Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: A bill in the Massachusetts legislature would compel schools that teach sexual education to use medically accurate information — but it still wouldn't make sex ed mandatory. Medical ethicist Art Caplan weighed in. Caplan is a the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center. He’s also the co-host of the "Everyday Ethics" podcast. Then we opened up the lines and asked our listeners: Do you think sex ed should be mandatory in schools? What's the best way for the government to deal with "sin taxes" on behaviors like smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs, and unhealthy foods? MIT economist Jonathan Gruber shared his thoughts. WGBH Executive Arts editor and "Open Studio" host Jared Bowen shared his rundown of the latest arts and cultural events around town. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners: Should Massachusetts implement a statewide soda tax? Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo discussed her proposal to expand Pre-K, the 2020 race, and more.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked our listeners about traffic congestion in Boston. Has it gotten so bad that you've considered moving out of town? The Bruins have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals once again. Anchor and reporter with NBC Sports Boston Trenni Kusnierek weighed in. Filmmaker Michael Kirk discussed his new FRONTLINE documentary, "Supreme Revenge," about the partisan fight to control the Supreme Court, from the Robert Bork confirmation process to Brett Kavanaugh. Joining with the latest news coming out of City Hall was Andrea Campbell, Boston City Council President. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners about grudges. Do you let a grudge take over your life? Or are you good at letting them go? Going over the latest national news was CNN's Chief National Correspondent and host of "Inside Politics," John King. Businessman Robert F. Smith made headlines when he paid off $40 million of student loan debt for Morehouse’s class of 2019. Nancy Koehn, an historian at the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration, looked at his contribution from a historical perspective. Her latest book is "Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times."

Today on Boston Public Radio: We went over the latest political headlines with our roundtable, featuring conservative commentator Jennifer Braceras and former Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate Steve Kerrigan. Charles Sennott, founder of The GroundTruth Project, looked at the latest escalation of tension between the U.S. and Iran. We examined Kamala Harris’s plan to close the wage gap and then asked our listeners for their take. Television expert Bob Thompson examined the final episode of the cultural phenomenon “Game Of Thrones.” Tech writer Andy Ihnatko shared his favorite finds from MIT’s Swapfest. We opened up the lines and asked you about a controversial new feature on the Uber app that allows you to tell your driver you’re not interested in engaging in conversation. The King of Camp himself, John Waters, joined to discuss his new book “Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to hear our listeners' takes on Senator Elizabeth Warren refusing a Fox News town hall. Is this a winning strategy, or did she alienate the 2.5 million viewers who might have tuned in? Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, gave our listeners a preview of an event May 20 in partnership with the Kendall Square Orchestra: Symphony for Science. Bruce Bean, Wade Regehr, and John Gabrieli, neuroscientists from Harvard and MIT, will use a $9 million donation from Bob Broderick to study the effects of cannabis on the brain. They joined Jim and Margery at the Boston Public Library to discuss their research. Emily Rooney joined the show as she does every Friday for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Boston Globe's interim editorial page editor Shirley Leung on a proposal for a marijuana equity fund. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus say a Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket would be a dream. Harris considers that option more of a nightmare. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed that and more. New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik made the case for liberalism on the show, and in his new book, A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism. We wrapped things up on a high note, with a Sing That Thing News Quiz, joined by Jared Bowen and Anthony Trecek-King.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” joined us on the line to talk about the debate over impeachment, Bill DeBlasio jumping into the 2020 race, and other political headlines. Then we opened up the lines and asked our listeners: Will the new anti-abortion laws in states like Georgia and Alabama turn you into a single-issue voter on abortion? Could it change the dynamics of the presidential race for you? Fifteen years ago this week, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage. WGBH News reporter Gabrielle Emmanuel spoke with the couple who started it all. Former State Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, who wrote the landmark opinion that legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, looked back on the decision. Harvard health policy professor John McDonough looked at the role health care could play in the 2020 campaign. Former industrial trawler-turned-kelp-fisherman Bren Smith discussed his new book, “Eat Like A Fish.” Playwright Ryan Landry examined our soceity’s obsession with artificial scents.

Today on Boston Public Radio: The Alabama state legislature has passed a near-total ban on abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. We spoke to medical ethicist Arthur Caplan about the slate of anti-abortion legislation across the country, including a law passed recently in Georgia and bills being considered in Ohio and other states. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, and co-host of the "Everyday Ethics" podcast. Then we opened up the lines and asked our listeners: Do you fear for the future of safe, legal abortion in the United States? Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem examined rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Kayyem is on the faculty of Harvard’s Kennedy School and a CNN analyst. We looked back at Massachusetts’s trailblazing case to legalize same-sex marriage 15 years ago. Sue O’Connell examined the decision’s legacies and the cultural changes it created. O'Connell is co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News and host of NECN’s "The Take with Sue O’Connell." Joining us with his picks for the best arts and cultural events around town this week was Jared Bowen, WGBH's executive arts editor and host of "Open Studio." Taking a long view on Elizabeth Warren's proposal to break up tech giants like Facebook was historian Nancy Koehn, who looked at the history of government intervention in corporations. Koehn is an historian at the Harvard Business School, where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration. A hands-free driving law is being debated at the State House. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners: do you support it?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the lines and asked you: Are there too many Democratic candidates for 2020? NBC sports anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek looked at the backlash against Nike’s maternity policy. A new FRONTLINE documentary dives into the history of Trump’s trade war with China. We spoke with correspondent Laura Sullivan. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the town of Warwick, Rhode Island’s controversial proposal to force kids with school lunch debt to get jelly and sunflower butter sandwiches instead of hot meals. We opened up the lines and asked you how you think the new casino in Everett will impact the city’s nightlife. CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King brought us up to speed on the latest political headlines. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam looked at a provocative new essay asking: Was Shakespeare a woman?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the phone lines and asked our listeners to respond to a recent U.N. report that said one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction. Tech writer, blogger and podcaster Andy Ihnatko discussed Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes’ op-ed calling for the company to be broken up. Emily Rooney, host of Beat the Press on WGBH, talked about the passing of Boston based journalist Tom Ellis. Shirley Leung talked about the city of Boston’s record on hiring female and minority contractors. Leung is the interim editorial page editor of the Boston Globe. Playwright Ryan Landry discussed his new play “The Ebonic Woman.” Callie Crossley, host of Under the Radar on WGBH, discussed the significance of the birth of the first biracial member of England’s royal family. Adam Zand and Greg Peverill-Conti joined us for our weekly news quiz. Zand and Conti are the founders of the Library Land Project.

Administrators in Warwick, Rhode Island are facing blowback after they proposed that children with unpaid school lunch debt be given only sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches to eat, instead of hot meals. Food writer Corby Kummer says it's time to revisit the concept of free school lunch for all students.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Our political roundtable with Michael Curry and Joe Malone tackled the latest local and national news. Curry is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Mass League of Community Health Centers, and a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors. Malone is former state treasurer. Is the standoff between China and the United States the beginning of a broader economic war? Charles Sennott, founder of The GroundTruth Project and a WGBH analyst, weighed in. Do you feel cheated by the weather this spring? We opened up the lines and asked our listeners. After being exiled from TV, Billy Bush is making his return. Television expert Bob Thompson weighed in. Thompson is founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture and a Trustee Professor of Television and Popular Culture at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse. Reverend Irene Monroe and Reverend Emmett Price tackled the moral issues of the day on “All Revved Up.” Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail, as well as a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at  Boston University School of Theology. Price is a Professor of Worship, Church & Culture and Founding Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. We opened up the lines and asked our listeners about the death of the middle school dance. Is it time to bring this rite of passage back? Poet Richard Blanco read the winning entries to our acrostic poem contest. Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history, and his new book is "How To Love A Country."