Boston Public Radio

As COVID-19 restrictions lift in Massachusetts, Christopher Myers and Joanne Chang are "optimistic" about the future.

Michael Curry, a member of Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 Advisory Group, spoke about the state's vaccine equity gap.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lobbied against the bill because it included resources for the LGBTQ community.

Two mass shootings in one week have gun control advocates wondering whether legislation will ever be enacted.

"We have the capacity to force a vote, and I think it’s time we do that," the Massachusetts senator said.

The governor acknowledged criticism from lawmakers but insisted the current mix of state and local efforts is most effective.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Katherine Clark discusses President Joe Biden’s spending plan, including the importance of childcare funding, and updates listeners on the state of Democratic negotiations. Clark is assistant house speaker and represents the Fifth District of Massachusetts. Then, we ask listeners about their thoughts on vaccine mandates in Massachusetts and the politicization of vaccines, as New Hampshire residents push back against public health efforts. Sue O’Connell talks about Texas’ child welfare agency removing resources for LGBTQ youth from its webpage, and an upcoming walkout by transgender Netflix employees over Dave Chappelle’s latest comedy special. 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. Shirley Leung breaks down latest proposals to address the crisis at Mass. and Cass, and tells the story of a woman from New Jersey who drove north to look for her son there. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Andy Ihnatko talks about how iPhones can now track location even when turned off, so that the Find my iPhone feature can locate the device. He also discusses bipartisan efforts in Congress to bar tech companies from giving preferential treatment to their own products. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We end the show by asking listeners for their tips on tackling phone addiction.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd begins the show by talking about the possible effect of supply chain shortages on approval ratings of President Joe Biden as the holidays near. He also discusses what programs might have to give in order to pass Biden’s spending plan. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we ask listeners what they think Democrats should cut to pass Biden’s infrastructure bill. Andrea Cabral updates listeners on the latest in the conviction of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for the Boston Marathon bombing. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week as to whether Tsarnaev was properly sentenced to death, and whether he had a fair trial. Cabral also discusses a Boston Police officer back on duty after a suspension for bragging about hitting George Floyd protesters with his car. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Then, we talk with listeners about their thoughts on police reform, and why they think efforts to change policing have faltered in the months since protests in the summer of 2020. Fiona Hill previews her memoir that came out this month, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century,” and weighs in on the similarities and differences between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Hill served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, and was witness in Donald Trump’s first impeachment hearing. Jared Bowen rounds up the latest arts and culture happenings in the city, including the MFA’s “Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories” exhibit, and Gregory Maguire’s latest novel, “The Brides of Maracoor.” Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking about GBH’s new multi-media series, “The Big Quit,” and asking listeners what they have quit in their lives since the start of the pandemic. Art Caplan discusses the first FDA authorization of e-cigarettes and the ethics of jumping the line for booster shots. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Juliette Kayyem talks about a slew of flight cancellations by Southwest Airlines, and why she thinks Donald Trump might run in the 2024 Presidential Election. 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. Richard Blanco reads poems in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, including "The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica" by Judith Ortiz Cofer, “Hearing Spider-Man Speaking Spanish in Times Square” by Ariel Francisco and “Suspended from School, the Pachuco’s Grandson Watches Happy Days While his Homie Fulfills Prophecy” by Michael Torres. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His latest book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll talks about how Salem is adapting its Halloween festivities for the pandemic, and how the town negotiates the holiday’s festivities with its darker history of witch trials. Driscoll is the mayor of Salem. We end the show by talking about where listeners can find the best Halloween displays, in the lead up to Oct. 31.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether or not they think Donald Trump will run in the 2024 Presidential Election. Trenni Kusnierek updates listeners on the latest sports news, including Jon Gruden’s resignation as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the release of homophobic, racist and misogynistic emails, and the FBI’s failure to investigate Larry Nassar. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Ali Noorani discusses the scientific achievements of immigrants to the United States amid recent Nobel Prize announcements, and critiques the conditions at the border and treatment of Haitian migrants. Noorani is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His forthcoming book is Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants. Rick Steves reports back from his latest travels to Paris and Mont Blanc, and shares his hopes for his next trip to Europe. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves' Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, "Rick Steves’ Europe," weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about the significance of Indigenous People’s Day and the effect of Facebook’s outage on religious communities. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. John King weighs in on the latest political headlines, including Democratic infighting in Washington D.C. and the possibility of Trump running again. 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 continuing the conversation with listeners about the possibility of a Trump 2024 campaign.

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, replaying some of our favorite conversations about food and cooking: Joanne Chang talks about her latest book inspired by her baking journals, “Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes.” Chang is a James Beard award winning pastry chef. Bren Smith shares different ways to eat kelp in his book “Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures Farming the Ocean to Fight Climate Change.” Smith is a former commercial fisherman and executive director of the non-profit GreenWave, focused on regenerative farming in water ecosystems. Dolores Huerta talks about why her work as a labor leader for farm workers’ rights remains as relevant today as it was in the 1960s, and about coining the phrase “Sí, se puede.” Huerta is an activist and co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association alongside Cesar Chaves. Andrew Li and Irene Li share food and tips from their latest cookbook, which they wrote with their sister Margaret Li: “Double Awesome Chinese Food: Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes from Our Chinese-American Kitchen.” Andrew Li and Irene Li are co-founders of the restaurant Mei Mei, along with their sister Margaret Li.