Boston Public Radio

A former hospital aide has filed a discrimination lawsuit over the n-word being scratched into an elevator at his prior place of work.

The mayoral candidate also spoke about the state of her mayoral race, saying she's anticipating a 'very exciting year' for the city of Boston.

The city counselor and Roxbury native said she believes that, with the right leadership, Boston has the resources and expertise to become an international leader on issues of racial equity.

DeMaria's defense concerned a Jan. 25 comment where he said he'd "love to be able to shut some pictures off with some people" on Zoom, in reference to Everett Councilor-at-Large Gerly Adrien.

Travel expert Rick Steves discusses why traveling may soon require passengers to show a COVID-19 vaccine passport.

A recent surge of anti-Asian violence in the San Francisco Bay area has left many badly injured.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd reflects on the one year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, and reacts to President Joe Biden’s speech marking the violent event. 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 their reflections on the anniversary of Jan. 6. Andrea Cabral weighs in on the outcome of the Elizabeth Holmes trial, in which Holmes was convicted of fraud for her company Theranos, which failed to deliver on its promises of a blood test with the prick of a finger. 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. Paul Reville updates listeners on the latest in the chaos of back to school plans amid Omicron, and the future of standardized testing after Harvard waived its requirement until 2026. 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 Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Myrieme Churchill talks about how to deradicalize people who have fallen prey to extremism, and why people feel drawn to extremist circles to begin with. Myrieme Churchill is a psychotherapist and the Executive Director of Parents for Peace, a non-government public health non-profit that helps families and communities address and treat the radicalization of loved ones. Rep. Katherine Clark shares her memories from the Jan. 6 insurrection, her reactions to Biden’s speech and what she thinks the Democrats must do to fortify democracy. Clark is assistant house speaker and represents the Fifth District of Massachusetts. We end the show by continuing our conversation with listeners about the legacy of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michelle Singletary gives financial advice for the new year, including navigating the buy now pay later trend, the state of inflation and overdraft fees. 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. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on the buy now pay later trend and other financial plans. Juliette Kayyem discusses the chaos on I-95 which closed this week due to snow in Virginia, and the latest on the Jan. 6 investigation one year after the insurrection. 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. Lauren Kennedy talks about Omicron’s strain on child care and early education workers during the latest surge, and the work her group does to provide access to testing. Lauren Kennedy is co-founder of Neighborhood Villages, a non-profit that works to improve access to affordable child care and early education. Art Caplan updates listeners on the latest with Omicron, and how he thinks the country should navigate the next couple weeks as cases surge. Caplan is director of the division of medical ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Jared Bowen previews the newest arts events in the region, including an exhibit about love at the Worcester Art Museum, Immersive Van Gogh shows and “WITNESS,” a show about Jewish immigration during times of antisemitism. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We end the show by asking listeners if they have returned to movie theaters at this point in the pandemic.

On Tuesday’s Boston Public Radio, food writer Corby Kummer said he’s hoping more companies follow in the heels of coffee behemoth Starbucks, which is now requiring proof-of-vaccination for its hundreds of thousands of U.S. employees. Workers who opt out of vaccines will have to submit weekly tests, conducted at the employee’s expense. “This is an example of a big company saying ‘we’ve had it, we just have to get vaccinated, this is the wave of the future – no more pussyfooting around,’ and I think it’s great,” Kummer told hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. He did, however, raise concerns that public perception of Starbucks as a “liberal” corporation might dissuade business leaders on the conservative side of the political spectrum to shirk responsibility for getting employees vaccinated against COVID-19. “I think that we all wish that it wasn’t a seeming political litmus test,” he lamented. “‘Oh, Starbucks must be Democratic, they must be liberal!’” Kummer went on to list Tyson Foods as an instance of a corporation with a perceived conservative bent taking steps to protect workers from infection. “If there were more and more right wing-perceived companies mandating this, it would really help,” he said. “But Starbucks is big [and] publicly influential, and I hope this will have the effect of causing many others to impose mandates.” 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 how they’re faring as students, teachers and parents figure out back to school plans amid Omicron spread. Trenni Kusnierek talks about Antonio Brown walking off the field mid-game and getting fired from the Buccaneers, and a hockey fan saving an NHL staffer from cancer by spotting a mole from the stands. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose discusses the ACLU’s national and local priorities in 2022, including work on voting rights, police reform and facial recognition software. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. A.C. Thompson previews his documentary on the Jan. 6 insurrection, and weighs in on the state of far-right extremism in the U.S. Thompson is a senior reporter at ProPublica and a FRONTLINE correspondent. His documentary, “American Insurrection,” airs at 10 p.m. eastern on PBS and will be available to stream on Frontline’s website, YouTube, and the PBS video app. Corby Kummer talks about the Biden Administration’s push to aid small meat producers, Starbucks requiring all U.S. employees to get vaccinated and a pastry program in an Italian prison. 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 weighs in on the status of Build Back Better and the state of media and democracy in the U.S. 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 asking listeners what phrases they would like to get rid of in 2022.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by checking in with listeners about how they’re doing as Omicron spreads in the new year. Mike Deehan updates listeners on the state of the governor’s race, including potential Democratic and Republican candidates, after Governor Charlie Baker announced he will not be running for reelection. Deehan covers the statehouse for GBH News. Charlie Sennott discusses the latest international news, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s funeral and the state of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson talk about Mayor Michelle Wu’s transit agenda, including free fare pilot programs, and the problems with parking in the city. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. The Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III discuss Tutu’s legacy in helping end South African apartheid following the Archbishop’s funeral Saturday. 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. Sara Jensen Carr tells stories of how epidemics throughout history have shaped geographic landscapes, including in the Boston area. Carr is an assistant professor of architecture, urbanism and landscape at Northeastern University. Her new book is “The Topography of Wellness: How Health and Disease Shaped the American Landscape.” We end the show by asking listeners about their new years resolutions, if they’re setting them at all.