Boston Public Radio

The rise of the delta variant of COVID-19 is instilling fear and “stabilizing the need” of nutrition assistance programs.

"The administration needs to catch up" on vaccine mandates, Wu said today on BPR.

Downie said the move, while only helpful in the short term, was likely to buy time for families working to get their hands on federal aid money.

Boston mayoral candidate John Barros joined Boston Public Radio for a wide-ranging interview about his candidacy.

The Rhode Island senator said he doesn't expect his voice is enough to change Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's mind on the issue of stepping down from the nation's highest court while Democrats maintain power.

Family medicine doctor Katherine Gergen Barnett joined Boston Public Radio to go over the latest COVID-19 developments and take listener calls.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to ask listeners: does the federal stimulus rollout, which is proving to benefit a few large companies over smaller businesses, have you feeling cynical about the government’s handling of the pandemic? Matt Segal, legal director for the Massachusetts ACLU, discussed his role in litigating the drug-testing scandal documented in the Netflix series “How to Fix a Drug Scandal.” We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Tuesday press conference. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius spoke about what her administration is doing to accommodate students working remotely, and took questions from listeners.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Seed Global Health CEO Dr. Vanessa Kerry discussed the surge of COVID-19 patients in Massachusetts, the role of The WHO in fighting the global pandemic, and took questions from callers. We opened our lines to talk with callers about how you’re handling coronavirus anxiety. WGBH news analyst and GroundTruth Project CEO Charlie Sennott discussed the positive strides being taken by female world leaders in the fight against COVID-19, as well as the dangerous opportunities presented by the pandemic for authoritarians. Science reporter and FRONTLINE correspondent Miles O’Brien discussed his upcoming FRONTLINE documentary, "Coronavirus Pandemic," on the U.S. COVID crisis response. TV expert Bob Thompson reviewed Saturday's “One World: Together At Home” concert, and Netflix’s new show “BlackAF.” We opened our lines to ask callers: if coronavirus acceptance was ranked like the stages of grief, which stage would you be at? Poet Richard Blanco celebrated National Poetry Month by reading some “ars poetica” pieces, or poems about poetry.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Ayanna Pressley discussed her recent appeal to Gov. Baker to rescind COVID-19 crisis guidelines in order to address racial disparities in communities impacted by the coronavirus. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem recapped her latest writing for The Atlantic on the “strange purgatory” awaiting Americans post-quarantine, and criticized President Trump’s calls to pull funding for the World Health Organization. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney recounted her bizarre experience walking down an empty Newbury Street in Boston, and read a Covid-themed list of fixations and fulminations. Media maven Sue O’Connell discussed the sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden, and criticized the still-standing FDA restrictions on gay men donating blood. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed a new contract-tracing app from Google and Apple, and local privacy concerns over Chinese regulations on the video game Animal Crossing. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed polling on who Americans trust during the coronavirus pandemic, and whether recent comments from Surgeon General Jerome Adams were offensive to Americans of color. We opened our lines to ask listers: are you enjoying be anti-social while you social distance?

Today on Boston Public Radio: NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed the president’s authority the re-open the country, and talked about Joe Biden’s limited public presence during the pandemic. Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung talked about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on small businesses, and how it could shape the identity of U.S. cities for years to come. We opened our lines to talk with callers about how you think Massachusetts ought to go about reopening its economy. Former Massachusetts Democratic chair Steve Grossman discussed his views on what needs to be done to protect small businesses and under-resourced communities. We reopened or lines to continue the conversation about how the state’s economy and the coronavirus pandemic. We aired live audio from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Thursday press conference. Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam previewed an upcoming edition of the “Boston Public Radio” book club, and dissected the #pantsdrunk internet trend.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened our lines to talk with listeners ahead of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Wednesday press conference. We aired live audio of the governor's press conference. A.G. Maura Healey called in to address the range of issues her office is confronting amid the coronavirus pandemic, and took questions from callers. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed President Trump’s decision to suspend funding for the World Health Organization, and racial disparities in COVID-19 victims. Writer and naturalist Sy Montgomery discussed whether house cats can catch the coronavirus, and pandas mating at a vacated Hong Kong zoo.