Boston Public Radio

What would the former Patriots player and convicted murderer have been like without football brain injuries?

Yes, we should be focusing on the flu, but we should also be wary of just how unprepared we are for an outbreak in America.

On Tuesday, US Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling charged the chairman of Harvard University’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, Charles Lieber, with lying about his connections to a Chinese university.

Epic is being critiqued for not making its medical data easier to be shared between doctors and patients.

After more than a year since the first marijuana shops in the state opened their doors, however, many minority business owners say they’ve been locked out of the marijuana industry.

Fine dining restaurants are serving up climate-minded meals.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd begins the show with the latest news from Washington D.C., including the latest from the Jan. 6 committee, and a House vote to censure Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona for sharing an altered anime video of him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we ask listeners their Thanksgiving plans as COVID cases rise. Andrea Cabral discusses the latest in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, including Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissing the gun charge against Rittenhouse. She also talks about the state of marijuana legalization at the federal level. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Paul Reville updates listeners on the latest news from schools, including how schools are doing when it comes to COVID-19, and the latest slew of racist incidents. Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also heads 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. Dylan Thuras tells stories of strange food from around the world, including psychedelic honey, the anti-masterbatory origins of graham crackers and the great molasses flood in Boston in 1919. Dylan Thuras is the co-founder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, and the co-author of the New York Times bestseller “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.” His latest book is “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide.” It was co-authored with Cecily Wong. Shirley Leung weighs in on the State House’s inability to pass legislation to distribute the American Rescue Plan Act funds, and the future of Boston’s downtown in an era of hybrid work. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. We end the show by talking with listeners about their strange food stories.

The Subway tuna sandwich saga continues: Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to discuss new claims in a lawsuit against the sandwich chain that its tuna subs don’t contain tuna at all. “This is one of the best stories ever,” he said. “Everybody wants to test Subway tuna sandwiches and find out what’s in it.” Earlier this year, the New York Times sent out samples of Subway tuna sandwiches to a laboratory, only to find that “no amplifiable tuna DNA was present” and the species couldn’t be identified. Subway has repeatedly denied the allegations. 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Spencer Buell and Erica Walker talk about the rise of noise complaints in Boston, and what -- and if -- residents and politicians should do about it. Spencer Buell is a staff writer for Boston Magazine. Erica Walker is a noise researcher who founded Noise and the City. She is an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown. Then, we asked listeners their experiences with noise in the city. Juliette Kayyem updates listeners on the latest in the Jan. 6 committee investigation, including Steve Bannon’s contempt charge. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Corby Kummer discusses the pros and cons of emerging grocery delivery services that promise groceries in 15 minutes, which have arrived in New York City. Kummer is the 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. Rick Steves tells stories from his latest trip, in which he spent three weeks in Italy and Greece, and his experience hiking Mont Blanc. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves’ Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, “Rick Steves’ Europe,” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Jon Gruber weighs in on the economic impact of the infrastructure bill. Gruber teaches economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth And The American Dream.” We end the show by asking listeners their thoughts on 15 minute grocery delivery.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their reactions to the latest slew of racist incidents at local schools. Trenni Kusnierek discusses New York Marathon runners coming to the aid of a competitor who had a heart attack during the race, and family members meddling in the lives of professional athletes. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Then, we broadcast the live swearing in of Boston’s newest mayor Michelle Wu, and ask listeners for their reactions to history in the making, as Wu becomes the first woman and first person of color elected as mayor of the city. Farah Stockman talks about how class divides manifest themselves culturally and politically in the United States, and why higher class, well educated communities struggle to understand and represent the majority of Americans. Farah Stockman is a member of the New York Times editorial board, and a Pulitzer prize winning reporter. Her latest book is “American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears.” John King updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including why Republicans have an advantage moving into midterm elections following the latest wave of gerrymandering, and what it means for Democrats. King is CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor of “Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays at noon and Sundays at 8 a.m. We end the show by continuing our conversation about Wu and what her election means for Boston.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Ella McDonald and Maya Mudgal begin the show by sharing their reactions to the COP26 climate summit and their thoughts on mayor-elect Michelle Wu’s climate platform. McDonald is a senior at Tufts University, and communications director at Act on Mass, a non-profit working towards more transparency at the state house. Mudgal is a senior at Northeastern University, and organized for Wu during the campaign. They both have been involved with Sunrise Movement’s Boston chapter. Then, we ask listeners how best they think society should tackle climate change. Charlie Sennott discusses his thoughts on the outcome of the COP26 climate summit, and the state of the Taliban today. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Dan Adams reflects on five years of marijuana legalization, and what still needs to happen to make legalization just and equitable. Dan Adams is cannabis reporter for Boston Globe and author of the “This Week in Weed” email newsletter. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about incidents of racist bullying at schools across the region, and a top Catholic bishop calling social justice movements “pseudo-religion” and “dangerous.” Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco reads poetry by January Gill O'Neil, Beverly resident and Associate Professor of English at Salem State University, including “On Being Told I Look Like FLOTUS, New Year’s Eve Party 2014” and “In Praise of Okra.” Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His latest book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We end the show by asking listeners what secrets they have held inside, after a Lynnfield father admitted to his bank robbing crimes right before his death.