Boston Public Radio

Thanks to Shelter Music Boston, live classical music isn’t just being performed in Massachusetts’ grand halls.

Steve Abrams is working to ensure Black veterans are treated equally when it comes to health care and benefits.

Funding that rolls out this fall expands on the Biden Administration's Justice40 initiative.

The Massachusetts state auditor wrote a song about being silenced in politics.

LGBT Asylum Task Force in Worcester provides housing, emotional assistance, and a path to independence for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.

How would this traffic control measure ever work in Boston?

We started the show to get the listener's thoughts on “do nothing days.” Are they happier for setting aside time for nothing, or are they dedicated to their to-do list? Michael Curry discussed the 300,000 people likely to be dropped from MassHealth this year, and Black employees, vendors, and convention guests alleging discrimination by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. Corby Kummer examined the allegations of ‘cookie espionage’ at a shop in Central Square, the future of SNAP food assistance and the restaurant kitchen fee trend. Evan Horowitz from the Center for State Policy Analysis, delved into Gov. Healey’s budget and tax package. Christopher Muther discussed a new low-cost airline running from Boston to London this fall and how Montreal has embraced winter into its city culture. The Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III discussed President Biden’s visit to Selma to mark the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. How much would you throw down to snag an exclusive adults-only plane ride? What can airlines do to make travel more kid-friendly? Listeners weighed-in on traveling with kids.

Outdoor dining in Boston remains a contentious issue this year, as Mayor Michelle Wu released plans that curtail what restaurants in the North End are allowed to offer. “This is bedeviling a lot of cities,” said Corby Kummer on Boston Public Radio on Monday, citing ongoing debates in New York City about traffic and trash concerns. Last year, North End businesses were required to pay an extra fee for al fresco dining. This year’s plan limits North End businesses to outdoor space only on sidewalks, and only those of “adequate” width, according to the Boston Globe. The Globe’s Editorial Board also published a piece calling for the city to make the North End a pedestrian zone for the summer to allow North End restaurants to offer more outdoor dining on par with the rest of the city. “I think the access should be equalized for all parts,” said Kummer. "The Globe is saying one-way traffic is one thing in the summer, shut it down, make it a pedestrian zone. That’s a great idea in principle, but you try re-routing traffic when the tunnels are going to be closed for construction.” Corby Kummer is 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 Science and Policy

Today on Boston Public Radio, live from the Boston Public Library: South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was found for guilty of the murder of his wife and son. We opened the phone lines to hear from listeners about their thoughts on the verdict. Shirley Leung discusses Healey’s tax proposal, Wu’s plan to revitalize downtown Boston, and the new leadership at MassBio and John Hancock. Callie Crossley discusses Melvin B. Miller passing the torch over at the Bay State Banner, Brian Flores’ discrimination case against the NFL, diverse casting in Disney’s Peter Pan remake, and her excitement for the return of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake and her love for Breakfast all day. James Bennett II talks Cocaine Bear, Academy Award categories that deserve more recognition, A.R.T’s “The Wife of Willesden,” a women in cartography exhibit on the BPL, and the Celebrity Series of Boston Jazz Festival. Vincent Pastore who played “Big Pussy” on the Sopranos joins to reflect on the show before his Sopranos Q&A with a few other cast members at the Boch Shubert Theater. St. Patrick’s Celtic Sojourn peformed live for Live Music Friday this week. This included Brian and Lindsay O’Donovan, guitarist Keith Murphy and fiddle player Katie McNally. We ended the show by asking listeners if they would consider living on Life at Sea Cruises for just $30,000 a year with all expenses included. That's around the average price of living in a studio apartment in Boston but the difference is you'd be sailing all around the world.

Today on Boston Public Radio, live from the Boston Public Library: We opened the phone lines to hear from listeners about the future of automation and what it means for their careers and livelihoods. Nancy Gertner gave us the rundown on the latest legal headlines, including the Supreme Court’s opinion on student loans, and a case on whether the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is constitutional. Judge Gertner also reflected on a recent Texas judge’s ruling on abortion pills. Gov. Maura Healey joined live from the Boston Public Library for “Ask the Governor.” She answered questions on her new tax plan & budget, housing, Massachusetts State Police reform, transparency, the new Black Empowerment Council, plus climate & MBTA dysfunction. Alison King & Shira Stoll from NBC News talked about their series “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire.” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden recently dined at The Red Hen in DC and ordered the same meal. Is this weird to order the exact same meal at a restaurant as your dining partner? We had listeners weigh in.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Reuters recently documented 220 instances of death threats and harassment against school board members. We opened the lines to hear thoughts from teachers, students, and everyone in between. Juliette Kayyem discuss her latest column on how Musk destroyed “disaster response Twitter” and clears up the facts surrounding the COVID lab leak theory. She also touched on Murdoch's acknowledgement on Fox News hosts endorsing election fraud lies. Kayyem was former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and is faculty chair of the homeland-security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. For the remainder of the show, we were on tape replaying some of our favorite recent conversations with Satirist Andy Borowitz; Drag queen Nina West – also known as Andrew Levitt; Elle Simone Scott from America’s Test Kitchen and Ray Angry, keyboardist for the legendary Roots.