Boston Public Radio

If you didn't know the Omni Parker Hotel in Boston was haunted (it is!) then you might want to listen to this week's News Quiz from Boston Public Radio.…

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families needs significant reform to prevent future child abuse cases like the death of Bella Bond, said…

Got gripes about the MBTA? So does Stephanie Pollack—and she helps run it. The Transportation Secretary joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan to discuss her…

Last week, in a mission to rescue 70 hostages being held by the group that calls itself the Islamic State, Army Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler was killed.…

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio Tuesday. Highlights included:On the upcoming Benghazi hearings in…

The adoption of a landmark nuclear weapons treaty with Iran officially kicked off October 18th, 90 days after the United Nations Security Council…

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd weighed in on the Trump administration’s handling of coronavirus, and Tuesday night’s Democratic primaries. Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at B.U.’s School of Medicine, talked about coronavirus and took questions from listeners. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed the 23-year prison sentence for disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and the threat coronavirus poses to prison populations. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam talked about how the rich are prepping for coronavirus, and his latest Globe piece on the popularity of Bernie Sanders in the wealthy city of Newton. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed best methods for sanitizing your tech, and news that Amazon will begin selling their cashier-less "Go” system to retailers. Former Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville explained how schools and universities are responding to coronavirus, and the Senate’s Wednesday vote to overturn a ruling on debt forgiveness for students misled by for-profit colleges. We opened our lines to talk with callers about everything to do with coronavirus.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened the phone lines and asked our listeners to weigh in on the Democratic presidential primary. MIT Economics Professor Jonathan Gruber discussed President Trump’s economic proposals for handling COVID-19. Juliette Kayyem discussed various responses to containing COVID-19. Kayyem is a 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. Medical ethicist Art Caplan provided some insight about how to handle the spread of COVID-19. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty chair and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU’s Langone Medical Center. Jenifer McKim joined us to discuss her recent reporting on homeless students in Massachusetts. Dr. Robin Cook joined us to share his thoughts on COVID-19. Jared Bowen discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on the local arts community. Bowen is WGBH’s Executive Arts Editor.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to ask listeners: are you buying into the coronavirus hype? NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Kusnierek discussed how anxieties around coronavirus are impacting the world of sports, and the positive impact that napping has on athlete recovery. Sheila Hemani and Pete Miraglia from Draper Labs discussed their "Globe Initiative Challenge," which seeks to boost research on microplastics and coral reef restoration. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed a surge in food delivery orders amid coronavirus anxiety, and the heightened risks posed to delivery drivers. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins joined to discuss her first year in office, the February attack on two Spanish-speaking East Boston residents, and take questions from callers. CNN’s John King discussed the latest headlines around coronavirus and Tuesday’s primaries. We re-opened our lines to ask callers: who would you like to see as vice president on the Democratic ticket in November?

In the time of coronavirus, we all still have to eat. As people fear gathering in large spaces, online food delivery orders are going up, but food writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Tuesday there's likely no benefit to online ordering, in fact you may just be putting the couriers at risk. Kummer said various companies are instituting protocols to leave food at the door, instead of interacting directly with customers. "One irony is, people who are ordering are really worried about coming into contact with these deliverers, so they're saying 'Keep them out I don't want them contaminating me,'" said Kummer. "But it’s much more dangerous for the workers because they're going to house after house, door knob after door knob." While you may be able to control more external factors in your own home than in a restaurant, the food prepared through an online order still goes through the same preparation it would through a seated restaurant experience. "People think when they get online food delivery it's going to be perfectly safe, but if somebody is going to sneeze into your food in a restaurant, the the same food prep worker is making your online delivery, so as far as risk from getting something from somebody sneezing into your food, it's just as bad." Kummer's solution? If you're healthy and you're hungry, go outside and support a local industry. "I say it's a time to go out to restaurants. Until people are restricted ... you should be keeping these businesses alive," he said. "It’s a false rationale to think that you’re protecting yourself by ordering online, because plenty of hands are touching the food that come to you and the groceries that come to you." Corby 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

Today on Boston Public Radio: Shannon O’Brien and Charlie Chieppo joined us for a politics roundup, covering the latest on coronavirus and the 2020 presidential race. We opened our lines to ask callers: do you think President Trump’s coronavirus response will impact his chances at re-election in November? WGBH News Analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed the latest headlines around the peace deal between the U.S. and the Taliban, and talk about the possibility of a unified Ireland. WGBH’s Senior Investigative Reporter Phillip Martin broke down his reporting on the controversial relationship between M.I.T. and Russian technology institute Skoltech. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett Price, hosts of WGBH’s All Rev’d Up, discussed a D.C. church rector who tested positive for coronavirus, and Rev. Jesse Jackson’s endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders. TV writer Bob Thompson discussed the end of “Judge Judy” and reviewed Hulu’s "the Devs.” We re-opened our lines to ask callers whether climate change has become a higher priority for you in recent years.