Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to ask our listeners: Should younger generations set our moral compass? John Huet and John Phillips, the creative duo behind The Uncornered Photo Documentary Project, spoke about their project on the Boston Common. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses President Donald Trump's changing stance on gun reform. Rupa Shenoy, reporter for The World, joined to discuss her multi-part series on slavery. TV expert Bob Thompson explained the CBS-Viacom merger. Naturalist Sy Montgomery talked about two gay penguins in the Berlin Zoo trying to hatch an egg of their own, and other animal-related headlines. Celtic Sojourn's Brian O'Donovan and harpist Maeve Gilchrist previewed the first annual Rockport Celtic Festival.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to ask our listeners how they feel about the Sen. Elizabeth Warren - Native American controversy. Washington Post Climate Reporter Steven Mufson explained how extreme climate change is hitting the United States, with temperatures especially heating up in New England. The start of the new school year is right around the corner and Andrea Campbell, president of the Boston City Council, discussed her education plan. Author Miles Howard spoke about his latest book, "The Early Voters: Millennials, in Their Own Words, on the Eve of a New America." Author Dan Albert talked about his latest book, "Are We There Yet?: The American Automobile Past, Present, and Driverless." CNN's John King gave the latest updates on the 2020 presidential campaigns. We opened the lines again, this time to ask our listeners about oversharing online, especially when it comes to posting photos of their children.

Today on Boston Public Radio: WGBH's own Adam Reilly and Boston Globe reporter Frank Phillips provided a politics round table. WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott discusses President Donald Trump's role in Israel banning two Congresswomen from visiting the country on a political trip. Medical Ethicist Art Caplan discussed a new report that one in every 1,000 black men dies at the hands of police officers in America. We opened the lines to hear listeners' thoughts on an impending recession. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G Price III joined us for another edition of All Rev'd Up, where they discussed Jay Z's new deal with the NFL. Industrial designer Garrett Benisch discussed his efforts to design products with sustainability in mind, including a pen made with ink from refined human waste. Inaugural poet Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of Village Voice.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis spoke about his advocacy for the North-South rail link, as well as his views on the 2020 presidential race. Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bennet joined Jim, and guest host Shirley Leung, to speak about his candidacy. WGBH’s Emily Rooney quizzed our hosts on the Woodstock music festival. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh came on for “Ask the Mayor,” to take our listeners calls and questions. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed algorithms that exist to detect hate speech online. WGBH’s Callie Crossley spoke about the backlash Jay-Z is facing after signing into a partnership with the National Football League. Revolving Museum founder Jerry Beck and high school teach Coraly Rivera talked about the “Poetry Museum” arriving in downtown Boston next week.

Products that are deemed harmful, like cigarettes and alcohol, come with an added excise tax - dubbed the 'sin tax' - when consumers purchase them. Now Germany, and several Nordic countries, think it's time to add a sin tax on meat. The hope is that higher prices will disincentivize consumers from buying meat, specifically beef, that contributes to the worsening of climate change. Americans eat an average of over 200 pounds of meat a year, and cows contribute 41% of livestock greenhouse gas emissions. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to discuss the meat tax and alternatives to beef. "There are many ways to get animal protein if you want animal protein, go ahead. But don't have it from the animals that are contributing so much more to greenhouse gases and methane emissions," he said. "In the U.S. there's lots of reasonably priced alternative protein. Let them eat those alternatives and save the climate." The meat tax wouldn't hurt consumers' wallets too hard, Kummer said, but would be in

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd discussed the latest political headlines. Todd is moderator of Meet the Press and political director for NBC News. We opened the lines to hear from listeners about whether they think there is a disconnect between the way government operates and the will of the people. Former Suffolk County sheriff and former public safety secretary Andrea Cabral discussed how Jeffrey Epstein's apparent suicide is casting a spotlight on how federal prisons are rife with violence, sexual harassment, and chronic under-staffing. Cabral is now CEO of Ascend. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed new MBTA cars on the orange line and the planned merger between Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan. Paul Reville discussed the tuition hike at UMass and other education headlines. Reville is former secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, where he runs the Education Redesign Lab. Corby Kummer discussed a potential meat tax in

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to ask whether you're skipping traveling during your vacation time off from work because it's too expensive. Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie joined us to discuss the aftermath of Operation Clean Sweep on Boston's homeless population. We spoke with medical ethicist Art Caplan about President Donald Trump's proposal to allow the importation of cheaper pharmaceuticals into the United States. WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen shared his thoughts on the latest production of "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is now running on Broadway. We spoke with historian Nancy Koehn about Robert Kennedy's leadership style during his 1968 presidential campaign. WCRB's Brian McCreath and Celtic Sojourn's Brian O'Donovan joined us for a seasonal concert round table.

Today on Boston Public Radio: On Monday, the Trump administration announced it would be changing the way the Endangered Species Act is applied, significantly weakening it. We asked our listeners to share their thoughts on the decision. Trenni Kusnierek discussed the recent calls to boycott Equinox Fitness and SoulCycle due to the chairman of the company that owns both companies hosting a fundraiser for President Donald Trump. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston. Ali Noorani discussed the Trump administration’s “public charge rule,” a policy that requires immigrants to be denied a green card if they are likely to use government benefit programs. Noorani is the executive director of the National Immigration Forum. We asked our listeners to discuss their techniques for being environmentally conscious in the modern world. John King discussed the latest developments in the 2020 presidential race. King is the chief national correspondent for CNN. Playwright Ryan Landry joined us to discuss h

Today on Boston Public Radio: Charlie Chieppo and Jennifer Braceras joined us for a political round table. Chieppo is principal of Chieppo Strategies and senior fellow at both Governing and Pioneer Institute. Braceras is a political columnist, director of the Center for Law & Liberty at the Independent Women's Forum, and a former Commissioner of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. We spoke with WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott about the resignation of US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, one of a string of resignations in President Donald Trump's cabinet. Pat and Tammy McLeod joined us to discuss their new book *Hit Hard: One Family's Journey of Letting Go of What Was -- And Learning to Live Well with What Is, *about their son's traumatic brain injury sustained while playing football. We opened the lines to take listener calls about the news that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein apparently committed suicide while in jail. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III joined us for ano

Today on Boston Public Radio: SoulCycle leadership has been found to throw fundraisers for President Donald Trump. SoulCyclers who don't support Trump now feel conflicted about where their money is going. We opened the lines to ask our listeners if morality affects their consumer habits. Sabine van Rensburg and Brin Schoellkopf of The 7 Fingers circus discussed their U.S. premiere of PASSENGERS opening at ArtsEmerson this September. WGBH's Emily Rooney spoke about troubles with the RMV in Massachusetts as well as Tucker Carlson's denial of white supremacy. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko spoke about 8chan, the site which the El Paso shooter allegedly posted an anti-immigration manifesto before killing 22 people. Lindsay Mis, executive director of Massachusetts Design Art & Technology, talked about the new public art installation in New Bedford called "Silver Current." Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed why Massachusetts traffic congestion is hitting its limit. Three players from the Boston

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC News' Chuck Todd gave updates on the latest in national politics. Author Rebecca Traister talked to us about 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's past as a professor. We opened the line to ask our listeners if they think Warren's career in the classroom helps on the campaign trail. Criminal justice analyst Andrea Cabral spoke about the Trump administration's stance on gun control. Mike Norton, behavioral economist at Harvard Business School, spoke about the healing power of humor in tragic situations. He also took calls from our listeners about how humor has helped them along the grieving process. WGBH science editor Heather Goldstone described the present day impacts of climate change. Medical ethicist Art Caplan explained why video games and mental illness are not to blame for mass shootings.

If you prefer your milk without the moo, a variety of plant-derived "milks" exist. Some people swap cows' milk for plant milk due to having dairy allergies. Others choose to consume plant milk for environmental or animal rights reasons, and these are just the type of people who might soon reach for a glass of lab-made milk instead. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday to explain how lab-made dairy can produce milk with without the methane. "Protein alternatives made from plants are all the rage as we know Beyond Meat and Impossible burgers, but it's happening in fish, eggs and milk. This milk is not an alternative, it's got all the allergens of dairy products, but what it doesn't have is belching cows behind it," he said. As funny as it is to imagine cows belching, the methane released from these burps is no joking matter. Cow burps add up, accounting for 26 percent of all U.S. total methane emissions, according to National Geographic. Cow-free dairy could lower this number, sa

Today on Boston Public Radio: Economist Jonathan Gruber distinguished the 2020 Democratic candidates' healthcare plans from each other. He also took questions from our listeners about how different healthcare plans could affect them. Massachusetts Representative Stephen Lynch discussed gun reform legislation in the wake of the fatal shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem explained why she believes white supremacism is the greatest terroristic threat to the United States of America. WGBH's executive arts editor Jared Bowen called in from New York City to describe his experience last night during the panic at Times Square. Hundreds of people ran for their lives after mistaking a motorcycle for gunshot. Venezuela and Uruguay have issued travel warning to the U.S. in response to the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. We opened the lines to ask our listeners about their safety concerns with traveling in the U.S. MA Representative William Straus and Senator Joseph Boncore dis

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to hear from listeners about how mass shootings are affecting our mental health. NBC Sports reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed a recent Major League Soccer player's goal celebration decision to grab a field microphone and call on Congress to end gun violence, and the league's decision not to punish him. Chris Dempsey and Jim Aloisi discussed Governor Charlie Baker's transportation bond bill, highlighting aspects where the governor is a leader and where he's falling behind. Dempsey is director of Transportation For Massachusetts. Aloisi is a former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and is on the board of TransitMatters. ACLU Executive Director Carol Rose discussed anti-immigration rhetoric coming out of the White House in the aftermath of the El Paso shooting, and what the civil liberties union is doing to protect immigrants rights. Lizzie Post discussed her new book* Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, From Dispensaries to Dinner Par

Today on Boston Public Radio: Sue O'Connell and Joanna Weiss discussed the weekend mass shootings in Ohio and Texas and other national headlines in a political round-table. O'Connell is co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and in-depth politics reporter for NECN. Weiss is editor of Experience, a magazine published by Northeastern University. WGBH News analyst Charlie Sennott looked at how America compares to other nations when it comes to gun deaths, and why mass shooters who espouse white nationalism aren't charged with domestic terrorism in the country. We opened the phone lines to hear from our listeners about where they stand on gun control. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price discussed what rural Christians heard during the Democrat presidential debates. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and a Visiting Researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at Boston University School of Theology. Emmett is

Today on Boston Public Radio: Congresswoman Katherine Clark discussed what moved her to join other Democrats calling for impeachment against President Donald Trump. We opened the lines to ask our listeners how they feel about the near end of summer. WGBH's Callie Crossley joined us at the WGBH studio at the Boston Public Library to discuss how race was handled in the 2020 Democratic debates. Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther explained why some hotels are phasing out min-toiletries. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko spoke about how safe our next election will be from tampering. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung spoke about the racially insensitive cover of yesterday's Boston Herald. Rhett Price and Josh Knowles, aka the Subway Violinists, took part in our weekly news quiz and played us some tunes.

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC's Chuck Todd joined us on the line to recap the 2020 Democratic debates the past two nights. Did you watch the debate last night or did you decide to tune it out? We opened the lines to ask our listeners about their debate opinions. Criminal justice analyst Andrea Cabral discussed the 2020 Democratic candidates' criminal justice reform plans. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley joined us to discuss President Donald Trump's racist rhetoric and her take on the debates. We opened the lines again to continue the conversation with our listeners about the debates the past two nights. Medical ethicist Art Caplan explained the 2020 Democratic candidates' health care plans. Media maven Sue O'Connell spoke about Justin Trudeau making history by visiting a gay bar for Canada Pride. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam discussed Herman Melville's writing habits.

The Trump administration is proposing a change to the rules that govern who is eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. Under the proposed rule changes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 3 million people would lose benefits, which includes an estimated 90,000 people in Massachusetts, according to the state's Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). The proposed changes would prohibit the states from expanding who is eligible for the program beyond the federal baseline, which is $33,475 for a family of four — or 130 percent of the federal poverty level. Right now, 39 states, including Massachusetts, offer federally-funded SNAP benefits to people who make more than that — up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level — but still qualify for benefits because they have other expenses that make it hard for them to pay for food. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said the rule changes will “close a loophole” and will

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened up the line to ask our listeners about their thoughts on last night's 2020 Democratic debate. Washington Post's National Politics reporter Annie Linskey spoke with Jim and Margery about last night's debate and previewed the subsequent debate tonight. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discussed Dan Coats resignation as Director of National Intelligence. Food writer Corby Kummer talked about the 120th anniversary of the Hood ice cream sandwich. WGBH's executive arts editor Jared Bowen reviewed exhibits from the Clark Art Institute. Naturalist Sy Montgomery spoke about conservation efforts being made to help puffin populations in Maine and tiger populations in India. Former Central Intelligence Agency officer John Woodward Jr. joined to discuss the role of Director of National Intelligence and how it will change now that Coats is out.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Have you taken vacation time yet this summer? We opened the lines to ask our listeners about their work-life balance. NBC Sports Boston anchor Trenni Kusnierek joined Jim and Margery to talk about David Ortiz's recovery. Former state secretary of education Paul Reville discussed his new book on improving schools for low-income communities. Boston Globe reporter Dan Adams gave us the latest updates on the state's cannabis industry. Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, discussed the latest immigration headlines. CNN's John King called in from Detroit to preview tonight's 2020 Democratic debate. We opened the lines again, this time to ask our listeners if they'll be watching the 2020 Democratic debates tonight and tomorrow.