Boston Public Radio

The sketch improv show, playing at the Huntington Theatre, reflects on various social and women's issues.

Naomi Seibt is acting as a foil to Greta Thunberg's climate activism.

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.

In July, workers at a Trader Joe’s in Hadley, Mass. successfully voted to unionize, making their location the first unionized Trader Joe’s in the country. Last week, a second Trader Joe’s in Minneapolis followed suit. The union successes come in a wave of union victories across the country, including at Starbucks and Amazon—currently, employees at a unionized Starbucks near Boston University have been on strike for nearly 30 days. “I think that it's no accident that places and businesses that made part of their brand identity treating their workers well and enjoying their workers are the ones who were being targeted because these workers got used to being treated much better than others,” food writer Corby Kummer said on Boston Public Radio Monday. Kummer added that COVID-19 and the political climate are factors in recent unionization efforts. Some companies cut benefits at the start of the pandemic, and now workers have to fight to bring them back. “So many places—meaning employers—have been much more lax and financially strapped because of the pandemic and treating their employees worse,” he said. “And also, unions are more fashionable, they've come back into popularity and worker's consciousness in a way they haven't in decades.” Kummer said that unionization efforts at stores like Trader Joe’s are more challenging than at Starbucks, because grocery stores have more employees. Still, he believes the future of Trader Joe’s unions could signal the future of grocery store unions more broadly. “I think that Trader Joe's is an important bellwether for the future, and I'm proud of Massachusetts for being the first one,” he said. 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: Senator Elizabeth Warren talks about the MBTA, and the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, and took listener calls and questions on an installment of “Ask the Senator.” Retired Judge Nancy Gertner shares her thoughts on Attorney General Merrick Garland’s address on the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago, unpacking some of the legal statutes involved in the situation. She also discussed why it’s important to our democracy to be able to trust judges, and more. Gertner is a retired federal judge and a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School. Jared Bowen talks about the latest in arts: the Met’s new exhibit “Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color;” Now and There’s new exhibit in front of Faneuil Hall, called “Summer Sets,” Patrick Kelly’s “Runway of Love” at the PEM, and BJ Novak’s “Vengeance;” and Leslie Dill’s new exhibition “Wilderness” at the MFA. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. Patty Bourrée explains the impact of Boston’s Drag Queen Story Hour, and how recent white supremacist protests at the events have affected him. Patty Bourrée heads Boston’s Branch of Drag Queen Story Hour. Brian O’Donovan and the Neave Trio join us ahead of their performance at the Rockport Celtic Festival to share a bit about their group and play a few songs. O’Donovan hosts GBH’s A Celtic Sojourn. The Neave trio members are violinist Anna Williams, pianist Eri Nakamura, and cellist Mikhail Veselov. We end the show by asking listeners what they think about sales tax weekend.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Andrea Mitchell updates us on the latest national political headlines. Mitchell is the NBC News Chief Washington Correspondent. She is also Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, and anchor of “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” which airs weekdays at noon on MSNBC. Then, we open the phone lines to listeners, asking if they would consider getting rid of their manicured lawns in favor of something more natural. Andrea Cabral discusses the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Tess Gerritsen and Josh Gerritsen shares the history of humans’ complicated relationship with pigs, as told through their documentary, “Magnificent Beasts.” Gerritsen is a Maine-based author. Her and her son Josh are the filmmakers behind the new documentary, “Magnificent Beasts.” Paul Reville talks about declining school enrollment at both the high school and college levels. Reville is the former secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Lynne Sacks, is “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Jon Gruber explains the economics behind the CHIPS and Science Act. 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 now can add the CHIPS Act to his resume. His latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream.” We end the show by talking with listeners about harnessing feelings of envy for motivation.

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to share his thoughts on Hulu’s “The Bear,” Cracker Barrel adding vegan sausages to their menu, and more.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners for their thoughts on the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago. Art Caplan talks about the accessibility issues wheelchair users face while traveling by plane, and weighs in on the resurrection of extinct animals. 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. Juliette Kayyem discusses the FBI’s raid of former President Donald Trump’s home of Mar-a-Lago. Kayyem is former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Sarah Larson shares her thoughts on the rise of pickleball in America, and the sport’s potential to bridge the political divide. Larson is a staff writer for the New Yorker. Will Sennott discusses the foreign private equity firms dominating New England’s fishing industry. Sennott is a reporter for the New Bedford Light. Dan Adams updates us on cannabis reforms in Mass., and Maine’s booming medical marijuana industry. Adams is the Boston Globe cannabis reporter, and author of “This Week In Weed,” the definitive marijuana newsletter. We end the show by talking with listeners about the potential disappearance of summer food staples – like lobsters, blueberries, and corn – with climate change.