Boston Public Radio Podcast

Dr. Ken Duckworth spoke to Boston Public Radio on Monday about mental health, teletherapy, and coping support during the pandemic. “Supply [of therapists] was always inadequate to demand,” he said. “But demand has exploded in the context of the pandemic.” More people are experiencing distress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, addiction relapse, and recurrence of trauma since COVID-19, Duckworth said. “More people are seeking help and I think that really reflects the experience that people are having.” Ken Duckworth is the Senior Medical Director for Behavioral Health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and the Medical Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Today on Boston Public Radio: M.I.T. economist Jon Gruber talked about shifting attitudes around the decriminalization of cannabis, and discussed the economic, public health, and social justice implications of marijuana legalization. We opened up the lines to talk with listeners about this year’s Black Friday, getting your takes on pandemic-era shopping sprees. National security expert Juliette Kayyem dove into the logistics of COVID vaccine distribution, and talked about a "rolling recovery” through the final months of the pandemic. She also talked about questions of presidential pardons during the final months of the Trump administration, and weighed in on President-elect Biden’s latest string of cabinet picks. Behavioral economist Michael Norton broke down his research on why human beings have such a hard time breaking from tradition, ahead of this COVID-era Thanksgiving. He also took some time to respond to questions and comments from listeners on the subject. Former DNC chairman Steve Grossman ta

Today on Boston Public Radio: Filmmaker Michael Kirk discussed his latest film for FRONTLINE, “Battle for the Court,” about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s decades-long effort to transform the Supreme Court. You can catch Kirk’s film on Tuesday night at 10:00 on PBS, or online at PBS.org/Frontline. Next, we opened our lines to get your takes on President-elect Joe Biden’s prospective cabinet picks. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed the emergence of a third prospective COVID-19 vaccine – this time from biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca – and its global implications for the next future of the coronavirus pandemic. Artist and performer David Byrne spoke about "American Utopia,” his Broadway show, Spike Lee-directed HBO special, and now newly-released book created in collaboration with artist Maira Kalman. He also offered some thoughts on Joe Biden’s 2020 win, and explained why he’s been busy doodling in quarantine. Food writer Corby Kummer gave the latest updates on struggles within Boston’s restaurant i

On Tuesday, travel guru Rick Steves joined Boston Public Radio for his monthly check-in, where he reflected on the meaning of Thanksgiving, and its particular significance in the bizarre year of 2020. "Every country has harvest festivals,” he said. “When travel and we clink glasses, we realize how beautiful and interconnected the world is, and realize how joy across the sea is just as real as joy across the table at home – and how hunger and suffering across the sea is just as real as sadness and struggles across our own family tables.” He added, “thankfulness to me is really hollow without being mindful about our relative privilege, and the needs of the less fortunate." During the interview, Steves also touched on his feelings about Joe Biden’s 2020 win, and spoke about what he’s hoping to achieve in 2021 with the slow easing of global travel restrictions. Steves is an author, television and radio host, and the owner of “Rick Steves' Europe” tour group. You can catch Rick Steves’ Europe weeknights at 7:3

When COVID-19 hit, New Wave musician and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne was forced to push back the return of his Broadway show, American Utopia. But that didn’t silence the project altogether. In collaboration with artist Maira Kalman, Byrne converted the show into an illustrated book, and on Boston Public Radio Tuesday, he argued for a societal return to hope in the American experiment itself. “(An American utopia) an imaginary ideal, but it’s nice to think that maybe we can get closer to it,” he said. Byrne said he takes inspiration from the writings of Alexis de Toqueville, who wrote “Democracy in America” in the early 1800s. “Obviously as we’ve seen, the experiment continues, it’s still an experiment,” he said. “There’s occasionally some bumps in the road, so far we’re still hanging in there … and can only hope that that kind of malleability that we have, leads us to a better place.” Byrne has kept creating and adapting American Utopia during a pandemic that has affected much of American

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about the issue of proper ventilation inside restaurants, during the pandemic. “Indoor dining is problematic, and it needs spacing and ventilation and constant mask-wearing,” he said. 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.

With news that pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has developed a COVID-19 vaccine that may be nearly 90% effective and is easy to transport, medical ethicist Arthur Caplan told Boston Public Radio on Tuesday things are looking good for widespread vaccine distribution. “We now have at least three, I’m expecting more to come through the pipeline in the coming months,” he said. “We can call this the Goldilocks phenomenon. The AstraZeneca one has the promise of being able to get to places the other ones won’t, including poor parts of the world as well as rural America.” The AstraZeneca news comes on the immediate heels of Pfizer and Moderna announcing their vaccines both show initial efficacy rates above 90% in late-stage trials, but must be stored in very cold temperatures. They use mRNA technology, which uses genetic material instead of the traditional deactivated virus to prompt an immune response. The AstraZeneca vaccine uses the more traditional method. Additionally, Caplan said the AstraZeneca vaccine m

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened Monday's show by opening lines, to talk with listeners about how you’re navigating your pandemic Thanksgiving.  NBC Sports Boston anchor and reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the passing of former Celtics player, coach, and play-by-play announcer Tommy Heinsohn, who died this month. She also discussed the spread of COVID-19 in collegiate football, and a recent piece by Kurt Streeter in the New York Times about running while Black. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed her latest writing on blowback to a string of worker layoffs at the Boston Marriott, whose let-off workers aren’t being paid full severance. She also discussed some anti-racist efforts of Boston businesses, and how her kids are handling the boredom of pandemic life. Lauren Kennedy talked about broad inefficiencies with America's childcare system, and what her non-profit Neighborhood Villages is doing to support working mothers and families through the pandemic. Kennedy is the co-fo

Today on Boston Public Radio: Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed her expectations President-elect Biden’s handling of LGBT issues, and reflected on the widespread child sex abuse scandal hanging over the Boy Scouts of America.  We opened lines to talk with listeners about your experiences with the Boy Scouts of America, and what you make of the organization’s uncertain future in light of widespread child abuse allegations. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney weighed in on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s erratic press conferences, the approval of two prospective coronavirus vaccines, and read a Thanksgiving-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley discussed a petition from Harvard University affiliates to prevent Trump administration officials from teaching or speaking on campus. She also touched on the ending of O Magazine, former President Obama’s new memoir, and ongoing efforts by President Trump to delay the certification of votes for Joe Biden

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd, moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC, talked about the latest news regarding President Trump’s attempts to negate his election loss, and spoke on the thousands of frustrated Fox News viewers migrating to stations like OAN and Newsmax. Next, we opened lines to talk with listeners about your plans for this COVID-era Thanksgiving.  Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral gave a debrief on the various efforts by GOP leaders to overturn the results of the November election, from figures like President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and others. Artistic director Michael Bobbitt discussed the anti-racist efforts of his New Repertory Theater, and what he feels needs to happen in order to better diversify American theater spaces. He also talked about the latest project from New Rep: a virtual play series called “Showstopper." Food writer Corby Kummer talked about the CDC’s recent recommendation that Ame

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about how to celebrate Thanksgiving during the pandemic. Should typical Thanksgiving celebrations be ‘canceled’ this year? Kummer says yes. “It is my prescription, and it is the CDC’s prescription as of this morning,” he said. “The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving, says the CDC, is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.” 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 the show by opening lines, to talk with listeners about the Baker administration’s efforts to keep schools opened in Mass., despite of surging coronavirus cases. Medical ethicist Art Caplan broke down the latest news around coronavirus vaccines, including the logistics and timeline of distributing them throughout the world, and the importance of staying cautious in the months leading up to their widespread national distribution. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talked about President Trump’s continued attempts to negate his election loss, with the recent firing of Christopher Krebs, who headed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and who pushed back against the president's claims of widespread election hacking. Boston Globe culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt discussed her new multimedia series for the Boston Globe called “A Beautiful Resistance,” about celebrating Blackness in America. She also weighed in on the historically tragedy-oriented coverage

Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about how foreign policy could change post-Trump. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has stated his intent to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran, Kayyem said. “Biden has said he wants to get back into the deal, and the Iranians are playing hardball now because they’re going to have their best leverage now,” she said. “But things will get back to normal, the good news is that everyone is positioning for Biden.” What concerns Kayyem is whether the United States’ allies will be ready to trust the country again, she noted. “To me the thing that rings most compelling for the challenge President-elect Biden is going to encounter is the worry amongst our allies that we were the country that did elect Donald Trump, and that almost reelected him,” she said. “That piece of it worries me, since there is something unreliable about us.” Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security an

Medical ethicist Art Caplan joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, talking about the flurry of news on two promising coronavirus vaccines from U.S. developers Pfizer and Moderna. Caplan cautioned that while word of the vaccines is promising, delays in distribution mean that people need to continue taking the pandemic seriously for foreseeable future. "I’m worried that we’re going to forget that over the next couple of months, we’ve gotta be hyper-cautious,” he said. "We don’t [yet] have vaccines – we have flaring, forest-fire levels of virus all over the place… if we can just get through the dark winter, I think there’s a spring coming. But we’ve gotta get through the dark winter with prudence.” Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Filmmaker Mike Shum discussed his latest documentary for FRONTLINE, "American Voices: A Nation in Turmoil,” about the perspectives of Americans on the events of 2020, from Black Lives Matter protests to the coronavirus pandemic. Next, we opened our lines to ask listeners: do you think Joe Biden will be able to make good on his pledge to unite the country?  NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek weighed in on news that the MLB is appointing its first-ever female general manager in Kim Ng, who’ll be managing the Miami Marlins. She also discussed how college sports leagues are navigating the pandemic, including plans to contain next year's March Madness to select stadiums in Indianapolis. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett returned to give an update on all things coronavirus. She discussed the latest news around a vaccine, the potential return of lockdowns to Mass., and responded to questions and comments from listeners. Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett gave a roundup of recent COVID-19 developments going on across the country, and here in Massachusetts, on Boston Public Radio this Tuesday. “Things are pretty dire across the country - everyday we hear news about states and governors who are finally putting in orders around masks and starting to close indoor dining, bars, and gyms,” she said. “Populations that really didn’t believe COVID-19 was true, or didn’t believe the severity of it, are now getting very ill, some on their death beds resenting this is true.” As for Thanksgiving festivities, Dr. Gergen Barnett asks people to get creative celebrating the holiday remotely. “Increasingly states with very high rates - and in Massachusetts we’re certainly barreling up to high numbers - we’re really asking people to please just have this Thanksgiving be like no other Thanksgiving, be creative, maybe take an outdoor hike with masks on,” she said. “There’s lots of other ways to appreciate gratitude on Thanksgiving besides sitting ar

Today on Boston Public Radio: We kicked off Monday’s show by talking with listeners about the disastrous coronavirus surge throughout the U.S., and new developments in the race for a vaccine. Boston Globe political reporter James Pindell discussed GOP efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and weighed in on the slew of issues facing Democrats in the wake of underwhelming Election Day results. Emily Oster, Brown economist and co-author of CovidExplained.org, made her case for why the benefits of moving forward with in-person learning outweigh the risks, and discussed the economic divide between pandemic-era education for wealthy kids versus their less well-off peers. T.V. expert Bob Thompson reviewed the latest episodes of “The Crown” and “SNL,” and talked about the known details of a forthcoming show from Jon Stewart on Apple TV Plus. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of GBH’s All Rev’d Up, debated the impact of evangelical voters on the 2020 election, and weighed in on th

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the show by talking with listeners about America’s worsening coronavirus crisis, and why you think the United States ended up where it is today.  Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman discussed his new in-depth documentary about Boston Marty Walsh's administration, titled “City Hall.” Beat the Press host Emily Rooney talked about the spread of election misinformation on Fox News, read a COVID-themed list of fixations and fulminations, and previewed Friday’s episode of Beat the Press. Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley talked about Rudy Giuliani's chaotic press conference at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping, Stacey Abrams’ efforts ahead of January's runoff election in Georgia, and her excitement about America’s (soon to be) first second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins joined for our monthly “Ask the D.A.” series. She talked about her views on the prosecution style of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Netflix's true crime ser

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed President Trump’s deluge of lawsuits attempting to delegitimize his election loss, and gave his take President-elect Biden’s leveled reaction. We opened lines to hear your takes on what exactly President Trump is planning, as he spreads false claims about voter fraud and refuses to concede his loss to Present-elect Biden.  Former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety Andrea Cabral discussed members of the legal community who are actively distancing themselves from President Trump’s effort to litigate his way into a second term. She also reflected on why white American voters have so reliably swung Republican. Sen. Ed Markey talked about the surge of coronavirus throughout the U.S., and why he’s worried about it getting worse in the final months of the Trump administration. He also weighed in on Trump’s refusal to concede defeat, and the actions he hopes President-elect Biden will make to move the U.S. forwa

Former Massachusetts education secretary Paul Reville returned to Boston Public Radio on Thursday, lamenting failures in the Commonwealth’s execution of pandemic-era public schooling. Amid news of high remote-learning rates and inefficient virtual classrooms, Reville warned that student learning losses are piling up, “literally day to day now,” and argued that the state needs to do more to prioritize education ahead of services like gyms, restaurants and movie theaters. “I think it needs to be a more urgent national and statewide priority, to put in place conditions in schools that’re going to give both teachers and parents that sense of security that they can send their children back to school safely,” he said. During the interview, Reville also discussed his hopes for the public education priorities of President-elect Joe Biden, and weighed in on the challenge of limiting the spread of COVID-19 as college students head home for Thanksgiving. Reville is a former Mass. Secretary of Education and a profe