Boston Public Radio

If someone dared you to jump in to the Charles River for a nice little swim, you might blanch a little bit. But what if someone asked you to drink from…

Governor Charlie Baker's administration is hoping to target the state's opioid crisis with a new bill unveiled Thursday. The bill would limit doctors to…

Senator Ed Markey believes that Congress is past due for a historic showdown on gun control."I think we're close to a tipping point," Markey said on…

Late last week, Congressman Kevin McCarthy abruptly withdrew his name from the running to be the next Speaker of the House. The California Republican was…

This weekend, an army of activist brass bands descends on Somerville to celebrate the tenth annual HONK! Fest. To celebrate, Jim Braude and Margery Eagan…

In the wake of the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, Democrats in Congress have launched a renewed push for gun control legislation like…

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.

On Friday, food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio to discuss a recent article in "The Conversation," positing that city rat populations could be lowered not by increasing the use of rodenticides, but by wasting less food. "This a story saying, stop wasting so much food. Be a lot more careful about throwing out food, and be a lot more careful when you do throw it out,” Kummer said. In January, Malibu, Calif., banned rodenticides in an attempt to protect the local non-rat wildlife. A bill to make that ban statewide failed to pass the state Senate, but may reappear. Boston, meanwhile, continues to use rodenticides. Read More: Rethinking The Way We Handle Rats “Rats are like people,” Kummer said. “They like exactly the same food that people do, and in fact they have evolved in different countries — in Paris … they like butter, cheese and croissants!” (Readers will of course recall the iconic New York City Pizza Rat, who went viral in 2015.) “[Rats] like what people dump and put into open garbage cans. That’s what they evolve to eat. It’s what keeps them alive,” he said. Kummer also discussed his recent article for "Vanity Fair" about the future of fine dining and the chefs who are reimagining it. 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: We opened lines to ask callers: would you enjoy a two week self-quarantine? Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed a slew of ways that coronavirus fears have impacted the tech sector. Emily Rooney, host of WGBH News' Beat The Press, discussed the departure of anchor Chris Matthews from MSNBC, and read us for her famous list of fixations and fulminations. “Under the Radar” host Callie Crossley discussed Bernie Sanders' role in the split-up of Public Enemy, and why the Southern Black voters voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden on Super Tuesday. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed fine dining as art at a New York restaurant, and Coca-Cola’s acquisition of Honest Tea. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed the legacy of Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign, and the coming out of former GOP Rep. Aaron Schock. Gilbert Tsang and Meg Tartaskyof MEM Tea imports joined us for our weekly news quiz.