Boston Public Radio

When news broke that a novel coronavirus which was first discovered in China was spreading it was reminiscent of the plots of some novels Dr. Robin Cook has written.

Economist Jonathan Gruber criticized President Trump's push for a payroll tax cut, and also called for the government to stimulate the production of a vaccine.

Theaters and museums have to find the balance between public safety and the success of their organizations.

"We're using ideological filtering, not science filtering," said medical ethicist Arthur Caplan.

Kayyem praised Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker for declaring a state of emergency due to coronavirus.

According to CNN's John King, it may depend on how the delegate lead shakes out.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with callers about partisan politics, and whether the United States locked in permanent gridlock? Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed racist anti-Chinese sentiments surrounding the Coronovirus panic, and the rise “The Hot Doctor” on Instagram. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed impeachment, the Iowa caucus debacle, and the state of U.S. election security. Marcus Samuelsson, host of No Passport Requiredon PBS, previewed season two of his food and travel show. Immigration lawyer Susan Church discussed two Boston-based Iranian college students she’s representing, both with valid visas who were denied entry to the U.S. TV writer Bob Thompson reviewed the final seasons of “The Good Place” and “BoJack Horseman,” as well as season 10 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Poet Richard Blanco joined us for another edition of The Village Voice, where he celebrated the month of Valentine's Day with some love poems.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Arnie Anderson, political analyst and host of WNHN’s “The Attitude,” discussed Monday’s Iowa caucus, and what the debacle might indicate for next Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. We opened our lines to talk with callers about your impressions of the Iowa caucus. Carol Rose and Kade Crockford from the Massachusetts ACLU discussed their efforts to block facial recognition technology in the Bay State. NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek recapped Super Bowl LIV, from the the game itself to Tom Brady’s “special announcement” Hulu ad. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the 40,000 pounds of food waste at Super Bowl LIV, and the FDA’s recent approval of a drug to lessen the effects of peanut allergies. We re-opened our lines to discuss the massive construction project soon to be underway at South Station. CNN’s John King discussed criticisms of Monday night’s Iowa caucus, and President’s Trump’s forthcoming State of the Union address. Ari Barbanell and Paul English, co-founders of Winter Walk Boston, discussed their program’s mission of fighting local homelessness ahead of their fourth annual walk on Sunday.

Kellogg's will stop using wheat and oats treated with glyphosate, an herbicide, in their products by 2025. Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to speak about why this new commitment was made by the food manufacturing company. "Kellogg's is saying, 'No, we don't want to use any of that glyphosate stuff, because it can be found in our cereal and we're not marketing it to children," Kummer said. Bayer, a company that uses glyphosate in their weedkiller Roundup, hasn't yet commented on Kellogg's glyphosate phase out, Kummer said. "It's very bad news for Bayer because once Kellogg's implies that glyphosate can be dangerous to your children, every consumer is going to start looking for glyphosate-free products," he said. Wheat and oat farmers use glyphosate to strengthen their crops before harvesting, Kummer noted. "Farmers are saying, 'We need it, it's said to be safe, why are you telling us it isn't?'" 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: We aired live audio of the closing arguments in the Senate impeachment trial.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the lines to ask callers: if impeachment ends today, who wins and who loses? Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, gave us her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed the controversy surrounding the book “American Dirt,” and previewed Sunday’s episode ofUnder the Radar. Vox Media co-founder and editor-at-large Ezra Klein discussed his new book, “Why We’re Polarized.”