his new book "Love Is the Way: Holding Onto Hope In Troubling Times.” Michael Norton talks about the science behind why humans have such difficulty enjoying leisure time. Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and his latest book is "Happy Money: The Science Of Smarter Spending.” Bill Buford discussed differences between attitudes around restaurant dining in France and the U.S., in a conversation about his new book, "Dirt: Adventure In Lyon As A Chef In Training, Father, And Sleuth Looking For The Secret Of French Cooking.” Alan Alda talked about the joy of creating his new interview podcast, and a recent (pre-pandemic) trip he made with BPR contributor Sy Montgomery to the New England Aquarium. Alan Alda is an actor, and hosts the podcast "Clear + Vivid With Alan Alda." Sy Montgomery discussed her book "Condor Comeback," about an ongoing conservation effort to bring the California Condor back from the brink of extinction. Sy Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist, whose latest book is "Becoming A Good Creature.” Rick Steves talked about keeping our travel dreams alive during the coronavirus pandemic. Steves is an author, television and radio host, and the owner of “Rick Steves' Europe” tour group. You can catch his television show, "Rick Steves’ Europe," weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of "Village Voice." Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book, "How To Love A Country,” deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America.

Today on Boston Public Radio: MIT economist Jon Gruber breaks down the economics behind Congress’ latest COVID relief package, and discusses his research into March's CARES Act, where he found that unemployment insurance has had more of an impact on keeping jobs and stimulating the economy than Paycheck Protection Program loans. Next, we open lines to talk with listeners about Congress' latest $900 billion coronavirus stimulus bill, and get your takes whether it’s going to be enough to help you get by.  CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talks about President Trump’s latest controversial wave of pardons, and weighs the potential impact Trump could have on national security in the final weeks of his administration. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek talks about a recent appeal made by players on the Boston Celtics to have Gov. Baker reconsider his support for the use of facial recognition software by Mass. law enforcement. She also speaks on the Patriots’ underwhelming 2020 season, and other sports headlines. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discusses the latest news on the pandemic front, including how the U.S. is faring in its vaccine rollout, the departure of White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx, and worrying COVID-19 mutations out of the UK. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discusses news that President Trump won't be passing along the POTUS Twitter account to President-elect Biden, incoming privacy software from Apple that'll make it harder for websites to track user data on other platforms, and other tech headlines. We close out Wednesday's by reopening lines for a conversation with listeners about best tipping practices for the holiday season.

President Donald Trump granted pardons and commutations to 20 people on Tuesday. Among those pardoned were four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with a 2017 killing of Iraqi civilians -among those killed were two boys, 8 and 11. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the danger these pardons pose. “First of all, Trump’s failure to embrace a peaceful transfer of power quickly, threatens, or at least would amplify the radicalization of some small parts of the population,” she said. '“[These pardons] do it too because it says, you can be ruthless, murderous, horrible human beings, who murders children.” 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.