Today on Boston Public Radio:

Chuck Todd updates listeners on the latest from Washington D.C., including Republicans’ outlook on COVID-19 and the state of voting rights legislation. Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press,” host of “Meet the Press Daily” on MSNBC and the political director for NBC News.

Andrea Cabral discusses an upcoming movie about the Boston strangler, and the state of democracy in the U.S. 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. Paul Reville critiques a South Dakota “dash for cash” event that had teachers on their hands and knees grabbing money for their classrooms. He also talks about parents serving as substitute teachers amid a teacher shortage and the future of learning pods. Reville is the former Massachusetts secretary of education and a professor at Harvard University’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.”

Shirley Leung shares insights from her interview with Mayor Michelle Wu, and discusses the Globe’s picks for Bostonians of the year. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a Boston Public Radio contributor.

Catherine Peterson weighs in on vaccine requirements at venues in the city, and what she thinks of the amount of American Rescue Plan Act funds directed towards the arts sector. She also talks about a new mentorship program for BIPOC arts leaders. Catherine Peterson is the Executive Director of ArtsBoston.

Jon Gruber explains the state of inflation in the U.S., why it’s happening and possible solutions. Gruber 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.”

Christopher Kimball previews his latest cookbook “Vegetables,” sharing his favorite ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate. Chris Kimball co-founded America’s Test Kitchen, and now runs Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street in Boston. His latest cookbook is “Vegetables.”

Then, we replay our conversation with listeners about whether they would be open to becoming chattier on the T following Wu’s invitation for riders to talk with her.