Boston Public Radio

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.

The Hallmark Channel has reinstated ads featuring two brides kissing, after initially pulling them at the outcry of a conservative group.

Johansson also gave listeners a sampling of his abilities on the nyckelharpa, a Swedish fiddle.

Today on Boston Public Radio: – Rep. Joe Kennedy discussed concerns about meat plant workers returning to work, and his call for an investigation into the violent conflict at a Bristol County ICE detention center. – Food writer Corby Kummer discussed unsafe working conditions for meat plant workers, and proposed legislation to expand food stamps and bring additional cash for restaurants owners. – We opened lines to talk with listeners about Monday's anti-lockdown protests at the Mass. State House. – Carol Rose from the Mass. ACLU talked about voting rights in the age of coronavirus, and her group’s campaign to have Gov. Baker grant additional clemency to non-violent offenders in state prisons. – Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang talked about the success of the $1,200 federal stimulus checks, and the goals of his ‘Move Humanity Forward’ PAC. – We reopened lines to talk with listeners about anti-lockdown protests and your thoughts on the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

President Donald Trump classified meat plants as essential infrastructure last week, implying that they must remain open. Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio *on Tuesday about the ability of meat packing plants to stay open amid coronavirus outbreaks. "[Meat packing plants] are among the most dangerous, inhumane, cruelly run business operations in the United States," Kummer said. "Social distancing is impossible [in meat packing plants] because you're under incredible pressure to keep the line speed up." Meat packing plants consist of horrible working conditions, Kummer noted. "There's no reason to keep these cruel inhumane places open." *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: Dr. Benjamin Linas, infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center, discussed why Mass. has the third most COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and responded to questions from callers. We opened our lines to talk with callers about Gov. Charlie Baker’s new mandate that all Mass. residents wear face masks. We aired live audio from Gov. Baker’s Monday press conference. WGBH news analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott talked about World Press Freedom Day, and his fears about the future of journalism at home and abroad. TV expert Bob Thompson discussed the overrated importance of bookshelves in virtual conferences and interviews, and gave a breakdown of the best and worst TV of the week. Travel guru Rick Steves gave his thoughts on the eventual reemergence of international travel, and explained his newfound appreciation for the domestic aspects of life.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with callers about the sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed the latest news around coronavirus tracing software from Apple and Google, and how social media companies are handling pandemic misinformation. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney gave her take on Joe Biden’s response to the sexual assault allegation against him, and read a coronavirus-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed the sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden, and the Trump administration’s proposed rollbacks on protections for trans people in U.S hospitals. Husband and wife duo Joanne Chang and Christopher Meyers, of the restaurant Meyers + Chang, talked about how their businesses are doing amid the pandemic, and give their take on the future for Boston's restauranteurs. We opened lines to ask listeners why you think Massachusetts is struggling to lower its cases of COVID-19. We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Friday press conference.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Suffolk County DA Rachel Rollins discussed how her administration is responding to the pandemic, and answered questions from callers. We opened lines to ask callers: are there certain businesses you’d be okay with seeing reopen now? We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s press conference. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed Sen. Mitch McConnell’s push to reopen the Senate, and the struggles of holding court proceedings over Zoom. NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd also talked about Sen. McConnell’s plans to reopen the Senate, as well as the sexual assault allegation against Vice President Joe Biden. We opened lines to continue our conversation about the possibility of a safe reopening of certain businesses and services.