Boston Public Radio

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the world and the United States, news organizations have been delivering constant coverage of the virus’ spread.

The Atlantic writer discussed a simple alternative to dangerous rodenticides.

Gilbert Tsang and Meg Tartasky of Mem Tea Imports joined BPR for our weekly news quiz.

"It's important as we celebrate Pete Buttigieg's success," she said.

Black voters in southern states live within the history of discrimination, Crossley said, and will do everything they can to continue racial progress.

Google and Facebook are among the companies canceling annual events over concerns about coronavirus.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan discusses President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis and the World Health Organization declaring a global health emergency over monkeypox. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Then, we ask listeners whether or not they struggle to get enough sleep. Jon Gruber explains the connection between extreme heat, climate change and economics. Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. His latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream.” Emily Worden updates listeners on the state of the job industry, and shares career advice with callers. Worden is a career coach and adjunct professor at Boston University, where she teaches Career Development in the Arts. Kate Dineen tells her story of traveling out of state to receive a late term abortion, and Rebecca Hart Holder explains the state of abortion legislation in Massachusetts following the Supreme Court overturning Roe. v Wade. Dineen is the Executive Vice President of A Better City. Hart Holder is Executive Director for Reproductive Equity Now. Megan Sandberg-Zakain and Rachael Warren preview their summer adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” on Boston Common. Sandberg-Zakian is director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s rendition of Much Ado About Nothing. Warren plays Beatrice. We end the show by discussing the joys of ice cream trucks in the summer.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about their MBTA woes. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the possibility of Kevin Durant coming to the Celtics, Lebron James’ comments about racism in Boston sports, and the latest in the running world and the state of the Red Sox. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Joan Donovan discusses her team’s research affirming former President Donald Trump’s role in the events of Jan. 6, including the new role of social media in inciting political violence. Donovan is the research director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy where she examines internet and technology studies, online extremism, media manipulation and disinformation campaigns. Judge Nancy Gertner shares her thoughts on the possibility of Trump being criminally charged based on the findings of the Jan. 6 committee. Gertner is a retired federal judge and a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School. Corby Kummer debates the merits of bringing back happy hour in Massachusetts, discusses the end of the Choco Taco, and explains why “50 Best Restaurants in the World” lists are problematic. 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. John King talks about the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court repealing the right to contraception following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, what to expect from the Jan. 6 hearings and President Joe Biden’s plans to combat climate change. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by asking listeners what their comfort shows are.

To borrow the famous sentiment from songwriter Joni Mitchell, “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” This week, ice cream manufacturer Klondike announced the discontinuation of their popular taco-shaped ice cream snack the Choco Taco. Choco Tacos have been around since the 80’s, and news of the snack’s demise was widely lamented across the internet. Speaking Tuesday on Boston Public Radio, food writer Corby Kummer called the Klondike brand “wonderful,” “nostalgic,” and “iconic,” noting the Choco Taco’s unique appeal in the landscape of novelty ice cream. “[Klondike] had a very clever idea, which is to package in a taco shape, vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered so-called taco shell – and then, nuts that go all around the semi-circle of the taco… that means you can mix the chocolate and nuts and the wafer more in every bite, ‘cause it’s more distributed when you just think of the shape,” Kummer said. For those upset about the news, he added that Klondike already offers several similar alternatives to the taco-shaped treat. “Go out and buy a Drumstick,” Kummer said. “It’s the same ingredients in a different shape and you’ll still be a happy ice cream fan.” For fans discouraged by Klondike’s decision, he added that there are several other ice cream brands offering similar products. "You can boycott Klondike and go for rival products that have the same ingredients in them,” he joked. 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they support the proposed return of happy hour in Mass. Michael Curry talks about recent white supremacist activity in Boston and the racial discrepancies in Mass. healthcare surrounding abortion and COVID-19. Curry is chair of the NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee, and is president and CEO of the Mass. League of Community Health Centers. Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins reflect on their experience road tripping across Route 66, including the communities they met, the history they encountered, and how their upbringings and backgrounds as Muslim Americans influence their perspectives and storytelling. Haydar is a rapper, poet, activist and chaplain. Robins is an educator and chaplain. Together, they host the PBS series "The Great Muslim American Road Trip." Jimmy Liang discusses his journey from being brought up by a food-loving family to owning the largest Asian food group in Mass., what it takes to design a restaurant today, and how the food culture in Boston and its surrounding cities is changing. Liang is the founder, CEO, and chef of the JP Fuji group. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price talks about a recent incident involving a Sesame Place character’s racist behavior toward children and the city’s response to recent white supremacist activity in Boston. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston and the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host GBH's All Rev’d Up podcast. Dr. Katherine Gergen-Barnett discusses the newest variant of COVID-19, the monkeypox vaccine, and answered listeners’ questions during this month’s edition of “Ask the Doctor.” Gergen-Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and a Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University Medical School.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about last night’s Jan. 6 hearing. Devra First and Christopher Muther join us to share their list of hidden gems on Cape Cod. First writes about food and reviews restaurants for the Boston Globe. Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Shirley Leung discusses efforts to protect abortion rights in Mass., and the state of the MBTA in the wake of the Orange line train fire over the Mystic River on Thursday. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Bill McKibben talks about his recent book, “The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened." He also shares his thoughts on heat waves across the U.S. and Europe. McKibben is an author, educator and environmentalist. He’s the founder of 350.org and ThirdAct.org. He has a new newsletter on Substack titled “The Crucial Years.” He’s also got a new, serialized book titled “The Other Cheek: An Epic Nonviolent Yarn.” Andy Ihnatko updates us on the latest tech headlines, focusing on the publishing industry’s lawsuit against the Internet Archive. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. David Ibbett and James Monroe talks about translating the science of black holes into song through the Black Hole Symphony. Cellist Johnny Mok, soprano Agnes Coakley-Cox, and flutist and piccolo player Jessica Smith perform. Ibbett is the founder of the Multiverse Concert Series, and composer of the Black Hole Symphony. Monroe is the Senior Producer Adult Programs & Theater Experiences at the Museum of Science. We then ask listeners to share their favorite places to visit on Cape Cod.