Boston Public Radio

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.

Students and advocates are calling on Harvard University to acknowledge its role in slavery and offer reparations.

Healey tells Boston Public Radio she supports legislation to update the state's existing hate crime laws.

If reparations to slavery were enacted before the pandemic, COVID-19 transmission and deaths could have been mitigated dramatically, according to Dr. Michelle Morse.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from former President Donald Trump shutting down his blog to his claims that he’ll be reinstated as president in August. 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 what pandemic hobbies and behaviors they’re giving up. Andrea Cabral walks us through Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White’s termination hearing, and discusses Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) defense of the filibuster. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Corby Kummer discusses calls for the Massachusetts legislature to extend pandemic-era cocktails to-go and caps on delivery service commissions. He also talks about the ransomware attack against meat packer JBS. 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. Andy Ihnatko talks about the new Apple iPad, and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s lawsuit against Google on claims that they deceptively and unfairly tracked users. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We end the show by talking with listeners about multiple airlines barring in-flight alcohol due to unruly passengers.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Thursday about the cyberattack against JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company. “Plants were closed down because they were unable to schedule workers and it interrupted the entire supply chain,” he said. “The idea that you’ve got cattle and need a slaughterhouse to be open to continue the supply chain, that’s being broken and it can impact farmers as well as raise meat prices.” The result of this cyberattack could cause waste, Kummer noted. “Probably these slaughtered animals are not going to meat, just euthanized, and buried the way the supply chain disruptions of the early pandemic did last year,” he said. “It’s dangerous to be subject and this vulnerable to a cyberattack.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about searching for childcare services as they return to the workplace. Art Caplan talks about Moderna’s application to the FDA for approval of its vaccines. He also shares his thoughts on the Supreme Court hearing of a Mississippi case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, and the International Olympic Committee requiring athletes to sign COVID-19 waivers for the 2021 Tokyo Games. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Juliette Kayyem discusses the increase in ransomware attacks in the wake of hacks on the Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and the Steamship Authority. She also talks about ocean safety for the summer. 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. Shirley Leung speaks about the lack of child care accommodations offered to returning City Hall employees, and a survey that found that one in four Massachusetts companies plan on requiring employees to get vaccinated. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Chuck Wexler shares his thoughts on how the Boston Police Department could be reformed, arguing that the department should look at how it handled its corruption in the 1970s. Wexler is the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), and a former member of the Boston Police Department. Jared Bowen highlights the latest in arts and culture, including Shelter Music Boston’s “Voices from the Land,” “Go Pixel Yourself” at the CambridgeSide Galleria, and “chekhovOS” at Arlekin Players Theatre. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about selfie culture.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Acting Mayor Kim Janey discusses the investigation into Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White, and Northeastern University’s plans to build a 25-story dorm and classroom space in Roxbury. She also answers listeners’ questions during “Ask the Acting Mayor.” David Leonard speaks about the reopening of the Boston Public Library, and explained how their operations changed throughout the pandemic. He also shares which genres library patrons gravitated to during quarantine. Leonard is president of the Boston Public Library. Trenni Kusnierek discusses Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the French Open following her comments on post-match press conferences, and the arrest of a Boston Celtics fan for allegedly throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving. She also shares her thoughts on calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympics. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Ken Gloss talks about how The Brattle Book Shop adapted during the pandemic, from offering curatorial services to continuing house calls for rare and antiquarian books. Gloss is the proprietor of The Brattle Book Shop, one of America's oldest book stores. He also appraises books. John King discusses Texas Democrats’ responses to GOP legislation that would restrict voting rights in the state. He also updates us on the status of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill. 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 talking with listeners about Massachusetts dropping COVID restrictions over Memorial Day weekend.

We're on tape today, replaying some of our favorite conversations, which includes: Ron Chernow joins Jim and Margery to talk about his biography, GRANT Harvard Business School's Michael Norton discusses his latest research, which looks at what is more valuable to people, saving money of saving time Author Karl Ove Knaussgard discusses his book, Autumn Patti Smith discusses why she considers herself a writer above all of the other talents. It’s the subject of her memoir, Devotion (Why I Write) Salman Rushdie discusses his novel, The Golden House Sy Montgomery and Elizabeth Marshall Thomas discuss their book, Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind