Boston Public Radio

The federal government will need to provide a safety net to protect people and businesses who are struggling during the spread of COVID-19.

Todd predicts that we have until the end of April before people start getting cabin fever.

The National Immigrant Forum's executive director accused the Trump administration of 'trying to create a narrative that blames the foreigner’ for the coronavirus.

The senator liked the impact of COVID-19 to World War II and the Great Depression.

Ordering food delivery is fine if you follow a protocol to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

King said the president was ‘much more in command of the facts’ than in previous addresses.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to ask listeners: how much harm do you think President Trump is doing by sidelining Anthony Fauci? Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeff Riley and MGH infectious disease specialist Dr. Sandra Nelson weighed the various approaches for reopening Massachusetts schools. WGBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott talked about Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and explained the controversy behind Turkish President Recap Tayyip Eddogan’s decision to convert the historic Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. TV expert Bob Thompson talked about Colin Kaeperinck’s deal with Disney, and reviewed “Elvis from Outer Space." Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed Kanye West’s bid for President, and why U.S. school curriculums have done such a poor job of teaching the history of American racism. “Make Way for Ducklings” sculptor Nancy Schon discussed her latest work, a memorial to the COVID-19 pandemic, and talked about the role of politics in art. We opened lines to ask: do you think the pandemic is bringing out the best in humanity, or the worst in humanity?

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to ask listeners: Is Massachusetts taking a gamble on our health by reopening casinos? Boston Globe Business Columnist Shirley Leung talked about whether Massachusetts residents can handle phase three of reopening, and offered her take on the myriad organizations addressing Boston’s racial inequity. Beat the Press Host Emily Rooney reflected on the passing of local talk radio figure Jay Severin and read her weekly list of fixations and fulminations. Comedian Tom Papa discussed his new book, "You're Doing Great! And Other Reasons to Stay Alive,” and talked about the joys of living a simple life. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed a damning civil rights audit at Facebook and new features coming to iPhone users with the smartphone's latest operating system. Under the Radar Host Callie Crossley talked about the decision from the New York Times and the Associated Press to capitalize the “b” in Black, and her love of “Hamilton,” which just had its streaming debut on Disney Plus. We reopened lines to ask listeners: With a heat wave approaching, are you missing the office AC?

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd talked about the US’ standing as the nation with the most COVID-19 cases and discussed the latest national headlines. With coronavirus cases spiking across the country, we opened lines to ask listeners: Are you ready for the long haul of living with COVID? Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the Supreme Court’s ruling on President Trump's tax returns, and whether Amy Cooper — who gained notoriety for calling the police on a Black man in Central Park — deserves to have her false reporting charge dropped. Dr. Karilyn Crockett, Boston's newly appointed and first-ever chief of equity, talked about her goals and what she believes it's going to take to change racism and classism in the city. Former Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville talked about where Massachusetts stands with respect to reopening schools, and the Trump administration’s latest order prohibiting international students from returning to or remaining in the US for remote learning. We opened lines to ask listeners: Has Amy Cooper already paid the price for her white privilege? Harvard dream researcher Deirdre Leigh Barrett talked about her new book, “Pandemic Dreams."

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan talked about research from the WHO into whether the coronavirus can be transmitted through tiny droplets in the air, and how that research stands to impact how the U.S. reopens. WGBH News senior investigative reporter Jenifer McKim talked about the latest reporting from the The WGBH News Center for Investigative Reporting, on failures of the Mass. parole system. We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Wednesday press conference. Harvard behavioral economist Michael Norton discussed his latest research on consumer attitudes around how companies respond to economic pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic. He also responded to questions and comments from listeners. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Peggy Fogelman talked about the museum’s reopening, as well as their ongoing exhibit, titled “Boston’s Apollo: Thomas McKeller and John Singer Sargent.” Emmy Award winning performing artist Wyatt Jackson and Latin Grammy Award winner Gen Rubin talked about “Get Up,” their new single that comments on racial injustice in America.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about returning to eat at restaurants amid the coronavirus pandemic. "The problem is always going to be 'How do we get diners to wear masks and behave?' - that's the real problem for restaurants and is why they're opening and reclosing," he said. "We're working on a diner code of conduct on how to enforce this, because this is the central problem." Restaurants are coming up with various ways of enforcing health safety to a customer base that doesn't want to abide by the rules, Kummer noted. "Applebee's is hiring employees who just go around with a tub of cleaning products constantly disinfecting," he said. "But Applebee's should hire someone who also very nicely stands at the door of the restaurant saying 'I think you've forgotten your mask, can we give you one?' so that they have the equivalent of a bouncer enforcing this." Hiring a person to enforce mask-wearing among customers is a good investment of money that restaurants could be taking, Kummer added. "But of course independent restaurants can't afford this extra person, they can't afford this enforcement." 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.