Boston Public Radio

As the novel coronavirus responsible for the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to spread, there is a growing chorus of people calling for the release of prisoners who either no longer pose a threat to society or committed nonviolent offenses and are vulnerable to fatally contracting the disease

Members of the House are expected to vote Thursday on a $2.2 trillion economic relief bill to mitigate financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The "Meet the Press" moderator also defended former Vice President Joe Biden's limited public response to the pandemic.

Sports reporter Trenni Kusnierek says that Brady is promoting dangerous advertising during the coronavirus pandemic.

Former education secretary says state education officials need to make determinations about learning requirements as school shifts online.

In response to the outbreak, MassInc conducted a tracking poll, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, to gauge public sentiment about COVID-19 within Massachusetts.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Thursday about NotMilk, a plant-based product from start-up NotCo, that purportedly mimics cow’s milk better than other alternatives. “I’m really eager to go out and try it, because the company says that NotMilk can taste, cook, and froth like cow’s milk,” he said. “It is so much better for the environment than milk that comes from cows, which produce methane.” Plant-based milk alternatives and plant-based proteins are a very important part of the future, Kummer noted. 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.

President Joe Biden’s decision to meet with Vladimir Putin initially prompted skeptics to question whether it would only serve to elevate the Russian leader’s position on the world stage. Washington Post columnist EJ Dionne told Boston Public Radio on Thursday that Biden did well to push back against Putin’s defense of jailing opposition leader Alexei Navalny — Putin insisted he’s only trying to avoid the likes of disorder America experienced in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Biden just said, “That’s ridiculous,’” said Dionne, noting the straightforwardness in the American president’s response. “Whether you like Biden or not I think if you’re an American friend of democracy you looked at what Biden said, and said, ‘That is what a defense of democracy looks like,’” said Dionne. There were no big achievements from the summit, but no expectations of that either, said Dionne. “On the whole I think (Biden) came out pretty well.” EJ Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan talks about the benefits and drawbacks of vaccine lottery incentives, in light of the VaxMillions program announced Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Baker. Next, we open phone lines to hear listener thoughts on the Massachusetts newly-announced VaxMillions lottery program. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem discusses President Biden’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She also spoke about the national security implications of the looming hurricane and wildfire season. Bina Venkataraman talked about the Boston Globe’s new six-part series, “Future Proofing the Presidency,” about the legacy of former President Trump and the future of American democracy. Venkataraman is the editorial page editor of The Boston Globe. Her latest book is “The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age.” Washington Post financial columnist Michelle Singletary discussed her latest book, “What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits.” Journalist and naturalist Sy Montgomery returned for our monthly edition of “Afternoon Zoo.” She talked about her sympathy for the humpback whale who nearly swallowed a lobster fisherman off of Cape Cod, stand-up fathers of the animal kingdom, and the dogs who are learning to talk to their owners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines to talk with listeners about the day-to-day impact of Massachusetts ending its COVID-19 state of emergency. National Immigration Forum president and CEO Ali Noorani discusses the significance of the newly-released film adaptation of “In The Heights,” which highlights the value of Hispanic immigrant communities in the U.S. He also recaps Vice President Kamala Harris' recent trip to Guatemala and Mexico, and touches on President Biden’s plan to redirect $2 billion in funding for former President Trump's border wall to other national security issues. Dr. Andrew Budson talks about his experience working on clinical trials for Aduhelm, a controversial Alzheimer's drug that recently gained authorization from the FDA. He also speaks to whether he’d recommend it to his own patients. Budson is a professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, and Chief of Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology at the Boston VA Healthcare System. His latest book is Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What to Do About It. RoxFilm festival director Lisa Simmons previews this year’s Roxbury International Film Festival, which runs from June 17th through the 26th. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek gives an update on the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and talks about her own experience preparing to cover the games for NBC. She also touches on recent dialogue around women coaches in the NBA. CNN’s John King discusses President Biden’s forthcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the U.S.’ pivot toward addressing domestic terrorism. We close out Tuesday’s show by talking with listeners about the enormous backlog of Girl Scout cookies that piled up as a result of slow sales in 2020.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We kick things off by opening phone lines to talk with callers about the latest trend of people quitting their jobs in a moment of post-vaccine clarity. Emerald Necklace Conservancy president Karen Mauney-Brodek talks about how the pandemic has changed our relationship with public spaces, and previewed the summer events that The Emerald Necklace Conservancy has to offer. GBH reporters Saraya Wintersmith and Adam Reilly discuss the state of Boston’s crowded mayoral race. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung talks about her recently-published “working mother's manifesto,” a call to employers about the once-in-a-generation opportunity the pandemic has provided to course-correct how we work, and to make things more equitable – particularly for working mothers. The Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III, hosts of the ‘All Rev’d Up’ podcast, weigh in on controversy surrounding the 2021 Boston Pride parade, a reckoning at this year's Southern Baptist Convention, and teenager Darnella Frazier’s Pulitzer citation for her video documenting the killing of George Floyd. Jamie Gahlon discusses the 10-year anniversary of HowlRound Theatre Commons, an online platform for theater makers. Gahlon is co-founder and president of HowlRound Theatre Commons. We close Monday's show by getting your theories on the story about a Cape Cod lobster fisherman who claims he was nearly swallowed by a humpback whale.