Boston Public Radio

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.

People need to go beyond reading books about anti-racism, the BU professor says.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’ve been experiencing mass malfunction in their daily lives. Trenni Kusnierek recaps the Tokyo Olympics, weighing in on the financial toll countries take to host the Olympics, and American long distance runner Molly Seidel’s bronze win. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George shares her thoughts on Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s handling of the investigation into former Boston Police officer Patrick Rose, and whether Boston should mandate proof of vaccination for indoor dining and gyms. She also addresses concerns over her husband’s housing development business. City Councilor Essaibi George is running for mayor of Boston. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson talk about the return to pre-pandemic levels of traffic, and highlight various ways that the MBTA Commuter Rail could alleviate congestion. They also discuss the impact climate change has on public transit. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board, and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Dan Reed explains how seven men in Miami were indicted in an alleged Al Qaeda plot in the wake of 9/11, despite no connections to the terrorist group. Reed is the director of the new FRONTLINE documentary, “In the Shadow of 9/11.” John King updates us on the latest political headlines, from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation to the Senate’s passage of the 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 wrap up the show by talking with listeners about their coffee intake over the course of the pandemic.

Following the passage of numerous Republican-backed voting restrictions across the country, Democrats and left-leaning institutions are criticizing President Joe Biden, demanding a more aggressive plan to combat voting rights restrictions. Washington Post columnist EJ Dionne joined Boston Public Radio on Monday, weighing in on whether the criticism was deserved. “I am actually in the camp that says Biden has to do more,” Dionne said. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with President Biden in late July to discuss voting rights legislation, which Dionne labelled as “something of a victory.” “I don’t think they read him the riot act, but I think they were very clear to him that this really matters to the party’s chances in the future,” Dionne said. EJ Dionne is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a columnist for the Washington Post. His latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne updates us on the latest political headlines, from Ohio’s House race to the state of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.” Then, we talk with listeners about the U.N.’s climate report. Catherine D’Amato discusses hunger rates across Massachusetts, sharing how the pandemic exacerbated food insecurity in the state. She also explains why some people are reluctant to apply to food source programs. D’Amato is president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank. Casey Soward talks about The Cabot’s reopening plans amid the rise of the Delta variant, and how the performing arts venue fared over the course of the pandemic. Soward is the executive director of The Cabot in Beverly, Mass. Shirley Leung discusses her column on anti-Asian hate crime victim Liem Tran, and a proposed ballot question posed by numerous gig companies to classify gig workers as independent contractors. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Next, we talk with listeners about the recent college graduates who entered the working world remotely. We wrap up the show by playing the All Rev’d Up podcast episode “Black Parenting: the Joys and Challenges.”

The Atlantic’s Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Friday, to discuss Attorney General Maura Healey’s lawsuit against food delivery platform GrubHub for allegedly charging illegal fees to Massachusetts restaurants. Attorney General Healey claims that the company tacked on excess delivery fees greater than the state’s pandemic-era parameter that no delivery service could charge delivery fees greater than 15% of an order’s menu price. “It’s this restaurant by restaurant, tiny business by tiny business, gouging and cheating of GrubHub, and Seamless, and Uber Eats,” Kummer said. “They’ve all been doing it.” Kummer added that while other cities and states are enacting delivery fee caps, some food delivery platforms claim that the caps are unfair. “All of DoorDash, GrubHub, they are mounting a suit against the city of San Francisco, because San Francisco enacted a permanent 15% cap through the pandemic,” Kummer said. “I think that the whole country should be enacting these caps.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners whether they’ve ended relationships due to disagreements on masking and vaccines. Corby Kummer shares his thoughts on Tyson requiring workers to get vaccinated, and Attorney General Maura Healey’s lawsuit against GrubHub for allegedly charging illegal fees to Massachusetts restaurants. He also remembers the life of inventor and pitchman Ron Popeil. 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. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu discusses her run for mayor of Boston, sharing her plans to close the city’s wealth gap and highlighting her support for rent control. She also weighs in on the investigation into former Boston Police officer Patrick Rose over claims of child sexual abuse. Boston City Councilor Wu is running for mayor of Boston. Bill McKibben updates us on the latest news on the climate crisis, from the United Nations’ upcoming climate report to President Joe Biden’s executive order on electric vehicles. McKibben is a contributing writer to The New Yorker, a founder of 350.org, and the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in environmental studies at Middlebury College. He also writes The Climate Crisis, The New Yorker’s environmental newsletter. His latest book is “Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?” Callie Crossley explains Rep. Cori Bush’s (D-MO) personal connection to extend the eviction moratorium, and shares her thoughts on the lack of performers of color in the 20 years of the Fenway Concert Series. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell talks about increasing calls for Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David to step down over his ties to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She also weighs in on Matt Damon revealing he had only recently stopped using a homophobic slur. 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. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about President Biden’s executive order on electric vehicles.