Boston Public Radio

During Martha Coakley's concession speech this morning at her campaign's headquarters in Somerville, one subject in particular made her visibly emotional:…

One of the most exclusive clubs in the city became even more exclusive yesterday after the death of Tom Menino: the club of Boston mayors. Today, there…

Nancy Koehn never thought she would get cancer, and she sure as hell never thought she would get it twice. Her second diagnosis came over the phone. She…

Feeling a little hungry right now? You will be after this week's News Quiz, where top-notch chefs Jody Adams of Rialto and Trade and Steve DiFillippo of…

Get in the Halloween spirit with Boston Public Radio's Friday News Quiz! This week, Chuck Lechien, Jr., founder and creative director of the Boston Circus…

Today on Boston Public Radio: Bina Venkataraman, former chief policy advisor on the Council of Advisors on Science and Technology under President Obama, discussed the latest news on coronavirus. Rep. Joe Kennedy discussed the state’s response to coronavirus, and how it’s impacting his campaign for Senate. *Beat the Press *host Emily Rooney talked about the media’s coverage of coronavirus and gave her famous list of fixations and fulminations. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey joined us for our monthly edition of “Ask the AG.” Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung discussed the impact coronavirus is poised to have on Boston’s economy. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed “Race to Dinner,” a program that hosts conversations about racism for wealthy white liberal women over dinner. Moe Isaza and Matt Conner of Teeling Whiskey joined us for our weekly news quiz.

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