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: We begin the show by asking listeners how they find idle time to relax. Michael Curry weighs in on the U.S. response to monkeypox, and U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’ new hate-crime hotline. Curry is chair of the NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee, and is president and CEO of the Mass. League of Community Health Centers. Kevin and Michael Bacon preview their latest music together, and discussed their tour across New England. Michael is an Emmy Award-winning film and television composer. Kevin is an actor – currently starring in Showtime’s “City on a Hill” and the new thriller “They/Them.” Together they form the “Bacon Brothers” musical duo. Irene Li discuss BIPOC women in the farmer’s market scene, and the state of the restaurant industry. Li is a James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Mei Mei Dumplings. Shirley Leung updates listeners on the state of the MBTA, with the upcoming Orange Line shutdown and continued slew of dangerous incidents. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Brad Vernatter, Omar Najmi and Mack Wolz perform a few songs, and discuss their upcoming performances of “Romeo and Juliet” on the Common with the Boston Lyric Opera. Vernatter is artistic and general director for the BLO. Najmi and Wolz are performers with the BLO. They were accompanied on piano by Douglas Sumi. We end the show by discussing recent studies showing the harmful effects of unhealthy food.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talks about Sen. Joe Manchin’s role as the 50th vote in the Senate, the impact of Kansans voting to retain their abortion rights, and the possibility of a red wave in the midterms. 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. Then, we ask listeners if they think the MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown will be worth the hassle. Andrea Cabral discusses the latest headlines from the ongoing Alex Jones trial for spreading misinformation about the Sandy Hook mass shooting. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Then we open the phone lines to let listeners lead the conversation, sharing the stories they can’t stop thinking about. David Abel shares his thoughts on potential climate legislation in Congress, how the current drought is impacting the Charles River, and how climate change is affecting Maine’s puffin population. Abel is a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer who covers the environment for the Boston Globe. Andy Ihnatko weighs in on the new CHIPS+ act, which incentivizes United States' companies to manufacture their own semiconductors, a recent controversy surrounding video footage from Ring doorbells, and the resurgence of Google Glass. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We end the show by asking listeners whether they prefer iced or hot coffee in the summertime.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about Kansas voters deciding to protect abortion rights in their state in the face of a potential abortion ban. Art Caplan talks about TV personality and Pennsylvania senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz’s history of dubious medical claims, and President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 rebound case. 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 discusses recent catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, and the state of abortion rights in Republican-dominated states. Kayyem is the former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland-security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her most recent book is “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Lyndia Downie updates us on the state of homelessness in Boston, following record heat in the area. Downie is the president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn. Rick Steves shares travel tips and tricks from his most recent tour through Europe. 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 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2, and his radio show “Travel With Rick Steves” on Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH 89.7. His latest, the six-hour mini-series “Rick Steves Art of Europe,” will be available to stream to GBH members starting in October. Meredith Goldstein talks about her latest “Love Letters” columns offering love and relationship advice. Goldstein is a features writer for the Boston Globe, where she authors the “Love Letters” column, and hosts the “Love Letters” podcast. We end the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on Boston’s booming rat population.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’re boycotting the NFL following the recent sexual harassment allegations against Deshaun Watson. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the recent allegations against Watson, the underdog victory for England Women’s soccer in the 2022 Euro Championships and death of a hiker on Mt. Washington. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose talks about how state legislatures have been reacting in the wake of Republican challenges to mail-in voting laws, and the recent passage of the CROWN act in Mass., which prohibits discrimination based on hair-type. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Lee Pelton reflects on the life and legacy of Bill Russell, Boston’s recent rank as the 2nd least affordable in the U.S. and a recent Harvard study which ties upward mobility to having wealthy friends. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Chris Muther recaps his recent piece on a five-star hotel in Hyannis, and discusses the guilt Americans feel taking vacations, the “lost luggage epidemic” and a popular new trend: the coastal grandmother aesthetic. Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Jared Bowen talks about Shakespeare on the Common, Brad Pitt in his new movie “Bullet Train,” a new play at the Company One Theater, Can I Touch It? and Grand Horizons at the Gloucester Stage. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We end the show by asking listeners to share their feelings about the current pickle craze.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Attorney General Maura Healey shares her thoughts on the outcomes of the recent state legislature session, and took listener calls and answered questions on another installment of “Ask the AG.” Howard Bryant discusses the life and legacy of Bill Russell, including the impact of his presence in Boston and his role as a social justice advocate during the Civil Rights movement. Bryant is a columnist and commentator for ESPN. Then, we ask listeners about their memories of Bill Russell. Katie Krall talks about her experience being a female coach in the MLB, the unorthodox career path that led her to work in baseball, and the culture around women’s sports today. Krall is a player development coach for the Portland Sea Dogs, a Boston Red Sox affiliate team. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price discuss the Kansas nuns opposing a state abortion amendment, the Pope Francis’ recent ‘apology tour’ in Canada, and Beyonce’s new album. 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 GBH's All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco reads poems about the chaos in our country right now, including “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost, Anna Akhmatova’s “Lot’s Wife,” and his own “And So We All Fall Down”. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in United States history. His latest book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various sociopolitical issues that shadow America. We end the show by talking about recent legislation in the statehouse.