Boston Public Radio

So leaders are treating the coronavirus pandemic like a war. Should we react with open warfare or surgical strikes?

To President Trump’s statements downplaying the need for more ventilators, the physician said "I kind of want to scream."

Like restaurants and movie theaters, most artistic venues have closed their doors and canceled performances.

A 3D-printer made hundreds of copies of a ventilator piece in high demand.

Food supply anxiety is creating a demand for personal gardens.

As the novel coronavirus responsible for the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to spread, there is a growing chorus of people calling for the release of prisoners who either no longer pose a threat to society or committed nonviolent offenses and are vulnerable to fatally contracting the disease

Today: LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter, reflects on the 2024 election, and the need to buckle in for the work of the next four years.And, three-time poet laureate Robert Pinsky joins for Live Music Friday, accompanied by Stan Strickland, ahead of a show at Regattabar in Harvard Square.

Today:Legendary environmentalist Bill McKibben joins to discuss how the incoming energy secretary refuses to link the rise in wildfires to climate change … And how those fires are reshaping the home insurance industry.And, Boston University professor Anthony Jack studies higher education leadership. He chronicled the vast disparities among Harvard students during pandemic-related campus closures, and argues elite campuses remain very unequal in his new book: “Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality & Students Pay the Price.”

NBC political director Chuck Todd returns for his Thursday D.C. roundup.Then we ask listeners about a potential TikTok ban. Former secretary of public safety, Andrea Cabral, weighs in on Pam Bondi's AG confirmation hearing, Jack Smith hanging up his hat and other law & order headlines.Environmentalist Bill McKibben returns for his monthly roundup of climate headlines. This week, that's the L.A. wildfires and climate resistance under Trump.Anthony Jack is a professor at Boston University and author of the book “Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality & Students Pay the Price.” He joins us to discuss. Am I the A-hole if I use the ADA stall when I don't have a disability? Callers discuss.

Today:We ask listeners to weigh in on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu not taking maternity leave after becoming just one of very few women to give birth while holding elected office … A source with intimate knowledge of the matter calls in.And, tech guru Andy Ihnatko explains what the end of Tik-Tok would look like, and why thousands of users are flocking to yet another China-owned video sharing app, instead of Mark Zuckerberg’s “Reels.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is not taking a maternity leave, after giving birth to her third child just two days ago. We open the phone lines to hear what listeners think about taking parental leave in a modern, working world. One caller has a lot to say...GBH executive arts editor Jared Bowen discusses the impact of the California fires on Hollywood and the Oscars. Plus, the MFA exhibit "Deep Waters: Four Artists and the Sea."NBC Boston's Sue O'Connell previews Biden's farewell address and discusses why 2025 could be the year of the "Alpha Male." Tech podcaster Andy Ihnatko discusses the imminent TikTok ban and Meta's end of fact checking.Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein talks about recent letters about getting over divorce guilt and dealing with a partner lost to conspiracy theories. Plus, the start of a new season of the Loves Letters podcast. Then we open the phone lines to ask listeners how they maintain relationships (or not) with people across the political divide.