Boston Public Radio

Étienne Zoomed in to Thursday's show as part of his tour through New England.

The state legislator joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, where he explained how lifting a decades-old happy hour ban could offer much-needed support for struggling restaurants.

The Codman Square Health Center’s Chief Medical Officer talked masking, vaccine requirements and why frisbee golf is a great option for fall sports.

The Harvard Professor and CNN analyst did not mince words when asked her thoughts on the Congressman’s Tuesday visit to Kabul.

Director Summer L. Williams joined Boston Public Radio to talk about the American Repertory Theater’s “Arboretum Experience,” which is open to the public and will run through the fall.

Bobbitt discussed the future of arts in the Commonwealth during an interview on Boston Public Radio Monday.

The Atlantic’s Corby Kummer returned to Boston Public Radio on Tuesday, weighing in on a recent survey by analysts at the investment bank UBS, which found workers at the popular breakfast-to-go chain Dunkin’ Donuts near the bottom in terms of employee retention. Kummer called the survey “all over the map,” but said most of the chains that fared best tended to be full-service restaurants, like Texas Roadhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse. “The closer they are to actual full-service, the higher the satisfaction rate,” he said. “I would assume that means higher tips and lower turnover.” In contrast, he said the environment at Dunkin’ Donuts is “all transactional,” and said the automated nature of the chain could be a key reason why the study found employees leaving at higher rates. During the discussion, Kummer also touched on a raise in minimum wage for McDonald’s workers, low interest in vaccine mandates at restaurants, and a recent article in the New York Times about masks becoming social signifiers. Corby 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: EJ Dionne talks about the death of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards. He also weighs in on the Supreme Court’s ruling on two Arizona voting laws, and term limits for Supreme Court justices. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.” Next, we talk with listeners about state Rep. Edward Coppinger’s proposal to add an extra, opt-in year of learning for high school students. Charlie Sennott discusses the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and shares his thoughts on Haiti’s calls for U.S. military presence in the wake of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith update us on the latest news from the Boston mayoral race and Massachusetts governor’s race, from former Boston Police Chief Dennis White’s claims of gender and racial discrimination to republican Geoff Diehl’s gubernatorial campaign launch. Reilly is co-host of GBH’s Politics podcast, “The Scrum.” Saraya Wintersmith covers Boston City Hall for GBH. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III share their thoughts on the removal of multiple Confederate statues in Charlottesville, and Parents United’s demands for “true diversity of thought” in New England private schools. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail, and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at the Boston University School of Theology. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco explains the craft behind the letter poem, and highlights examples of letters as poems. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We wrap up the show by asking listeners how they felt about Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk’s space race.

The U.S. Supreme Court has gutted most of the Voting Rights Act. In a Washington Post column after the decision was announced on July 1, EJ Dionne wrote dryly that the day may as well come to be known as “Oligarchy Day.” EJ Dionne joined Boston Public Radio on Monday, to discuss the ruling, and its implication for American democracy. He said the Supreme Court decision — with the six conservative justices voting in favor — was “outrageous, given that conservatives always say ‘we don’t legislate from the bench.’” Dionne said the decision will make it harder for the federal government to go to court to question voting restrictions that may appear neutral but could be discriminatory. EJ Dionne is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a columnist for the Washington Post. His latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners if they thought it was time for the government and employers to mandate vaccines. Andy Ihnatko talks about the multiple states that have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, and offers tips on safely handling damaged lithium-ion batteries. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Callie Crossley speaks about Zaila Avant-garde’s historic win of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She also talks about Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott’s plans to revive failed GOP voting legislation, and Harvard University’s plans to return civil rights leader Standing Bear’s tomahawk to the Ponca Tribe. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Dr. Marcia Chatelain discusses the historic role McDonald’s plays in the Black community, and the origins of Black capitalism. Dr. Chatelain is a professor of history in African American studies at Georgetown University. She’s the author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, which won a Pulitzer Prize this year for history. Shirley Leung talks about Massachusetts’ settlement with the Sackler family for their role in the opioid crisis. She also discusses the story of Toni Columbo, who runs a reweaving business in Charlestown. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Sue O’Connell explains the status of LGBTQ+ rights in Japan, and shares her thoughts on Britney Spears’ conservatorship. 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. We end the show by hosting our own spelling bee with listeners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from vaccine hesitancy amid the rise of the Delta COVID-19 variant to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on voting rights. Todd is the moderator of “Meet The Press” on NBC, host of “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Next, we talk with listeners about the struggles millennials face in saving up for retirement. Andrea Cabral discusses the criminal indictment against the Trump Organization, sharing her thoughts on potential defense strategies. She also talks about the Massachusetts Department of Correction phasing out solitary confinement. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Ali Noorani explains the political backlash President Joe Biden might encounter by lifting COVID-era travel restrictions along the U.S. Mexico border, and talks about the evacuation of Afghan interpreters and drivers following U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. 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.” Paul Reville talks about the lack of diversity among school superintendents in Massachusetts, citing poor treatment of superintendents of color. He also shares his thoughts on Brandeis University’s “Oppressive Language List.” Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education, and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also heads 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.” Paul Goodnight and Larry Pierce talk about their new mural, “No Strings Detached,” and share their thoughts on the importance of public art. Artists Paul Goodnight and Larry Pierce’s mural is titled “No Strings Detached.” It’s on view now at Breezes Laundromat on Blue Hill Ave in Dorchester. Their mural is one of six artworks that are part of the Mentoring Murals public art initiative launched by the nonprofit Now+There. We end the show by asking listeners whether they’ve cancelled their vacation plans due to the rise of the Delta COVID-19 variant.