Boston Public Radio

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" is no longer copyrighted and is now accessible for public use.

Among the highlights of the evening included Sam Mendes winning for the epic war film “1917,” despite the film releasing widely on Friday, and Joaquin Phoenix netting a Golden Globe for best actor for his depiction of the Batman villain The Joker.

The pastry chef discusses her new book Pastry Love: A Baker's Journal of Favorite Recipes.

“We all need to do better,” Price said in support of a recent Boston Globe op-ed.

Tensions between Iran and the United States intensified in the days following the killing of the Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani by the United States.

WGBH Reporter Adam Reilly and Joanna Weiss of Experience Magazine joined Boston Public Radio to talk national and local politics.

For the past seven months, the Aspen Institute's Food and Policy Program has been working to assemble a comprehensive guide for safe indoor dining. As of this week, that guide is officially out and free to the public. On Friday, the organization’s director, food writer Corby Kummer, joined Boston Public Radio to talk about his hopes for how it’ll impact safe dining as restaurants work to get back to a form of quasi-normalcy. “This is meant to be a nationally [applicable], easy to use, easy to post guide for all restaurant owners, managers, workers and diners, as a way of feeling safe as you go back to dining indoors,” he explained. The guide includes the center's Diner Code of Conduct, which was initially released back in December. It’s a simple, straightforward checklist of commitments diners can make to ensure the safety of restaurant staff, and anyone looking to enjoy a meal indoors without the risk of contracting COVID-19. But the 74-page guide, Kummer noted, also includes a host of other useful information for restaurant workers and potential patrons. "It’s full of common sense steps that every restaurant needs to take – especially right now,” he said. “Because all cities are reopening, they’re trying to reopen, and we want to help restaurants and city health localities prevent a shutdown again.” 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: Acting Mayor Kim Janey discusses her recent “All Inclusive” Boston tourism campaign, her childhood experiences during the city’s busing crisis, and her plans to make Boston a more equitable city. She also speaks with listeners during “Ask the Acting Mayor.” Andrea Cabral talks about the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, touching on the first time allowance of cameras in Minnesota courtrooms. She also discusses the controversy surrounding Dr. David Fowler, an expert witness for Chauvin’s defense. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Chuck Todd updates us on the investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, and former House Speaker John Boehner’s new book. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC, host of “Meet the Press Daily" on MSNBC, and the Political Director for NBC News. Ric Burns previews his new film, “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life,” and talks about what it was like to meet Oliver Sacks. He also addresses filmmakers who called out PBS for a lack of diversity. Burns is a documentary filmmaker and writer. His latest film, “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life,” premieres Thursday, April 9, at 9 p.m. ET. We end the show by talking with listeners about the future of train travel.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners whether they thought colleges should mandate vaccines for returning students. Jonathan Gruber shares his thoughts on President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, arguing that investment into infrastructure could create jobs across America. 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 his latest book is "Jump-Starting America How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream." Juliette Kayyem discusses the nationwide move away from mass vaccination sites to private sites. She also shares what she thought we should be asking when a mass shooting occurs. 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. Ali Noorani explains how former President Donald Trump left an indelible mark on the U.S. Immigration Court system. He also discusses the spike in unaccompanied minors migrating to the U.S. Noorani is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His latest book is "There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration.” Art Caplan weighs in on the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigation that found that numerous Boston hospital CEOs moonlighted on corporate boards. He also touches on the controversy behind Dr. Oz hosting “Jeopardy.” Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU School of Medicine. Jared Bowen gives us his latest arts and cultural rundown, highlighting the American Repertory Theater’s “The Conjurors’ Club,” and the Museum of Russian Icons. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about emerging from pandemic hibernation.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by asking listeners how they felt about Prudential’s Pulse of the American Worker Survey, which found that 1 in 4 workers plan to leave their job post-pandemic. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the Stanford Cardinal’s NCAA women’s basketball win, and the MLB’s decision to move their All-Star game out of Atlanta due to Georgia’s passage of controversial voting restrictions. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose shares her thoughts on nationwide attacks on transgender rights, calls for vaccine passports and the fight against Georgia’s voting restrictions. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Michael J. Bobbitt discusses the pandemic’s impact on Massachusetts’ arts and cultural institutions, from financial issues to COVID-19 stage performance guidelines. He also weighs in on how the arts and culture sector could rebuild in the wake of COVID-19. Bobbitt is the executive director of the Mass Cultural Council. Shirley Leung talks about Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s “All Inclusive” Boston tourism campaign, and the team who put it together. She also discusses the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigation that found that Boston hospital chiefs moonlight on corporate boards at a much higher rate than the national level. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. John King updates us on the latest from the Derek Chauvin trial, and the sex trafficking investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about jumping the vaccine line using “fauxmorbidities.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about the country's perception of Boston as a racist city. Michelle Singletary walks us through tax season, explaining taxes collected on unemployment and the Child Tax Credit. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column, "The Color of Money," provides insight into the world of personal finance. Lylah Alphonse updates us on the latest Rhode Island-based headlines, from COVID-19 vaccination rates to the state of Providence schools. Alphonse is the Rhode Island editor for the Boston Globe, where she leads a team covering and exploring the Ocean State. Bob Thompson discusses the comeback of Court TV, and their coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial. He also touches on the controversy surrounding Dr. Oz hosting “Jeopardy.” Thompson is the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture and a professor of television and popular culture at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett Price share their thoughts on the trial of Derek Chauvin, and the nationwide perception of Boston as a racist city. They also discuss a decline in church membership across the country. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail, and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at the Boston University School of Theology. Price is an executive director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco celebrates the start of National Poetry Month by highlighting Asian American poets. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We wrap up the show by asking listeners how they felt about the reopening of elementary schools across Massachusetts.