Today on Boston Public Radio:

Chuck Todd updates us on the latest political headlines, from President Joe Biden’s handling of U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan to California’s recall election. 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.

Then, we open the phone lines, talking with listeners about COVID-19 booster shots.

Andrea Cabral discusses the death of Stephanie Gerardi, who was shot and killed by a Saugus Police officer responding to a mental health call. She also talks about the verbal altercation between Larry David and Alan Dershowitz in Martha’s Vineyard. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and Massachusetts secretary of public safety. She’s currently the CEO of the cannabis company Ascend.

Nancy Schön shares the process behind her latest sculpture, which is based on Edward Lear’s poem, “The Owl and the Pussy Cat.” Schön’s latest public art installation is titled “Diversity — The Owl and the Pussy Cat.” It’s at the Nonquit Street Green at Upham’s Corner in Dorchester. Her latest book is “Ducks on Parade!”

Paul Reville explains how schools are preparing for the upcoming school year amid the rise of the Delta variant, arguing that schools should have multiple contingency plans in place. 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 Elaine Weiss, is: "Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools And Communities Help Students Overcome The Disadvantages Of Poverty.”

Rep. Richard Neal discusses President Biden’s response to the Taliban toppling the Afghan government, and the fate of the infrastructure bill as it heads to the House of Representatives. Rep. Neal is Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. He represents Massachusetts’ 1st Congressional District.

We end the show by asking listeners how they felt about Disney’s Genie+, which allows Disney park visitors to pay for the ability to skip lines.