Boston Public Radio

"Saving American Cities" tells the history of the man who brought a brutal City Hall to Boston, leveled an entire neighborhood, and sparked an economic revival.

The new law requires women seeking an abortion to have a medical procedure performed that serves no medical purpose.

The man behind the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised close to a billion dollars for ALS research, has died.

An art installation of a banana taped to a wall sold for $120,000. Then, another artist ate it off the museum wall.

The "Sesame Street" actor and puppeteer died on Sunday.

The safety review found a culture of non-communication at the transportation agency.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about acts of heroism out of Ukraine. Charlie Sennott discusses the state of misinformation and propaganda surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sennott is a news analyst for GBH, where he also heads up the Groundtruth Project. Michael Curry shares his thoughts on President Joe Biden’s first year in office. He also discusses the long-term COVID issues many immunocompromised people still face. Curry is president and CEO of the Mass. League of Community Health Centers. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, where he serves as chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Corby Kummer talks about Mayor Michelle Wu’s efforts to confront a food desert in Mattapan, and the various local restaurateurs who are aiding Ukraine. 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. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III weigh in on how faith communities are responding to Ukraine. They also talk about the Supreme Court declining to review the lower court decision that freed Bill Cosby. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Emmett G. Price III is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Vsevolod Petriv and Tetiana Litus share how local Ukrainians are responding to the Russian invasion, and their thoughts on whether the U.S. is doing enough to help the people of Ukraine. Petriv is president of the Boston branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. Litus is a 24-year-old Ukrainian who just moved to the U.S. a few months ago. We end the show by asking listeners if they want more permanent outdoor dining in their neighborhoods.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about surging gas prices associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Shirley Leung talks about the closure of Amazon’s brick and mortar bookstores, and the Green Line extension to Somerville. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. David Leonard shares how people increasingly turned to library services throughout the pandemic. Leonard is the president of the Boston Public Library. Bill McKibben discusses the UN’s recent climate report, and concerns over Russian attacks on nuclear power plants in Ukraine. McKibben is an author, educator and environmentalist. He’s the founder of 350.org and ThirdAct.org. He has a new newsletter on Substack titled “The Crucial Years.” He’s also got a new, serialized book titled “The Other Cheek: An Epic Nonviolent Yarn.” Judge Nancy Gertner weighs in on the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Judge Gertner is a retired U.S. District Judge for the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. She’s currently a senior lecturer on law at Harvard University. Andy Ihnatko updates us on the latest tech headlines, explaining how the tech industry has responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Callie Crossley talks about the life and legacy of Autherine Lucy Foster, the first Black woman to attend the University of Alabama. She also discusses the racism facing African students fleeing Ukraine. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell shares her thoughts on Gov. Greg Abbott’s order targeting the parents of transgender kids, and reflects on the queerness of Gen Z. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about the 50th anniversary of The Godfather.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, focusing on the Jan. 6 committee’s potential charges against former President Donald Trump. 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. Next, we open the phone lines, talking with listeners about the return to the office. Andrea Cabral talks about former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia asking for a sixth extension for the date he’s scheduled to go to prison. She also shares her thoughts on the trial of Newton District Court Judge Shelley Joseph, who allegedly tried to help an undocumented immigrant evade a federal agent who showed up at the courthouse to detain him. Cabral is the former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety. She’s now the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Jared Bowen shares his latest arts and culture roundup, from “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” to the American Repertory Theater’s “Ocean Filibuster.” Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of "Open Studio." Gov. Charlie Baker discusses the Boston Globe’s report that a top official at state soldiers’ homes was fired after bringing his safety concerns to Mass. Inspector General Glenn Cunha. He also answered listeners’ questions and calls.

As scores of Ukrainian citizens cross the border into Poland fleeing the Russian invasion, chef José Andrés greets them with warm meals. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday to talk about Andrés work in feeding refugees as the crisis grows. Currently, Andrés is set up in Poland, providing food to refugees through his group World Central Kitchen, which works to feed people on the frontline of global disasters. “These refugees who are spending 36, 48 hours in the road, in lines, how are they managing to survive?,” Kummer asked. “Throwing their possessions away, waiting with children, it's freezing cold. I don't know how they make it. So he's right there where need is great.” Kummer said that the group is hoping to make it into Ukraine itself, particularly to deliver flour to a group of nuns in Lviv also working to prepare meals. Andrés got his start in Spain, and first made national headlines after pulling a contract from Trump Hotel over the former President’s comments about refugees. In addition to his work feeding refugees, Kummer said he’s constantly working to support young chefs, and is “a legend in the food world.” 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 weighs in on the latest with COVID as states drop mask mandates and pushes to legalize psychedelic-assisted therapies. 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 ask listeners their thoughts on the end of mask mandates and the state of the pandemic. Juliette Kayyem explains the latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kayyem is former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her forthcoming book is: “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.” Corby Kummer talks about Chef Jose Andres feeding Ukrainian refugees, people forcing dietary restrictions on their pets and the death of Legal Seafoods founder George Berkowitz. 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. Paul Reville updates listeners on the latest in the search for a new Boston Superintendent. 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.” Andrew Bacevich discusses the military efforts of Russia and Ukraine in the second week of Russia’s invasion. Bacevich is president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University, and author of numerous books, including: “The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory” and “After the Apocalypse: America's Role in a World Transformed.” We end the show by talking with listeners about their thoughts on legalizing psychedelics, after the soap company Dr. Bronner’s began backing efforts to legalize drugs.