Boston Public Radio Podcast

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners their experiences with student loans, after the Biden Administration announced plans to extend the pause on federal repayments through August. Jon Gruber reflects on his experiences working on the Affordable Care act 12 years ago, and what he thinks should be done to improve health coverage in the U.S. 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.” Andrea Cabral responds to the news of no criminal charges for the police officers who killed Amir Locke, and a Chicopee school superintendent arrested on charges of lying about alleged threats sent via anonymous text messages. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety, and former CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest political headlines, including his opinion on student loan forgiveness and Senate votes for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. 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. Governor Charlie Baker and Juliette Kayyem discuss Kayyem’s latest book, “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters,” and how to best prepare for disasters. Baker is Governor of Massachusetts. Kayyem was formerly an assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, now the faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Then, Baker answers questions from listeners, including on the state of COVID vaccinations, how Massachusetts is supporting Ukraine and other refugees and the fate of sports betting legislation.

People are worried about the future of Route 1 landmark Kowloon after co-owner Bobby Wong announced the pan-Asian restaurant will be downsizing its 1,200-seat space to 350 seats in order to add two residential buildings to the lot. “If you miss [Kowloon], go now — [but] that's not going to save it,” food writer Corby Kummer told Boston Public Radio on Tuesday. “The Wong family … has been eyeing real estate development for years.” “After the first phase of housing development, the Wong family seems to have gotten approved after years,” he continued. “This is not a quick process. They've gone through many, many housing review boards, then they might raze the whole thing. Who knows if they'll have a nostalgic building in its place?” Read more of the story here.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they’re moving on with normal life, or continuing to take COVID precautions. Thais Rocha talks about her effort to start a lesbian and nonbinary bar in Boston, why she thinks queer spaces have been on the decline in recent years and her work to create LGBTQ community. Thais Rocha is co-founder of LGBTQ Nightlife Events Then, we talk with listeners about their favorite LGBTQ spaces. Daniel Pavlotsky discusses his work with Boston Aide for Ukraine, which sends supplies to support Ukrainian soldiers fighting the Russian invasion. Pavlotsky is co-founder of Boston Aide for Ukraine. Marcela Garcia explains the U.S. government’s use of Title 42, an act that turned away asylum seekers without due process claiming public health concerns, and what its upcoming expiration this spring means for immigrants. Marcela García is an associate editor and columnist for the Globe’s op-ed page. Eric Deggans weighs in on the latest in television, including the launch of CNN’s streaming service CNN+ and the return of “Atlanta.” Eric Deggans is NPR’s TV critic and author of the book “Race-Baiter, How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.” Christopher Muther shares travel tips, including JetBlue’s new direct flights from Boston to London, Spirit and Frontier airlines merging and a small Cape Cod hotel turning into a large resort. Muther is a travel writer for the Boston Globe. We end the show by talking with listeners about the competitive housing market for buyers.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners what their “third place” – a place to go besides home and work – was throughout the pandemic. Trenni Kusnierek talks about Tiger Woods’ return to the Masters Tournament, and this year’s March Madness winners. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston. She's also a BPR contributor. Lee Pelton discusses guaranteed basic income programs, the possibility of reparations in Boston and the Boston Foundation’s new strategic vision. Pelton is the president and CEO of The Boston Foundation. Corby Kummer weighs in on Route 1 icon Kowloon downsizing, debates over outdoor dining in the North End and the role of lard in cooking. 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. Carol Rose shares her thoughts on Attorney General Merrick Garland’s approach to the Jan. 6 committee and the statehouse’s report on the use of facial recognition. Rose is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. John King updates us on the latest political headlines, including recent news from Ukraine and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s announcement that she will be running for Congress. 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 talking with listeners about the changing appearance of Route 1.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on office friendships as people return to work after so much time working remotely. Tetiana Litus and Vsevolod Petriv share their efforts to support their home country of Ukraine from abroad, and why they think the U.S. should do more to support refugees. Petriv is president of the Boston branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. Litus is a 24-year-old Ukrainian who just moved to the U.S. a few months ago. Callie Crossley discusses President Joe Biden finally signing an anti-lynching bill into law after nearly 100 years of attempts, and Steph and Ayesha Curry’s latest venture into 150 little libraries in under-resourced parts of Oakland, California. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Andy Ihnatko explains developments at the EU to reign in big tech companies, and Facebook’s partnership with GOP consultants to generate bad press for TikTok. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Emma Choi talks about how her dorm room NPR show, “Everyone and their Mom,” came to be, and the struggles of women comedians in the changing comedy environment. Choi is the host of the NPR podcast “Everyone & Their Mom.” Sue O’Connell weighs in on Amazon's union busting and the first successful Amazon union vote, Caitlyn Jenner becoming a Fox News contributor and Bruce Willis stepping away from acting due to his recent diagnosis of aphasia. O’Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News, and contributor to Current, on NBC L-X and NECN. We end the show by talking with listeners about their favorite April Fools Day pranks.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden joined us to discuss the investigation into the deadly parking garage collapse downtown, and his new Firearm Rapid Indictment program focused on illegal gun seizures. He also shined light on his approach to cases by exiting former Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, and pushback from his DA opponent Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo that he doesn’t support Rollins’s policies, such as not prosecuting lower level offenses.  We asked listeners whether they agreed with a WalletHub study that found that Massachusetts ranked as the 43rd most stressed state in the country. Paul Reville discussed MIT being an outlier by bringing back the ACT and SAT standardized tests and the correlation between race, wealth, and testing performance.  Reville is the former Massachusetts Secretary of Education and a professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, where he also heads 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.” We continued our conversation on WalletHub’s ranking of Massachusetts as one of the least stressed states. Juliette Kayyem discussed  President Joe Biden’s speech  regarding Vladmir Putin’s ability to stay in power in Russia,as well as former President Donald Trump’s claim that Putin has damaging information on Hunter Biden. She also commented on how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should have handled the slapping incident between Chris Rock and Will Smith. Kayyem was formerly an assistant secretary for homeland security under President Barack Obama, and is now the faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her new book is “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.”   We ended the show by talking with listeners about their drinking habits, following a JAMA Network study that claims moderate drinking is bad for your heart.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We began the show by opening the phone lines, asking listeners whether the public has lost its focus on the mounting evidence of former President Donald Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks. Trenni Kusnierek talked about the Boston Pride’s second-straight Isobel Cup win, and the U.S. Embassy finding WNBA player Brittney Griner in “good condition” as she is detained in Russia. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston. She's also a BPR contributor. Then, we talked with listeners about returning to civil discourse in an age of vitriol. Lylah Alphonse shared the latest news from Rhode Island, from the backlash against the finalists for the state’s new license plates to the Providence College men’s basketball team’s winning streak. Alphonse is the Rhode Island editor for the Boston Globe, where she leads a team covering and exploring the Ocean State. Jared Bowen talked about “Freestyle Love Supreme,” an improv rap and hip-hop show at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, and the musical “Once on This Island” at the Speakeasy Stage. Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of "Open Studio." John King updated us on the latest political headlines, focusing on President Joe Biden’s response to 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.

On Monday’s “Boston Public Radio,” food writer Corby Kummer made a boldest assertion when he declared the city’s outdoor dining as “better than Paris.” Kummer, a senior editor for The Atlantic, admitted the take was likely to spark controversy. His reasoning? That “people in Boston are nicer, and they make the entire experience pleasanter.” “It’s just better to be in Boston in general” he added. The subject was broached during a back-and-forth on the question of $7,500 outdoor dining fees for restaurant owners in Boston’s North End. Kummer said he understood the reasoning for the fees, but wasn’t sure North End restaurant owners alone ought to foot the bill. “The city of Boston should say ‘[here are] exactly the problems we ran into. Here are possible solutions. Here’s what the money can go towards to remedy all of this, and have you got better ideas’ – rather than just coming out with what looks like a penalty if you happen to be in the North End.” 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 began the show by asking listeners for their thoughts on whether Justice Clarence Thomas should face consequences due to his wife Ginni Thomas’ alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Art Caplan talked about the “slap heard around the world” and Will Smith’s reaction to Chris Rock’s dig at his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, at the Academy Awards as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership, and Ukraine's humanitarian crisis as the country runs out of medical supplies. Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine. Ken Burns explained why he chose Benjamin Franklin as the focus of his latest documentary, diving into Franklin’s early life, as well as his impact as a scientist and an inventor. Burns is an award-winning documentarian. Corby Kummer discussed the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine – known as Europe’s bread basket – could have on global food supplies. He also updated us on the latest news from the North End as restaurateurs fight city fees for outdoor dining. 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. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III shared their thoughts on the morality behind Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, and whether the future of Christianity will rely upon African women. 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. We ended the show by talking with listeners about Will Smith’s Academy Awards slap “heard around the world,” and what they would do in a situation in which someone they care about gets slighted publicly.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they’re excited – or furious – over the return to the office. Shirley Leung talks about the life and legacy of former Fidelity Investments CEO Edward “Ned” Johnson III, and the North End restaurateurs fighting against $7,500 participation fees for outdoor dining. Leung is a business columnist for the Boston Globe. Callie Crossley discusses Ginni Thomas’ texts connecting her to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, and shares her thoughts on the Senate’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Crossley hosts GBH’s Under the Radar and Basic Black. Tiffani Faison and Irene Li join us to talk about the James Beard Awards, and how their businesses have fared over the course of the pandemic. Faison is an award-winning chef and the woman behind Sweet Cheeks, Orfano, Fool’s Errand, and the recently-opened Tenderoni’s, Dive Bar, and Bubble Bath at High Street Place. She’s also a judge on Food Network’s “Chopped,” and a competitor on “Tournament of Champions.” Li is the woman behind Mei Mei Dumplings, and just won the James Beard Award for Leadership. Jennifer Nawada and Mark McCullough answer listeners’ questions and calls on all things related to landscaping and masonry. Nawada and McCollough are the landscaping and masonry experts, respectively, for PBS’ longstanding home repair show “This Old House” and its spinoff, “Ask this Old House.” Jennifer also owns Nawada Landscape Design, and Mark owns MJM Masonry, both based out of Boston.