Boston Public Radio

Baker will testify this Thursday before the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness.

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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with listeners about the nationwide protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Media maven Sue O’Connell reflected on the life of LGBT activist Larry Kramer, and explained what’s happening with this year’s pride parade in Boston. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discussed the arrest of CNN reporter Omar Jimenez on live TV, and gave her take on whether Twitter is right to fact-check the president. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed guidelines for safe reopening amid coronavirus, and talked about the value of mail-in voting. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which President Trump is attempting to limit with a new executive order. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talked about her feelings on the death of George Floyd, as well as the woman who called 911 on a Black man after he asked her to leash her dog in Central Park. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed the economic consequences of cancelling this year’s Boston Marathon, and her reporting on the Boston businesses that aren’t rushing to reopen.

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed the U.S. passing a grim milestone in COVID-19 deaths, and the uproar over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Jim and Margery briefly weighed in on the death of George Floyd Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville discussed the surge in de facto student dropouts in Boston Public Schools, and the litany of other challenges for schools systems adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the police killing of George Floyd, and her thoughts on why outrage over his death alone won’t be enough to affect systemic change in U.S. police forces. Heather Goldstone talked about troubling data on this year’s hurricane season, and how the ongoing pandemic will affect how governments handle the fallout. We opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on the police killing of George Floyd. Brattle Book Shop owner and “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser Ken Gloss gave tips on curating the books in your Zoom backdrop, and recounted some of his best stories from his career working with antique books.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Ahead of Gov. Baker’s press conference, we opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on using public transit during the coronavirus pandemic. We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Wednesday press conference. Former Secretary of Transportation Jim Aloisi called in to offer context around what the Baker administration had to say regarding the MBTA and Mass. transportation. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed why long-term care facilities were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether parents should feel safe sending their kids to Summer camp this year. Food writer Corby Kummer talked about ethical problems with how food delivery service Instacart treats its workers, and safety guidelines for people ordering food during the pandemic. We reopened lines to ask parents: are you prepared to send your kids off to Summer camp this year?

Instacart, an American grocery delivery service company, has been receiving criticism over its treatment of workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio *on Wednesday about how many Instacart workers haven't received safety kits or extended pay for having to quarantine. Instacart had announced back in March that it would offer two weeks of extended pay to in-store shoppers diagnosed with COVID-19, or placed in quarantine by an authority. "[Instacart] did everything they could to break their promise, and essentially break the health of workers," Kummer said. "A number of Instacart workers claimed the two weeks of pay, that Instacart promised them if they were ill, but Instacart denied the claims and made them go through red tape hurtles until the workers would give up." Instacart is not following through on its new guidelines to support the health of its workers, Kummer added. "They say that they care and that they're putting millions into healthcare, but all they do is cycle through workers, give the longtime workers worse routes, and don't care at all about their health," he said. "I will tell everybody I know, 'Do not use Instacart.'" *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: We opened our lines to ask listeners: with hair salons and barbershops back open in Mass., will you be heading out to get your hair cut? TIME Magazine journalist Molly Ball discussed her new biography on Speaker Nancy Pelosi, titled “Pelosi." Environmental journalist Bill McKibben discussed the minor impact of quarantine on global carbon emissions, and the lessons we can gleam about our current climate crisis from the U.S.’ sluggish COVID-19 response. We opened lines to talk with listeners about the state’s gradual reopening, ahead of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Tuesday press conference. We aired live audio from Gov. Baker’s press conference. Behavioral economist Mike Norton talked about the exclusionary power of the inside joke, and responded to comments and questions from listeners. CNN’s John King discussed the politicization of the COVID-19 crisis, and President Trump’s efforts to quash mail-in voting.