Today on Boston Public Radio:

We started the show by hearing from listeners about how they're preparing for the extreme cold weather expected this weekend.

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discussed the Biden administration’s decision to lift the public health emergency for COVID-19 in May. Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center.

Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed a legislative push for pay transparency in Massachusetts.

Cheryl Straughter, chef and co-owner of the Nubian Square restaurant Soleil, discussed her plans to expand into Boston Public Market and how the business fared during the pandemic.

Sue O'Connell, a news host and co-publisher of Bay Windows and The South End News, discussed new proposed guidelines from the FDA for gay and bisexual men wishing to donate blood, and the House of Representatives ousting U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar from her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee for her statements about Israel.

Members of Castle of our Skins, a Boston-based concert and educational series devoted to celebrating Black Artistry through music, joined in-person at the Boston Public Library. Ashleigh Gordon, artistic executive director and co-founder; Samantha Ege, UK-based pianist who collaborated on their new album; musical selections performed by violinists Gabriela Diaz and Matthew Vera, cellist Francesca McNeeley and violist Gordon.

We ended the show with a listener call-in segment about how often to wash jeans.