Boston Public Radio

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said the Boston Police Department needs sustained internal pressure, along with increased funding, to become the force that the city deserves.

Ken Gloss, proprietor of Boston's Brattle Book Shop, said he wasn't sure what became of the woman who would eat pages out of the Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible.

New video affidavits from White's daughter and sister-in-law allege White's wife was the aggressor in alleged domestic violence.

A fungus that affects 10 percent of the cicada brood causes the insects to lose their genitals and become hypersexual.

The attorney general also said embattled Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White "should not have been put into this position."

The Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III speak about Floyd's legacy and whether the country has changed.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about concerns regarding President Trump’s moves to curb mail-in voting ahead of the November election. TV expert Bob Thompson talked about ABC's decision to finally release an episode of "Black-ish,” which the network thought too controversial to air in 2018. He also reviewed HBO's “Lovecraft Country.” WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed widespread protests in Lebanon in the wake of the Beirut explosion, and implications of the recent diplomatic agreement struck between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed the faiths of Sen. Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden, and questions about their impact on a Biden-Harris administration. Dr. Ken Duckworth talked about mental health issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, and responded to questions and comments from listeners. Ken Duckworth is the senior medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. and the national medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

As of last week, all food processor employees in Michigan must now be routinely tested for COVID-19, making it the first state in the nation with this requirement. Food writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Friday that "this is a piece of good news" in the meatpacking industry, which has so far been "callous and cruel to its workers, not caring if they live or die." 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: - Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch spoke about the US Postal Service removing many mail-processing machines across the country. - Political commentator Sue O'Connell explained the recent allegations against Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who is running against Congressman Richard Neal for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district seat. - WGHB's Emily Rooney gave her thoughts on Massachusetts's 4th congressional district race. - Food writer Corby Kummer spoke about Michigan becoming the first state to mandate that meatpacking workers must have regular COVID-19 screenings. - Callie Crossley discussed how recent right-wing journalists and politicians are mispronouncing vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris' name. - Yankee Magazine's Annie Copps spoke about the surge in home cooking that's occurred during the pandemic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: - NBC's Chuck Todd shared his thoughts on Joe Biden, presumptive Democratic nominee for president, choosing Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. - Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell spoke about her call for Boston schools to start the year fully remote. - Andrea Cabral, former secretary of public safety and sheriff of Suffolk County, explained why the Massachusetts Bail Fund is facing criticism. - Brown University Economics Professor Emily Oster talked about how to safely reopen schools this fall. - American playwright Paula Vogel spoke about how the performing arts are adapting to life online. - Boston Globe Business Columnist Shirley Leung discussed diversifying the boards of some of the commonwealth's largest companies.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Former Mass. Treasurer and state gubernatorial candidate Shannon O’Brien discussed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate. Michael Curry talked about Biden’s pick and how Harris on the ticket might influence voters. Curry is the deputy CEO and general council for the Mass. League of Community Health Centers and a member of the NAACP board of directors, where he also chairs the board’s advocacy and policy committee. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about Harris joining Biden’s presidential ticket. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed evolving attitudes around faster, less effective coronavirus testing, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ethically dubious claims about Russia's supposed COVID-19 vaccine. Colby College sociologist and former police officer Neil Gross talked about why he believes progressives looking to effect change in police forces should consider joining them. MIT economist Jon Gruber talked about President Trump’s proposals for coronavirus relief, and offered his take on benefits of the $600 per week unemployment benefits that recently ran out. We returned to listeners to hear more of your thoughts on Harris as Biden's running mate. Richard Pickering and Kate Sheehan from Plimouth Plantation discussed the return of the newly-restored Mayflower II, and the museum's ongoing effort to raise awareness about the impact of the English settlers on the local Wampanoag population.