Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: Political columnist Jennifer Braceras and Suffolk University’s John Nucci discussed impeachment’s impact on the 2020 presidential race and questions of safety at the MBTA, as part of their politics roundup. WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed Boris Johnson’s election win, the recession of democracy, and some key takeaways from the Afghanistan Papers published in last week's Washington Post. TV writer Bob Thompson reviewed "Moonlight Sonata,” “Work in Progress,” and discussed controversies over a recent Hallmark ad. We opened lines to callers to hear your thoughts on Hallmark pulling their ad featuring a same-sex couple.  Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, and President Trump’s executive order on Judaism and anti-semitism.  Tech writer Andy Ihnatko gave some last-minute digital gift ideas for the holiday season, and discussed privacy concerns around the smart speaker industry.  Jonathan Alsop, founder of the Boston Wine School, discussed holiday wines and champagnes. 

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to callers to discuss your thoughts on impeachment.  WGBH's A Celtic Sojourn host Brian O’Donovan and Olov Johansson of the Scandinavian supergroup Väsen previewed A Christmas Celtic Sojourn.  Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, joined us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther discussed the Row Hotel at Assembly Row, which was rated highly in a Travel & Leisure list of the best hotels in the U.S., and the ongoing debate over reliability at Logan Airport.  WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed Moby Dick the Musical, Netflix’s “Marriage Story,” and the latest Gold Dust Orphans production, titled “Christmas on Uranus.” WGBH’s Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed pushback to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s comments about the Confederate flag, and Boston’s controversial sale of the South End’s Harriet Tubman House. Joshua Lewin, Katrina Jazayeri, and Ariel Knoebel of the Somerville restaurant Juliet joined us for our weekly news quiz, to promote the restaurant and their cook-booklet, titled “Our Market Season.” 

Today on Boston Public Radio: We aired live audio from the House Intelligence Committee’s debate over articles of impeachment, and discussed the events with callers.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan discussed Amazon's internal health care clinics that may be putting warehouse workers at risk. We opened the lines to continue the conversation with our listeners about Amazon warehouse conditions as people begin holiday shopping. National security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed the fallout from a massive Washington Post investigation that revealed decades of U.S. government lies relating to war in Afghanistan. Media maven Sue O'Connell discussed President Donald Trump's new line of LGBTQ merchandise. Radcliffe professor Lizabeth Cohen discussed her new book on urban renewal, "Saving America's Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban Age." Filmmaker Cheryl McDonough discussed a new documentary, Parkland Rising, joined by student/activist Jaclyn Corin. The film follows the high school students and families as they became leaders of the national movement for gun reform following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Colorado Senator and 2020 Presidential candidate Michael Bennet discussed the House impeachment charges and his hopes for the 2020 race. We opened our lines to talk to listeners about the articles of impeachment announced Tuesday morning by House Democrats. NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the death of baseball player and ALS Ice Bucket Challenge creator Pete Frates.  Former Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi and Chris Dempsey, Director of Transportation for Massachusetts, discussed an independent safety review board’s critical report on the MBTA’s safety priorities. Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch discussed the House impeachment charges, and new Washington Post revelations about what government officials knew around the war in Afghanistan.  TV writer Bob Thompson discussed the passing of Carroll Spinney, who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on "Sesame Street,” and a spike in representation for the LBGTQ community on TV.  CNN’s John King discussed the latest news around the House impeachment charges and a revised North American trade deal.  Playwright Ryan Landry discussed the $120,000 banana sold at an art auction, and his Gold Dust Orphan’s production of “Christmas on Uranus." 

Today on Boston Public Radio: We aired live audio from Monday’s House impeachment hearings, and discussed the proceedings with callers.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius discussed paths for growth in the city’s school system, and took questions from listeners.  We opened lines to callers to ask: how do you feel when politicians go off script?  Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, joined us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Dan Adams, Cannabis reporter for the Boston Globe, discussed how Massachusetts is faring after its first year with legalized marijuana, and his recent piece in the Globe on the latest vaping-related illnesses. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed a debate over congestion pricing in Massachusetts, and why the state is stuck in an affordable housing quagmire.  Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed the legacy and importance of Black Santa, and George Zimmerman’s lawsuit against the parents of Trayvon Martin.  Actors Emilio Delgado and Gisela Chipe, who star in the the Huntington Theater Company’s Quixote Nuevo, joined us for our weekly news quiz.

Today on Boston Public Radio: MSNBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed the latest political headlines around impeachment and 2020. We opened lines to hear your thoughts on Kamala Harris dropping out of the 2020 presidential race. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed impeachment, the Department of Justice’s campaign to reinstate the federal death penalty, and the flaws in ankle bracelet technology. Paul Reville, former Massachusetts Secretary of Education, weighed in on the Massachusetts education funding reform bill, and discussed how 2020 candidates are distancing themselves from charter schools. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the legacy of jello molds, the Orwellian nature of food delivery bots, and a campaign by the meat industry to take down imitation meat. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed privacy concerns over Apple’s new iPhone 11 Pro and Amazon’s Ring doorbell, and the question of whether we ought to transition to electronic voting. 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg phoned in to discuss his stance on medicare, the diverse candidate pool, and why he ought to be president. We opened our lines to hear your thoughts on our interview with Mayor Buttigieg, and whether you plan to vote for him in the 2020 primaries.

The Trump administration is changing the requirements of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), impacting 688,000 people previously eligible to receive food stamps. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio *on Thursday to discuss this new rule and its consequences. "They will now require able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49 with no dependents - 7 percent of SNAP recipients - to essentially work 20 hours a week, or they can't get SNAP benefits after three months," Kummer said. "On Wednesday, the Trump administration finalized the rule, and what they aim to do is just throw people off the rolls and make them hungry." Kummer said that the new 20 hour working week requirement doesn't take into consideration the hardship that stands in the way of people getting work. "It's one of the worst outrages this administration has foisted on us in a long time, because there's very high unemployment, it's hard to get jobs for these people, it's even harder to check out and verify 20 hours." *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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to callers to hear your thoughts on the ongoing turmoil in Washington regarding the House impeachment inquiry. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed religious exemptions from vaccines, in light of a bill before the Massachusetts lawmakers that would remove them from current legislation.  Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed tensions between world leaders at this year’s NATO summit, and Wednesday’s Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing.  Boston Globe Spotlight reporter Andrew Ryan discussed the Spotlight team’s report on Boston’s traffic, and the debate over whether to bring congestion pricing to Massachusetts.  Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn discussed a recent New York Times article detailing Amazon's infiltration of the city of Baltimore.  Brian O'Donovan, host of WGBH's A Celtic Sojourn, WCRB's Brian McCreath, and Berklee College of Music's Rob Hochschild stopped by Boston Public Radio to share some music and previews for upcoming local concerts.