Boston Public Radio

The longer businesses remain closed, the more likely they are to buckle under financial hardship.

Todd says some Republicans are starting to re-establish themselves as deficit hawks.

The legislature signaled approval for a Gov. Baker-backed proposal that makes it easier for municipalities to zone for multifamily housing, but Connolly says the bill lacks measures to protect vulnerable populations.

Slaughterhouses won't release the number of employees who are infected by COVID-19, Kummer says.

The president of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy spoke about the history of America's first “green” infrastructure project.

The former business executive, presidential candidate and co-chair of Black Voices For Trump died this week of COVID-19 complications.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Mayor Michelle Wu discusses an investigation into sexual abuse and bullying at the Mission Hill K-8 School in Jamaica Plain. She also answers listeners’ questions during “Ask the Mayor.” Jonathan Gruber explains the economics behind Disney’s special tax status, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is targeting after the company lambasted the state’s recent “Don’t Say Gay” law. Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is "Jump-Starting America How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream." Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, focusing on President Biden’s request for $33 billion in aid to Ukraine. 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. Andrea Cabral discusses former Boston Police Union President Patrick Rose pleading guilty to child rape and abuse charges. She also talks about efforts in Rhode Island to decriminalize prostitution. Cabral is the former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety. She’s now the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Andy Ihnatko shares his thoughts on Elon Musk’s potential deal to buy Twitter, and Apple’s new right-to-repair program. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about their fear – or love – of bugs, following news of hammerhead worms and jumping worms’ arrival in New England.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan discusses Former President Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx and her new book, “Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration.” Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on news that nearly 60 percent of Americans have had COVID-19. Shirley Leung talks about Harvard’s announcement that the University will spend $100 million to research and redress its past ties to slavery, and towns citing “community character” in efforts to prevent affordable housing. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Juliette Kayyem weighs in on the latest from the Jan. 6 Committee, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s testimony and the leaked audio of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Kayyem is former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland-security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Sameer Sabir and Nada Siddiqui tell the story of their daughter Rehma, who died shortly after her first birthday, and their advocacy for legislation that would require more oversight for medical examiners in cases with children under 2-years-old. Sabir and Siddiqui are a Boston-area based couple advocating for medical examiner oversight. Richard Blanco reads self-reflective poems in honor of National Poetry Month, including “Poetry” by Marianne Moore and “The End of Poetry” by Ada Limón. Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history. His latest book, “How to Love a Country,” deals with various socio-political issues that shadow the United States. We end the show by telling bad neighbor stories, after a family won $5 million in a lawsuit against a country club following a barrage of golf balls.

Travis Kalanick — the co-founder and ex-CEO of Uber who stepped down from the rideshare company — is bringing his new “ghost kitchen” company to Boston. CloudKitchen, which buys old warehouse buildings to split into commercial kitchen spaces that restaurants can rent out to produce food for third-party delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub, is headed to Roxbury’s Shirley Street. The Roxbury warehouse will have more than two dozen kitchen spaces available for rent by both local restaurants and national chains. And though the company assures restaurateurs that profits will soar, critics aren’t so keen. “There's huge amount of turnover in these places. The companies don't help [small businesses] out financially, and leave them hanging when they don't get sufficient orders,” food writer Corby Kummer said. “They're very bad deals for restaurants.” Tech companies like CloudKitchen, Kummer notes, are “almost certainly going to want to own everything,” such as menus and access to recipes. “The fact is, the tech company owns everything and all the intellectual property,” Kummer said. “You leave with nothing if it's not working out for you.” 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 their thoughts on the news of Elon Musk buying Twitter. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the Celtics playoffs run and mental health struggles among youth athletes. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Elle Simone Scott shares tips on how to make the perfect food board for hosting. Scott is Executive Editor and Inclusion Leader at America's Test Kitchen. She is also founder of the mentoring organization SheChef. Her recently released book is “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings.” Corby Kummer discusses oversight issues with the Food and Drug Administration, Boston chef Tiffani Faison winning “Tournament of Champions” and MIT students creating an “Oreometer.” 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. Jared Bowen previews the latest in local arts, including Huntington Theatre Company’s Elliot Norton Award Nomination for its production of Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and “Too Fat for China,” a show about motherhood and adoption playing at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. John King updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including recent news from the Jan. 6 Committee and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 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 how they eat their Oreos.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne and Miles Rapoport talk about the low voter turnout in recent elections, arguing for mandatory voting as a part of Americans’ civic duty. Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Rapoport is a senior fellow at the Ash Center of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a former Connecticut secretary of state. Their new book is “100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting.” We then open the phone lines, talking with listeners about schmoozers in the workplace. Charlie Sennott discusses his experiences reporting from the Poland-Ukraine border in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sennott is a news analyst for GBH, where he also heads up the GroundTruth Project. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III share their thoughts on the Supreme Court case involving a former high school football coach who lost his job after praying with players on the field. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast. Attorney General Maura Healey discusses ex-Boston Police Union President Patrick Rose’s guilty plea to child rape charges, and answers listeners’ questions during this month’s edition of “Ask the AG.”