Boston Public Radio

Massachusetts has flattened the curve, but has only seen a plateau of COVID-19 cases, not yet a decline.

The hours and product lines are limited at the restaurant and select Flour bakeries.

The “Beat the Press” host told Jim and Margery that she expects we’ll be ditching handshakes.

The political commentator said Democrats may have to vote for someone 'unappealing' if they want to take back the White House.

According to an April 28 poll conducted by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, 65 percent of Americans surveyed said they approved of the president’s partial ban on immigration while 34 percent were opposed.

The “Meet the Press" moderator said the decision shows an anxious McConnell eager to approve judges ahead of the November election.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their thoughts on Tom Brady’s impending return to Gillette stadium this Sunday. Jon Gruber explains why the super rich pay a lower tax rate than most Americans, and breaks down President Joe Biden’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund his spending priorities. Gruber teaches 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.” Shirley Leung updates listeners on the latest business headlines, including her thoughts on the latest slew of issues with the MBTA and what it would take to get people back to the office on public transportation. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Callie Crossley talks about what it means for the mail system with postal workers ordered to deliberately slow down delivery, and weighs in on the mayoral race, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s endorsement of City Councilor Michelle Wu. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell discusses the latest updates in Britney Spears’ fight for freedom as her father was suspended as her conservator. She also talks about Liz Cheney’s comments on 60 Minutes this week admitting wrongdoing in her 2013 condemnation of same-sex marriage. 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. Andy Ihnatko weighs in on Senate testimonies about recent reports of the harmful effect of Instagram on teenagers’ mental health, and how Apple Music is lagging behind Spotify in subscribers. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Then, we continue our conversation about Brady’s return in anticipation of Sunday’s football game.

That deer in your garden? It might just be the most eco-friendly dinner to eat — provided you kill it yourself. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Thursday to discuss Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspell’s proposal that venison is “unequivocally the single most ecologically friendly food you can eat.” “If you get farm-raised venison in a restaurant, it’s not really addressing this [environmental] issue, because the only thing that’s legal to sell is farm-raised venison,” Kummer said. “You have to go out and kill it.” Haspell argued that due to invasive deer populations posing threats to native animals and plants, the spread of Lyme disease by deer ticks, and the greenhouse gas emissions deer produce, wild venison could be considered the most eco-friendly food to consume. In her piece, Haspell noted that a Connecticut town reversed its no-hunting ordinance in 2000 after being overrun by deer. Scientists who monitored the situation found that in the seven following years, deer density dropped by 87%, and Lyme disease cases in the community dropped as well. “The minute I see cute deer in a backyard — which we do a lot in Jamaica Plain — I think, ‘ticks! Lyme disease!’” Kummer joked. “So there are a lot of advantages to thinning deer [populations].” Both Haspell and Kummer believe, however, that some people will refuse to hunt and eat wild venison despite its eco-friendliness. “As the Haspell column in the Post makes clear, the farther you are from the animal, the more comfortable you are eating it,” Kummer said. “The closer you are, and you see that it’s cute — or if you ever name an animal that you raise, there is a shibboleth against things that you see. So there’s absolutely no problem with inhumanely-raised slaughtered chickens, but when it comes to a deer that’s invading your garden and giving you Lyme disease, ‘no, no, no — don’t do it.’” 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: Chuck Todd talks all things politics, including Democratic efforts to avoid a government shutdown, and what it would mean for the country if the United States defaults on its debt. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we asked listeners how they were coping with the turbulent start of the school year amid the pandemic. Andrea Cabral discusses gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson’s decision to relocate from Springfield to Tennessee, and the rise of the Proud Boys during the Trump era. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George shares her views on policing and how she would work to solve the addiction crisis at Mass. and Cass. She also responds to a controversy surrounding a conflict of interest between her position on City Council and her husband’s work in real estate development. Essaibi George is Boston City Councilor At Large and a candidate for Boston mayor. Corby Kummer weighs in on the state of restaurants, including staff struggles to make sure patrons wear masks, and one restaurant owner’s decision to raise wages to keep staff. He also talks about how eating venison can help the planet. 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. Bill Walczak talks about ideas for boosting voter turnout, following a dismal showing in Boston’s preliminary mayoral election. Walczak is the former president and CEO of Codman Square Health Center. He was a candidate for mayor of Boston in 2013. Then, we talk with listeners about how they’re managing phone addiction.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on the role of vaccine mandates, and the quick spread of vaccine misinformation on social media. 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 asked listeners about their experiences with the MBTA following a slew of recent derailments and other accidents. Juliette Kayyem updates listeners on all things national security, including updates on trials of those involved in the Jan. 6 riots, which have been slowed down due to an abundance of evidence. 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. Jamarhl Crawford and Tanisha Sullivan criticize a lagging timeline and lack of transparency regarding efforts for police reform, and discuss the need to put reform at the top of the agenda in the mayoral race. Crawford is an activist, community organizer and Editor of The Blackstonian. Sullivan is an attorney and the President of NAACP Boston Branch. They are both members of the Boston Police Reform Task Force. Brian McGrory talks about the impact of The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, how the Globe is covering the mayoral race and Tom Brady’s upcoming return to Gillette Stadium Sunday. McGrory is the editor-in-chief of the Boston Globe. Jared Bowen previews latest art exhibits, including the Titian exhibit at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Frida Kahlo exhibit at Brandeis’ Rose Art Museum and Mariano Rodríguez’s exhibit at Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Modern Art. Bowen is GBH’s Executive Arts Editor and host of the TV series Open Studio. Then, we ask listeners what they love (or hate) about coffee in honor of today’s National Coffee Day.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by asking listeners their thoughts on vaccine mandates and people threatening to quit their jobs before getting the shot. Trenni Kusnierek updates listeners on all things sports, including rifts in the NBA over vaccines and Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Dr. Renee Crichlow calls out remaining healthcare workers who are not yet vaccinated, and talks about latest data on vaccine efficacy months after vaccination. Crichlow is the Chief Medical Officer at Codman Square Health Center and the Vice Chair of Health Equity at the Boston University Department of Family Medicine. Bill McKibben discusses what it would mean for the plant if President Joe Biden fails to pass his economic agenda, and previews his new project, Third Act, which seeks to engage older individuals with climate activism. McKibben is co-founder of 350.org and the author of numerous books about climate change. His latest book is “Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?” Nia Grace opens up about her newest restaurant at Northeastern, The Underground Café, and talks about the challenges of keeping restaurants afloat during the pandemic. Grace is the owner and operator of Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen in the South End, and one of the founders of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition. She is also the owner of The Underground Café and Lounge, which opened last week on the campus of Northeastern University. John King goes through top political headlines, including Republican threats to Biden’s economic agenda and persisting allegiances to Donald Trump. 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 about their thoughts on Tom Brady’s upcoming return to Boston Sunday night.