Boston Public Radio

Self-isolation is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Even if the nation did open its economy back up sooner rather than later, it won't be business as usual.

The economic journalist was dismissive of President Trump’s proposal to re-open the economy in April.

The president of Pine Street Inn discusses how homeless people are being impacted by the novel coronavirus

It's responsible to discuss public health restrictions' impacts on our economy during the coronavirus pandemic. But how we talk about it matters.

Social distancing from humans doesn't mean you can't be connected to all life.

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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jonathan Gruber shares his thoughts on President Joe Biden’s tax plans. He also explains capital gains taxes. 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, and his latest book is "Jump-Starting America How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream." Next, we ask listeners whether they think Massachusetts should make vaccines mandatory. Juliette Kayyem explains why it’s rare for U.S. mass shooters to be charged with committing a hate crime or terrorist act. She also discusses gun legislation. 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. Art Caplan weighs in on calls to make vaccines mandatory, and the potential of an international COVID-19 vaccination passport. He also shares his thoughts on Arkansas’ passage of a bill restricting access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender children. Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU School of Medicine. Joanne Chang and Christopher Myers recap how their restaurants, Myers + Chang and the Flour Bakery and Café franchise, have weathered the pandemic over the past year. They also talk about the rise in anti-Asian racism, and how it’s impacting Asian restaurants. Chang and Myers are the duo behind the restaurant Myers + Chang and the Flour Bakery and Café franchise. Chang is a James Beard award-winning pastry chef and author. Her latest book is "Pastry Love." Myers has been in the fine dining business for years. Sy Montgomery joins us for this month’s edition of The Afternoon Zoo, discussing new research on sea slugs’ responses to parasites and a viral video of a penguin being chased by orca whales. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is "Becoming A Good Creature."

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by talking with listeners about the CDC’s warning of a possible fourth wave of COVID-19. Trenni Kusnierek talks about Boston Pride’s National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) title win, and New Hampshire’s Tuckerman Inferno pentathlon. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Michael Curry discusses the current state of the vaccine equity gap in Massachusetts, arguing for more resources for community-based organizations. He also talks about his experience being bused into Charlestown as a child. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Christopher Muther updates us on the state of hotels during the pandemic, and Iceland’s new rule requiring international visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a previous COVID-19 infection. Muther is a travel writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. Lee Pelton and Roger Brown share their thoughts on running colleges during a pandemic, and what they think the future of higher ed could look like. Pelton, after serving as president of Emerson since 2011, will be joining the Boston Foundation in June as their next president and CEO. Brown has served as the president of Berklee College of Music since 2004, and will be stepping down this year. John King weighs in on President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office, the challenges facing voting rights and the fate of the filibuster. King is CNN’s Chief National Politics Correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We wrap up the show by asking listeners whether they’ve bought into camping fever.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Charlie Sennott talks about the cargo ship Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal, and Brazil’s COVID-19 crisis. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Next, we ask listeners if they thought Dr. Deborah Birx and other members of former President Trump’s White House were complicit in COVID-19 deaths. E.J. Dionne updates us on the latest political headlines, from voting restrictions in Georgia to hopes for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure agenda. 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.” Shirley Leung speaks about her recent Boston Globe column, where she wrote about Asian parents giving “the talk” to their children on how to deal with racism. She also discusses the pandemic’s impact on the hotel industry, explaining that it might take years for hotels to recover economically. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price share their thoughts on the Catholic Church’s opposition to a U.S. suicide hotline due to its support of LGBT+ people. They also talk about evangelist Franklin Graham’s promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine, causing outrage among some Evangelical Christians. 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. Walter Isaacson previews his new book, “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.” Isaacson is a professor of American history at Tulane University, the host of the podcast “Trailblazers,” and a host on “Amanpour and Company.” His latest book is “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.” We end the show by talking with listeners on whether they felt stuck — just like the Ever Given ship in the Suez Canal — during the pandemic.