Boston Public Radio Podcast

The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has halted the late stage trial for a COVID-19 vaccine this week due to a suspected adverse reaction in a participant. Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan told Boston Public Radio on Wednesday the participant developed an inflammation of the spinal cord and had to be hospitalized, causing the company to pause the trial in order to conduct a safety review and determine whether the reaction was in fact caused by the vaccine. Caplan said the takeaway from this latest development is that medical trials cannot be rushed, no matter the political pressure to quickly develop a vaccine. “We want to vaccinate our way out of this thing and people keep spinning tales it’ll be here in October,” he said. “I keep saying no it wont, it’ll be here next year, and I don’t know when, but maybe the end of the year … because you’ve got to collect this data.” Art Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty chair and the director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU Grossma

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with listeners about the 11 Northeastern University students suspended, without tuition reimbursement, for violating the school’s social distancing rules. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek talked about the disqualification of tennis icon Novak Djokovic from the US Open, and a new opinion piece in the Boston Globe from Celtics center Enes Kanter, titled “Why I won’t shut up and play basketball." WGBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed ongoing pro-democracy protests in Belarus, and muted reaction from President Trump to the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed a new report showing Black girls are nearly four times as likely to be disciplined in school as their white peers, and President Trump's order that federal agencies end training on white privilege and critical race theory. TV expert Bob Thom

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations.  On today’s episode of Boston Public Radio:  ESPN’s Howard Bryant discussed his book "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism.” Writer Michael Eric Dyson discussed his book “What Truth Sounds Like: RFK, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race in America.”  Harvard historian Stephen Greenblatt talked about his book "Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics.” Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery discussed her book "The Hyena Scientist.” Writer and humorist John Hodgman discussed his book, titled "Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches.” Actor and activist George Takei discussed the musical “Allegiance," which is based on his real life experience of living in a Japanese-American internment camp.

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations. On Today’s episode of Boston Public Radio: Writer Ron Chernow talked about “Grant,” his biography of president Ulysses S. Grant. Harvard Business School's Michael Norton talked about his research on whether consumers prefer saving money or saving time. Author Karl Ove Knausgaard discussed his book, “Autumn.” Artist Patti Smith talked about why she considers herself a writer above her other crafts, in a conversation about her memoir "Devotion (Why I Write)." Novelist Salman Rushdie discussed his novel "The Golden House.” Naturalist Sy Montgomery and fellow animal writer Elizabeth Marshall Thomas discussed their book, "Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind."

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations.  On Today’s Boston Public Radio Actor Ed Asner discussed his new play, called "God Help Us!” Restauranteurs Andrew Li and Irene Li talked about their new cookbook, which they wrote with their sister Margaret Li, called "Double Awesome Chinese Food: Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes from our Chinese-American Kitchen." Bren Smith, a former commercial fisherman, discussed his new memoir, “Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer." Writer Christopher Castellani discussed his latest novel, "Leading Men." US Women’s National Team Soccer player Sam Mewis stopped by the GBH studio days after winning the Women’s World Cup Championship.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jennifer Nassour and Steve Kerrigan recapped down Tuesday’s primaries, and debated President Trump's odds of winning reelection in November. Nassour is a former Chairwoman of the Mass GOP, founder of Conservative Women For A Better Future, and President of the Pocketbook Project. Kerrigan is the CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and former CEO of the DNC. We opened lines to hear your takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed ongoing Russian interference ahead of the November election, and a new campaign ad from Joe Biden that counters the president’s claim of being the “law and order” candidate. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed President Trump’s unprompted denial that he had a series of mini-strokes, and weighed in on the ethical problems with the Trump Administration’s efforts to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine. Food writer Corby Kummer talked about claims from some conservatives that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris wou

Medical ethicist Art Caplan spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about herd immunity, regarding COVID-19. “Herd immunity, bad idea - Sweden tried it - didn’t work,” he said. “Sweden basically said, let’s let [COVID-19] run its course, we’re not going to isolate, we’re going to let everybody get infected, and then once that’s done we won’t be able to infect each other, we’ll all have antibodies.” But Sweden had terrible death rates, Caplan noted. “Too many old people died, too many vulnerable people died, so they admitted it was a mistake.” President Donald Trump’s new virus advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, is pushing for a herd immunity response, Caplan added. “This idea is now circulating back in the White House with this new advisor Dr. Scott Atlas,” he said. “I don’t know why we’re listening to this again, because we have this giant example of a country failing.” Art Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Grossman Schoo

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the need to wear a mask when going out to eat. “Our diner code of conduct says to wear masks at all times away from the dining table: when entering the restaurant, ordering and interacting with servers, when walking to the restroom or just getting fresh air,” he said. “So that’s the most important thing you can do to protect servers, and also diners.” 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.

CNN analyst and national security expert Juliette Kayyem called in to Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, where she recapped a Wednesday report from ABC News accusing officials from the Department of Homeland Security of withholding information about Russian interference in the upcoming election. The report, she noted, also details how attacks on Joe Biden from President Trump appear to “either amplify, mirror, or follow” messaging from Russian bots across social media. Kayyem also weighed in on a new ad from Joe Biden's campaign, and explained why the president is losing a “culture war” over face masks. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, and faculty chair of the homeland security program at the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Stephen Lynch called in to make his final pitch to primary voters, where he spoke on his views about Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and his regret for voting in favor of the Iraq War. Dr. Robbie Goldstein, an MGH physician and candidate for Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District, responded to criticisms from his opponent Rep. Stephen Lynch, discussed his opposition to the Hyde Amendment, and spoke on the importance of having members of Congress who trust science and hard data.  We opened lines to hear your thoughts on Mass. primary pay, and recent statements from President Trump about police brutality and golf.  Carol Rose, executive director of the Mass. ACLU, talked about the threat that a stripped-down USPS poses to voter rights, and explained why she believes voter intimidation is a more pressing threat to U.S democracy than voter fraud.  Rep. Joe Kennedy III called in to make his final campaign pitch to Mass. primary voters, and discussed why he envision

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations.  On today's episode of Boston Public Radio:  Former U.S. Senate investigator Daniel J. Jones and director Scott Z. Burns discussed their collaboration on the new movie "Report,” about Jones’ investigation into the CIA’s use of torture. Daniel Leader, a pioneer in the American baking world, discussed his latest book, "Living Bread." Author and activist Naomi Klein talked about her new book, "On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal." New Yorker staff writer and host of the “Revisionist History” podcast Malcolm Gladwell discussed his new book, "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know." Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow discussed his new book, "Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators." Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton discussed his latest research on why minimalism is the new status symbol. Writer Joshua Foer talked about the latest ed

Note: We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations.  On today's episode of Boston Public Radio:  New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik discussed his latest book, "A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism.”  Harvard Business School behavioral economist Michael Norton explained the pathology of the “ask braggart,” a person whose sole motivation behind asking you a question is to tell you about themselves. Norman Mineta, the former statesman who served as cabinet secretary for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, talked about about a new PBS documentary, "Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story." New Yorker staff writer George Packer discussed his latest book, "Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century." John Waters, filmmaker, writer, artist, and one of our greatest cultural commentators, discussed his latest book, "Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder." Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creator of BoJack Horseman, discussed

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd recapped this week’s Republican National Convention, and discussed whether the week’s speeches will have an impact on swing voters. We opened lines to hear your impressions from night three of the RNC. Media maven Sue O'Connell talked about the absence of LGBTQ issues at the year's RNC, and the impact a second Trump term might have on LGBTQ rights. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed peaceful protests in various sports leagues over police brutality, and debate around the ethics of cash bail systems and the Massachusetts Bail Fund. Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville talked about the challenges of keeping college students socially distanced during the fall semester, and news about how charter schools are navigating their own return to classes. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the return of students to college campuses, and whether you think they’ll be willing t

As some schools and colleges opt for in-person learning this fall, Paul Reville told Boston Public Radio on Thursday that even with concerns about COVID-19 spread in classrooms and dorms, society has to accept some level of risk in order to deliver its mandate to provide an education to people. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen, but we’ve got to be vigilant and we’ve got to be able to react quickly if things start to get out of hand,” he said. “It’s all a matter of risk tolerance. The notion that we’re going to get to zero risk is just totally unrealistic, none of us have zero risk in our day to day lives.” Reville is former 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, co-authored with Elaine Weiss, is “Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools and Communities Help Students Overcome the Disadvantages of Poverty.”

Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm headed toward the Texas and Louisiana coasts. “You have to shelter differently because of COVID, so there’s a mandatory masking policy by all organizations who are running shelters,” she said. “It does not matter what a governor or local official says - no mask, no shelter, and I think that’s exactly right.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to hear your impressions from night two of the Republican National Convention.  Former Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski gave his take on nights one and two of the RNC, and defended his stance that President Trump deserves four more years in office. CNN analyst and national security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed the heightened challenges of navigating Hurricane Laura and other storms during the coronavirus pandemic, and the worrying rise in political influence from proponents of the QAnon conspiracy theory.  MIT economist and Affordable Care Act architect Jonathan Gruber discussed why public services function better outside of the private sector, and weighed in on the economic and political factors that are creating issues at the U.S.P.S Nancy Koehn talked about the key components of crisis leadership, and reflected on how national and global leaders have handled the COVID-19 crisis. Koehn is a Harvard Business School historian and author of “Forged

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to hear your take on night one of the Republican National Convention.  NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed institutional racism in New England's collegiate sports, 77 false positive COVID-19 tests in the NFL, and a recent statement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who said he should have “listened earlier” to Colin Kaepernick.   Mass. State Senator Becca Rausch talked about the successes and setbacks of mail-in voting in Mass., and responded to questions and comments from listeners.  Ali Noorani, Executive Director for the National Immigration Forum, discussed unfair assumptions about foreign-born voters in the U.S., and concerns about the looming furlough of 70% of employees at the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Former New Hampshire GOP chair and Lincoln Party co-founder Jennifer Horn talked about her impressions from night one of the RNC, and her PAC’s latest anti-Trump ad, titled “Evil.” CNN Chief National

Ali Noorani spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about the impact of naturalized immigrants on voting in 2020. “It’s in really important parts of the country where you see the share of eligible voters who are foreign-born really skyrocket,” he said. “48 percent of eligible voters in Miami-Dade, Florida are foreign-born, and 22 percent of eligible voters in Fort Bend, Texas are foreign-born; So Georgia, Texas, and South Florida are communities that are going to see a disproportionate impact of foreign-born voters this November.” Ali Noorani is Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, his latest book is There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with listeners about recent protests and accusations of environmental racism over the proposed removal of 124 trees along Roxbury's Melnea Cass Boulevard.  Robbie Goldstein, an MGH physician and candidate for Mass. 8th congressional district, talked about his views on expanding health care coverage in the state, abortion rights, and why he’s running for the seat of current Rep. Stephen Lynch.   Politico's Stephanie Murray broke down the latest headlines around several Mass. congressional races, as well as the ongoing Senate primary race between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III.  DNC Chair Tom Perez talked about last week’s Democratic National Convention.  Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the history of racist housing practices in liberal neighborhoods in and around Boston, and previewed season two of their podcast All Rev’d Up, which premiers this Wednesday.  TV expert Bob Thompson lent his t

Tom Perez, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, spoke with Boston Public Radio on Monday about last week’s 2020 Democratic National Convention. “We were able to accomplish our plan, which was to demonstrate to the country that the Democratic party is both the party of diversity and inclusion and accomplishment,” he said. “Joe Biden, I thought, made the best political speech of his life.”