Boston Public Radio Podcast

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Wednesday to share his thoughts on the movement within the restaurant industry to raise wages and foster better working environments in order to recruit workers. “There's a worker shortage. But more than that, there's a wage shortage,” Kummer said. “If you offer people more money, they will apply for jobs.” That’s no easy feat for restaurant owners, Kummer noted. “Pay people more, give them paid time off, try to give them health insurance, all the stuff that's very expensive,” Kummer said. “Very expensive means you have to have a better business plan. That sounds easy, but it actually has been a huge challenge for restaurant owners before and after the pandemic.” 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: First, we talk with listeners about “missing white woman syndrome” following the death of Gabby Petito, and how the media fixates on the disappearances of white women while ignoring people of color. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius weighs in on dropping MCAS scores, proposals to expand athletics in public high schools and the status of school funding. Cassellius is the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Juliette Kayyem discusses the low turnout at the Justice for Jan. 6 rally, assesses the current influence of Donald Trump and critiques the Biden Administration’s response to Haitian migrants at the border. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Corby Kummer talks about how we should reframe the worker shortage in restaurants as a wage shortage. 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. Art Caplan weighs in on what should happen to doctors spreading vaccine misinformation, and how healthcare workers are experiencing “compassion fatigue” when treating unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. 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. Sy Montgomery updates listeners on latest news from the animal kingdom, including sexual harassment by male octopuses and animal rescue efforts. Montgomery is a journalist, naturalist and a BPR contributor. Then, we talk with listeners about the economic barriers to staying healthy.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michelle Singletary talks about the effect of COVID-19 on Social Security Retirement funds, and her recent column on the financial impact of vaccine refusal on unvaccinated individuals. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column "The Color of Money" provides insight into the world of personal finance. Then, we take calls from listeners about their thoughts on sharing desks as workplace protocols change throughout the pandemic. Michael Curry discusses latest efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy, and the importance of considering racial and socioeconomic equity when thinking about vaccine mandates. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He’s also a Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee. Trenni Kusnierek gives an update on all things sports, including the Boston Bruins’ fully vaccinated status and the Red Sox’ lack thereof. She also discusses the Anti-Doping Agency’s announcement that they will reconsider marijuana as a banned substance, following runner Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension amid the summer Olympics. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Attorney General Maura Healey answers questions from listeners in this month’s Ask the AG, including about lack of access to Real ID licenses for immigrants and combatting overdose deaths in Black and Brown communities. Maura Healey is the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether they prefer to return to the office or work from home at this point in the pandemic. Charlie Sennott gives an update on top international news. He critiques the U.S. government’s response to Haitian migrants at the border and the U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett takes questions from callers about all things vaccines. She discusses the ethics and uses of booster shots and the status of vaccine trials for children. Gergen Barnett teaches in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III critique some Christian leaders’ hypocrisy in discouraging COVID-19 vaccines. They also talk about what it means for Boston that none of the three Black mayoral candidates made it through the preliminary election. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at the Boston University School of Theology. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Christopher Muther share memories from his recent trip to Quebec’s Eastern Townships, and discuss the decision by the European Union to remove the U.S. from its safe travel list. Muther is a travel writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. We end the show by asking listeners about their thoughts on the ethics of booster shots in the United States.

Award-winning food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Friday, explaining the controversy surrounding President Joe Biden’s pick of almond-industry lobbyist Elaine Trevino for chief agricultural negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Trevino is the president of the Almond Alliance of California. “Why do we care and why are we angry about this in particular?” Kummer said. “Because there’s no effective limits on how irrigation controls and who shares water and who parcels out how much water various agriculture industries within California are able to use.” Kummer noted that up to 70% of California almond production is exported to Europe and China, and that the industry depends on these exports to maintain price supports. “This is kind of a sign that the Biden administration wants to help out industries that rely enormously on foreign purchases to keep up their price supports, how they manage U.S. trade pacts with different countries, so that the enormous amount of exports, in this case to almonds, can go,” Kummer explained. “But until there’s effective and concurrent regulation of methane for the [National] Cattlemen’s Beef Association, allotted resources for the almond industry, it’s not going to sit well with any kind of environmental activist.” Other topics discussed in this wide-ranging interview include the legal groups looking into the companies fraudulently using “natural” and “sustainable” labels, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research on food insecurity levels during the pandemic. 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 for their wildest rat stories, after a report showed that Boston’s rat population is on the rise. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the Senate testimonies of four elite gymnasts, who said they blamed the FBI for failing to protect them against former USA team doctor and convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. She also talks about the pay gap in men and women’s soccer. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Rep. Ayanna Pressley talks about what it means for Boston to have two women in its mayoral election, following the historic win of Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George in the preliminary election. She also makes an urgent call for supporting Haitian refugees in Texas. Pressley is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts 7th District. Corby Kummer critiques how buzzwords like “healthy,” “all natural” and “sustainable” have no clear definitions in the food industry, and the ties between the “Big Almond” industry and the U.S. government with President Joe Biden’s chief agricultural negotiator appointment at the United States Trade Representative’s office. 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. Shirley Leung updates listeners on all-things business, including how Republican New Balance Chairman Jim Davis’ $495,000 contribution to a pro-Essaibi George SuperPAC paid off in the mayoral preliminary election. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Andy Ihnatko discusses the latest Wall Street Journal report that revealed Facebook’s internal probe of Instagram’s detrimental effects on teenage girl’s mental health and self-image. He also weighs in on Epic Games, the company that makes Fortnite, and its lawsuit against Apple. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Ryan Landry ends the show by sharing memories from his all-expenses paid trip through Italy as a canned tomato influencer. Ryan Landry is a playwright, lyricist, actor and founder of the Gold Dust Orphans theatrical company. His new album is “The Vamps.”

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by opening phone lines, asking listeners whether our nation is becoming less civic-minded following low voter turnout in Boston’s mayoral preliminary election. Andrea Cabral shares her thoughts on low voter turnout in Boston’s mayoral preliminary election, and explains where the mayoral candidates stand on police reform. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend. Gov. Charlie Baker discusses the possibility of a statewide vaccination ID program, and support for refugee resettlement in Massachusetts after the Biden administration designated 900 Afghan evacuees to arrive in the state. Rick Steves shares his experience hiking for 10 days through France, and what it was like to travel abroad for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves' Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, "Rick Steves’ Europe," weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Jenifer McKim discusses the case of Tyrone Clark, whose decades-long rape conviction is being scrutinized by District Attorney Rachael Rollins after the victim claimed she may have misidentified her attacker. McKim is an investigative reporter with the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. Jared Bowen updates us on the latest local arts and cultural events, from the Huntington Theatre’s showing of “Hurricane Diane” to comedian Jaqueline Novak and the Emerson Colonial Theatre’s “Get On Your Knees.” Bowen is GBH’s executive arts editor and the host of Open Studio. We wrap up the show by talking with listeners about how pandemic anxiety has changed their relationships to sleep.

Today on Boston Public Radio: First, we talk with listeners about their reactions to yesterday’s mayoral primary, which saw Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George take the lead for the runoff. Joseph Allen critiques what he sees as a failure to define the country’s goals for COVID-19 reduction as a major obstacle facing the country. He also discusses how to prevent the spread of the virus indoors in buildings with poor filtration. Allen is the director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Juliette Kayyem talks about George W. Bush’s comparison between extremists in the United States and the 9/11 terrorists, and worries about an upcoming far-right rally protesting the prosecution of people charged after the Jan. 6 riot. Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Jim Aloisi and Stacy Thompson update listeners on all things transportation. They weigh in on mayoral primary winners Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George’s platforms on transportation, and what role the mayor’s office should have in governing the city’s transport. Aloisi is the former Massachusetts transportation secretary, a member of the Transit Matters board and a contributor to Commonwealth Magazine. Thompson is executive director of Livable Streets. Bina Venkataraman talks about her reactions to the mayoral primary and why The Boston Globe endorsed Andrea Campbell for mayor. She also discusses the possibilities presented by safe injection sites and other ideas for improving the city. Venkataraman is the editorial page editor at The Boston Globe. Her latest book is “The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age.” Art Caplan weighs in on efforts to game the system to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, and urges people to start getting their annual flu shot now. He also discusses the ethics of talks of attempts to bring back the now-extinct woolly mammoth. 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. We end the show by asking listeners their thoughts on a $370,000 parking spot listed in Boston’s South End.

On today’s Boston Public Radio, we bring listeners a day full of mayoral coverage: Adam Reilly kicks off election day by weighing in on why voter turnout tends to be low and which candidates he thinks has an advantage. He also talks about how sometimes having too many good candidates can depress voter turnout. Reilly is co-host of GBH’s Politics podcast, “The Scrum.” Then, we hear from all the major candidates in the mayoral primary.  Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George discusses her years as an educator and small business owner as qualifications for the city’s top job. City Councilor Essaibi George is running for mayor of Boston. Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell highlights her focus on affordable housing, public school policies and the opioid crisis as key parts of her background in running for mayor. Campbell is a Boston City Council member representing District 4, including parts of Dorchester, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain and Roslindale. She is running for mayor of Boston. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu points to her stake in the city, with her children in public schools and mother receiving mental health care, as well as her years of experience in City Hall, as her strengths as potential mayor. Wu is a Boston City Councilor At-Large running for mayor of Boston. John Barros talks about his passion for environmental justice and neighborhood improvement work in Boston as reasons why voters should elect him. Barros most recently served as Boston’s chief of economic development in the Walsh administration, and is running for mayor of Boston. Acting Mayor Kim Janey emphasizes her experience growing up in Boston, her non-profit work with children and families and service as acting mayor as qualifications for the job. Janey is the Acting Mayor of Boston, and is running for mayor of Boston. Throughout the show, we also take listener calls about who they’re voting for and why. John King ends the show by putting the Boston mayoral race in a national context. He talks about voter turnout patterns across the country, California’s recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom and worries about Republican claims of rigged elections following the 2020 presidential election. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne discusses the voting rights measure and infrastructure spending package as the Senate returns from their August recess this week. He also weighs in on whether or not Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer should retire. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.” Then, we talk with listeners about their opinions on masking indoors as the Delta variant continues to spread. Yawu Miller gives listeners a primer on tomorrow’s Boston Mayoral primary, a historic race for its racial diversity and female-majority among major candidates. He also discusses current polling data and voter patterns along demographic lines. Miller is a Senior Editor of The Bay State Banner. Bruce Marks talks about what the Supreme Court’s end to the eviction moratorium means for Massachusetts, and what his organization, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) is doing to help. Marks is the CEO and founder of NACA, the nation’s largest Housing and Urban Development-certified nonprofit. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III speak out against the Islamophobia in the United States that has persisted following 9/11. In the days before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, they also argue about what forgiveness means. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail, and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at the Boston University School of Theology. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston. Together, they host GBH’s All Rev’d Up podcast. Richard Blanco gives a poet’s take on poetry, reading famous quotes and weighing in on the purpose and impact of the art form. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His new book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America.  In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, we end the show by asking listeners what atonement and forgiveness should look like in a deeply divided country.