Boston Public Radio

Pope Francis approved a decree from the Vatican stating that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions.

Trump is heard to be pushing a Georgia official to find voter fraud.

“What we are anxious about is that we don’t declare victory too soon," said Bonita Tenneriello of Prisoners' Legal Services.

The House of Representatives approved the $1.9 trillion stimulus package Wednesday, paving the way for President Joe Biden's first major legislative win.

“When these trials occur, Black folks, Black integrity, Black dignity, Black pride is always on trial,” the Rev. Emmett Price said.

Native Americans aren't being prioritized at a time when their communities are among those hit hardest by the pandemic.

Craigie on Main, The Asgard, Tiger Mama, The Kinsale — these are just a few examples from a long list of Boston-area restaurants that have shuttered during the pandemic. With the end to outdoor dining this winter and uncertainty around the future of COVID, more restaurants could meet the same fate. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Tuesday. “There's so many factors, all of them precipitated by the close downs of the pandemic.” Long-term, industry-wide issues, such as low profit margins and low pay for restaurant staff, were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, restaurants are facing new pandemic-era challenges in the high number of staffers leaving the industry and “fights over rent,” as was the case of Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar in Kenmore Square. Kummer notes that some restaurants, however, may have closed due to inadequate business planning. “Some very sharp business people are saying [that] there are so many restaurant business people who shouldn’t have been in business in the first place, if they didn’t have three months of reserves or if they didn’t know how to write a business plan,” he said. “That means there should be more assistance to restaurant owners on how to run businesses.” 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 about their experiences with election day, and talking with Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George about their final pitches for their candidacy as voters head to the polls. Tenni Kusnierek discuss former Chicago Blackhawks Kyle Beach’s accusations against the team for mishandling his report of sexual assault by former Assistant Coach Brad Aldrich. She also previews the U.S. Curling Team’s journey to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose weighs in on the Supreme Court’s consideration of the Texas abortion law, and how she thinks Boston’s government should approach the crisis at Mass. and Cass. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Then, we talk with listeners about a recent Boston Globe report showing how racial segregation persists in Boston. Corby Kummer update listeners on all things food, including the carbon footprint of coffee and his thoughts on Fluffernutter. 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. John King gives an election day politics update, including the stakes of Virginia’s gubernatorial election, and the fate of President Joe Biden’s spending bill. King is CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays at noon and Sundays at 8 a.m. We end the show by asking listeners whether they love or hate fluffernutter, which Merriam-Webster Dictionary recently made an official word.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith give final insights from the Boston mayoral race before tomorrow’s election. Reilly is a reporter for GBH News and co-host of the Scrum politics podcast. Wintersmith covers Boston City Hall for GBH News. They co-host “Election 2021: Boston’s Race Into History” on GBH 2. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on tomorrow’s mayoral election. Charlie Sennott updates listeners on the state of climate change and statements from leaders at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP62. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Michelle Singletary talks about the importance of the child tax credit and paid child leave, sharing her experiences facing racism and caring for her brother as a young adult. She also gives tips on how to avoid internet scams. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column "The Color of Money" provides insight into the world of personal finance. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III weigh in on a Boston Globe report showing how Black and white people travel to different areas of the city, and persisting reactions to Dave Chappelle Netflix special. 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. Richard Blanco reads fall-themed poetry, including “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost, “The Blower of Leaves” by January Gill O’Neil, “November 2: Día de los muertos” by Alberto Ríos and “Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” by James Wright. 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. We end the show by talking with listeners about how they’re adapting their gift-giving plans amid supply chain issues and shortages.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Attorney General Maura Healey answers questions from listeners in this month’s Ask the AG, including queries about fraudulent contractors, electric vehicle rebates, Facebook and more. Maura Healey is the Massachusetts Attorney General. Callie Crossley weighs in on Facebook’s new branding and Republican politicians’ mocking actor Alec Baldwin, after his discharging of a prop gun killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Michael Norton answers questions from listeners about his latest research on friendship and human behavior, which showed that people feel more content when connecting with a wide variety of people, as opposed to a small number of close friends. Norton is a behavioral economist, the Harold M. Brierly Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and a member of Harvard’s Behavioral Insights Group. His latest book is “Happy Money, the Science of Happier Spending.” Ryan Landry calls in as “Helen the Witch” ahead of Halloween, to talk about how Provincetown avoided a COVID-19 disaster and give updates on his life as a canned-tomato influencer. Ryan Landry is a playwright, lyricist, actor and founder of the Gold Dust Orphans theatrical company. His new album is “The Vamps.” Then, we talk to listeners about all things Halloween, including experiences with haunting and opinions on candy corn.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Shirley Leung weighs in on clashes between activists and the government over clearing tents at Mass. and Cass, and debates over sports betting and a proposed footbridge between Somerville and the Encore Casino in Everett. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Then, we ask listeners about whether President Joe Biden should compromise or call Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema’s bluffs in negotiations over the spending bill. Dr. Trisha Pasricha tells stories of the sexism she has faced in the field of medicine, and emphasizes the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant people. Pasricha is a gastroenterologist at Mass General Hospital, a physician at Harvard Medical School and a health contributor at the Washington Post. Andy Ihnatko talks about how to protect technology from storms, in the wake of this week’s nor’easter. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Arthur Brooks discusses the key to happiness, drawing from his social science work and latest podcast, “How to Build a Happy Life.” He’s the William Henry Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School, the happiness correspondent at The Atlantic and host of the podcast series How to Build a Happy Life. Jon Gruber talks through proposals to tax billionaires and corporations, and the likelihood that they would pass in Congress. Gruber teaches economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth And The American Dream. We end the show by asking listeners about times they have dropped the ball at crucial moments, after a Massachusetts doctor was fined for falling asleep in his car and missing a surgery.