Boston Public Radio

"We have the capacity to force a vote, and I think it’s time we do that," the Massachusetts senator said.

The governor acknowledged criticism from lawmakers but insisted the current mix of state and local efforts is most effective.

Students and advocates are calling on Harvard University to acknowledge its role in slavery and offer reparations.

Healey tells Boston Public Radio she supports legislation to update the state's existing hate crime laws.

If reparations to slavery were enacted before the pandemic, COVID-19 transmission and deaths could have been mitigated dramatically, according to Dr. Michelle Morse.

Andrea Cabral speaks about concerns regarding the 845 unvaccinated members of the State Police.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on the return to colleges and universities in the fall. Food writer Corby Kummer discussed the restaurant industry’s reckoning around toxic workplace culture, and a commemorative feast at a Michigan prison to celebrate the life of George Floyd. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discussed a Georgia High School suspending students for sharing photos of crowded hallways, and read her list of fixations and fulminations. Nia Grace, owner of Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen and co-founder of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition, discussed Boston's Black Restaurant Month, and talked about how Darryl’s is holding up through the pandemic. Media maven Sue O’Connell talked about President Trump’s claim that Joe Biden is “anti-god,” and reflected on worries about the efficiency of the USPS ahead of the November election. Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discussed major conflicts of interest for the president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and her recent endorsement of Jesse Mermell to fill Rep. Joe Kennedy’s vacant congressional seat. We opened lines to talk with listeners about how you're supporting local businesses through the pandemic.

Food writer Corby Kummer spoke with Boston Public Radio on Friday about an innmate at the Muskegon Correctional Facility in Michigan who organized a special meal to honor the life of George Floyd. "This innmate decided as a tribute, and sign of solidarity to George Floyd, to gather together other prisoners who had the liberty to use plastic knives, and have a memorial tribute lunch, which took weeks of meticulous planning," he said. Kummer is a *senior editor at The Atlantic*, an award-winning food writer, and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: The Greater Boston Food Bank’s Catherine D’Amato talked about the state’s new “Breakfast After the Bell” program, and other ways Mass. is addressing food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about your feelings around school reopening and distance learning. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley discussed a handful of obituaries for victims of COVID-19 that place blame on the government’s pandemic response, and news that Trader Joe's is sticking with their ethnically insensitive branding. We aired our October interview with Susan Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., where she discussed her book “Tough Love,” and spoke on the presidential campaign of Joe Biden. Former Mass. Education Secretary Paul Reville talked about the confusion around how Mass. K-12 schools are going to operate in the fall. We opened lines to ask listeners: with COVID-19 cases beginning to climb, should we consider scaling back reopening in Mass.? Travel guru Rick Steves talked about employing the “traveler’s mindset” while stuck at home, and the importance of positive serendipity as a traveler.

Today on Boston Public Radio: New York Times bestselling author Larry Tye discussed his new biography on Sen. Joseph McCarthy, “Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy.” We opened lines to talk with listeners about the legacy of Sen. Joe McCarthy, and America’s love affair with bullies. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem discussed the Tuesday explosion in Beirut, and a shift in tone from some GOP governors on coronavirus safety. Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed an ethical quandary at Brigham and Women’s hospital over testing of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, and the dangers of fraudulent COVID-19 cures that are floating around the internet. Jane Oates, president of the nonprofit WorkingNation, defended the $600-a-week unemployment benefits, and addressed critiques of the program from some congressional Republicans. We opened lines to talk with parents about your experiences juggling work from home while caring for the kids. NBC Sports Boston reporter and anchor Trenni Kusnierek discussed layoffs at her own station, and broke down the latest updates on the return of sports.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Rep. Ayanna Pressley discussed the looming spike of evictions across the U.S., and how her HELP Act, introduced in Congress last week, would address the crisis. We opened our lines to talk with listeners about who you think former Vice President Joe Biden ought to pick as his running mate in the 2020 election. Carol Rose from the Mass. ACLU talked about the status of the state’s police reform efforts, and how the ACLU is responding to President Trump's deployment of federal agents in Portland, Oreg. Harriet Cross, the outgoing British Consul General to New England, talked about why she’s leaving Boston for Trinidad, and what mail-in voting looks like in the U.K. Mass. State Sen. Becca Rausch broke down the Commonwealth's vote-by-mail system. CNN’s John King discussed the latest Washington headlines, including news on the standstill over further COVID-19 reflief funding, and the president’s apparent reversal on messaging about mail-in ballots in Florida. We opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on voting by mail.