Boston Public Radio

The “Beat the Press” host also read a coronavirus-themed edition of her weekly list of fixations and fulminations.

Containment is critical in fighting the novel coronavirus COVID-19, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia the Director of the Special Pathogens Unit at the Boston University School of Medicine said Thursday.

In 2020, 16% of Newton voted for Bernie Sanders. Beam says that does not add up.

The Harvard professor and former Mass. education secretary discussed the decision, and why other universities have yet to take similar action.

Cleaning your technology is especially important during the spread of the coronavirus.

The former Suffolk County sheriff said she still believes Weinstein’s 23 year sentence is warranted.

Buoyed by inflation, “buy now, pay later” companies have gained popularity in America, claiming to offer help for people trying to manage finances in tough times. Their easy-to-use apps and virtual credit cards often don’t charge interest. But Corby Kummer tells Boston Public Radio the fact that people are using them — effectively going into debt — to buy groceries, is a symptom of a weak safety net. “There needs to be better SNAP there needs to be better nutrition assistance, there needs to be better income support for people who have to think about putting their groceries on layaway.” 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: Chuck Todd talked about the latest political headlines, including the special master situation in the Mar-a-Lago raid case, and his thoughts on the upcoming midterms elections. 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 asked listeners about how they feel about the rhetoric around the “end of COVID.” Andrea Cabral shared her thoughts on the latest on the Mar-a-Lago case, and the outcomes of the Mass. Primaries on Tuesday. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Corby Kummer discussed the rise in pay-later apps in grocery shopping, Governor of California Gavin Newsom’s new legislation on fast food worker minimum wage, the merits of blindfolded dining, and new girl scout cookies. Kummer is 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. Andy Ihnatko talked about the updates that will come with the newly announced iPhone, new chargers that can be used for several totally different devices, and a new app which allows users to identify birds using only their song. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Jon Gruber explained the economic impacts of the growing labor movement. 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. His latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream.” We ended the show by talking about the breaking news of the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II’s, death.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by talking with listeners about yesterday’s primary election results. Neil deGrasse Tyson shared his upcoming lecture “The Search for Life in the Universe” at the Wilbur Theatre on Sept. 29. deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the author of the best-selling “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” among other books. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, where he has served since 1996. deGrasse Tyson’s new book coming out later this month is “Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization.” Geoff Diehl discussed his primary win for the Republican nominee for governor of Massachusetts, and the policy changes he would make regarding drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants, abortion, and more. Diehl is running for governor on the Republican ticket and will face Attorney General Maura Healey in November. Juliette Kayyem updated us on the latest news from the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents. Kayyem is the former assistant secretary for Homeland Security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the Homeland Security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her new book is: “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Bill McKibben talked about eastern Europe’s adoption of heat pumps in response to gas shortages related to the war in Ukraine. McKibben is the co-founder of 350 DOT ORG and founder of Third Act Dot Org. He has a newsletter on Substack titled “The Crucial Years.” He’s also got a new, serialized book titled, “The Other Cheek: An Epic Nonviolent Yarn.” We then asked listeners how the back-to-school season is going. Brian O’Donovan shared his recent cancer diagnosis, and explained how he’s finding hope. O’Donovan is the host of “A Celtic Sojourn” at GBH.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by hearing from candidates in contested races in the Mass. primaries. Trenni Casey talked about the controversy surrounding Boston’s recent LIV Golf Tournament and Serena Williams’ final match at the US Open. Casey is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose shared her thoughts on the latest in the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago raid, and shared some insight into voter participation and the ACLU’s work ahead of Mass. Primary Day. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Lee Pelton discussed the importance of voting in local elections, the plight of care workers in Mass., and how student loan forgiveness fits into the problematic landscape of equity in higher education. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Then, we continued to hear from candidates, and took calls from listeners about their voting experiences on Primary Day. John King talked about the latest political headlines, including his take on the latest with former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-lago document investigation and the recent streak of wins for President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress ahead of the midterms. King is CNN's chief national correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We ended the show by hearing from more candidates.

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years: Imani Perry talks about parenthood and how Black parents talk to their children about race. Perry is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Her latest book is "Breathe: A Letter To My Sons.” Neal Thompson tells stories from the Kennedy family, tracing the political family’s lineage from Ireland to the United States. Thompson’s new book is “The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty.” Roger Bennett shares his experience growing up in Liverpool, and why he relates more to the U.S. than his home country of England. Bennett is the co-host of The Men In Blazers podcast and NBC show. His memoir is “(Re)Born in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home.” Fiona Hill previews her memoir, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.” Hill served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs in former President Donald Trump's administration from 2017 to 2019, and was a witness in Trump’s first impeachment hearing. Howard Bryant discusses his book, "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism." Bryant is a columnist and commentator for ESPN. First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid previews her book, “Secrets Of The Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women And How They Are Changing The World,” and explained why Iceland is leading the globe in gender equity. Reid is the First Lady of Iceland. Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Rigueur share insights on all things Oprah, from their podcast “Oprademics.” Jackson is an associate professor in the department of Africana studies at Wellesley College. Rigueur is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins. They host the “Oprahdemics” podcast from Radiotopia. Daniel Leader discusses his latest book, "Living Bread." Leader is a pioneer in the American baking world.