Boston Public Radio

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.

Former Brewster Whitecaps coach John Altobelli was among those killed in the crash that killed Kobe Bryant.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to ask: do you have reservations about returning to normal, now that Gov. Baker has moved Mass. into phase two of reopening? MIT economist Jon Gruber discussed the state of the U.S. economy, why the rising stock market isn’t indicative of overall economic growth, and responded to questions from listeners. WGBH News analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott talked about global protests over American police brutality, and why he thinks this moment could prove to be a global tipping point. TV expert Bob Thompson discussed the response to Black Lives Matter protests from late-night TV hosts, and the recent CNN racism town hall featuring characters from Sesame Street. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed President Trump’s photo-op with a bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the hypocrisy of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s statement in support of Black Lives Matter. Catherine D’Amato from the Greater Boston Food Bank discussed the spike of food insecurity in Mass. amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and how here organization is responding to it. We reopened our lines to continue to the conversation with listeners about the phased-in reopening of Massachusetts.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about the Black Lives Matter protests, and whether they’re creating a false sense of security with regard to the ongoing pandemic. Media maven Sue O’Connell talked about the president’s photo-op stunt in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, and whether she thinks it’ll have an impact on Trump supporters come November. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discussed the controversial New York Times op-ed from Ark. Sen. Tom Cotton, and read her weekly list of fixations and fulminations. Food writer Corby Kummer talked about guidelines for reopening restaurants in Massachusetts, and the devastating impact of the pandemic on undocumented restaurant workers. NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed the blowback on NFL quarterback Drew Brees after recent statements about kneeling during the national anthem, and broke down the public dispute in the MLB over player salaries for the 2020 season. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley gave her take on proposals from local leaders to address systemic racism, and highlighted a Boston Globe piece profiling Boston’s Black-owned restaurants. We reopened our lines to talk with listeners about safe hugging in the era of COVID-19.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke to Boston Public Radio *on Friday about undocumented restaurant workers who are unable to get a stimulus check or file for unemployment. "We need to figure out how to protect undocumented workers and how to get them the kind of social safety nets that they're completely locked out from, even though in order to work, they pay taxes," he said. "They pay umemployment taxes which they're never able to access." A lot of restauranteurs are prioritizing hiring back undocumented workers during reopening, Kummer added. "Because they are the backbone of the restaurant industry, they're the dishwashers and prep cooks," he said. "What are we going to do moving forward to protect these workers?" *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: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed former Secretary of Defense James Mattis’ rebuke of President Trump in The Atlantic, as well as pusback from current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on the issue of using military force to quell Black Lives Matter protests. We opened lines to talk with listeners about James Mattis’ condemnation of President Trump, and hear your thoughts on the president's response to Black Lives Matter protests. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the role that police unions play in perpetuating police violence, and weighed in on the purported significance of officers who take a knee with Black Lives Matter protesters. We reopened lines to ask listeners: is peaceful protesting too peaceful to be heard? Partners in Health Co-Founder Dr. Paul Farmer spoke on the state of Massachusetts’ contact tracing initiative, and responded to question from listeners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Medical ethicist Art Caplan talked about the risks of protesting during a pandemic, and his views on the danger of rushing a COVID-19 vaccine. We opened lines to ask listeners: are you worried about the spread of the coronavirus at Black Lives Matter protests? We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Wednesday press conference. Boston Globe cannabis reporter Dan Adams discussed ties between racist marijuana prohibition laws and the current Black Lives Matter protests, as well as the looting on Sunday of Pure Oasis, the state's first Black-owned legal pot shop. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed new charges expected to be brought against the three additional police officers present during the killing of George Floyd, as well as the president’s authority within the 1807 Insurrection Act.