Boston Public Radio

The one-time $1,200 stimulus check just won't be enough for Americans to survive a long economic recovery, Gruber says.

Spring SAT and ACT tests were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Will the tests revive?

The attorney general is looking to "keep the pressure on as we go forward" in regards to worker safety.

The pandemic's unknowns are anxiety-provoking, and social distancing regulations don't help, says Dr. Ken Duckworth.

The comedian of "Seinfeld" fame passed away Monday at age 92.

"A lot of these patients were healthy, these were healthy people living their lives," one critical care doctor said.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Superintendent Brenda Cassellius discusses the Boston School Committee’s decision to raise graduation requirement standards for students, and the school system’s capital improvement plan. She also talks about addressing learning loss among students. Cassellius is the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Next, we talk with listeners about the CDC’s updated mask guidelines. Emily Rooney shares her thoughts on the trial of former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia. She also previews tonight’s episode of Beat the Press. Rooney is the host of Beat the Press, which you can watch Friday nights at 7 p.m. Leonard Egerton and Clarrissa Cropper talk about what the past year has been like for The Frugal Bookstore, from surpassing their GoFundMe campaign goal to a spike in orders of antiracist literature after the murder of George Floyd. Egerton and Cropper are the husband and wife team behind The Frugal Bookstore in Roxbury’s Nubian Square. Andy Ihnatko discusses the Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Broadband Benefit program, and the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Dr. Terri Bright talks about pet separation anxiety, and answers listeners’ questions about their pets. Dr. Bright is the lead behaviorist at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd shares his thoughts on the future of the GOP after the ouster of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WI). 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. Next, we ask listeners what pre-pandemic behaviors they’ve returned to. Shirley Leung talks about the top CEOs who received high pay increases as many Americans faced pay cuts and layoffs during the pandemic. She also discussed President Joe Biden’s approval of the Vineyard Wind project. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Corby Kummer discusses the labor shortage restaurants are facing as they reopen and prepare for summer business. He also shares his thoughts on restaurant owner Daniel Humm’s decision to not serve meat in his restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. 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. Paul Reville weighs in on American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten’s call for schools to reopen in the fall. He also argues in support of keeping the MCAS exam as a high school graduation requirement. Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also heads the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Sue O’Connell talks about Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce amid rumors the couple split due to Bill’s meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. She also discusses President Biden’s reinstatement of anti-bias healthcare protections for transgender people. 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 asking listeners whether they’ve reevaluated their jobs over the course of the pandemic.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about the current worker shortage in the restaurant industry. Many workers simply left Boston during the pandemic, Kummer said. “People who had options found other sources of work and moved to places that were cheaper to live than Boston,” he said. “They decided they’re going to be where their money will go farther and where they can be with their families.” Kummer says that there’s been an exodus of people who find it cheaper and easier to live elsewhere. But businesses and restaurants can incentivize workers to come back and stay, he added. “Your duty is to protect your staff,” he said. “For restaurants reopening, the first thing a manager or owner has to do is work hard to get their staff fully vaccinated.” 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 start the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WI) ouster from GOP leadership. Jonathan Gruber weighs in on whether the U.S. should implement a value-added tax to help fund President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda. 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." Juliette Kayyem discusses the cyber attack on the Colonial Pipeline, and explained how ransomware attacks on private companies are on the rise. She also talks about the crash of a Chinese rocket in the Indian Ocean, and the potential for more space debris and rocket parts to fall to earth. 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. Art Caplan shares his thoughts on the possibility of school COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and an increase in Americans on diets. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Chuck Wexler explains the nationwide decline in police applicants, and discusses changes in police training over the last few decades. Wexler is the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), and a former member of the Boston Police Department. Brendan Nyhan talks about his research into misinformation, emphasizing the role digital technology has played in accelerating the spread of misinformation. Nyhan is a professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College, and the co-founder of Bright Line Watch, which monitors practices of and threats to American democracy. We end the show by asking listeners what they thought about Apple’s new AirTag tracking devices.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with Shirley Leung about a survey from Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH) that found that of 2,766 American adults who were asked to name a well-known Asian American, the most common answer was “I don’t know.” We then open the phone lines to continue the conversation with listeners. Trenni Kusnierek shares her thoughts on International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach’s cancellation of a trip to Japan due to a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country. She also talks about San Francisco Giants outfielder Drew Robinson’s return to baseball after a suicide attempt. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Michael Curry updates us on the current state of vaccine equity in Massachusetts, highlighting the lack of accessible vaccination sites in rural areas of the state and the rise of mobile vaccine clinics. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Akiba Solomon discusses the Marshall Project’s Language Project, which looks at how the media reports and writes about people who are incarcerated or were formerly incarcerated. Solomon is a senior editor at the Marshall Project. Michael Moss previews his new book, and explains how some drug addiction experts are shifting their attention to food addiction. Moss is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. His latest book is “Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions.” John King updates us on the latest political headlines, from Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WI) potential ouster from GOP leadership to Caitlyn Jenner’s campaign for California governorship. 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 asking listeners what comfort snacks they ate throughout the pandemic.