Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by opening phone lines to talk with listeners about whether they feel their life is on hold due to COVID-19. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the car crash involving former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid the day of the Super Bowl, and the leeway given to NFL athletes for bad behavior. She also speaks about Mark Cuban’s decision to omit the national anthem from Dallas Mavericks home games, arguing that the national anthem should be reserved for major sports events. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Rick Steves talks about the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccine passport, and what the U.S. could learn from Germany about remembering its own dark history. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the 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

Before former President Trump’s impeachment trial began, Harvard Law School professor Jeannie Suk Gersen wrote in the New Yorker that his acquittal may send a worse message to society than if there were no trial at all. Gersen told Boston Public Radio on Monday, days after the acquittal vote, that she does think charging former President Trump for his role in inciting the insurrection and holding the public trial lessens the “message of impunity” for him. But, she said, the acquittal has “all kinds of resonance.” “It can mean that he was right in his election fraud claims, for some people that’s what it may mean, and for other people it may mean even worse things: that he has a political future in front of him and that he could be running for office in just a couple of years.” Jeannie Suk Gersen is a Harvard Law School professor, and a New Yorker contributor.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned former President Trump for inciting the insurrection on Jan. 6, just hours after he’d voted to acquit Trump of the charge in the impeachment trial. McConnell, like many of his Republican colleagues, argued that regardless of Trump’s role, the impeachment trial was unconstitutional because it occurred after he had left office. Suffolk University Law Professor Renée Landers told Boston Public Radio that even though the acquittal was “preordained,” the trial itself was “necessary for the proceedings to happen, because … it established a record for the country about what happened on Jan. 6 and what the president’s actions were that day that led to an assault on the Capitol building.” Landers is a Professor of Law, Faculty Director of the Health and Biomedical Law Concentration, and Faculty Director of the Masters of Science in Law Life Sciences program at Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Renée Landers shares her legal analysis of former President Trump’s impeachment trial, and discussed the importance of Congress establishing a timeline of what happened during the Jan. 6 Capitol siege for the public record. Landers is a professor of law and faculty director of the health and biomedical law concentration at Suffolk University’s School of Law. Next, we open the phone lines to hear listeners’ thoughts on the acquittal of former President Trump. Gerly Adrien speaks about her recent Boston Globe op-ed, where she discussed the higher standards she's being held to as a Black, female politician. She also touches on her colleagues’ calls for her resignation, and her ongoing campaign for reelection. Adrien is the City Councilor At-Large for the City of Everett. Jeannie Suk Gerson explains former President Trump’s acquittal in a political and cultural context. She also weighs in on whether Capitol siege rioters could be charged with treason, and former President Trump’s

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by taking listener calls about Gov. Baker’s “vaccine buddy system.” Sue O’Connell talks about the President of the Tokyo Olympics stepping down after sexist comments, and the potential for Trump family members to run for political office. She also weighs in on the resignation of Mass. Climate Change Undersecretary David Ismay. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as NECN's political commentator and explainer-in-chief. Next, we open phone lines to talk with listeners about day four of former President Trump’s impeachment trial. Scott Brown shares his views on today’s political climate, touching on divisiveness in Congress and the lawyers who proceeded with the claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Brown is the former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, the former U.S. Senator for Mass., and is now the Dean and President of New England Law Boston. We speak with listeners about the state of the Republican Party,

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jennifer Horn, former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, weighs in on former President Trump’s impeachment trial, and touches on her recent resignation from the Lincoln Project. She also speaks about how the country can become less divisive, and the state of disinformation in politics. We open phone lines to talk with listeners about how they thought the impeachment trial of former President Trump would proceed. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral shares her thoughts on dismissive comments from Senate Republicans about the impeachment trial of former President Trump, and offers critique of the arguments from Trump’s legal defense team. She also talks about the recent abolishment of the death penalty in Va. Next, we ask listeners what they thought about some Republican senators’ responses to audio and video evidence presented at the impeachment trial. Former Mass. education secretary Paul Reville discusses the challenges schoo

Former Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Reville spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about the timeline for reopening schools amid the pandemic. “It’s clear that for the balance of this semester, we’re not going to have in-person education fully restored in any of our big cities,” he said. “The fall [semester] is still an open question and depends how far we can penetrate with the vaccine.” Paul Reville is former state secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book is "Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools and Communities Help Students Overcome the Disadvantages of Poverty."

Today on Boston Public Radio: M.I.T economist Jonathan Gruber analyzes President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, and how it could affect the economy at large. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the build-up of domestic terrorism incidents under President Trump, culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. She also gave her thoughts on anti-vaxxers during COVID-19, and discussed how organizers are preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. Next, we open phone lines to hear listeners’ thoughts on former President Trump’s impeachment trial. Rep. Ayanna Pressley weighs in on the first day of President Trump’s impeachment trial, and the debate among Democrats around cancelling student debt. She also talks about vaccine equity in Mass., touching on the lack of vaccination sites in communities of color. Then, we return to listeners, taking calls on the impeachment of former President Trump. Medical ethicist Art Caplan talks about worries around COVID-19 variations, and whether it’s time for restaurants to

Juliette Kayyem made her weekly appearance on Boston Public Radio Wednesday, where she spoke about America’s relationship with the coronavirus in the years and decades to come. She contrasted pandemics with other varieties of crisis, like natural disasters or terrorist attacks, “where the thing comes and goes,” and explained that pandemics are fundamentally different because the viruses stick around. “The vaccine is a major contributor to getting back to normal-ish,” the CNN analyst prefaced. “But it doesn’t eradicate the virus, it simply makes us able to live with the virus. She continued, noting that certain aspects of our life “probably, are changed for good.” “I think masking will be a huge part of our lives for the years to come,” she predicted. But she was also keen to emphasize that things are likely to get much better in the near-term, considering the acute grimness of pandemic wintertime in New England. “I promise you, I think by May or June, you’re going to feel 70-75% more normal – or towards

Today on Boston Public Radio: Washington Post op-ed columnist EJ Dionne weighs in on former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, and whether Republicans will choose to associate with Trump and the violence that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6. He also spoke on hopes for bipartisanship in the Biden administration. Next, we open phone lines to discuss former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial. Harvard professor Danielle Allen offers her views on how the country can come back from the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. She also argues for universal mandatory voter participation, and discusses her potential Mass. gubernatorial run. Next, we speak with listeners on about whether they’re willing to listen to the views of those on the opposite side of the political spectrum. Sen. Jeff Flake speaks on former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, and why he thinks it may be a turning point for the Republican party. He also offers some predictions on how impeachment proceedings might play out among R

Today on Boston Public Radio: Constitutional law expert Laurence Tribe explains what’s likely to could happen at former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, including possible First Amendment defense arguments from GOP senators, and what Trump could actually end up being charged with. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discusses Sunday night’s Super Bowl, quarterback Tom Brady’s record seven Super Bowl wins, and lingering issues with racial equity in the NFL. Next, we open phone lines to talk with listeners about Tom Brady’s historic career, and hypocrisy in the NFL around racial equity. Ali Noorani, CEO of the National Immigration Forum, speaks about President Biden’s upcoming plan to decrease deportations and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also discussed the new bipartisan Senate DACA initiative, and what it could mean for the thousands of so-called Dreamers. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up, weigh in on the hypocrisy

Today on Boston Public Radio: We open phone lines to talk with listeners about Gov. Baker’s loosening of COVID restrictions in Massachusetts, and whether the state is ready. Media maven Sue O’Connell talks about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Feb. 2 Instagram live where she revealed she’s a victim of sexual assault, and the subsequent backlash she faced for it. She also discusses President Biden’s foreign policy memo on global LGBT rights, and the significance of having several openly LGBT officials serve in his administration. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talks about MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s chaotic Tuesday appearance on NewsMax, and Tom Brady’s “Mean Tweets” segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko explains some of the ways that Gov. Baker’s vaccine website could have been more user-friendly. He also weighs in on a new user privacy feature from Apple, and how tech giants like Facebook are responding. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, offers her

The Gloucester House is, like a number of local restaurants during this harsh COVID winter, on hiatus. But its private function hall is far from empty, food policy writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Friday. The restaurant has opened its doors to the Grace Shelter, to provide a warm haven for local people who are experiencing homelessness. “They’re showing the way for local businesses to use their facilities for good, when organizations have lost their facilities,” said Kummer. Kummer is 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: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discusses dual House GOP votes on the standings of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Liz Cheney, news on the latest incoming COVID-19 relief bill, and former President Trump’s upcoming Senate impeachment trial. Next, we open phone lines to talk about listeners’ love-hate relationships with Facebook. Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discusses Wednesday’s suspension of Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White over domestic abuse allegations, and argues for better accountability in local police forces. She also talks about the connections between gun culture, the Confederate flag, and white supremacy. Harvard Business School behavioral economist Michael Norton talks about his research on how near-death experiences change people’s lives. We then talk with listeners about their near-death experiences and how these experiences have – or haven’t – changed their own lives. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Richard Neal discusses the latest updates on the next COVID-19 stimulus bill, and former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial. He also weighs in on the epidemic of conspiracy theories affecting politics, and speaks about his experience during the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. MIT economist Jonathan Gruber breaks down how Redditors influenced the stock market by buying up GameStop stocks, and explains similarities between buying stocks and gambling. We open phone lines to listeners to speak with Gruber about the stock market, and last week’s GameStop short squeeze. Medical ethicist Art Caplan talks about the ethics of who should be prioritized in vaccine distribution, the lack of vaccination sites located in communities of color, and highlights the need for government to do a better job of building trust among vaccine skeptics. Environmentalist and 350.org founder Bill McKibben discusses how President Biden is emphasizing climate action in his executive actions, and the

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin by talking with listeners about how much you think President Biden ought to negotiate with the GOP on the upcoming COVID-19 stimulus package. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discusses racial reckoning in the world of sports, touching on former MLB player Tommy Harper’s experience of racial bias in his neighborhood, and the disparity in football coaching opportunities for people of color. She also talks about Red Sox second-baseman Dustin Pedroia’s plans to retire. Carol Rose from the Mass. ACLU talks about the organization’s unprecedented decision to call for the impeachment of former President Trump a second time. She also discusses the potential disbarment of Rudy Giuliani from the New York State Bar Association, and the legal complexities of big tech’s de-platforming of Donald Trump. Filmmaker Jane McMullen discusses the new FRONTLINE/BBC documentary collaboration, China’s COVID Secrets, which looks at the Chinese government’s initial re

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin Monday's show by opening lines, talking with listeners about your experiences trying to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in Mass. TV expert Bob Thompson commemorated the life and career of groundbreaking actress Cicely Tyson, who died last week. He also reviewed HBO’s “The Little Things,” Netflix's “The Brooklyn Saints," and SyFy’s “Resident Alien.” GBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott weighs in on protests in Russia around the detention of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He also gives a debrief on Monday's coup in Myanmar, vaccine distribution stumbles in the EU, and broader COVID-19 vaccine inequity around the globe. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up, talk about inaugural poet Amanda Gorman's Black Catholic parish in Los Angeles. They also weigh in on the contentious relationship between Reps. Cori Bush and Marjorie Taylor Greene, and discuss news that the Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett returned to Boston Public Radio Monday, offering some clarity on why Massachusetts lags behind the rest of the nation when it comes to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. According to a Washington Post vaccine tracker, the Bay State currently ranks 41st in the nation, with just under seven percent of residents having received their first dose. For comparison, Connecticut has managed to vaccinated almost 10 percent, while West Virginia has managed to get first-doses to close to 11 percent of residents. The Boston Medical Center official blamed a combination of factors for what she described as “several bottlenecks” in the state’s rollout. These issues include supply constraints, smaller-than-anticipated doses of vaccine per vile in the case of the Pfizer vaccine, and a lower-than-expected outtake among staff at long-term care facilities. “I think we are all, even those of us in healthcare, are feeling the effects of the rub here,” she said. Monday’s interview concluded with

On Boston Public Radio Friday, Emily Rooney described how a group of people organized by social media used a Wall Street tactic to redistribute millions of dollars away from hedge funds, and into the pockets of amateur traders by buying up stock from a dying retailer, GameStop. “This was an insurrection by a group of people who said we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore, and they beat Wall Street at their own game and now Wall Street is really really mad,” she said. How did they do it? BPR producer Zoe Mathews checked in with MIT economist Jon Gruber for a primer, ahead of his definitive explainer next week on the show.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Dr. Howard Koh, former state commissioner of the Department of Public Health, talks about new updates from pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson on their forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine, and the risks posed by the coronavirus variants that are popping up around the world and here in the U.S. He also speaks about President Biden’s handling of the pandemic during his first 10 days in office, and the bumpy vaccine rollout here in Mass. Next, we open lines to talk with listeners about your experiences trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Mass. Boston City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi George calls in to talk about her newly-announced mayoral campaign. She speaks on her push to bring more mental-health professionals into Boston schools, offers her take on Boston mayor Marty Walsh’s handling of the pandemic, and talks about what she’d do differently to support struggling businesses. Ali Noorani, CEO of the National Immigrant Forum, talks about President Biden’s reversal