Boston Public Radio

A new report estimates more than a billion animals are 'dead or dying' from the fires.

In three weeks, voters in New Hampshire will cast their votes in the first presidential primary of the 2020 election.

On Sunday, the New York Times decided to select their endorsement for the candidate to beat former reality television star and President Donald Trump via their television show “The Weekly”.

The proposed legislation hopes to modernize state police hiring, promotions, accountability and discipline within the department.

The opioid crisis was discussed at length, along with solutions in development.

The congresswoman is out with a "radical" decarceration initiative.

Today’s Boston Public Radio is on tape. We’re bringing you the ultimate book club — back-to-back conversations from over the years with some of our favorite writers: Kevin Young shares from his collection of poetry, “Brown.” Young is the poetry editor of The New Yorker and the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Ann Patchett discusses the autobiographical elements of her book “Commonwealth,” and makes a pitch to all readers to shop at local, independent bookstores. Patchett is an author and the owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn. Sy Montgomery explores animal intelligence and what people can learn from animals. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is “The Hummingbirds’ Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings.” David Duchovny talks about his book, “Miss Subways: A Novel.” Duchovny is an actor and writer, and recently appeared in the Netflix series “The Chair.” Elizabeth Gilbert discusses her book “Big Magic,” a self-help book about tapping into creativity. Gilbert is a journalist and writer — her other books include “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Committed.” T.C. Boyle drops in on the dropout culture with his novel “Outside Looking In,” which is based on the LSD research of Timothy Lear. Boyle is a novelist and short story writer. Lizzie Post weighs in on cannabis culture in her new book, “Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, From Dispensaries to Dinner Parties.” Post is a writer, co-director of The Emily Post Institute and great-great-granddaughter of etiquette writer Emily Post. Sebastian Smee talks about his book “The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art.” Smee is an art critic for The Washington Post.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Charlie Sennott talks about the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, and ISIS-K’s attacks on the Kabul airport and a nearby hotel that killed as many as 170 people and injured at least 200. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Then, we talk with listeners about the recent attacks in Afghanistan, and President Joe Biden’s handling of the evacuation. Dr. Daniela Lamas discusses the toll of COVID-19 on hospitals, and how TV medical dramas can provide opportunities to educate viewers about the world of medicine. Lamas is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, a pulmonary and critical-care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a co-producer on the TV medical drama “The Resident.” Andy Ihnatko sheds light on the role of social media in the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, including new security measures Facebook and Twitter have taken to increase security and protect Afghans. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Marin Alsop and Tracy K. Smith talk about the Global Ode to Joy Project, celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Smith reads part of her new lyrics for “Ode to Joy,” and Alsop talks about her experiences as a woman in orchestral conducting. Smith is a former U.S. Poet Laureate. Alsop is a conductor, violinist and creator of the Global Ode to Joy Project. Callie Crossley weighs in on the controversy surrounding “Jeopardy!” after Mike Richards stepped down from hosting, and critiques the hypocrisy of conservative media outlets spreading anti-mask and anti-vaccine views while requiring masking and vaccinations for employees. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Michelle Caldeira and John Huet tell listeners about Boston Uncornered, a new initiative aimed at helping gang members go back to school. They also speak about the organization’s public art exhibit featuring portraits of former gang members, business leaders, and Boston’s mayoral candidates. Caldeira is the co-founder of Boston Uncornered. Huet is a renowned celebrity photographer best known for his portraits of professional athletes.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talks about President Joe Biden’s declining approval ratings, and the administration’s response to COVID-19 and the evacuation of Afghanistan. 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 talk with listeners about Delta Air Lines’ decision to cut pay protection for unvaccinated employees. Andrea Cabral weighs in on the Massachusetts State Police officers and corrections officers pushing back against Gov. Charlie Baker’s vaccine mandate, and a study from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences showing that most law enforcement calls are not for mental health issues. 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. Omar Hernandez updates listeners on efforts to rebuild infrastructure in Haiti following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Hernandez is the Director of Engineering for Build Health International, a Beverly-based nonprofit which has been involved in Haiti for over a decade. Dr. Renee Crichlow discusses combatting vaccine disinformation, and the importance of universal masking to help curb the spread of the Delta variant. Crichlow is the Chief Medical Officer at Codman Square Health Center and the incoming Vice Chair of Health Equity at the Boston University Department of Family Medicine. Shirley Leung talks about the upcoming closure of Russo’s in Watertown, and Amazon’s efforts to expand in Boston. Leung is a Business columnist for the Boston Globe and a GBH contributor. In honor of National Dog Day, we end the show by asking listeners about their experiences with adopting dogs during the pandemic.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan shares his thoughts on the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine, explaining how the approval impacts arguments against vaccine mandates. 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. Then, we talk with listeners about starting the school year with mask mandates. Juliette Kayyem talks about Congressman Seth Moulton’s (D-MA) unauthorized trip to Afghanistan, and devastating flooding in Tennessee. 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. Jonathon Gruber gives an economist’s perspective on the ethics of wealthier countries moving on to COVID-19 booster shots while underdeveloped nations struggle with vaccine supplies. Gruber is Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act. His latest book is Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream. Ali Noorani talks about the evacuation from Afghanistan, and what it means for Afghan allies and refugees trying to leave the country. Noorani is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His forthcoming book is Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants. David Daley discusses Republican efforts to gain power through redistricting following the release of the 2020 U.S. census data. Daley is the author of two books on gerrymandering, Rat-bleeped: Why Your Vote Doesn’t Count and Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy. He’s a senior fellow at FairVote and the former Editor-in-Chief of Salon.com. We end the show by asking listeners how they would say goodbye to Boston if they moved away, following Maya Jonas-Silver's plan to break the world record for the fastest visit to all 25 MBTA stations.

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday, highlighting the Biden administration’s revision in nutrition standards for SNAP. The changes made to the food stamps program are the largest in its history. The U.S. Department of Agriculture specifically revised the Thrifty Food Plan, which is a list of two dozen food groups that the government uses to estimate a low-cost, healthy diet. The Thrifty Food Plan remains largely unchanged since its creation in the early 1960s, and has only been adjusted for inflation. “Republicans and Democrats said, ‘go back to the drawing board — diets have changed, food availability has changed — what is the thrifty meal plan of today?’” Kummer said. 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.