Boston Public Radio

The Vice President, on NBC's Meet The Press with Chuck Todd, refused to answer direct questions.

IKEA has shared it's Swedish meatball recipe online, as it's stores remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.

The national security expert said the president's executive order would have a negligible impact, and accused him of pandering to his base.

The MIT economist proposed creating a “care corps” program to bring more workers to the nation’s sorely under-staffed nursing homes.

When COVID-19 was ramping up in America, the United States sent millions of masks to China.

A new documentary highlights the civil rights issues at the center of the drug lab scandals, and the broader war on drugs.

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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from calls for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign due to claims of sexual harassment to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. 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. Then, we ask listeners whether they think asking for proof of vaccination is a violation of privacy. Andrea Cabral discusses former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of his tax returns, and claims that Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) led a “reconnaissance tour” of the U.S. Capitol Building before the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. She also shares her thoughts on Mexico’s lawsuit against multiple U.S.-based gun manufacturers for allegedly facilitating the flow of weapons to drug cartels. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Kari Kuelzer explains her decision to require proof of vaccination for staff and customers, and talks about how her restaurant survived the pandemic. Kuelzer is the owner of Grendel’s Den in Harvard Square. Paul Reville shares his thoughts on Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius’ failure to take Massachusetts’ certification exams, and summer enrichment programs for children. He also remembered the life of the late Tom Payzant. 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 Elaine Weiss, is: "Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools And Communities Help Students Overcome The Disadvantages Of Poverty.” Andy Ihnatko weighs in on the Apple versus Android debate, and this year’s update to Google’s emoji library. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about labor conditions in the restaurant industry, as increasing numbers of workers leave their restaurant jobs during the pandemic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio mandating proof of vaccination for people going to restaurants and gyms, and Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s comparison of vaccination passports to birtherism. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Next, we ask listeners whether they think mayors and town managers across Massachusetts should require proof of vaccination in order for people to go to restaurants and gyms. Juliette Kayyem discuss the fourth police officer to have died by suicide after responding to the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks, and New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She also calls for more serious repercussions for people who choose to be unvaccinated. 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. Ming Tsai shares how he created MingsBings, his plant-based iteration of the popular Chinese street food bing. Tsai is the Emmy award-winning host and executive producer of the cooking show, “Simply Ming,” which you can catch Saturday afternoons at 2 p.m. on GBH2. Jonathan Gruber explains why economists are increasingly looking at digital addiction, and talks about methods to digitally detox. 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." Lyndia Downie talks about President Joe Biden’s extension of the eviction moratorium, and vaccination rates among the homeless community. Lyndia Downie is president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn. We end the show by talking with listeners about their pandemic purchasing habits.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about the return to college amid rising COVID-19 cases. Trenni Kusnierek highlights Simone Biles’ bronze medal win on the balance beam, and American shot putter Raven Saunders’ podium “X” protest. She also explains why sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya refused to return to Belarus after criticizing her coaches. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. John Barros discusses his mayoral campaign, and shared his thoughts on whether Boston should bring back rent control. He also talks about his experiences with the Boston Police Department while growing up in Boston. Barros is running for mayor of Boston. Carol Rose speaks about the Massachusetts Republican Party’s campaign to put a voter ID law on the ballot for 2022, and the ACLU’s stance on Texas and Mississippi’s abortion laws. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Rosemary Scapicchio talks about Natick couple Ina and David Steiner’s federal lawsuit against eBay after multiple employees targeted them in a harassment campaign. Scapicchio is representing Ina and David Steiner, the victims of the eBay stalking campaign, in a federal lawsuit. John King updates us on the latest political headlines, from the release of a report detailing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s alleged harassment of multiple women to the end of the federal eviction moratorium. 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 New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into Gov. Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment of multiple women.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michael Curry talks about the rise in breakthrough COVID-19 cases among vaccinated Americans, and shares his thoughts on how to persuade more people to get vaccinated. 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. Next, we open the phone lines, asking listeners whether their kids are using summer school to make up for a year of lost learning. Shirley Leung updates us on the return of conferences and conventions to Boston, and the increasing number of local businesses considering mandatory vaccines for employees. She also talks about the lack of entrepreneurs of color in the Seaport neighborhood. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse discusses the release of new information surrounding the FBI’s investigation into Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after allegations of sexual assault. He also shares his thoughts on the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that California’s nonprofit donor disclosure requirement is unconstitutional, explaining how it could impact “dark money” in politics. Senator Whitehouse is a Democrat from Rhode Island. We then play the season finale of the All Rev’d Up podcast, in which Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about gratefulness during the pandemic. Richard Blanco shares his poems on Cuba amidst historic protests in the country. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about the “Sunday scaries.”