Boston Public Radio Podcast

On Wednesday, medical ethicist Art Caplan returned to Boston Public Radio, where he weighed in on the latest news around the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, he discussed frustrations with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in hospitals throughout the U.S., and unanswered questions around who deserves vaccine priority. “There are these issues of priority and who’s really at risk that’ve started to rear their heads,” he said, warning that more confusion is likely to come once the general public can apply for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. “It’s predictive of what I think we’re gonna see in maybe January, February, March, as other people start to say ‘hey, what about me?’" During the conversation, Caplan also discussed the departure of White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx, and explained why he’s not worried that a mutated version of the coronavirus, discovered last week in the U.K., will be resistant to the current vaccines.  Art Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU School of Medicine.

Today on Boston Public Radio:  Maura Healey talks about the state’s [Police Reform bill](x-note://D757CE1A-EB87-42C4-BFAC-970FF042F9C1/EWSNote/wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/12/22/ag-healey-police-reform-bill-as-amended-is-a-really-good-thing), responding to questions about the efficacy of facial recognition technology and no-knock warrants. She also discusses her office's plan to ask the federal Department of Homeland Security to end its partnership with the Bristol County Sheriff's office, and responds to questions from listeners as part of our monthly series “Ask the AG.” Boston Globe editorial writer David Scharfenberg discusses his reporting for the Boston Globe on segregation in Mass.’ public school system, and some of the lessons that officials can take from other states' approach to the issue in order to tackle the racial inequity. Havard Business School professor Ashley Whillans talks about America’s "time poverty” crisis, and offers tips for organizing our lives to better prioritize happiness over money, in a conversation around her new book, "Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and live a Happier Life.” Washington Post reporter Annie Linskey talks about Congress’ new $900 billion stimulus package, and how she’s expecting President-elect Joe Biden to handle the country’s economic crisis after he assumes the presidency in January. Documentarian Frederick Wiseman discusses his new in-depth documentary about Boston Marty Walsh's administration, titled “City Hall.” We end the show by opening lines, reviving the age-old debate around the ethics of re-gifting holiday presents.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michael Curry discusses the rollout of coronavirus vaccines throughout the U.S. and questions around skepticism in communities of color. Curry is the incoming president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, and a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors. Next, we open our lines to talk with listeners about holiday travel during the pandemic, asking: will we learn our lesson this time around, or will the promise of the vaccine make us only more prone to hit the road?  Travel guru Rick Steves talks about some of the varied Christmas traditions practiced throughout Europe, from Norway to Austria. He also talks about his ongoing “Why We Travel” series and what a COVID-19 vaccine could signal for travel and tourism in the months aheads. T.V. expert Bob Thompson discusses news that streaming heavyweight “The Office” is getting pulled from Netflix and updates us on the future of Jeopardy post-Alex Trebek. He also reviews "The Stand” on CBS and Steve McQueen's "Small Axe,” currently streaming on Amazon. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast, talk about pro-police reform protests staged over the weekend by some Massachusetts faith leaders. They also weigh in on pro-choice pastors, and the Netflix holiday special “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.” Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung recaps her latest reporting on the global reverberations of Boston's economic downturn and offered her thoughts on news that Boston seafood staple Legal Seafoods is being sold. We close out Monday's show by reflecting on all the holiday traditions we’re missing out on this season, and asking about some of the new ones you're creating in their place.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Smith College associate professor Loretta Ross speaks on why it’s more productive to call people “in” rather than call them out, and the importance of have private – and occasionally uncomfortable – conversations with people we disagree with, in a discussion sparked by her forthcoming book, “Calling In the Calling Out Culture.” Next, we open lines and asked you about callout culture, asking: should 2021 be the year we try to call people in? Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talks about Vice President Mike Pence receiving his COVID shot Friday morning in front of the media, and the reemergence of Boston's great space saver debate. She also read a 2020 retrospective list of fixations and fulminations. Food writer Corby Kummer weighs in on frustration from some environmentalists and food justice advocates around news of President-elect Biden’s pick of Tom Vilsack to head the USDA. He also offers advice for restaurants struggling to afloat through the winter, and one sure-fire way diners can make things easier on them. Media maven Sue O’Connell gives her take on Boston’s notorious space saver debate, and discusses the significance for the LGBT community of President-elect Biden picking former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talks about the billions of dollars in donations made during the pandemic by Mackenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. She also discusses donations from filmmaker Tyler Perry to the defense fund for Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, and the historic significance of President-elect Joe Biden’s pick of Rep. Deb Haaland to head the Department of the Interior. We close out Friday's show by opening lines, to hear your takes for and against snow time space savers in Boston.

Speaking on a Friday edition of Boston Public Radio, food writer Corby Kummer presented a plea to diners: if you’ve got to cancel your dinner reservation, do your best to give the restaurant 12 hours notice – at minimum. No-shows, for struggling restaurants operating at reduced occupancy, “are really damaging,” Kummer explained in a tease of his forthcoming Diner Code of Conduct. “Be considerate of restaurants … if you make a reservation and you can’t come, be sure to tell them well in advance.” Corby 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: Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary discusses “Sincerely Michelle,” her ongoing series addressing misconceptions about racial equity in the world of personal finance, and reflects on her own experience coming up in media as a Black woman. NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd runs through the latest political headlines, touching on anticipated COVID stimulus consensus in Congress, President-elect Joe Biden’s undying faith in the Senate, and the slowly-growing number of GOP members willing to acknowledge Biden’s November election victory. Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate Andrea Campbell discusses the Boston City Council’s Sunday vote to establish an Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, and next steps for its implementation. She also touches on Gov. Baker's decision not to sign the Mass. police reform bill, and pushback against a proposed charter school in Roslindale. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discusses Georgia’s legacy with of voter suppression, and what she’s anticipating from the state’s Senate runoff races in January. She also talks about efforts from the outgoing Trump administration to create special council investigations into President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter, and the president's still-unsubstantiated claims of vote rigging in the 2020 election. Former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville discusses the Boston Teachers Union’s Sunday evening vote of no confidence against BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, ongoing issues with remote learning throughout Mass., and questions around whether schools ought to keep the snow day alive through the pandemic. Next, we open lines to talk about Thursday’s snowstorm, asking: are school districts walking on thin ice by denying students a well-earned snow day? Inaugural poet Richard Blanco returns for our monthly edition of "The Village Voice," where he discusses poetry and how it can help us better understand our lives and times. This time around, he reads a selection of poems about gratitude, renewal, and healing. He also talks about the Inaugural Poem Project and Contest for Students – more information on which can be found here.

Michelle Singletary, nationally syndicated personal finance columnist at the Washington Post, said she faced a lot of questions about her credentials when she was first hired. So she pulled her editor aside and asked him point blank, was she hired because she’s Black? The answer her editor gave herShe was, but like all things, it’s more complicated. “I hired you because you’re Black, I hired you because you’re young. I hired you because you were raised in a low income household so you know what it means not to have a lot of money. I hired you because you have a Masters’ Degree,’” Singletary recalled her editor telling her. “He said ‘I hired you for the totality of who you are,’ ... I get teared up now when I think about it, because he said ‘I didn’t want you to run away from your Blackness.’” That’s where Singletary’s latest series, Sincerely Michelle, starts: affirmative action. Part memoir, part history lesson, the series breaks down misconceptions about race and finance through letters to readers. She tackles reparations, misconceptions about Black people and their investment in education, criticisms about the way people of color spend their money, and so much more about the Black American experience. “I wanted to write these letters to let people know there are people behind these statistics,” she said. “I get that you don’t understand this, so let me walk you through this stuff, let me put it in context so that we can have a candid conversation and try to fix these things.” Reflecting on 2020 — a year filled with protest for racial equality and police reform against the backdrop of a deadly pandemic — Singletary said she has hope that America is ready to have the tough conversations that are necessary for change. Singletary said the comments section on her columns were turned off, because of racist messages, but she left her email for people to reach out. “Some of the things I received were so vile, and so horrible that I cannot imagine that it’s 2020 and people still think this way,” she said. “There were days, I just sat at my desk, slumped, and cried, like ‘I cannot believe you think I’m so different because of the color of my skin.’” But, Singletary said she also received comments from white Americans thanking her for making their own micro-aggressions and racism clear to them, and helping to start conversations about race. “So, I actually do have some hope.” Michelle Singletary is personal finance columnist for the Washington Post. Author of "The 21 Day Financial Fast." Her column "The Color of Money" is syndicated in newspapers across the country.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Adam Reilly discusses his reporting on scholastic sports during the era of COVID, and the pressure on local-level leaders around whether or not to postpone basketball and hockey seasons as Mass. returns to phase three, step one of Gov. Baker's reopening plan. We open lines to talk with listeners about your experiences with scholastic sports during the pandemic. Ali Noorani, CEO of the National Immigration Forum, discusses conclusions drawn Tuesday by Mass. A.G. Maura Healey that Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson violated the civil rights of immigrant detainees. He also weighs in on a recently-filed court case out of Texas that’s threatening the future of DACA. Medical ethicist Art Caplan talks about the latest news on the COVID-19 vaccine front, reflecting on how the world’s richest nations have already bought up much the supply. He also offers his take on right-wing criticism of First Lady-elect Jill Biden using "Dr." in her title. Next, we return to listeners, opening lines to talk about your feelings around the upcoming snowstorm.  CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discusses the importance of setting up fair expectations for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, issues with vaccine skepticism, and explains what's publicly known about a recent string of Russian hacks against several federal U.S. agencies. Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery closes out Wednesday’s show by discussing her work patrolling Cape Cod beaches to help protect cold-stunned sea turtles, recapping a dramatic swan rescue in New York City, and explaining the bizarre ways that bees are protecting themselves against murder hornets.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We open lines to talk about the latest round of pandemic rollbacks in Mass., asking: is this the right thing to do?  NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek talks about the economic consequences of the truncated, physically distanced year in professional and collegiate sports, Celtics player Jaylen Brown getting named a “Bostonian of the Year” by the Boston Globe, and the Cleveland Indians’ announcement that they're going to change their name. Self-described “transit nerds” Jim Aloisi and Chris Dempsey talk about the ramifications of the MBTA board's approval of severe pandemic-related service cuts, and offer their takes on President-elect Biden's best options for transportation secretary. Behavioral economist Michael Norton talks about the science behind people's decision making processes, and why we have a tendency to turn down opportunities even when there’s nothing to lose. Boston Globe cannabis reporter Dan Adams discusses the latest news on the state of cannabis in Mass., four years after voters elected to legalize marijuana, including the opening of the first legal pot shop in Hyde Park, head by a former Boston firefighter and a Roxbury-based activist. He also touches on what he’s expecting from the incoming Biden administration on the question of federal cannabis legalization. CNN’s John King discusses the latest political headlines out of Washington, including Monday’s electoral college vote confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s November win, and President Trump’s announcement that Bill Barr will be stepping down in his final month as A.G. We close out Tuesday's show by returning to listeners, asking: what are you saying "good riddance" to as we head out of 2020?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the week off by opening lines and asking listeners: after Monday’s electoral vote, should the media stop covering President Trump’s legal efforts to challenge November’s election results? Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart offers news on The Boston Pops’ virtual holiday concert for 2020, and discusses the complicated logistics of putting on a safe and festive show, which is available through January 9. Dr. Rebecca Weintraub explains the U.S.’ current vaccine distribution plan, with inoculations beginning on Monday for frontline healthcare workers and long-care health facility staff. Weintrau heads Ariadne Labs' Vaccine Delivery initiative, and also helped create the New York Time’s “Find your Place in the Vaccine Line” tool.  Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther talks about some best practices for spurned travels looking to get refunds and rebates after pandemic-related cancellations. He also touches on a DOT crackdown on emotional support animals, and how President-elect Joe Biden’s win might boost U.S. tourism. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up, discuss COVID vaccine skepticism in the Black community, the legacy of 98 year-old civil rights activist Gloria Richardson, and their indifference to ongoing debate around President-elect Biden’s Catholic faith. TV expert Bob Thompson reviews NBC’s widely-panned “Grinch the Musical,” HBO Max’s “Love Boat,” and that 15 minute KFC ad featuring Mario Lopez, “A Recipe for Seduction.” We end Monday's show by returning to listeners to talk about the conflicting reality of “streamer burnout,” as the U.S. heads into month nine of the coronavirus pandemic.