Boston Public Radio

The Gold Dust Orphans founder stars in the play alongside his dog, Dolly.

When it comes to health care, fewer choices may lead to better decisions.

Education reformers praised the bill for promising to inject $1.5 billion into the state’s schools, but the funding for the bill is expected to come from future tax revenues and the hope that the legislature continues to allocate funding for schools in future budgets.

The upside down OK hand sign, known as a white power symbol, was flashed by men in uniform during the football game television coverage.

On Dec. 12, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party won 326 seats in the United Kingdom’s Parliament and secured an absolute majority.

The reverends discuss the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, which investigators think could have influenced the attackers in last week's anti-Semitic domestic terror attack in Jersey City.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including a federal judge siding with the Justice Department to block the restrictive Texas abortion law, current negotiations over a possible debt limit extension and what motivates Senator Kyrsten Sinema. 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 their thoughts on the early stages of the 2022 Massachusetts Governor race, including Donald Trump’s endorsement of former state Rep. Geoff Diehl. Andrea Cabral talks about the terrible conditions at Rikers Island, and how the Justice Department could be doing more work for police reform. 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 discusses school board fights over mask mandates, and protests against legacy admissions in some of the country’s most elite universities. 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.” Dan Carpenter weighs in on why it is taking so long to approve the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11, as Pfizer officially asks the Food and Drug Administration to issue Emergency Use Authorization. Carpenter is a professor of government at Harvard University, and oversees The FDA Project, a theoretical, historical and statistical analysis of pharmaceutical regulation in the United States as it is carried out by the F.D.A. His most recent book is “Democracy by Petition: Popular Politics in Transformation, 1790-1870.” Corby Kummer talks about the impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, Guy Fieri’s latest ventures and changing animal welfare laws that could raise egg prices in Massachusetts. 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. We end the show by asking listeners their thoughts on the potential for higher egg prices, as laws increasing pen space for hens are set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Massachusetts state legislators may revise a 2016 ballot law on animal welfare to prevent a potential statewide egg shortage. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Thursday to share his thoughts on this, and more. “First of all, there’s not going to be an egg shortage,” Kummer said. “It’s only an economic measure to protect farmers.” While the law also contains enclosure standards for pigs and calves, legislators are concerned with rules on acceptable enclosure space for egg-laying hens. According to the bill, egg-laying hens must be given at least 1.5 square feet of floor space and be able to fully extend both wings without touching the sides of the enclosure. In a measure to counteract the potential egg shortage, lawmakers are attempting to amend the enclosure requirements from 1.5 square feet to 1 square foot, following enclosure laws in other states. Unless legislators pass this amendment, the law will go into effect as written on Jan. 1, 2022. Representatives for egg farmers, supermarkets, and some animal rights activists support changes to the law, noting that vertical or multi-tiered aviary systems that allow hens to fly upwards, perch, and roost within 1 square foot. While Kummer acknowledged that some farmers may struggle economically to adjust enclosure spaces to fit this new rule, he believes that the idea of an egg shortage caused by enclosure regulations is an “excuse.” “This is another way for the industry to protect itself at the expense of animal welfare,” Kummer said. “But, if the country has enacted 1 square foot, then maybe Massachusetts should be consistent with that.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan talks about healthcare workers resigning following vaccine mandates, after New York’s largest healthcare provider lost 1,400 employees after a state mandate went into effect. 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 hear from listeners about how they are planning for the holidays this year with the current status of the pandemic. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson discuss why they think the MBTA is safe, how much they think the city should spend on transportation and the plan for the Mass. Pike development project in Allston. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and a contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Dr. Virginia Sinnott-Stutzman takes calls from listeners about caring for their pets, from dog food supply chain issues to combating kennel cough. Sinnott-Stutzman is a senior staff veterinarian at Angell Animal Medical Center.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners where the boundaries of protest lie, after activists followed Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema into the bathroom to protest her centrist policies. Trenni Kusnierek previews tonight’s wild card game between the Yankees and Red Sox and the return of the Boston Marathon. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose talks about the status of the Texas abortion law and how the government should respond to internet privacy issues for users, and previews the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming agenda. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Michael Curry weighs in on vaccine mandates to combat the pandemic, and the debate over safe injection sites as a solution to the crisis at Mass. and Cass. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board’s advocacy and policy committee. Stephanie Leydon previews the launch of GBH’s new multi-platform project, “The Big Quit,” which profiles people who used the pandemic to quit aspects of their life for something new. Leydon is the Director of Special Projects at GBH. John King updates listeners on all things politics, including Sinema’s centrist politics, and the persisting gridlock in Congress. He also talks about Donald Trump’s political ambitions for the 2024 presidential election. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. Then, we talk with listeners about whether they found meaning in postponed graduations and life-cycle events during the pandemic, or whether the moment had passed.

Today on Boston Public Radio: District Attorney Rachael Rollins responds to Republican attacks, following a tied party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on her nomination for U.S. Attorney. She also talks about her decision to move towards overturning a 50-year-old rape conviction, after the victim expressed worries about identifying the wrong perpetrator. Rollins is the Suffolk County DA and nominee to be the State’s next U.S. Attorney. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on Facebook, as the company comes under fire by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Charlie Sennott talks about a partnership between over 150 investigative journalists to leak the Pandora Papers, which exposed financial secrets of some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful people. He also discusses the need for better immigration policy from President Joe Biden. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. British Consul General Peter Abbott talks about opportunities for offshore wind energy partnerships between the U.S. and U.K., and the relationship between Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Abbott is the British Consul General to New England. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III debate the ethics of singing Amazing Grace and other songs with troubled histories, given that Amazing Grace was written by a slave trader. They also discuss a racist email sent to Black students at UMass Amherst. 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. Adam Reilly weighs in on the state of the mayor’s race, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s endorsement of City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu, and who he thinks has a leg up in the historic election. Reilly is a reporter for GBH news, co-host of the Scrum Politics podcast and co-host of Election 2021: Boston’s Race Into History on GBH 2. We end the show by asking listeners whether they enjoy apple picking as a fun fall activity -- or decry its performativity -- as October begins.