Boston Public Radio

Could a juror misrepresenting himself be grounds for an appeal?

The Coolidge Corner Theater CEO and executive director said she teared up the first time she stepped back into the cinema, which has been closed since March 2020.

Sen. Tim Scott, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden all said that America is not racist last week.

Naturalist Sy Montgomery tells us how to help our pets adjust when we head back into the office.

Andrea Cabral spoke about the importance of the Justice Department stepping in to defend laws where states won't.

Dr. Abraar Karan discusses why India is experiencing the world's worst coronavirus outbreak.

Michael Curry shares his thoughts about Boston's proposed tax rebate plan, the law enforcement responses to local white nationalism, a recent budget increase for the city's COVID-19 response and health care struggles facing people of color in the commonwealth. Curry is chair of the NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee, and is president and CEO of the Mass League of Community Health Centers. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson talk about the state of the MBTA: recent derailments, budget concerns and sources of political inaction, as well as Boston’s upcoming open street days and bike lane controversy. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Andy Ihnatko discusses new privacy settings for users of Apple products at sensitive locations as well as the rise and controversies of AI-generated art. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com Then, we ask listeners about whether they prefer to keep or get rid of their old, sentimental clutter Marie Fukuda and Red Shaydez talk about the upcoming Fenway Porchfest, including their roles in organizing and curating it. Fukuda is an arts advocate and member of the Boston Cultural Council. Shaydez is a rapper, community leader and artist in the commonwealth. We end the show by hearing music from Fenway Porchfest performers Jobe Freeman, Mar Fayos and International Show.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners if they’re keeping up with early pandemic disinfectant habits. Christopher Muther explains how to build the ideal Cape Cod vacation, and shared his thoughts on ABBA’s Voyage concert featuring hologram “ABBAtars.” Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. Andrea Cabral discusses white supremacist group Patriot Front’s march through downtown Boston this past weekend, and criticism from Bostonians on the lack of a response from law enforcement. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Paul Reville weighs in on new Boston Public Schools superintendent Mary Skipper. He also talks about the K-12 schools that are spending billions of dollars on high-tech defense from mass shootings. Reville is the former secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs 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.” Marcela García discusses the limited healthcare coverage for undocumented children in Mass., and calls on people to stop asking parents to release graphic images of their children killed in school shootings. García is an associate editor and columnist for the Globe’s op-ed page. She also serves on the Globe editorial board. Clarrissa Cropper and Katherine Nazzaro joine us to share their recommendations for summer reading. Cropper is a co-owner of Frugal Bookstore in Roxbury. Nazzarro is a bookseller at Porter Square Books: Boston Edition in the city’s Seaport neighborhood. We end the show by asking listeners if they would consider going to a concert headlined by a hologram.

On July 4, Nathan’s held its annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey Chesnut, who is ranked first in the world by Major League Eating, picked up his fifteenth win Monday, fighting off a protester mid-contest. Food writer Corby Kummer said on Boston Public Radio that he enjoys watching the spectacle. “It's a scene out of a cartoon or a movie,” Kummer said. “It's broadcast on ESPN. It is treated as a sport… I also think it's the strangest Roman Times era spectacle that exists today.” Chesnut has since said that he regrets fighting the protestor, who came up behind Chesnut in a Darth Vader mask. Kummer explained that ESPN had to refund some bets because the fight messed up the odds. Still, Chesnut remained victorious, with 63 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes, shy of his world record of 76, set in 2021. The contest, which takes place at Coney Island, is a July 4 tradition going back 50 years. “It is with watching any athletic challenge, can they do it?” Kummer asked. “I think that you find yourself inadvertently rooting for them because they're challenging themselves. They're pushing themselves to the extreme and you want them to achieve their horrible goals.” 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: We begin the show by asking listeners how they’re escaping from the doom this summer. Art Caplan discusses concerns about in-vitro fertilization following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and rich New Yorkers getting bladder surgery to avoid bathroom breaks while driving to the Hamptons. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Juliette Kayyem updates listeners on the Highland Park shooting and law enforcement’s response to the Patriot Front march through Boston. 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. Shirley Leung weighs in on the latest challenges with the MBTA, the state of Boston nightlife and the status of return to office plans. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Corby Kummer talks about Nathan’s July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest, and tips for feeding dogs. 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. Arthur Brooks breaks down his latest columns on politics, friendship and happiness. Brooks is the William Henry Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School, the happiness correspondent at The Atlantic and host of the podcast series “How to Build a Happy Life.” His latest book is “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” We end the show by asking listeners if they’re taking their dogs with them when they go out to eat.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about white supremacist group Patriot Front’s march along the Freedom Trail this past weekend. Trenni Kusnierek talks about WNBA player Brittney Griner’s pleas for release from Russian prison following her arrest at Moscow airport in February for allegedly carrying cannabis oil in her luggage. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. David Scharfenberg shares his thoughts on how Boston can lead on issues like climate change, public transit, and housing, off of his new Boston Globe series, “Reclaiming our ambition.” Scharfenberg is a staff writer for the Boston Globe. Lee Pelton discusses the white supremacist group Patriot Front marching along the Freedom Trail on during the holiday weekend, and weighs in on how Boston can ensure access to reproductive rights after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Nathaniel Stinnett explains how environmentalists can respond to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that limited the regulatory power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Stinnett is founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project. John King updates us on the latest news headlines, focusing on a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4. He also talks about the recent testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide and assistant to former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, before the Jan. 6 committee. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by asking listeners if they feel more empowered to negotiate with employers due to labor shortages.