Boston Public Radio

BPR's top five must-listen moments from the year.

How long will the global population have to wait until everyone can access a vaccine?

Andrea Cabral called the lawsuit "absolutely an attempted coup" during a Friday interview on Boston Public Radio.

Pressley said the Massachusetts compromise police reform bill represented modest policy proposals given the "depth of hurt" caused by generations of brutality by police.

Rollins said she has been approached about her interest in the U.S. attorney post currently held by Andrew Lelling.

Boston schools will first bring 1,700 more students back to the classroom next week.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about the return to college amid rising COVID-19 cases. Trenni Kusnierek highlights Simone Biles’ bronze medal win on the balance beam, and American shot putter Raven Saunders’ podium “X” protest. She also explains why sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya refused to return to Belarus after criticizing her coaches. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. John Barros discusses his mayoral campaign, and shared his thoughts on whether Boston should bring back rent control. He also talks about his experiences with the Boston Police Department while growing up in Boston. Barros is running for mayor of Boston. Carol Rose speaks about the Massachusetts Republican Party’s campaign to put a voter ID law on the ballot for 2022, and the ACLU’s stance on Texas and Mississippi’s abortion laws. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Rosemary Scapicchio talks about Natick couple Ina and David Steiner’s federal lawsuit against eBay after multiple employees targeted them in a harassment campaign. Scapicchio is representing Ina and David Steiner, the victims of the eBay stalking campaign, in a federal lawsuit. John King updates us on the latest political headlines, from the release of a report detailing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s alleged harassment of multiple women to the end of the federal eviction moratorium. 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 about New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into Gov. Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment of multiple women.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michael Curry talks about the rise in breakthrough COVID-19 cases among vaccinated Americans, and shares his thoughts on how to persuade more people to get vaccinated. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Next, we open the phone lines, asking listeners whether their kids are using summer school to make up for a year of lost learning. Shirley Leung updates us on the return of conferences and conventions to Boston, and the increasing number of local businesses considering mandatory vaccines for employees. She also talks about the lack of entrepreneurs of color in the Seaport neighborhood. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse discusses the release of new information surrounding the FBI’s investigation into Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after allegations of sexual assault. He also shares his thoughts on the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that California’s nonprofit donor disclosure requirement is unconstitutional, explaining how it could impact “dark money” in politics. Senator Whitehouse is a Democrat from Rhode Island. We then play the season finale of the All Rev’d Up podcast, in which Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about gratefulness during the pandemic. Richard Blanco shares his poems on Cuba amidst historic protests in the country. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about the “Sunday scaries.”

The small outermost Cape Cod community of Provincetown has gained national attention in the past few weeks after tourists and year-rounders saw a spike in infections from the COVID-19 Delta variant. Upwards of 70 percent of reported cases are understood to be among those who were vaccinated. Town Manager Alex Morse has since pointed out that of the 900 cases related to the P-Town cluster, there have been only 7 hospitalizations, and most people are only experiencing mild symptoms. Considering the high number of breakthrough cases, the vaccines appear to be doing a good job of limiting the impact of COVID. Still, there are concerns, particularly for the huge percentage of folks on the Cape living with HIV and AIDS. In P-Town, they account for about 10 percent of the nearly 3,000 year-round residents. In light of the potential impact, we felt it’d be apt to check in with someone from the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod to see how they’ve been holding up. Christine Iversen is a daily case manager for the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. More information on the organization can be found at their website, www.asgcc.org.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Saraya Wintersmith discusses Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s report on the investigation into former Boston Police officer Patrick Rose for alleged child sexual abuse. She also talks about the Boston Globe’s reporting on Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George, and questions over whether she used her City Council position to benefit her husband’s housing development business. Wintersmith covers Boston City Hall for GBH. Next, we ask listeners what they thought was the best strategy to get more people vaccinated. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discusses the COVID-19 Delta variant and the CDC’s updated guidelines on mask mandates, as COVID-19 cases rise. She also answers listeners’ questions. Gergen Barnett teaches in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Callie Crossley shares her thoughts on Costa Rican gymnast Luciana Alvarado’s tribute to Black Lives Matter in her Olympics routine, and teenager Kieran Moïse raising $38,000 for kids with cancer by cutting his 19-inch afro. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell highlights LGBTQ+ athletes at the Olympics. She also discusses the criminal charges against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick for allegedly assaulting a minor. 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. Kwame Alexander explains his writing process, and shares how to connect children with poetry. Alexander is a poet, educator and award-winning writer. He’s collaborating with GBH Kids on a multiplatform project, including an animated television series based on his first children’s book: “Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band.” He’s an executive producer of the show, along with GBH’s Marcy Gunther.

Food policy writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to discuss the prevalence of genetically modified food in our society, and the shifting realization that engineered ingredients aren’t inherently evil. When genetically modified organisms first gained popularity in the 1990s, Kummer said “it was all about huge commercial gain.” Now, the development of a genetically modified tomato — with high nutrient value — not intended for large-scale sales may be changing perceptions of what genetically modified produce can offer. “It needs a rebranding, and that rebranding should be: here are more antioxidants in your tomato,” said Kummer. Corby 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.