Today on Boston Public Radio:

Chuck Todd talks all things politics, including Democratic efforts to avoid a government shutdown, and what it would mean for the country if the United States defaults on its debt. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News.

Then, we asked listeners how they were coping with the turbulent start of the school year amid the pandemic.

Andrea Cabral discusses gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson’s decision to relocate from Springfield to Tennessee, and the rise of the Proud Boys during the Trump era. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and the former Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She is currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend.

City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George shares her views on policing and how she would work to solve the addiction crisis at Mass. and Cass. She also responds to a controversy surrounding a conflict of interest between her position on City Council and her husband’s work in real estate development. Essaibi George is Boston City Councilor At Large and a candidate for Boston mayor.

Corby Kummer weighs in on the state of restaurants, including staff struggles to make sure patrons wear masks, and one restaurant owner’s decision to raise wages to keep staff. He also talks about how eating venison can help the planet. 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.

Bill Walczak talks about ideas for boosting voter turnout, following a dismal showing in Boston’s preliminary mayoral election. Walczak is the former president and CEO of Codman Square Health Center. He was a candidate for mayor of Boston in 2013.

Then, we talk with listeners about how they’re managing phone addiction.