Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners – including Senator Elizabeth Warren – about the country’s child care crisis, as families struggle to pay for care and centers downsize due to lack of staff.  Shirley Leung discusses a proposal to house Mass. and Cass’ homeless population in an empty detention center, and the state of fundraising in the mayor’s race. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor. Callie Crossley talks about Tesla’s $137 million payment to a former Black employee for racial discrimination at work, the quilt exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts and Georgia’s youngest farmer, a six year old girl. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sue O’Connell weighs in on the New York Times’ article and subsequent Twitter controversy, “Who is the Bad Art Friend?”, and criticism of Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix stand-up special. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and the South End News, as well as

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including a federal judge siding with the Justice Department to block the restrictive Texas abortion law, current negotiations over a possible debt limit extension and what motivates Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we talk with listeners about their thoughts on the early stages of the 2022 Massachusetts Governor race, including Donald Trump’s endorsement of former state Rep. Geoff Diehl. Andrea Cabral talks about the terrible conditions at Rikers Island, and how the Justice Department could be doing more work for police reform. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Paul Reville discusses school board fights over mask mandates, and protests against legacy admissions in some of

Massachusetts state legislators may revise a 2016 ballot law on animal welfare to prevent a potential statewide egg shortage. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Thursday to share his thoughts on this, and more. “First of all, there’s not going to be an egg shortage,” Kummer said. “It’s only an economic measure to protect farmers.” While the law also contains enclosure standards for pigs and calves, legislators are concerned with rules on acceptable enclosure space for egg-laying hens. According to the bill, egg-laying hens must be given at least 1.5 square feet of floor space and be able to fully extend both wings without touching the sides of the enclosure. In a measure to counteract the potential egg shortage, lawmakers are attempting to amend the enclosure requirements from 1.5 square feet to 1 square foot, following enclosure laws in other states. Unless legislators pass this amendment, the law will go into effect as written on Jan. 1, 2022. Representatives for egg far

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan talks about healthcare workers resigning following vaccine mandates, after New York’s largest healthcare provider lost 1,400 employees after a state mandate went into effect. 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. Then, we hear from listeners about how they are planning for the holidays this year with the current status of the pandemic. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson discuss why they think the MBTA is safe, how much they think the city should spend on transportation and the plan for the Mass. Pike development project in Allston. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and a contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Dr. Virginia Sinnott-Stutzman takes calls from listeners about caring for their pets, from dog food supply chain issues to com

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners where the boundaries of protest lie, after activists followed Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema into the bathroom to protest her centrist policies. Trenni Kusnierek previews tonight’s wild card game between the Yankees and Red Sox and the return of the Boston Marathon. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose talks about the status of the Texas abortion law and how the government should respond to internet privacy issues for users, and previews the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming agenda. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Michael Curry weighs in on vaccine mandates to combat the pandemic, and the debate over safe injection sites as a solution to the crisis at Mass. and Cass. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a member

Today on Boston Public Radio: District Attorney Rachael Rollins responds to Republican attacks, following a tied party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on her nomination for U.S. Attorney. She also talks about her decision to move towards overturning a 50-year-old rape conviction, after the victim expressed worries about identifying the wrong perpetrator. Rollins is the Suffolk County DA and nominee to be the State’s next U.S. Attorney. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on Facebook, as the company comes under fire by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Charlie Sennott talks about a partnership between over 150 investigative journalists to leak the Pandora Papers, which exposed financial secrets of some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful people. He also discusses the need for better immigration policy from President Joe Biden. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. British Consul General Peter Abbott talks about opportunities for offshore wind energ

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their thoughts on Tom Brady’s impending return to Gillette stadium this Sunday. Jon Gruber explains why the super rich pay a lower tax rate than most Americans, and breaks down President Joe Biden’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund his spending priorities. Gruber teaches 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.” Shirley Leung updates listeners on the latest business headlines, including her thoughts on the latest slew of issues with the MBTA and what it would take to get people back to the office on public transportation. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Callie Crossley talks about what it means for the mail system with postal workers ordered to deliberately slow down delivery, and wei

That deer in your garden? It might just be the most eco-friendly dinner to eat — provided you kill it yourself. Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Thursday to discuss Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspell’s proposal that venison is “unequivocally the single most ecologically friendly food you can eat.” “If you get farm-raised venison in a restaurant, it’s not really addressing this [environmental] issue, because the only thing that’s legal to sell is farm-raised venison,” Kummer said. “You have to go out and kill it.” Haspell argued that due to invasive deer populations posing threats to native animals and plants, the spread of Lyme disease by deer ticks, and the greenhouse gas emissions deer produce, wild venison could be considered the most eco-friendly food to consume. In her piece, Haspell noted that a Connecticut town reversed its no-hunting ordinance in 2000 after being overrun by deer. Scientists who monitored the situation found that in the seven following years

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd talks all things politics, including Democratic efforts to avoid a government shutdown, and what it would mean for the country if the United States defaults on its debt. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Then, we asked listeners how they were coping with the turbulent start of the school year amid the pandemic. Andrea Cabral discusses gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson’s decision to relocate from Springfield to Tennessee, and the rise of the Proud Boys during the Trump era. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George shares her views on policing and how she would work to solve the addiction crisis at Mass. and Cass. She also responds to a controversy surrounding a conflict of interest between her position on City Council and h

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan weighs in on the role of vaccine mandates, and the quick spread of vaccine misinformation on social media. 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. Then, we asked listeners about their experiences with the MBTA following a slew of recent derailments and other accidents. Juliette Kayyem updates listeners on all things national security, including updates on trials of those involved in the Jan. 6 riots, which have been slowed down due to an abundance of evidence. 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. Jamarhl Crawford and Tanisha Sullivan criticize a lagging timeline and lack of transparency regarding efforts for police reform, and discuss the need to put reform at the top of the agenda

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by asking listeners their thoughts on vaccine mandates and people threatening to quit their jobs before getting the shot. Trenni Kusnierek updates listeners on all things sports, including rifts in the NBA over vaccines and Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Dr. Renee Crichlow calls out remaining healthcare workers who are not yet vaccinated, and talks about latest data on vaccine efficacy months after vaccination. Crichlow is the Chief Medical Officer at Codman Square Health Center and the Vice Chair of Health Equity at the Boston University Department of Family Medicine. Bill McKibben discusses what it would mean for the plant if President Joe Biden fails to pass his economic agenda, and previews his new project, Third Act, which seeks to engage older individuals with climate activism. McKibben is co-founder of 350.org and the author of numerous bo

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne weighs in on whether he thinks the Democrats will pass President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, and what it would mean for the party if they fail. He also talks about his visits to mayoral race victory parties and his thoughts on the race. 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." Then, we talk with listeners about their thoughts on Biden’s economic agenda. Charlie Sennott discusses President Joe Biden’s decision to deport Haitian migrants, Angela Merkel stepping down as Chancellor and the results of Germany’s latest election. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Chris Burrell unpacks his latest reporting for the Color of Public Money series, which showed that out of a $4.8 billion budget, Massachusetts spent less than $25 million in contracts with Black and Hispanic-owned busine

Today on Boston Public Radio: Ali Noorani talks about the resignation of Ambassador Daniel Foote, Special Envoy for Haiti, as the Biden Administration comes under fire for its treatment of Haitian refugees at the border. Noorani is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His forthcoming book is Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants. Then, we ask listeners for their thoughts on the Biden Administration’s handling of the humanitarian crisis and treatment of Haitian migrants at the border. Callie Crossley continues the conversation about the treatment of Haitian migrants, and weighs in on the mayor’s race and perceptions of Annissa Essaibi George as OFD, or “Originally From Dorchester,” and Michelle Wu as NFH, or “Not From Here,” born in Chicago. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Andy Ihnatko weighs in on accusations of labor issues at Apple, newest potential security leaks and Gen-Z struggles with older technology. Ihnatko i

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by talking with listeners about the current gridlock in Congress, and why divisions persist despite Democrats’ control of the Senate, House and Presidency. Shirley Leung discusses her latest column about the escalating humanitarian crisis at Mass and Cass, and its impact on local businesses and nonprofits in the area. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Dr. Eric Dickson gives a window into the pandemic in Central Massachusetts, where the largest healthcare system in Central New England has run out of ICU beds amid an influx of COVID-19 cases. Dickson is the President and CEO of UMass Memorial Health, based in Worcester. Paul Reville updates listeners on all things schools, including dropping MCAS scores and why he thinks Massachusetts schools are not as effective as they should be. Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he als

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday to share his thoughts on the movement within the restaurant industry to raise wages and foster better working environments in order to recruit workers. “There's a worker shortage. But more than that, there's a wage shortage,” Kummer said. “If you offer people more money, they will apply for jobs.” That’s no easy feat for restaurant owners, Kummer noted. “Pay people more, give them paid time off, try to give them health insurance, all the stuff that's very expensive,” Kummer said. “Very expensive means you have to have a better business plan. That sounds easy, but it actually has been a huge challenge for restaurant owners before and after the pandemic.” 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.

Today on Boston Public Radio: First, we talk with listeners about “missing white woman syndrome” following the death of Gabby Petito, and how the media fixates on the disappearances of white women while ignoring people of color. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius weighs in on dropping MCAS scores, proposals to expand athletics in public high schools and the status of school funding. Cassellius is the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Juliette Kayyem discusses the low turnout at the Justice for Jan. 6 rally, assesses the current influence of Donald Trump and critiques the Biden Administration’s response to Haitian migrants at the border. 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. Corby Kummer talks about how we should reframe the worker shortage in restaurants as a wage shortage. Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy pro

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michelle Singletary talks about the effect of COVID-19 on Social Security Retirement funds, and her recent column on the financial impact of vaccine refusal on unvaccinated individuals. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column "The Color of Money" provides insight into the world of personal finance. Then, we take calls from listeners about their thoughts on sharing desks as workplace protocols change throughout the pandemic. Michael Curry discusses latest efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy, and the importance of considering racial and socioeconomic equity when thinking about vaccine mandates. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Trenni Kusnierek gives an update on all things sports, inc

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they prefer to return to the office or work from home at this point in the pandemic. Charlie Sennott gives an update on top international news. He critiques the U.S. government’s response to Haitian migrants at the border and the U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett takes questions from callers about all things vaccines. She discusses the ethics and uses of booster shots and the status of vaccine trials for children. Gergen Barnett teaches in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III critique some Christian leaders’ hypocrisy in discouraging COVID-19 vaccines. They also talk about what it means for Boston that none of the three Black mayoral candidates made it through the preliminary election. Monroe is a synd

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Friday, explaining the controversy surrounding President Joe Biden’s pick of almond-industry lobbyist Elaine Trevino for chief agricultural negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Trevino is the president of the Almond Alliance of California. “Why do we care and why are we angry about this in particular?” Kummer said. “Because there’s no effective limits on how irrigation controls and who shares water and who parcels out how much water various agriculture industries within California are able to use.” Kummer noted that up to 70% of California almond production is exported to Europe and China, and that the industry depends on these exports to maintain price supports. “This is kind of a sign that the Biden administration wants to help out industries that rely enormously on foreign purchases to keep up their price supports, how they manage U.S. trade pacts with different countries, so that the enormous amount of exports, in thi

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners for their wildest rat stories, after a report showed that Boston’s rat population is on the rise. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the Senate testimonies of four elite gymnasts, who said they blamed the FBI for failing to protect them against former USA team doctor and convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. She also talks about the pay gap in men and women’s soccer. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Rep. Ayanna Pressley talks about what it means for Boston to have two women in its mayoral election, following the historic win of Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George in the preliminary election. She also makes an urgent call for supporting Haitian refugees in Texas. Pressley is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts 7th District. Corby Kummer critiques how buzzwords like “healthy,” “all natural” and “sustainable” have no clear defi