Boston Public Radio

The Coolidge Corner Theater CEO and executive director said she teared up the first time she stepped back into the cinema, which has been closed since March 2020.

Sen. Tim Scott, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden all said that America is not racist last week.

Naturalist Sy Montgomery tells us how to help our pets adjust when we head back into the office.

Andrea Cabral spoke about the importance of the Justice Department stepping in to defend laws where states won't.

Dr. Abraar Karan discusses why India is experiencing the world's worst coronavirus outbreak.

Following the near-unanimous passage of anti-Asian hate-crime legislation in Washington last week, writer and educator Saida Grundy joined Boston Public…

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan shares his thoughts on DJ Ferguson, a 31-year-old man who was denied a heart transplant at Brigham and Women’s after he refused to get vaccinated. He also talks about Neil Young urging Spotify to remove Joe Rogan from the platform – or face the removal of all of his music. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. We then ask listeners for their thoughts on refusing a heart transplant in order to remain unvaccinated. Juliette Kayyem discusses Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement announcement, and concerns over potential cyber attacks from Russia. 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. Ali Noorani weighs in on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to kick migrant children who arrived in the country without their parents out of Florida shelters and from transitional foster care by refusing shelter and foster care license renewal applications. Noorani is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is "There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.” Shirley Leung talks about the Mass. officials trying to regain unemployment money they overpaid to people, and a “millionaire’s tax” that voters will consider on the ballot this November. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Sy Montgomery updates us on the latest stories from the animal kingdom, from her recent resuscitation of Monet, the wild painted turtle, to the scientists who taught goldfish to operate vehicles. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is "The Hummingbirds’ Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings." We wrap up the show by asking listeners if they keep a secret stash of cash away from their partners.

While many think the suburbs have a “boring, white bread reputation,” the pandemic has caused a wave of restaurateurs to set their eyes on suburbia over the big city. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Monday to share why increasing numbers of restaurateurs are choosing to open restaurants in the suburbs rather than the big city – and how new of a trend this really is. Although the pandemic spurred many people to move from urban areas to suburbia, Kummer notes that independent, award-winning restaurants have long pre-dated the pandemic. “There's lots of different groups that are opening restaurants, and I think there's a more discerning customer base that wants higher quality,” Kummer noted. Kummer pointed to Il Capriccio Ristorante e Bar in Waltham, an award-winning Northern Italian restaurant that first opened in 1981. The original owner of IL Capriccio, Enzo Danesi, worked at Barsanti’s in Boston and Le Bocage in Cambridge before opening his restaurant in Waltham. Il Capriccio recently reopened at The Merc at Moody and Main. “This is part of a trend that has been accelerated by the pandemic and people moving to suburbs, but it's not really completely new,” Kummer said. Kummer is the 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: We begin the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on the state of ‘Jeopardy!’ after Amy Schneider continued her streak to become the second-place record holder for consecutive game wins. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the athletes taking extreme caution around COVID-19 before the Beijing Olympics, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills this past weekend. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka discusses the Mass. legislature moving forward with a $55 million COVID-19 response bill, and the possibility of passing same-day voter registration in the state. Spilka is president of the State Senate. Billy Baker shares the challenges of making friends in adulthood, especially for men. Baker is a Boston Globe reporter. His memoir, “We Need To Hang Out,” is out today in paperback. Bob Luz talks about how the restaurant industry has been impacted by Mayor Michelle Wu’s indoor vaccine mandate. Luz is President and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. We then open the phone lines, asking listeners about their experiences with the indoor vaccine mandate. John King updates us on the latest political headlines, from rising tension between Russia and Ukraine to former Attorney General Bill Barr cooperation with the Jan. 6 committee. King is CNN’s Chief National Correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by talking with listeners about the challenges of making and keeping friends as an adult.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners about their marijuana habits, after a report showed cannabis tax revenue has surpassed alcohol revenue in the state. Lylah Alphonse updates listeners on the latest news from Rhode Island, including the status of marijuana legalization and the state of hospitals amid the Omicron surge. Alphonse is the Rhode Island editor for The Boston Globe. Charlie Sennott weighs in on growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and the Biden Administration’s foreign policy decisions. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Edgar B. Herwick III looks back on this season of the Curiosity Desk, including answering questions about fruit flies, right-on-red rules and unwritten rules of Boston. Edgar B Herwick III is host of the Curiosity Desk at GBH, which just wrapped up season one of its YouTube show. The Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III discusses Dorothy Day’s legacy after the Archdiocese of New York asked the Vatican to make her a saint. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston and the inaugural dean of Africana studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast at GBH. Corby Kummer talks about the growth of quality restaurants in suburbs and vodka infused oysters. Kummer is the 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. We end the show by asking listeners what items they have not been able to find at the grocery store, and Americans’ allegiances to particular food brands.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners what parts of pre-pandemic life they have left behind as we enter year three of COVID-19. LaTosha Brown weighs in on what the fight for voting rights and recent legislative failure means for the country’s Black community. LaTosha Brown is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Callie Crossley talks about the death of fashion journalist and Vogue editor André Leon Talley, and where to find the best comfort food in Boston. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Andy Ihnatko updates listeners on all things tech, including a study by the Fed into whether the U.S. should create a “digital dollar” and debates over the effect of 5G on airports. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Sue O’Connell discusses a viral clip of a TV reporter getting hit by a car while on live air, the death of Meat Loaf and controversial updates to the M&M characters. 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. Eliza Parad critiques the state of bike safety in Boston, and what the city should do to improve biking in the city. Parad is the Director of Organizing for the Boston Cyclists Union. We end the show by asking listeners for their favorite comfort foods.