Boston Public Radio

The stock market floundered this week amid investor concerns over the coronavirus spreading in China. Economist Jonathan Gruber says this has implications across American markets.

Will Boston become a victim of COVID-19?

42 year-old Dave Ayres was named an honorary North Carolinian on Tuesday.

For former Vice President Joe Biden a win in this Saturday’s South Carolina Democratic primary is crucial to proving his viability as a candidate, according to CNN’s Chief National Correspondent.

Boston Latin currently has 8% of Black students in its enrollment, compared to Boston's public schools at 30%.

On Saturday, the United States and the Taliban officially began a seven-day reduction of violence as the precursor to beginning peace talks between the two.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We started the show by hearing from listeners about what their ideal work week would look like, as more and more people seek alternatives to the traditional 9 to 5. Michael Curry discussed the latest COVID-19 numbers in Massachusetts, the Mass Black Expo aiming to foster community for Black entrepreneurs, and the latest on diversity in state contracts. Michael Curry is President and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, where he chairs the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Poet Richard Blanco read some of his own poetry tackling identity to help us celebrate Hispanic heritage month. Blanco Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history, His latest book "How To Love A Country" deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G Price III discussed the moral issues of the day, like how 75% of Republican evangelicals saying they want the US to be declared a Christian nation, and psychotherapists incorporating faith into their practices. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker discussed the state of the MBTA, the state's response to dozens of Venezuelan migrants sent here by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and took listener calls.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by asking listeners about the year-long suspension of Celtics coach Ime Udoka. Juliette Kayyem talked about the latest from the Alex Jones trial, Former President Donald Trump’s recent spring of bad headlines, including his seeming support for QAnon and the fraud lawsuit against him and some of his children. Kayyem was the assistant secretary for Homeland Security under former President Barack Obama, and is the faculty chair of the Homeland Security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her new book is “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” David Abel talked about his latest reporting, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s new forestry plan to increase the city’s canopy, and railroad companies in Mass. bulldozing thousands of trees. Abel is a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer who covers the environment for the Boston Globe. Christopher Muther talked about his travel reporting, including new luxury RV parks in Boston, Pete Buttigeig’s potential air travel reforms, a potential train from Boston to Montreal, and Liverpool culture beyond the Beatles. Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Zurin Villanueva and Ann Nesby from Tina: The Tina Turner Musical shared their experience with the show so far, and how Turner’s music has impacted their lives. Zurin plays Tina Turner in the show, Ann plays the role of Tina’s grandmother. You can buy tickets to the show here. Kevin O’Connor & Tom Silva from “This Old House” joined us ahead of the premiere of their 44th season to talk about this season of the show and answer listener questions. O’Connor is the host of This Old House, and Silva is the show’s long-time general contractor. We ended the show by taking listener questions for O’Connor and Silva.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show asking listeners whether the recent headlines about Former President Trump will affect the public’s perception of him. Susan Zalkind gave some insight into her years of investigating a 2011 triple homicide in Waltham, Mass., which despite its brutality and connections to the Boston Marathon bombing, remains unsolved; and its recent adaptation into a docu-series. Zalkind is an independent journalist, writer and producer. A docu-series based on her reporting, “Murders before the Marathon,” is out on Hulu. Andrea Cabral discussed the latest in former President Trump’s legal troubles, and Adnan Syed’s release after two decades in prison. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Sue O’Connell shared her insights on the alleged looming price spike of heating, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s pledge to introduce articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. Paul Reville talked about the way that President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan will affect Mass. residents, schools boycotting the US News Ratings, and responded to an Atlantic piece raising the question of whether we ought to push all our sons’ schooling back a year. Meredith Goldstein and Sara Farizan joined us to talk about Farizan’s new book, “My Buddy, Killer Croc,” a YA novel in the DC umbrella, and then Goldstein talked about the latest edition of her column: “I have a crush on a fictional character. I’m not sure how to find real love.” Goldstein is a features writer for the Boston Globe, where she authors the “Love Letters” column and hosts the “Love Letters” podcast. Farizan is an author of several award winning young adult novels. Her most recent, My Buddy, Killer Croc, a DC Comics middle-grade graphic novel, came out on Sept. 6th. We ended the show by asking listeners what they think about using human remains as compost.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan discussed President Biden’s comments about COVID, Tampa Bay school districts launch of Tom Brady’s fitness program, and new research showing 20 percent of households are dealing with some form of medical debt. Art Caplan is a professor and the Director of NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Division of Medical Ethics. After talking to Art Caplan about issues surrounding the mental health crisis, we heard from listeners about our stress levels during the pandemic. Shirley Leung talked about her recent article on the development potential and costs for the reopening of Long Island, plus the latest on the MBTA's Orange Line reopening, and the MA Steamship Authority rejecting suggestions for its naming competition for the newly acquired ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Shirley Leung is a columnist and associate editor at the Boston Globe. Rick Steves shared his travel experience dining and cruising the Burgundy Canal, and the usefulness of trekking poles while hiking the trails on the Swiss Alps. Rick Steves is a television host, guidebook author, activist, and owner and founder of Rick Steves’ Europe. Marcela García discussed the recent lawsuits regarding the Martha’s Vineyard migrant case and growing Latino representation on Beacon Hill. Marcela García is an associate editor and columnist for the Boston Globe's op-ed page. Sy Montgomery talked about emotional support squids and alligators, plus kangaroos terrorizing Australian townsfolk. Sy Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist, and author of her latest book is “The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty.” We closed the show with a call-in segment and heard from listeners about our obsession with height and what it says about us.

Fred Franzia, legend in cheap wine-making, has died. His wine label Charles Shaw, sold at Trader Joe’s, made wine more accessible to Americans for its shockingly cheap sticker price – giving to its affectionate title: “two-buck Chuck.” “Wine snobs hate this idea,” Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio Tuesday. “The idea that you can buy cheap wine, and he was in Napa and he said, very delicately, ‘take that and shove it Napa.’” Corby 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