Boston Public Radio

The “Meet the Press” moderator criticized the lack of testing being done in the U.S.

When news broke that a novel coronavirus which was first discovered in China was spreading it was reminiscent of the plots of some novels Dr. Robin Cook has written.

Economist Jonathan Gruber criticized President Trump's push for a payroll tax cut, and also called for the government to stimulate the production of a vaccine.

Theaters and museums have to find the balance between public safety and the success of their organizations.

"We're using ideological filtering, not science filtering," said medical ethicist Arthur Caplan.

Kayyem praised Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker for declaring a state of emergency due to coronavirus.

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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners what perks their offices could give to get them back at the workplace. Sue O’Connell updates us on the leadership shakeup at Boston Pride, and the Boston City Council’s vote to change its rules so that they can remove a council president by a two-thirds vote. She also shares her thoughts on the Department of Justice (DOJ) stating that they would “vigorously” defend federally-funded religious schools in a case on LGBT+ discrimination. 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. Emily Rooney weighs in on Jeffrey Toobin’s reinstatement at CNN, and talks about the announcement of an independent review into the 2010 police-involved death of college student DJ Henry. She also shared her famous list. Rooney is the host of Beat the Press, which you can watch Friday nights at 7 p.m. Brian Stelter speaks about the relationship between Fox News, its viewers, and former President Donald Trump, and the network’s coverage of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks. Stelter is the media correspondent for CNN, and the anchor of “Reliable Sources.” His new book is Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth. Andy Ihnatko talks about Apple’s new Mail Privacy Protection, which stops email pixel tracking. He also explains the antitrust legislation that Democrats are preparing against multiple tech giants. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Callie Crossley discusses the resignation of two Boston School Committee members after their texts were made public, and talks about viral graduation stories from across the nation. She also previews the latest edition of Under the Radar. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. We end the show by talking with listeners about the auction of a Blue Origin ticket that would give them a seat next to Jeff Bezos on his trip to space.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from President Joe Biden’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin at the G7 Summit to Vice President Kamala Harris’ trips to Guatemala and Mexico. 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 supported imposing tax hikes on millionaires. Andrea Cabral discusses the firing of former Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White, and shares her thoughts on growing public distrust of the Boston Police Department. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Joe Spaulding talks about the struggles facing performing arts venues due to the pandemic, and updates us on the Boch Center’s upcoming shows. Spaulding is the president and CEO of Boston’s Boch Center, overseeing both the 3,500-seat Wang Theatre and the 1,500-seat Shubert Theatre on Tremont Street. He is also a member of Governor Baker’s advisory board on re-opening. Paul Reville weighs in on the resignations of two Boston School Committee members after their disparaging texts about West Roxbury families were published by the Boston Globe. He also talks about Verda Tetteh, a Harvard-bound graduate who asked her high school to give her $40,000 award to a student attending community college. 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 Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Corby Kummer shares his thoughts on Connecticut’s consideration of a law that would allow self-pour alcohol machines in restaurants and bars, and other venues. He also talks about the stress put on grocery workers to quickly fulfill online orders. 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. We end the show by asking listeners how far they’re willing to go beyond food expiration dates.