Boston Public Radio

The Greater Boston Food Bank president said she’s mostly concerned with keeping workers safe from COVID-19.

Massachusetts should release racial data for COVID-19 response, says civil liberties union.

Voters are waiting in long lines to vote in the presidential primary on Tuesday, as the Governor's push to delay the election in the name of public health was denied.

Will Brady ever get to step out onto field with his new team, if the 2020 NFL season is cancelled due to the coronavirus?

Thompson criticized the interviews, but said he sees the benefit in having Chris Cuomo, who himself has COVID-19, a platform to talk about the disease.

Amid widespread economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic, will people embrace broader government protections?

Today on Boston Public Radio: First, we talk with listeners about “missing white woman syndrome” following the death of Gabby Petito, and how the media fixates on the disappearances of white women while ignoring people of color. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius weighs in on dropping MCAS scores, proposals to expand athletics in public high schools and the status of school funding. Cassellius is the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Juliette Kayyem discusses the low turnout at the Justice for Jan. 6 rally, assesses the current influence of Donald Trump and critiques the Biden Administration’s response to Haitian migrants at the border. 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. Corby Kummer talks about how we should reframe the worker shortage in restaurants as a wage shortage. 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. Art Caplan weighs in on what should happen to doctors spreading vaccine misinformation, and how healthcare workers are experiencing “compassion fatigue” when treating unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. 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. Sy Montgomery updates listeners on latest news from the animal kingdom, including sexual harassment by male octopuses and animal rescue efforts. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Then, we talk with listeners about the economic barriers to staying healthy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michelle Singletary talks about the effect of COVID-19 on Social Security Retirement funds, and her recent column on the financial impact of vaccine refusal on unvaccinated individuals. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column "The Color of Money" provides insight into the world of personal finance. Then, we take calls from listeners about their thoughts on sharing desks as workplace protocols change throughout the pandemic. Michael Curry discusses latest efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy, and the importance of considering racial and socioeconomic equity when thinking about vaccine mandates. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Trenni Kusnierek gives an update on all things sports, including the Boston Bruins’ fully vaccinated status and the Red Sox’ lack thereof. She also discusses the Anti-Doping Agency’s announcement that they will reconsider marijuana as a banned substance, following runner Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension amid the summer Olympics. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Attorney General Maura Healey answers questions from listeners in this month’s Ask the AG, including about lack of access to Real ID licenses for immigrants and combatting overdose deaths in Black and Brown communities. Maura Healey is the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they prefer to return to the office or work from home at this point in the pandemic. Charlie Sennott gives an update on top international news. He critiques the U.S. government’s response to Haitian migrants at the border and the U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett takes questions from callers about all things vaccines. She discusses the ethics and uses of booster shots and the status of vaccine trials for children. Gergen Barnett teaches in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III critique some Christian leaders’ hypocrisy in discouraging COVID-19 vaccines. They also talk about what it means for Boston that none of the three Black mayoral candidates made it through the preliminary election. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at the Boston University School of Theology. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Christopher Muther share memories from his recent trip to Quebec’s Eastern Townships, and discuss the decision by the European Union to remove the U.S. from its safe travel list. Muther is a travel writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. We end the show by asking listeners about their thoughts on the ethics of booster shots in the United States.

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Friday, explaining the controversy surrounding President Joe Biden’s pick of almond-industry lobbyist Elaine Trevino for chief agricultural negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Trevino is the president of the Almond Alliance of California. “Why do we care and why are we angry about this in particular?” Kummer said. “Because there’s no effective limits on how irrigation controls and who shares water and who parcels out how much water various agriculture industries within California are able to use.” Kummer noted that up to 70% of California almond production is exported to Europe and China, and that the industry depends on these exports to maintain price supports. “This is kind of a sign that the Biden administration wants to help out industries that rely enormously on foreign purchases to keep up their price supports, how they manage U.S. trade pacts with different countries, so that the enormous amount of exports, in this case to almonds, can go,” Kummer explained. “But until there’s effective and concurrent regulation of methane for the [National] Cattlemen’s Beef Association, allotted resources for the almond industry, it’s not going to sit well with any kind of environmental activist.” Other topics discussed in this wide-ranging interview include the legal groups looking into the companies fraudulently using “natural” and “sustainable” labels, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research on food insecurity levels during the pandemic. 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: We begin the show by asking listeners for their wildest rat stories, after a report showed that Boston’s rat population is on the rise. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the Senate testimonies of four elite gymnasts, who said they blamed the FBI for failing to protect them against former USA team doctor and convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. She also talks about the pay gap in men and women’s soccer. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Rep. Ayanna Pressley talks about what it means for Boston to have two women in its mayoral election, following the historic win of Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George in the preliminary election. She also makes an urgent call for supporting Haitian refugees in Texas. Pressley is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts 7th District. Corby Kummer critiques how buzzwords like “healthy,” “all natural” and “sustainable” have no clear definitions in the food industry, and the ties between the “Big Almond” industry and the U.S. government with President Joe Biden’s chief agricultural negotiator appointment at the United States Trade Representative’s office. 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. Shirley Leung updates listeners on all-things business, including how Republican New Balance Chairman Jim Davis’ $495,000 contribution to a pro-Essaibi George SuperPAC paid off in the mayoral preliminary election. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Andy Ihnatko discusses the latest Wall Street Journal report that revealed Facebook’s internal probe of Instagram’s detrimental effects on teenage girl’s mental health and self-image. He also weighs in on Epic Games, the company that makes Fortnite, and its lawsuit against Apple. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Ryan Landry ends the show by sharing memories from his all-expenses paid trip through Italy as a canned tomato influencer. Ryan Landry is a playwright, lyricist, actor and founder of the Gold Dust Orphans theatrical company. His new album is “The Vamps.”