Boston Public Radio

Public hearings in the impeachment hearings into President Donald Trump will begin next week.

Massachusetts students led the nation in reading scores, but performed worse than two years ago.

The executive director of the National Immigrant Forum expressed frustration with several Trump administration policies.

Amazon recently announced that subscribers to Amazon Prime will be able to receive free delivery on grocery sales purchased through their website.

Chaim Bloom replaces Dave Dombrowski as the leader of roster operations for the franchise.

The people behind the film series speak about their experiences within BPI and its long-lasting effects after prison.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about extreme heat waves sweeping the U.S., and their connections to climate change. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the Boston Celtics’ new head coach, Ime Udoka, and the latest news from the Olympic and Paralympic trials. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Michael Curry discusses Massachusetts’ current vaccination rate, and explains how he’s reaching out to vaccine hesitant communities. He also shares his thoughts on former police officer Derek Chauvin’s sentencing. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Rick Steves talks about Europe reopening to American tourists, and offered his perspective on visiting England’s Cotswolds region. He also weighs in on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ statement that federal marijuana laws may no longer be necessary. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves' Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, "Rick Steves’ Europe," weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Sebastian Junger speaks about his latest book, “Freedom,” which looks at the meaning of freedom in its many iterations. Junger is a journalist, author and filmmaker. Rebecca Ostriker updates us on the Spotlight team’s latest reporting on the Baker administration’s response to the COVID-19 crisis at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. Ostriker is a news reporter for the Boston Globe. John King talks about the condo building collapse near Miami, and climate change denialism in Congress. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne talks about the bipartisan infrastructure bill compromise, explaining which policies made the cut. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.” Next, we talk with listeners about the return of traffic as more people return to work. Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith update us on the Boston mayoral race and the Massachusetts governor’s race. They also share their thoughts on how Massachusetts politicians responded to the COVID-19 crisis. Reilly is co-host of GBH’s Politics podcast, “The Scrum.” Saraya Wintersmith covers Boston City Hall for GBH. Ned Hinkle and Ivy Moylan explain how the Brattle Theatre pivoted during the pandemic, offering virtual screenings of rare movies and theatre rentals. They also talk about their plans for reopening on July 2. Hinkle is the Creative Director of the Brattle Theatre. Moylan is the Executive Director of The Brattle Theatre. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III discuss the shooting of two Black people in Winthrop that is now being investigated as a hate crime. They also share their thoughts on the sentencing of former police officer Derek Chauvin. 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. Corby Kummer talks about the conservative backlash against the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and the Supreme Court’s ruling that limits union representatives’ ability to organize farmworkers. 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 about their experiences with reply-all accidents.

Food writer Corby Kummer talked with Boston Public Radio on Monday about the future of food banks, following the release of a survey from Duke World Food Policy Center that looks at long-term shifts among hunger relief organizations. “One of the ideas is to allow people to shop for what they want. Don't just give them what you're able to get,” he said. “Find out from them what they want, what they need, [and] make it easy and dignified for them to be able to get there.” Food banks should also implement hours accessible to food pantry guests, and have pantry staff educated on the needs of their communities, Kummer added. “The wave of the future is, go to the community first and figure out what they need,” he said. “Don’t design something you think will be good for them.” 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.

After a major bipartisan win on infrastructure last week, President Biden nearly stepped in it when he declared he’d only sign it if a separate bill including his other priorities arrived on his desk “in tandem” with the infrastructure bill. Washington Post columnist EJ Dionne told Boston Public Radio on Monday Biden’s statements — and the frantic weekend of backtracking that followed — highlight just how complicated and fragile our current political system is. “In effect, we have what I count as the six party system,” he said. The majority of the Democratic party is comprised of “the Biden part of the party,” but there are progressives and conservatives on either side of that, said Dionne. On the Republican side there are the loyal Trump supporters; economic conservatives, who Dionne referred to as the “McConnell-ites … who want to make Biden’s life miserable”; and a small cadre of moderate conservatives. “In order to get done what he wants to get done, Biden has to play the politics of both of these complicated parties,” said Dionne, who noted that the Presidents’ efforts to assuage all six factions appear to be successful so far. EJ Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Juliette Kayyem updates us on the building collapse near Miami, and shares her thoughts on former police officer Derek Chauvin’s upcoming sentencing hearing. 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. Senate President Karen Spilka weighs in on Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposal to make August and September sales tax free. She also talks about the upcoming expiration of mail-in voting laws. Then, we talk with listeners about the increasing demand for a four-day work week. Danielle Allen explains why she chose to run for governor of Massachusetts, citing pandemic disparities as one of her main motivations for running. She also shares her thoughts on the Baker administration’s handling of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. Danielle is running for governor on the Democratic ticket. Allen was most recently the director of Harvard’s Safra Center for Ethics. Federico Erebia talks about his rescue of Pepito the Squirrel, and how his friendship with Pepito translated to children’s books. Erebia is a retired physician, woodworker, artist, author and illustrator. His latest books are “The Amazing True Stories of Pepito the Squirrel,” and “More Amazing Stories of Pepito the Squirrel.” Richard Blanco shares his poems “One Pulse—One Poem” and “Until We Could” to mark Pride Month. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book of poems, “How To Love A Country,” deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We end the show by asking listeners what they think about the hybrid wedding model.