Boston Public Radio

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…

Doctors Without Borders, the international organization in charge of a hospital in Afghanistan bombed by an American airstrike this weekend, has called…

Thomas Hughes was a 29 year old investment banker at the prestige firm of Moelis & Company when he missed a family Easter brunch at the Yale Club in New…

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from President Joe Biden’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin at the G7 Summit to Vice President Kamala Harris’ trips to Guatemala and Mexico. 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. Then, we ask listeners whether they supported imposing tax hikes on millionaires. Andrea Cabral discusses the firing of former Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White, and shares her thoughts on growing public distrust of the Boston Police Department. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Joe Spaulding talks about the struggles facing performing arts venues due to the pandemic, and updates us on the Boch Center’s upcoming shows. Spaulding is the president and CEO of Boston’s Boch Center, overseeing both the 3,500-seat Wang Theatre and the 1,500-seat Shubert Theatre on Tremont Street. He is also a member of Governor Baker’s advisory board on re-opening. Paul Reville weighs in on the resignations of two Boston School Committee members after their disparaging texts about West Roxbury families were published by the Boston Globe. He also talks about Verda Tetteh, a Harvard-bound graduate who asked her high school to give her $40,000 award to a student attending community college. 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.” Corby Kummer shares his thoughts on Connecticut’s consideration of a law that would allow self-pour alcohol machines in restaurants and bars, and other venues. He also talks about the stress put on grocery workers to quickly fulfill online orders. 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 how far they’re willing to go beyond food expiration dates.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Thursday about self-pouring alcohol machines and legislation. “Connecticut is about to allow these self-pour alcohol machines,” he said. “You’ve all seen the vending machines, especially from Coca-Cola, that pre-mixes your drink and you pick exactly what you want, and that’s a huge innovation in the soft drink industry. This is the same thing for alcohol and cocktails.” Currently, Connecticut is one of just five states, including Massachusetts, where self-pour alcohol machines are not permitted to be used. “As far as I can tell, the only place where it’s legal in Massachusetts is behind a lock and key with a valid ID for bartenders at a casino,” Kummer said. “But it might be coming here sooner.” 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. Tina Opie discusses the rise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainings in the corporate world, and explained how companies can foster more inclusive work environments. She also shares her thoughts on whether it’s time to retire dress codes mandating strict business attire. Dr. Opie is an Associate Professor in the Management Division at Babson and the founder of Opie Consulting Group. Next, we talk with listeners about the return to office dress codes, post-pandemic. Juliette Kayyem updates us on the release of a Senate report on the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, explaining how threats were not taken seriously by law enforcement agencies. She also talks about the ransomware attacks on the Colonial Pipeline and the Steamship Authority. 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. Art Caplan shares his thoughts on the potential for herd immunity in the U.S., and vaccine hesitancy among 18-24 year-olds. He also discusses the FDA’s approval of Aducanumab, a treatment for Alzheimer’s. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Shirley Leung talks about her recent column on disparities among Asian Americans, and grocery chain Roche Bros. outsourcing delivery drivers. She also discusses Roger Lau’s appointment as deputy executive director of the Democratic National Committee. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Jonathan Gruber weighs in on the GOP governors cutting unemployment aid, and whether unemployment benefits are causing a labor shortage. Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is "Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth And The American Dream." We wrap up the show by asking listeners about unemployment benefits, and Republican politicians’ claims that these benefits disincentivize work.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Saraya Wintersmith talks about the firing of Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White for alleged domestic violence. Wintersmith covers Boston City Hall for GBH News. Then, we asks listeners whether they’ve lost trust in law enforcement due to recent scandals facing the Boston Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Trenni Kusnierek updates us on COVID-19 precautions at the Tokyo Olympics, and the NFL’s decision to end the use of “race-norming” to assess athletes’ brain injuries. She also talks about golfer Jon Rahm’s withdrawal from the PGA TOUR Memorial Tournament after testing positive for COVID-19. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose explains her concerns behind a surveillance network proposal that would connect nine communities across Greater Boston, and how the pandemic highlighted the need for the passage of the VOTES Act. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Brian Moskwetah Weeden discusses his plans for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and the effects of environmental degradation on tribal lands. He also talks about calls for reparations for Native Americans. Moskwetah Weeden is the Chair of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council. Next, we talks with listeners about whether they would become more engaged if more events were held on Zoom, post-pandemic. John King shares his thoughts on how Sens. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) decision to vote against Democrats’ voting rights bill could impact President Joe Biden’s agenda, and audio of a 2019 phone call in which Rudy Giuliani asked Ukrainian officials to investigate conspiracy theories about President Biden. 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 updates us on the latest political headlines, from former President Donald Trump’s speech at the North Carolina Republican Convention to Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) statement that he would not support Democrats’ voting rights bill. 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 Sen. Manchin (D-WV) and bipartisanship in Congress. Charlie Sennott weighs in on Israeli politicians’ agreement to form a new government, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to Guatemala and Mexico. He also talks about a chemical cargo ship that burned for two weeks before sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Douglass Williams talks about what the past year has been like for his South End restaurant MIDA, and the recent opening of a second MIDA location in Newton. Williams is the chef and owner of MIDA, which is in Boston’s South End and in Newton. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III share their thoughts on reparations for the damage done during the Tulsa massacre, and how Black Americans think about death. 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. We end the show by asking listeners whether air conditioning at the office could draw them away from working from home.