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: We begin the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about the country's perception of Boston as a racist city. Michelle Singletary walks us through tax season, explaining taxes collected on unemployment and the Child Tax Credit. 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. Lylah Alphonse updates us on the latest Rhode Island-based headlines, from COVID-19 vaccination rates to the state of Providence schools. Alphonse is the Rhode Island editor for the Boston Globe, where she leads a team covering and exploring the Ocean State. Bob Thompson discusses the comeback of Court TV, and their coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial. He also touches on the controversy surrounding Dr. Oz hosting “Jeopardy.” Thompson is the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture and a professor of television and popular culture at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price share their thoughts on the trial of Derek Chauvin, and the nationwide perception of Boston as a racist city. They also discuss a decline in church membership across the country. 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 an executive director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco celebrates the start of National Poetry Month by highlighting Asian American poets. 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 asking listeners how they felt about the reopening of elementary schools across Massachusetts.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by asking listeners whether they’re ready to mend relationships with family members who supported President Donald Trump. Sue O’Connell weighs in on conservatives’ reactions to both the sex trafficking investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Lil Nas X’s music video for “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).” She also discusses the decrease in divorce rates due to the pandemic. 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. District Attorney Rachael Rollins discusses the National Bureau of Economic Research study validating her decision to dismiss low-level, nonviolent offenses, or resolve them without jail time. She also shares her thoughts on the Sean Ellis case, and her push for a new trial. Rollins is the district attorney for Suffolk County. Andy Ihnatko updates us on the latest news at the intersection of tech and politics, from bots to help you find vaccine sites to Apple blocking ProtonVPN from updating their VPN app. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Callie Crossley explains how Black executives are calling on corporations to fight Georgia voting restrictions. She also weighs in on recent apologies from the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Don Lemon previews his new book, “This Is The Fire: What I Say To My Friends About Racism." He also shares his thoughts on the trial of Derek Chauvin. Lemon anchors “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,” airing weeknights at 10 p.m. He’s also a #1 bestselling New York Times author. His latest book is “This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism.” We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about the rise of a new type of small talk: vaccine appointments.

The most recent stimulus package signed by President Joe Biden — the American Rescue Plan — dedicates $1.8 billion for K-12 schools in Massachusetts, with Boston Public Schools getting $400 million. “It’s going to be an enormous windfall for the school system,” former Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Reville tells Boston Public Radio. “It’s going to mean an intensive period of first of all competition for how to spend that money.” Reville said the next few months will be a period of politicking in Boston — in a good way — as the city goes through a mayoral race, emerges from the pandemic, and sets priorities for the future. Biden has also just unveiled his infrastructure plan that proposes $100 billion for school construction. Reville also discussed the state’s efforts to return students to schools, and new developments in vaccine safety for younger people. Paul Reville is a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs 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.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talks about the sex trafficking investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. He also shares his thoughts on President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. 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. Next, we opens the phone lines, talking with listeners about distracted walkers. Andrea Cabral discusses the witnesses in the Derek Chauvin trial, and the trauma they’ve faced and are now revisiting in court. She also argues that people who don’t know about violence against Black Americans are intentionally ignoring history. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Bill McKibben weighs in on the climate aspects of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plans, and the University of Michigan’s decision to divest from fossil fuels. 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?” Paul Reville explains how the American Rescue Plan Act might be used to help reopen schools across the U.S. He also touches on the low positivity rate in pooled COVID-19 testing in Massachusetts schools. 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.” Corby Kummer talks about the increase in online grocery orders due to the pandemic, and the need for more cold food storage to meet these demands. He also shares his thoughts on Krispy Kreme’s decision to give away free donuts to vaccinated individuals. 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 wrap up the show by asking listeners if they were opting into April Fool’s Day after a year of gloom.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is offering a free glazed doughnut per day for the rest of the year to anyone who shows their COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card. Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio on Thursday about the company’s announcement. “How many people do you think are actually going to take advantage of it every day?” he said. “Not nearly as many as the much of free publicity Krispy Kreme has gotten for this announcement.” The company also sweetened the deal for its employees, Kummer noted. “I’m going to praise Krispy Kreme because they’re also offering up to four hours of paid time off for each vaccination for their employees,” he said.” “This is really important to incentivize employees.” 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.