Boston Public Radio Podcast

NBC Sports reporter Trenni Kusnierek joins Margery Eagan and Jared Bowen — in for Jim Braude — for an update from the Tokyo Olympics. Athletes are performing without fans, without their usual support systems, in scorching weather conditions, and in a highly regulated COVID-19 environment. And everyone is watching. Kusnierek discusses the pressure elite athletes are facing in these Olympic games, as tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics phenom Simone Biles have both opened up about the mental health toll.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Alex Morse talks about the rise in COVID-19 cases in Provincetown, updating us on the latest plans to stop the spread of the virus. He also discusses the return of the indoor mask mandate. Morse is the Town Manager of Provincetown. Next, we talk with listeners about Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the individual all-around gymnastics competition in the Olympics due to concerns over her mental health. Juliette Kayyem discusses Tuesday’s congressional hearing on the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks, and shares her thoughts on the spread of misinformation surrounding the attacks from Fox News. She also talks about the security threats posed by climate change. 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. Jonathan Gruber explains the economics behind individuals who choose not to get vaccinated, following “signaling theory.” Grub

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne talked about the For the People Act, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) rejection of two Republican appointees to a select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capital attacks. He also remembers the life and legacy of civil rights activist Bob Moses. 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 open the phone lines, talking with listeners about rising COVID-19 cases across the nation. Charlie Sennott discusses his experiences in Kabul after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. He also shares his thoughts on Afghanistan’s future as the Taliban gains more ground. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith updates us on the latest news from the Boston mayoral race and Massachusetts gubernatorial race, focusing on Suffolk County District Attorney Rac

Today on Boston Public Radio: District Attorney Rachael Rollins discusses investigations into the attack of Rabbi Shlomo Noginski in Brighton, and the shooting in Winthrop that claimed the lives of Air Force veteran Ramona Cooper and retired state trooper David Green. She also talks about her plans to review drug cases that may have been compromised by mismanagement at the William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute. Rollins is the district attorney for Suffolk County. Next, we open the phone lines, asking listeners how they feel about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Shirley Leung talks about the Massachusetts legislature’s push to legalize sports betting in the state, and explained how employers are relying on improved MBTA service to bring people back into the office. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Roger Bennett shares his experience growing up in Liverpool, and why he relates more to the U.S. than his home country of England. Bennett is the co-host of The Men In Blazers podcast and NBC s

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about the potential return of happy hour. Jenifer McKim shares the latest installment of the investigative series “Unseen,” explaining how dating apps like Grindr perpetuate the abuse, assault, and trafficking of underage boys. McKim is an investigative reporter with the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. Andrea Cabral discusses the criminal charges against former State Police Captain James Coughlin and his wife, Leslie, after teenager Alonzo J. Polk IV drowned at a high school graduation party hosted by the couple. She also shares her thoughts on the Biden administration legal team deciding that incarcerated individuals released from prison over COVID-19 concerns must return post-pandemic. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Bruce Marks talks about the current state of housing in Massachusetts

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, talking with listeners about the Child Tax Credit. Dr. Joseph Cooper explains the history of protest at the Olympics, following the International Olympic Committee urging athletes to remain politically neutral during the Tokyo games. Dr. Cooper is the inaugural J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair for Sport Leadership and Administration at UMass Boston. Juliette Kayyem discusses former President Donald Trump’s recent statement on the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks, and the end to recovery efforts at the Champlain South Towers. 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 weighs in on the return of mask mandates as COVID-19 cases rise nationwide, and misinformation surrounding vaccines on social media. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University Schoo

Today on Boston Public Radio: We open the show by talking with listeners about the return of mask mandates. Christopher Muther talks about the Winthrop High School students behaving badly on American Airlines Flight 893. He also discusses the opening of the ‘Quin House, and the LGBTQ+ history behind Rehoboth Beach. Muther is a travel writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. Trenni Kusnierek shares the COVID-19 restrictions she’s encountered thus far in Tokyo in advance of the Olympic games. She also talks about the backlash against Naomi Osaka, who recently opened up about her mental health struggles. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Barbara Roessner discusses the founding of The New Bedford Light, and shares her thoughts on the state of local news coverage. Roessner is the founding editor of The New Bedford Light. Jonathan Martinis explains the history and laws behind conservatorships, calling for states to adopt laws on supported

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by talking with listeners about the rising death toll of unvaccinated Americans, and whether it’s time for mandatory vaccines. Michael Curry explains how communities of color were disparately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and shares his thoughts on mandating vaccines. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Corby Kummer talks about the introduction of lab-grown foie gras, and the growing number of fine dining establishments eliminating meat from their menus. He also touches on non-compete agreements in the fast food industry. 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 Scien

Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Monday, sharing his thoughts on lab-grown foie gras after Paris-based start-up Gourmey raised $10 million from investors to produce foie gras from cell cultures. While many lab-grown meats lack the texture of their natural counterparts, Kummer says that foie gras is especially suited for cell-cultures due to its “soft and squishy” texture. “There’s a big challenge of growing out these cells, and culturing it is trying to get anything like the texture of muscles, sinew, fat, gnawing off the bone,” Kummer said. “That [meat texture] is so many years off.” Animal rights groups have long criticized the foie gras production process, with many farmers choosing to force-feed grains to geese through feeding tubes. The New York City Council passed legislation to ban the sale of foie gras in 2019, joining California, Britain, Finland, Norway, and Israel in adopting strict foie gras laws. Kummer says that the introduction of lab-grown foie gras is a step in the r

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Jake Auchincloss discusses the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, and updated us on the status of Congress’ infrastructure bill. He also talks about the evacuation of Afghan citizens who aided the U.S. Rep. Auchincloss is the Democratic congressman representing Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. Next, we talk with listeners about shared streets programs. Callie Crossley weighs in on Cornel West’s resignation from Harvard University after being denied tenure, and shares the history of the all-Black 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. She also previews this weekend’s edition of Under the Radar. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Sy Montgomery explains how to humanely kill a lobster following the U.K.’s potential ban on boiling lobsters alive. She also updates us on the latest news regarding the disease spreading among songbirds in the U.S. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Her latest book is "The Hummingbirds’ G

Today on Boston Public Radio: Natalie Rodriguez shares her experience opening a restaurant before the start of the pandemic, and explains how her business survived the COVID-19 crisis. Rodriguez is the chef and owner of Nuestra, an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant in Worcester.  Then, we talk with listeners about an increase in customers behaving badly at restaurants. Andrea Cabral discusses the Justice Department’s report that the FBI failed in their handling of sexual abuse claims against Larry Nassar, allowing him to abuse more girls and women. She also talks about the approval of an unarmed crisis-response team in Lynn. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Andy Ihnatko talks about racial bias in facial recognition software, and the numerous cases in which police have used facial recognition software to wrongly arrest individuals. He also explains the various tech provisions in President Joe Bi

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners how they felt about the shift to remote working. Jonathan Gruber explains how Los Angeles Angels player Shohei Ohtani is breaking the economic rule of comparative advantage. 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." Juliette Kayyem discusses the decision to ban in-person spectators from the Tokyo Olympics as COVID-19 cases rise in Japan. She also talks about the evacuation of Afghan refugees after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. 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. Bina Venkataraman shares recent editorials from The Boston Globe, covering topics su

Today on Boston Public Radio: We start the show by talking with listeners about this month becoming the third rainiest July in Massachusetts on record. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the racist attacks against Black athletes on England’s national football team, and COVID-19 restrictions at the Tokyo Olympics. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Carol Rose and Kade Crockford discuss the state of voting rights following the Supreme Court’s ruling on two Arizona voting laws. They also weigh in on the use of facial recognition software, calling for stronger legislation against facial recognition technology. Rose is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. Crockford is the Technology for Liberty program director at the ACLU of Massachusetts Corby Kummer shares his thoughts on McDonald’s decision to increase their starting pay to a range of $11-17, and a survey of chain restaurants that found that Dunkin’, Chipotle, and Sonic have the

The Atlantic’s Corby Kummer returned to Boston Public Radio on Tuesday, weighing in on a recent survey by analysts at the investment bank UBS, which found workers at the popular breakfast-to-go chain Dunkin’ Donuts near the bottom in terms of employee retention.  Kummer called the survey “all over the map,” but said most of the chains that fared best tended to be full-service restaurants, like Texas Roadhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse. “The closer they are to actual full-service, the higher the satisfaction rate,” he said. “I would assume that means higher tips and lower turnover.”  In contrast, he said the environment at Dunkin’ Donuts is “all transactional,” and said the automated nature of the chain could be a key reason why the study found employees leaving at higher rates. During the discussion, Kummer also touched on a raise in minimum wage for McDonald’s workers, low interest in vaccine mandates at restaurants, and a recent article in the New York Times about masks becoming social signifiers. Corby

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne talks about the death of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards. He also weighs in on the Supreme Court’s ruling on two Arizona voting laws, and term limits for Supreme Court justices. 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 state Rep. Edward Coppinger’s proposal to add an extra, opt-in year of learning for high school students. Charlie Sennott discusses the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and shares his thoughts on Haiti’s calls for U.S. military presence in the wake of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith update us on the latest news from the Boston mayoral race and Massachusetts governor’s race, from former Boston Police Chief Dennis White’s claim

The U.S. Supreme Court has gutted most of the Voting Rights Act. In a Washington Post column after the decision was announced on July 1, EJ Dionne wrote dryly that the day may as well come to be known as “Oligarchy Day.” EJ Dionne joined Boston Public Radio on Monday, to discuss the ruling, and its implication for American democracy. He said the Supreme Court decision — with the six conservative justices voting in favor — was “outrageous, given that conservatives always say ‘we don’t legislate from the bench.’” Dionne said the decision will make it harder for the federal government to go to court to question voting restrictions that may appear neutral but could be discriminatory. EJ Dionne is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a columnist for the Washington Post. His latest book is Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners if they thought it was time for the government and employers to mandate vaccines. Andy Ihnatko talks about the multiple states that have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, and offers tips on safely handling damaged lithium-ion batteries. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Callie Crossley speaks about Zaila Avant-garde’s historic win of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She also talks about Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott’s plans to revive failed GOP voting legislation, and Harvard University’s plans to return civil rights leader Standing Bear’s tomahawk to the Ponca Tribe. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Dr. Marcia Chatelain discusses the historic role McDonald’s plays in the Black community, and the origins of Black capitalism. Dr. Chatelain is a professor of history in African American studies at Georgetown University. She’s the author of Franchise: The Golden Arches

Today on Boston Public Radio: Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from vaccine hesitancy amid the rise of the Delta COVID-19 variant to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on voting rights. 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. Next, we talk with listeners about the struggles millennials face in saving up for retirement. Andrea Cabral discusses the criminal indictment against the Trump Organization, sharing her thoughts on potential defense strategies. She also talks about the Massachusetts Department of Correction phasing out solitary confinement. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Ali Noorani explains the political backlash President Joe Biden might encounter by lifting COVID-era travel restrictions along the U.S. Mexico border, and talks about the evacuation of Afghan interpreters an

Today on Boston Public Radio: Jonathan Gruber explains the economics behind condominiums, from condo ownership to building expenses. He also argues for stronger protections for homeowners in the event of major structural repairs. 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." Next, we talk with listeners about their experiences with condo boards and condo ownership. Juliette Kayyem talks about the challenges rescuers are now facing in Surfside, Fla. She also discusses the Rise of the Moors standoff on I-95. 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. State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz discusses her decision to run for governor, c

On Wednesday’s Boston Public Radio, food writer Corby Kummer derided the American lunchtime phenomena known as the “sad desk lunch,” where workers are forced to eat at the work spaces in order to save time and boost productivity. The back-and-forth was sparked by a recent New York Times story about the salad chain Sweetgreen, whose owners are presenting the company’s sales as something of a barometer for the return to workplaces, and the renewed appetite in what the article dubbed “desk salads.” “There’s a generic name for it that you’re forgetting,” Kummer quipped. “Sad desk lunch – it’s a whole phrase.” Rather than bringing lunch back to your desk to send emails while shoveling quinoa, he pushed for American bosses to adopt what he called “the French model.” “You are not allowed to work between 1:00 and 2:00,” he said. “You have to go and take your sad desk lunch to a communal table and make conversation with your workers. That’s part of the whole office serendipity, utopia, of chance encounters that l