Boston Public Radio Podcast

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s second Boston restaurant — Gordon Ramsay Burger — is slated to open in late 2022 inside downtown’s Canopy by Hilton. The Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares star’s first Boston restaurant, Ramsay’s Kitchen, opened earlier this year in the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay. “TV stardom translates into big deals and investment money,” food writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Monday. “A big national chain like the Hilton thinks that he'll bring in tourists and customers.” “I would so much rather it'd be somebody local,” Kummer added. “[But] I'm all for fine dining and having access to these dishes wherever they do it and somebody gives local employment.” 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: Rep. Jim McGovern discusses his recent visit to Ukraine and Poland, as well as his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Rep. McGovern, D-Mass., chairs the House Rules Committee and represents the state's 2nd Congressional District. Michael Curry and Jennifer Nassour share their thoughts on the latest in politics, focusing on the potential for student-loan forgiveness. Curry is chair of the NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee, and is president and CEO of the Mass League of Community Health Centers. Nassour is former chair of the Massachusetts Republican party, and co-founder and president of the Pocketbook Project, a nonprofit geared toward getting women elected to public office. Trenni Kusnierek talks about 50 years of Title IX, and the Patriots’ NFL Draft picks. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, and a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Corby Kummer shares his thoughts on the mass avian flu culling of 5.3 million chickens by Rembrandt, an Iowa-based egg factory. He also talks about the ever-expanding world of gummies. 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. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about Harvard’s creation of a fund to redress its ties to slavery. They also discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling that the city of Boston violated the First Amendment rights in refusing to let a local organization fly a Christian flag in front of City Hall. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, and the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast. Anand Giridharadas discusses Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter, and weighs in on the last 20 years of U.S. intervention in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Giridharadas is a journalist, the publisher of the newsletter “The.Ink,” and author of "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade Of Changing The World." We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about their texting behaviors, and the texting rules they follow.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Dr. Katherine Gergen-Barnett discusses the end of the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and current COVID positivity rate in Mass. She also answers listeners’ questions during this month’s edition of “Ask the Doctor.” Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation and residency director in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. We then open up the phone lines, talking with listeners about the potential for sports betting in Mass. Robert Baart and Peter Scott talks about the return of Fenway Studios’ two-day open studios event. They also share their thoughts on whether there’s enough support for emerging artists in Boston. Baart and Scott are artists with Fenways Studios. Their co-op is hosting their annual Open Studio event this weekend, indoors tomorrow, and both indoors and outdoors on Sunday, on Ipswich Street in Fenway. Paul Reville discusses the investigation into Jamaica Plain’s Mission Hill K-8 School, and shares his thoughts on the textbooks recently rejected by the Florida Department of Education. Reville is the former Secretary of Education and a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he also runs the Education Redesign Lab. His latest book, co-authored with Lynne Sacks, is  “Collaborative Action for Equity and Opportunity: A Practical Guide for School and Community Leaders.” Sue O’Connell talks about the Oklahoma legislature’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. She also weighs in on M.I.T.’s Banana Lounge. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. Harry Christophers discusses his upcoming departure from the Handel and Haydn Society after 13 years of leadership, and shares how the Handel and Haydn Society adapted during the pandemic. Christophers is the artistic director of the Handel and Haydn Society. We end the show by asking listeners about the future of romance in the metaverse.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Mayor Michelle Wu discusses an investigation into sexual abuse and bullying at the Mission Hill K-8 School in Jamaica Plain. She also answers listeners’ questions during “Ask the Mayor.” Jonathan Gruber explains the economics behind Disney’s special tax status, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is targeting after the company lambasted the state’s recent “Don’t Say Gay” law. Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT. He was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is "Jump-Starting America How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream." Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, focusing on President Biden’s request for $33 billion in aid to Ukraine. Todd is the moderator of “Meet The Press” on NBC, host of “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News. Andrea Cabral discusses former Boston Police Union President Patrick Rose pleading guilty to child rape and abuse charges. She also talks about efforts in Rhode Island to decriminalize prostitution. Cabral is the former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety. She’s now the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Andy Ihnatko shares his thoughts on Elon Musk’s potential deal to buy Twitter, and Apple’s new right-to-repair program. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about their fear – or love – of bugs, following news of hammerhead worms and jumping worms’ arrival in New England.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Art Caplan discusses Former President Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx and her new book, “Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration.” Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on news that nearly 60 percent of Americans have had COVID-19. Shirley Leung talks about Harvard’s announcement that the University will spend $100 million to research and redress its past ties to slavery, and towns citing “community character” in efforts to prevent affordable housing. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Juliette Kayyem weighs in on the latest from the Jan. 6 Committee, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s testimony and the leaked audio of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Kayyem is former assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and the faculty chair of the homeland-security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Sameer Sabir and Nada Siddiqui tell the story of their daughter Rehma, who died shortly after her first birthday, and their advocacy for legislation that would require more oversight for medical examiners in cases with children under 2-years-old. Sabir and Siddiqui are a Boston-area based couple advocating for medical examiner oversight. Richard Blanco reads self-reflective poems in honor of National Poetry Month, including “Poetry” by Marianne Moore and “The End of Poetry” by Ada Limón. Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history. His latest book, “How to Love a Country,” deals with various socio-political issues that shadow the United States. We end the show by telling bad neighbor stories, after a family won $5 million in a lawsuit against a country club following a barrage of golf balls.

Travis Kalanick — the co-founder and ex-CEO of Uber who stepped down from the rideshare company — is bringing his new “ghost kitchen” company to Boston. CloudKitchen, which buys old warehouse buildings to split into commercial kitchen spaces that restaurants can rent out to produce food for third-party delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub, is headed to Roxbury’s Shirley Street. The Roxbury warehouse will have more than two dozen kitchen spaces available for rent by both local restaurants and national chains. And though the company assures restaurateurs that profits will soar, critics aren’t so keen. “There's huge amount of turnover in these places. The companies don't help [small businesses] out financially, and leave them hanging when they don't get sufficient orders,” food writer Corby Kummer said. “They're very bad deals for restaurants.” Tech companies like CloudKitchen, Kummer notes, are “almost certainly going to want to own everything,” such as menus and access to recipes. “The fact is, the tech company owns everything and all the intellectual property,” Kummer said. “You leave with nothing if it's not working out for you.” Kummer is the 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: We begin the show by asking listeners their thoughts on the news of Elon Musk buying Twitter. Trenni Kusnierek talks about the Celtics playoffs run and mental health struggles among youth athletes. Kusnierek is a reporter and anchor for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a weekly Boston Public Radio contributor. Elle Simone Scott shares tips on how to make the perfect food board for hosting. Scott is Executive Editor and Inclusion Leader at America's Test Kitchen. She is also founder of the mentoring organization SheChef. Her recently released book is “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings.” Corby Kummer discusses oversight issues with the Food and Drug Administration, Boston chef Tiffani Faison winning “Tournament of Champions” and MIT students creating an “Oreometer.” Kummer is the 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. Jared Bowen previews the latest in local arts, including Huntington Theatre Company’s Elliot Norton Award Nomination for its production of Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and “Too Fat for China,” a show about motherhood and adoption playing at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. John King updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including recent news from the Jan. 6 Committee and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by asking listeners how they eat their Oreos.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne and Miles Rapoport talk about the low voter turnout in recent elections, arguing for mandatory voting as a part of Americans’ civic duty. Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Rapoport is a senior fellow at the Ash Center of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a former Connecticut secretary of state. Their new book is “100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting.” We then open the phone lines, talking with listeners about schmoozers in the workplace. Charlie Sennott discusses his experiences reporting from the Poland-Ukraine border in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sennott is a news analyst for GBH, where he also heads up the GroundTruth Project.  Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III share their thoughts on the Supreme Court case involving a former high school football coach who lost his job after praying with players on the field. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail. Price is founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Together they host the “All Rev’d Up” podcast. Attorney General Maura Healey discusses ex-Boston Police Union President Patrick Rose’s guilty plea to child rape charges, and answers listeners’ questions during this month’s edition of “Ask the AG.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their experiences with recycling, and seeing if they can guess whether an item is recyclable or not. David Cash weighs in on the Biden Administration’s approach to climate, including on electric vehicles, limiting emissions and more. Cash is the EPA's Regional Administrator for Region 1, leading the implementation of the Biden-Harris environmental agenda in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and in 10 Tribal Nations. Callie Crossley discusses Syracuse police detaining an 8-year-old Black boy for stealing a bag of chips, and Former President Donald Trump’s campaign being ordered to pay around $1.3 million in legal fees to Omarosa Manigault Newman, former White House aide, following Trump’s legal complaint surrounding criticism of him in her book. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Shirley Leung talks about the current biotech bubble, Arthur Jemison, Mayor Michelle Wu’s new pick for chief of planning, and flight attendant crashpads in the city. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. David Abel explains his piece about special mice on Nantucket curbing the tick population, attitudes around the urgency of climate change and state climate action. David Abel is a climate reporter for the Boston Globe. Sue O’Connell discusses Ludlow parents suing a school over its affirmation of their trans child, and the right wing Twitter account Libs of TikTok, feeding anti-LGBTQ hate. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC LX and NECN. Sue O'Connell on BPR | April 22, 2022 We end the show by discussing a lottery winner in Methuen who decided to split the winnings with a shop owner who had done him a good deed.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they think American kids are too coddled, in light of the new Netflix show “Old Enough!” in which Japanese toddlers run errands independently. Susan Yanow discusses the state of abortion rights in the U.S., stories of women arrested for at-home abortions and how people across the country can find abortion resources. Yanow a co-founder of the international nonprofit Women Help Women, which supports women across the world in accessing abortion medication. She’s the spokesperson for their U.S. based program SASS, or Self-Managed Abortion, Safe and Suppored. Andrea Cabral talks about the problems with no-knock police raids, and former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II soon heading to prison after multiple delays. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Andy Ihnatko updates listeners on the world of tech, including AI technology that can generate original images based on user descriptions, and a Russian soldier who stole AirPods, allowing the former Ukrainian owner to track his location. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Karla Hoyos and Henry Patterson share their experiences cooking for refugees at the Polish-Ukrainian border with World Central Kitchen. Hoyos is a Miami-based chef who ran the World Central Kitchen in Poland, as well as in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Patterson is the founder of Bel Canto, the consulting group ReThink Restaurants and Somerville restaurant incubator CWC, Inc. Jon Gruber made a case for why the U.S. needs to ramp up pandemic funding for both COVID-19 and future outbreaks. Gruber was instrumental in creating both the Massachusetts healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act, and his latest book is “Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth And The American Dream.” We end the show by asking listeners their opinions on tipping.