For many Americans, there can be only one Christmas song to rule them all: Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." In addition to 772 million views on that single YouTube video alone, it has hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row and is believed to have raked in nearly $100 million in earnings thus far. But for the rest of us, there is a world of underground, often bizarre holiday music, and Under the Radar 's holiday music correspondent has spent decades d...
Dec 17, 2023•58 min
This year, the newest versions of a favorite American Christmas tradition are, well , untraditional. Advent Calendars now offer much more than chocolates — frozen food and canned wine anyone? Plus, a lesser-known French bubbly our wine expert says is perfect for toasting in the New Year. And chic new restaurants Jiang Nan and Zhi Wei Cafe are making a splash in Boston’s Chinese food scene. It’s Under the Radar 's Food and Wine Roundtable: Holiday Edition. GUESTS Jonathon Alsop , founder and exec...
Dec 10, 2023•23 min
In the 1760s, Massachusetts colonists began pushing back against the ever-tightening grip of British rule. The boiling tension erupted in violent episodes, few more shocking than the Boston Massacre in 1770 when five colonists were killed by British militia. Three years later, protestors publicly rejected the taxes on tea by dumping crates of tea from the British East India Company in the Boston harbor. This event would later become known as the Boston Tea Party. "The Boston Tea Party doesn't ju...
Dec 10, 2023•35 min
In the middle of a New England forest, a yellow house and the land on which it sits holds 200 years of personal and political history. The home and forest tell stories of family, time, memories, ghosts and the wonders of an evolving landscape. This sweeping saga is author Daniel Mason’s latest novel, “North Woods,” a riveting, imagined story of one New England house from the time of American colonies to the present. Through prose and poetry, Mason traces the intertwined seasons of the people lin...
Dec 03, 2023•24 min
It’s the season of giving and a time of year when Americans traditionally make charitable donations. With more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations across the country, there’s plenty of choices for where Americans can donate their dollars. But just last year, total charitable giving dropped by 3.4% , according to the Giving USA Foundation. "Often when people don't give, they say something like, 'how could my $5 possibly help this enormous problem facing the world?'" said Michael Norton, Harv...
Dec 03, 2023•34 min
When the MacArthur Foundation named its class of 2023 “genius grant" fellows last month, the recipients joined an exclusive group of previous fellows who have demonstrated outstanding talent and leadership in their fields. Interdisciplinary scholar and writer Imani Perry is one of this year's MacArthur fellows. “I describe my work in part as haunting the past,” Perry said. “I'm trying to train my attention on those who were disregarded in the past as a way of shaping our ethics for the present a...
Nov 26, 2023•25 min
In 1973, Americans triumphed in a fashion smackdown that earned the country respect and admiration among critics worldwide. On that day 50 years ago, American and French designers went head-to-head in a creative competition dubbed the “ Battle of Versailles ." The fashion show was held at the historic Palace of Versailles, the former residence of King Louis XIV. The Americans won with cutting-edge ready-to-wear and stunning Black models . A half-century later, the legacy of the once-obscure even...
Nov 26, 2023•33 min
The MacArthur Foundation named its class of 2023 “genius grant" fellows last month. The recipients join an exclusive group of fellows who have demonstrated outstanding talent in their fields. Environmental ecologist Lucy Hutyra is one of this year's fellows. “I didn't realize I was breaking all those barriers at the time that I was breaking them,” Hutyra said. “The imposter syndrome can take over very easily, especially when you come from such a different background, and I think that the key is ...
Nov 19, 2023•24 min
This week on Under the Radar 's Regional News Roundtable: Gabe Amo was sworn into Congress this week , becoming the first Black person, or person of color, elected to represent Rhode Island in the U.S. Congress. Plus, controversy over a New Hampshire Republican who was forced to resign after an investigation revealed he hadn’t lived in the district that elected him for more than a year . And members of Martha’s Vineyard’s Steamship Authority attempted to cover up details of a ferry boat accident...
Nov 19, 2023•34 min
The MacArthur Foundation named its class of 2023 “genius grant" fellows last month. The recipients join an exclusive group of previous fellows who have demonstrated outstanding talent in their fields. The award acknowledges the fellows’ demonstrated talent and potential as leaders in their fields. Cellular and molecular biologist Jason Buenrostro is one of this year's MacArthur fellows. "For me, [being a scientist] is like I'm living in a dream. Growing up, my parents didn't graduate high school...
Nov 12, 2023•24 min
Israel’s war against Hamas has marked just over one month . It’s the latest chapter of the decades-long, ongoing strife between the Israeli government and Palestinians. The present day suffering of people in the war zone and its impact on others around the world is incomprehensible. And yet, even during this conflict, the struggle for a peaceful resolution continues. Under the Radar spoke with representatives from two organizations that have spent decades working toward peace in the region about...
Nov 12, 2023•34 min
A new plan from Boston Public Schools to integrate students who are English language learners into general education classrooms has led to multiple resignations on BPS' English Learners Task Force. Plus, compared to much of the country, Massachusetts has a low poverty rate. But it’s twice as high for Latinos. And a flag mix-up results in a cultural snafu in the new, best-selling Spider-man video game. Those stories and more on Under the Radar's Latinx News Roundtable. GUESTS: Julio Ricardo Varel...
Nov 05, 2023•34 min
What does it mean to be Asian in a country where everything seems Black and white? Growing up, author and scholar Julia Lee says she spent much of her formative years angry about never being seen, ashamed that she felt powerless as a Korean woman, and suffering from generational trauma passed down from her immigrant parents. On Under the Radar with Callie Crossley , Lee said understanding her place in a racial hierarchy constructed around Black and white has been a complicated journey. "It's jus...
Nov 05, 2023•24 min
It’s Halloween — the season of all things spooky and scary — from horror movies, to haunted mansions and potentially even gardens. It turns out there's an unexpectedly sinister side to gardening, according to writer and gardener, Marta McDowell. She says many mystery writers use gardens in their tales of deception: "I think most gardeners understand this feeling of you're always sort of a detective. Why did this plant die? What is bothering this plant? I mean, you're even sometimes out there wit...
Oct 29, 2023•24 min
Gov. Maura Healey unveiled a $4.1 billion bond bill last week targeting the state’s housing shortage. It could create over 8,000 accessory dwelling units , or “in-law suites,” across the state. Plus, a new poll highlights the 2024 election ballot questions at the top of the list for Massachusetts voters. Of those surveyed 52% said they would vote to remove MCAS as a requirement for receiving a high school diploma. And a Boston City Council candidate is stirring up controversy with comments about...
Oct 29, 2023•34 min
A century ago, images of young children working in factories under dangerous working conditions shocked Americans. Since then, numerous child labor protections have been put in place to prevent exploitation and abuse. But in the past two years, child labor laws have entered the crosshairs of some lawmakers. At least 10 states have introduced or passed legislation loosening child labor protections, including New Hampshire. Now, Granite State children as young as 14 can work around alcohol and 16-...
Oct 22, 2023•35 min
A myriad of new local restaurants, including 311 Omakase , All That Fish + Oyster and Moëca , are making the Boston area a seafood-lover’s haven. Plus, a significant Portuguese American population in Greater Boston is reflected in new Portuguese restaurants featuring the flavorful cuisine, from crispy cod cakes to tasty egg tarts. And wine lovers are choosing an old favorite — chardonnay — for their fall sipping, driving its expected market value over the next decade upward by hundreds of millio...
Oct 22, 2023•23 min
Cricket is a wildly popular sport, second only to soccer as the most-watched sport on the globe. In the United States, football, basketball and baseball still dominate. But evidence shows the bat-and-ball sport is once again gaining traction in Greater Boston and across the country. " I moved into Massachusetts in 2010. When I moved, we had about 30 teams, [and] if you assume 15 to 20 players per team, you have about 600 players back in 2010. Now, as of today, in 2023 October, we have roughly ab...
Oct 15, 2023•24 min
Climate change turned up the heat this summer — the sweltering temperatures in August and September were the hottest since global records began in 1880 . Meanwhile, two significant efforts to fight climate change are taking root. In a first of its kind agreement , Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are working together to build more offshore wind farms. Plus, an $11 million grant will help Boston expand its tree canopy especially in areas where trees are scarce. That and more on our Env...
Oct 15, 2023•34 min
You can count on traffic gridlock on most Tuesdays in Greater Boston as thousands of workers make their way into offices in the city. After the pandemic forced many workers to be remote, and then company leaders pushed for a return to the office, many have now seemed to settle on an in-between: hybrid work. Recent research confirms that employees consider hybrid to be the modern workplace , giving both flexibility and job satisfaction. The evidence also shows people care enough about hybrid work...
Oct 08, 2023•34 min
For over 10,000 years , members of the Wampanoag tribe have lived in Aquinnah and throughout the island known as Noepe , also known as Martha’s Vineyard. Traditionally a fishing and agriculture community, tribe members also harvest acres of wild cranberry bogs each year that grow on their land. Cranberry Day — the annual harvesting of the fruit — has been a centuries-long celebration passed down by the elders as part of the Aquinnah Wampanoag’s rich history. "I would say it's probably my favorit...
Oct 08, 2023•24 min
As an observant young girl and a curious tween, Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour , was deeply immersed in pop culture. Her early fandom led her to a career as a cultural critic whose hot takes, pithy observations and deep dives into cultural shifts are broadly admired. But Harris says it's not as easy as it looks: "I always feel like I'm not doing enough, but, you know, in part because it's my job and also because even when I'm watching or reading or consuming any sort of ar...
Oct 01, 2023•26 min
Latinos make up one of Massachusetts' largest ethnic groups, and the last few years has seen significant growth in the widely diverse Latino communities with roots in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. While Latino workers are considered by many to be the backbone of the local economy, they are disproportionately low wage workers. "There still are very real challenges around poverty rates that are really disturbing," said Dr. Lorna Rivera, director of the Mauricio Gastón Institut...
Oct 01, 2023•32 min
Traditionally, New Hampshire is the proving ground for presidential hopefuls, with most spending major time and money in the Granite State. But many 2024 Republican presidential candidates — so far — are bypassing New Hampshire on their way to Iowa. "It's more expensive to run in New Hampshire than it is in Iowa. It's definitely a bit of a mistake in terms of trying to capture 2024," Erin O'Brien, associate professor of political science at UMass Boston, told Under the Radar. "But Republicans kn...
Sep 24, 2023•58 min
How did we move from suffering in the heat with room-temperature drinks to ice-harvesting capitalists and fanatical ice consumers? America’s journey to ice obsession started right here in Boston with the enterprising Frederic Tudor, who envisioned something seemingly preposterous: bringing ice to the tropics. The Tudors were one of the wealthiest families in Massachusetts. The family had servants who harvested large blocks of ice out of the lake on their estate, and an ice house to store that ic...
Sep 17, 2023•22 min
Across the country, anti-LGBTQ violence is on the rise . Just recently, a California business owner was killed for displaying a Pride flag. "This is a tragic example of where someone was trying to be supportive and send a message of love and safety and then became targeted by the very hate that is used against so many," Grace Sterling Stowell, executive director of BAGLY , told Under the Radar. "I think it's a reminder of how dangerous the situation has become with the increased rhetoric. ... An...
Sep 17, 2023•35 min
What Boston sports team won five national championships in the last six years? Hint: it wasn’t the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics or Bruins. The answer: the Boston Renegades , a women's football team. While the local women’s teams that have been winning championship after championship, they've received much less fanfare than their male counterparts at Fenway or Gillette Stadium. "Sports aren't inherently male, but in so many spaces we've come to accept them as such," said Rev. Laura Everett, author ...
Sep 10, 2023•23 min
Oceans, rivers and lakes are chockful of thousands of underwater plants and algae collectively described as seaweed. Demand for seaweed — kelp , specifically — has exploded as scientists have confirmed its dietary benefits and its potential as a tool in the fight against climate change. "Seaweeds have a variety of nutrients and minerals and anti-inflammatory properties that you just can't get from typical land plants," Scott Lindell, research specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, t...
Sep 10, 2023•35 min
Editor's note: This segment originally broadcast on January 27, 2023. In 1949, a small organization formed in Boston. Ten fatherless boys were paired with adult volunteers to help them navigate their lives. More than 70 years later, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts serves young boys and girls and connects more than 3,600 children with mentors each year. We discuss the importance of strong social webs, how the pandemic frayed them and the power of mentoring with the leader of Big...
Sep 03, 2023•24 min
Editor's note: This segment originally broadcast on April 16, 2021. It’s still too soon to know all the ways the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape our decisions about life and family, but one facet is that many women have decided to protect their reproductive future by freezing their eggs . About a decade ago, egg freezing was considered an experimental procedure. Today, it's a relatively common procedure thousands of women choose each year. During the pandemic, the number of women electing...
Sep 03, 2023•34 min
