Boston Public Radio

The NAACP national convention was supposed to be held in Boston this summer. With the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the events have gone virtual.

The medical ethicist reflected on a recent New York Times editorial from Judith Heumann and John Wodatch.

COVID-19 has changed the way candidates campaign, and how voters elect them.

Ready to get back to the office? You could be waiting for over a year, Kayyem says.

Temporary employment benefits expire at the end of this week.

The Gold Dust Orphans founder was featured in a recent HBO documentary about the notoriously vicious lawyer.

President Donald Trump classified meat plants as essential infrastructure last week, implying that they must remain open. Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio *on Tuesday about the ability of meat packing plants to stay open amid coronavirus outbreaks. "[Meat packing plants] are among the most dangerous, inhumane, cruelly run business operations in the United States," Kummer said. "Social distancing is impossible [in meat packing plants] because you're under incredible pressure to keep the line speed up." Meat packing plants consist of horrible working conditions, Kummer noted. "There's no reason to keep these cruel inhumane places open." *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: Dr. Benjamin Linas, infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center, discussed why Mass. has the third most COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and responded to questions from callers. We opened our lines to talk with callers about Gov. Charlie Baker’s new mandate that all Mass. residents wear face masks. We aired live audio from Gov. Baker’s Monday press conference. WGBH news analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott talked about World Press Freedom Day, and his fears about the future of journalism at home and abroad. TV expert Bob Thompson discussed the overrated importance of bookshelves in virtual conferences and interviews, and gave a breakdown of the best and worst TV of the week. Travel guru Rick Steves gave his thoughts on the eventual reemergence of international travel, and explained his newfound appreciation for the domestic aspects of life.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with callers about the sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed the latest news around coronavirus tracing software from Apple and Google, and how social media companies are handling pandemic misinformation. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney gave her take on Joe Biden’s response to the sexual assault allegation against him, and read a coronavirus-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed the sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden, and the Trump administration’s proposed rollbacks on protections for trans people in U.S hospitals. Husband and wife duo Joanne Chang and Christopher Meyers, of the restaurant Meyers + Chang, talked about how their businesses are doing amid the pandemic, and give their take on the future for Boston's restauranteurs. We opened lines to ask listeners why you think Massachusetts is struggling to lower its cases of COVID-19. We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Friday press conference.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Suffolk County DA Rachel Rollins discussed how her administration is responding to the pandemic, and answered questions from callers. We opened lines to ask callers: are there certain businesses you’d be okay with seeing reopen now? We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s press conference. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed Sen. Mitch McConnell’s push to reopen the Senate, and the struggles of holding court proceedings over Zoom. NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd also talked about Sen. McConnell’s plans to reopen the Senate, as well as the sexual assault allegation against Vice President Joe Biden. We opened lines to continue our conversation about the possibility of a safe reopening of certain businesses and services.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Congressman Jim McGovern gave his take on remote voting, and Washington politicians who refuse to wear face masks. Medical ethicist Art Caplan talked about the disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and commemorated the life his mother, who passed away from the disease this week. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about Vice President Mike Pence’s refusal to wear a face mask during his visit to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. We aired live audio from Gov. Baker’s Wednesday press conference. Former Secretary of Transportation Jim Aloisi discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the MBTA, and how the pandemic could be used as an opportunity to improve the city's transit system. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem talked about her writing for the Atlantic on how states ought to handle reopening their economies, and JetBlue’s latest requirement that fliers wear face masks. Playwright Ryan Landry talked about his new painting habit, and what he envisions for the future of his Gold Dust Orphans theater company.