Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to ask callers: do you think American voters in 2020 are capable of electing a woman president? Filmmaker Michael Kirk discussed a new two-part FRONTLINE docuseries called “America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump.” James Aloisi, Former Secretary of Transportation, and Chris Dempsey, Massachusetts Director of Transportation, discussed frustrations over transportation funding, and the MBTA's failure to comply with a union contract provision to spend $25 million on upgrading bus maintenance facilities.  NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed Red Sox manager Alex Cora's cheating scandal, and new rules dictating how athletes can and can’t protest during the 2020 Olympics. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed new Trump rules limiting the distribution of food stamps, and the latest trend in plant-based meats: Impossible Pork.  CNN’s John King discussed the debate over whether a woman presidential candidate could beat Trump, and other headlines rela

Today on Boston Public Radio: Charlie Chieppo and Shannon O’Brien discussed the latest headlines around the 2020 election, and Gov. Baker’s Transportation Climate Initiative. Charlie Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies, Senior Fellow at the Pioneer Institute and Adjunct Professor at Suffolk University. Shannon O'Brien is former State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for governor. WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed protests in Iran after state officials admitted fault for the shooting down of a Ukrainian jetliner.  We opened our lines to callers to talk about the rise of billionaires Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg in the 2020 race. TV writer Bob Thompson spoke on the legacy of screenwriter Buck Henry, and discussed the ratings success of Jeopardy’s “GOAT" series. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price III, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed Ex-Pope Benedict’s recent statement defending the celibacy of priests, as well as the 1-year anniversary of a Bethe

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to ask callers: are you complicit in the robot takeover?  Boston Mayor Marty Walsh stopped by for our monthly edition of "Ask the Mayor”. Boston Globe business writer Shirley Leung discussed slowing revenue at the Encore Casino in Everett, and Marty Walsh’s proposal to pull funding from local corporations to increase funding for Boston's affordable housing. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed the racism that contributed to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to resign from royal duties, and "Judge Judy” Sheindlin’s endorsement of Michael Bloomberg for president.  Lewis Wheeler and Hubens “Bobby” Cius from the play "Pass Over" joined us for our weekly news quiz. 

Today on Boston Public Radio: MSNBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed the latest headlines around Iran, the 2020 presidential race, and President Trump’s impeachment. Rep. Bill Keating discussed the Senate impeachment vote, the evolution of the Republic party, and his views on the erosion of the War Powers Act. We opened our lines to talk with callers about Iran and the War Powers Act.  Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed litigation against Boston University over a dorm room assault, and voting rights for the present and formerly incarcerated.  Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton talked about the benefit of rituals in keeping relationships strong.  We invited listeners to call in with stories about rituals in their own relationships.  Mass. Senator Ed Markey called in to discuss his 2020 re-election campaign and the Senate impeachment trial. We asked listeners to call in with their thoughts on “Megxit."

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to callers to hear your thoughts on Iran’s Tuesday night missile strike.  We aired live audio of President Trump’s statement regarding the Iranian missile strike.  CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem recapped President Trump’s statements and offered her take on how it could impact tensions moving forward.   Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, discussed Iranian-Americans being detained by immigration officials at U.S. borders.  Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn and the Kennedy School’s David Gergen discussed historic examples of leadership in times of crisis, and weighed in on the situation with Iran.  Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed questions of transparency surrounding the health of several 2020 presidential candidates.  WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen reviewed "Little Women,” “1917,” and “Bombshell,” as well as a new exhibit at the ICA called “When Home Won’t Let You Stay."

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio *on Tuesday about a zero waste Brooklyn restaurant that could change other restaurateurs' relationship with food waste. "This restaurant called Rhodora is trying to figure out how never to have to give anything to the dump that could have been recycled or composted," Kummer said. 'It's not easy to do, but I do think it's going to be a selling point." Zero waste restaurants may start to gain popularity among environmentally conscious consumers, Kummer noted. "I do think that young people are going to choose this and look at this as a reason to eat in the restaurant," he said. "Rhodora is just starting, and [going zero waste] is expensive and complicated, but they've got to blaze the trail." *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 about the growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.   NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek weighed in on the future for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, following Saturday's playoff loss to the Titans.  Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU, discussed the Boston Police Department’s failure to disclose street investigation data as far back as 2016, and new abortion rules before State House lawmakers.  Food writer Corby Kummer recapped the decade in Boston dining, and discussed a Massachusetts bill that would restrict the use of plastic straws in restaurants.  Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther recapped his experience at the new TWA Hotel in JFK airport, discussed his list of travel to in 2020, "… or not."  CNN’s John King called in to discuss the latest news regarding tensions in Iran, and the status of President Trump's impeachment.  We re-opened lines to ask callers their thoughts on making election

Today on Boston Public Radio: WGBH's Adam Reilly and Experience magazine Editor in Chief Joanna Weiss discussed the latest news around President Trump’s impeachment, as well as the potential impact of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani’s death on the 2020 election. WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed the geopolitical ramifications of Qassem Soleimani’s death. We opened lines to ask callers about your thoughts Bernie Sanders’ position as a 2020 frontrunner. TV writer Bob Thompson recapped Sunday night’s Golden Globe Awards. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price III, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed a recent op-ed in the Boston Globe titled “Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem," and gave their thoughts on the new Netflix film “The Two Popes.”  Tech writer Andy Ihnatko previewed advancements in the the tech world for 2020. Pastry chef and Flour Bakery owner Joanne Chang discussed her latest cookbook, “Pastry Love."

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Massachusetts Governor and 2020 presidential candidate Deval Patrick discussed his election campaign, and offered his thoughts on the assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani. We opened our lines to talk with callers about your techniques for getting out of bed in the morning, and the drawbacks of the snooze button. Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, joined us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the implications of Thursday’s assassination of Qassem Soleimani, and the wildfires ravaging Australia.  Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed a same-sex kiss in the new Star Wars movie, and the Trump administration’s removal of mentions of sexual orientation from executive branch discrimination guidelines.  Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed the end of Julian Castro’s 2020 campaign, and the increasingly white field of Democratic presidential candidates. Two environmentally sustaina

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jennifer Horn discussed The Lincoln Project, a PAC of prominent Republicans whose mission is to “defeat Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box.” Horn is a Lincoln Project founder, 2-time challenger for New Hampshire’s 2nd congressional district, and former chair of the New Hampshire GOP. We opened our lines to talk with callers about New Year's resolutions, impeachment, and the 2020 election. Andrea Cabral discussed a year-end report from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts advocating for judicial independence, as well as news that the Boston Police Department will no longer be releasing data on street investigations. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed newly unearthed documents indicating that FDA oversight failures led to thousands of opioid-related deaths, and the prison sentence for a Chinese doctor who edited genes of human embryos.  Former Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville discussed the lack of diversity for Massachusetts teachers, and poor sanitar

We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations, including: Daniel J Jones and Scott Z Burns discussed their collaboration on the new movie, The Report. Daniel J Jones’ investigation into the CIA’s use of torture is the subject of The Report, which Burns directed. Daniel Leader, a pioneer in the American baking world, discussed his latest book, "Living Bread." Naomi Klein joined Jim and Margery to talk about her new book, "On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal." Malcolm Gladwell, staff writer for the New Yorker, discussed his new book, "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know." Investigative reporter Ronan Farrow won a Pulitzer-Prize for public service for his reporting on Harvey Weinstein. He joined Jim and Margery to discuss his new book: "Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators." Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton discussed his latest research, which looks at why minimalism is the new status symbol. Writer Joshua

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC Sports Boston Reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed whether the Patriots’ Sunday loss to the Miami Dolphins signals the end of their reign in the NFL. Constitutional law professor Kent Greenfield discussed his recent op-ed criticizing Sen. Mitch McConnell’s partiality ahead of the Senate impeachment trial. In our second and third hours we spotlighted some of our favorite conversations, including: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Robert Woodward discussed his book FEAR: Trump in the White House Author Susan Orlean joined Jim and Margery to talk about her latest work, The Library Book Poet Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of The Village Voice.  Chef Dorie Greenspan discussed her new cookbook: Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton shared his research on the dark side of the inside joke.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michael Curry and Lylah Alphonse discussed Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s statements about Mitch McConnell’s role in the Senate impeachment trial, a Trump-themed festival in Arizona, and the passing of Boston City Counselor Chuck Turner. 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. Alphonse is the Managing News Editor at the U.S. News & World Report. Evan Falchuck and Lou DiNatale discussed their new report on the center-leaning politics of Massachusetts voters. Falchuck is a former gubernatorial candidate and CEO of the health care tech company VillagePlan, and DiNatale is a veteran Massachusetts pollster. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed an investigation into the safety of airline food, and the surging popularity of so-called “ghost kitchens." Journalist and author Sy Montgomery discussed the growing crisis of ocean trash on marine life, the hard-to-decipher facial exp

As online food ordering becomes more popular, a new restaurant trend is popping up to deal with the demand: ghost kitchens, or production centers to handle delivery orders only, with no store front at all. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Monday to discuss the trend, first adopted by restaurants, which is now expanding into the food delivery apps themselves. "The idea is, you save a lot of money if you don’t have to rent a store front location and you don’t have to have your own staff doing delivery. So Seamless and Doordash are starting their own ghost kitchens. What are these? They're windowless production kitchens ... you can't order takeout, you can't go in, they're only to fulfill online orders." For example, Doordash has partnered with various restaurant chains to open a shared kitchen, to be a one-stop production kitchen for multiple brands that deliver through the app. "You order something, it has a separate brand identity online, that's the only brand identity it has, becaus

We’re on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations, which include: Harvard Business School's Michael Norton discussed his research into why we fall for marketing gimmicks that give us a false sense of exclusivity. Margot Lee Shatterly discussed her book, "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race." Former UN Ambassador Susan Rice discusses her memoir, "Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For." Salman Rushdie discussed his latest novel "Quichotte." Imani Perry talked about her new memoir, "Breathe: A Letter to My Sons.” Writer Lindy West discussed her latest book, "The Witches are Coming."

A new poll finds that new Millennials, the generation that loves to dine out, tip less frequently than the two previous generations. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to explain the “confusing, messy” world of restaurant tipping. The poll, published by YouGov, found that 63 percent of Millennials tip regularly, compared to 89 percent of Baby Boomers, and 81 percent of Generation Xers. But, according to the poll, Millennials feel guiltier about their habits. “The only good thing about this is that they feel guilty,” said Kummer. “They think they should be doing more, and they’re not sure how to handle it.” Waiters and waitresses in most states in America rely on tips to cover a substantial part of their income, as employers can pay servers about $2 an hour as long as tips cover the remainder of the minimum wage. If tips don’t get employees to minimum wage, employers are required to pay the difference, although Kummer said this system often leads to wage theft and isn’t often en

We're on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations: Mark Leibovich, chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, discussed his book "Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times." Anand Giridharadas joined BPR to talk about his book "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World." Comedian and podcaster Hari Kondabolu talked about his documentary, The Problem With Apu. Journalist, author and animal behaviorist Sy Montgomery joined Jim and Margery for another edition of the Afternoon Zoo. Comedian, actor and screenwriter Ike Barinholtz discussed his film, The Oath.

We're on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations: Ron Chernow joins Jim and Margery to talk about his biography, “Grant.” Harvard Business School's Michael Norton discusses his latest research, which looks at what is more valuable to people, saving money or saving time. Author Karl Ove Knaussgard discusses his book, “Autumn.” Patti Smith discusses why she considers herself a writer above all her other talents. It’s the subject of her memoir “Devotion (Why I Write).” Salman Rushdie discusses his novel, “The Golden House.” Sy Montgomery and Elizabeth Marshall Thomas discuss their book “Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind.”

For this episode of Boston Public Radio, hour one was live, with Ascend CEO Andrea Cabral and WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen filling in for Jim and Margery: NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed how former NBA player Dwayne Wade has been using his platform to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ rights. Corby Kummer discussed why there is a generational difference in tipping in restaurants. 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. Patrick Swanson, the artistic director of the Christmas Revels, previewed some songs the group are performing at the Sanders Theater through Dec. 29. Then, we replayed some of our favorite holiday interviews: Rob Kapilow, the composer, conductor, and music commentator, broke down what makes Irving Berlin’s White Christmas great. Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart challenged Jim and Marg

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jennifer Nassour and Steve Kerrigan joined us for a politics roundtable. Nassour is a former Chair of the MassGOP and COO of ReflectUS, and Kerrigan is President and co-founder of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, and former CEO of the DNC. TV writer Bob Thompson reviewed Eddy Murphy’s return to SNL, FX’s “A Christmas Carol”, and the bevy of options for online Yule log viewing. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed a new test to diagnose Alzheimer’s, and a Wayne State University study on society’s attitudes surrounding infidelity. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price III, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed an editorial in Christianity Today calling for the removal of President Trump, and a 16 year prison sentence for a man who burned an LGBT flag. Attorney General Maura Healey stopped by the Boston Public Radio studio for our monthly “Ask the AG” series.