He studies plankton, the smallest organisms in the ocean, from the Antarctic peninsula to Greenland, looking for signs of how the oceans are changing. Oceanographer Benjamin Van Mooy also created new techniques that helped reveal more precise information about the link between plankton and the changing oceans. The researcher is one of three New England 2024 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. We speak with Benjamin Van Mooy for our annual series, “The Genius Next Door.”
Feb 24, 2025•24 min
It’s been 7 years since the glitzy and glamorous romantic-comedy “Crazy Rich Asians” topped the box-office charts. The film helped break open a new era of Asian and Asian-American representation in film, streaming and TV. Has that increased representation lasted? We continue our annual conversation examining movie and streaming projects from the past year featuring significant Asian and Asian-American representation.
Feb 24, 2025•34 min
The Huntington’s production of “Sojourners” in October 2024 marked the start of the two-year, city-wide production of Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-play collection, the Ufot Family Cycle. Now, the Nigerian-American Ufot family story continues 31 years later in “The Grove,” the world-premiere of the second play in the cycle. Callie speaks with playwright Mfoniso Udofia and actress Abigail C. Onwunali about the second chapter of the Ufot Family Cycle.
Feb 17, 2025•27 min
President Donald Trump promised drastic changes in immigration policy, particularly focused on mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, on Day 1 of his second administration. But with only a month into the new administration, local experts say it’s hard to judge if Trump is actually sticking to his promise. It’s our Latinx news roundtable!
Feb 17, 2025•31 min
Now that the Los Angeles fires have been contained, Angelenos face health concerns from fire pollutants among many long-term consequences. Plus, President Donald Trump withdraws the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. Will Michael Bloomberg’s offer to pay for the U.S.’s portion of the group’s budget make a difference? And the homeowners’ insurance crisis on Martha’s Vineyard may soon be a problem for all of us. It’s our environmental news roundtable!
Feb 10, 2025•32 min
Black limes, global spice mixes and an abundance of sauces – it’s all on tap for food trends in 2025. And when it comes to wine, odds are you’ve foregone the cheap entry-level bottle for a higher price-point white and you’ve noticed shrinking wine lists at restaurants. We’ve got the latest news from the culinary world featuring our food and wine experts!
Feb 10, 2025•26 min
After librarian Amanda Jones spoke at a local public library board meeting to express her concerns about censorship in her small town of Livingston, she faced an organized campaign of harassment from groups with a mission to ban certain books in public and school libraries. But Jones fought back and is now telling her story in her new book, “That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.” It’s our February pick for Bookmarked: The “Under the Radar” Book Club and the first installment...
Feb 03, 2025•26 min
Is the re-elected Rhode Island State Senate President incapable of doing his job, as some senators claim? Cape Cod residents are divided over President Donald Trump’s declarations on offshore wind power. Should they be concerned about Trump’s claims of danger toward sea wildlife caused by wind turbines? Plus, a social security breach in Rhode Island, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte’s new COGE and Maine Republicans celebrate a pardoned January 6 rioter. It’s our regional news roundtable!...
Feb 03, 2025•32 min
Yiddish is a language mostly spoken by Jews in the United States, Israel and Russia. But when Jewish prisoners were interned during the Holocaust, the Yiddish language went through a metamorphosis, changing and expanding to include new words about their brutal everyday existence. What emerged and lives on today are words that represent both cultural history and a testimony of survivor resilience. We speak with scholar Hannah Pollin-Galay, whose latest book, “Occupied Words: What the Holocaust Di...
Jan 27, 2025•24 min
Berklee College of Music alums have collectively won more than 300 Grammys so far. Two of those previous winners who’ve added to Berklee’s count are esperanza spalding and Jett Galindo – alums with previous wins who are up for awards at this year’s Grammys. We spoke with them about their journey from Berklee’s halls to the Grammys stage.
Jan 27, 2025•34 min
It’s an exclusive club that may or may not add to its members every four years: inaugural poets. There have only been six in the history of the United States, from Robert Frost in 1961 to Amanda Gorman in 2021. How did the tradition become part of the pomp and circumstance of Inauguration Day? And what kind of message is central to inaugural poetry? We speak with two poets – including an inaugural poet – more about this special inauguration tradition.
Jan 20, 2025•31 min
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once described the freedom songs of the civil rights movement as “the soul of the movement.” What would the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, the Black Lives Matter movement be like without iconic songs like “We Shall Overcome,” the Plastic Ono Band’s “Give Peace A Chance” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”? In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’re diving into the history of protest music in America.
Jan 20, 2025•27 min
When the Handel and Haydn Society found records detailing iconic composer George Frideric Handel’s ties to the slave trade, it responded in a way only the organization could: through music and performance. Rather than “canceling” the composer or disavowing the history, two of the society’s staff members created “Crossing The Deep,” a special concert series showing the parallels between the choral works of Handel and the spirituals of enslaved Africans in America. We speak with creators Dr. Antho...
Jan 13, 2025•25 min
History is made in the 119th Congress as three new openly LGBTQ+ members join the House of Representatives, while leaders in the Republican majority announce plans to undermine LGBTQ legal protections through Title IX. Plus a new study reveals adolescents are rarely prescribed gender-affirming drugs, despite common misconceptions. And a newly enacted law updates parental rights and protections in Massachusetts, offering parents greatly expanded and improved protections. It’s our LGBTQ+ news roun...
Jan 13, 2025•33 min
Stress can contribute to myriad physical and mental ailments, increasing risks of heart disease, anxiety, depression and even Alzheimer’s disease. But is it possible to live a life free from stress? Stress expert Dr. Aditi Nerurkar says the point of life isn’t to eliminate stress altogether; it’s to relieve toxic stress. Small, lasting changes in stress management are at the heart of her debut book, “The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress And More Resilience,” the January selec...
Jan 06, 2025•25 min
Eight hours a day, five days a week: That’s the typical workweek for many Americans. But some companies are rethinking this standard. Around the world, including here in Massachusetts, the change to a four-day, 32-hour workweek has proven positive for businesses and their employees. Will more local businesses adopt this innovative new workweek?
Jan 06, 2025•33 min
Elaborate world-building, intricate magical systems, wars and mythologies, and of course, dragons, witches and faeries. In this special edition of “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club,” we’re diving into one of today’s most popular and best-selling genres taking over bookstores — and your social media feeds: romantasy.
Dec 30, 2024•58 min
Mike Wilkins, GBH and The World engineer, join Callie Crossley for their annual celebration of wacky holiday tunes – from quirky takes on classics to originals with unusual twists. Get ready for an hour of what may be your new favorite Christmas songs!
Dec 23, 2024•58 min
In a little more than a month, President-Elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. Will the Senate confirm his controversial Cabinet appointees? Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is spending his final days in office using his presidential powers to appoint federal judges, commuting sentences and issuing pardons, including one to his own son. Plus, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the fallout of her failed property tax plan, and Boston City Councilor Tania Fernan...
Dec 17, 2024•58 min
She studies how the environment impacts the way organisms evolve or resist evolving. Dr. Martha Muñoz is an evolutionary biologist whose work demonstrates that some animals ignore the pressures to evolve, even in a changing environment that would seem to demand it. The Yale professor is one of the three New England 2024 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows and the first installment of our annual series, “The Genius Next Door.”
Dec 09, 2024•22 min
Archaeologists trace the earliest clay containers to the Stone Age when people used crude stone tools to make clay pots for cooking and storage. Today’s potters use special types of clay and sophisticated techniques to produce fine craft ceramics. Once crafted mostly by artists, pottery is now one of the hottest hobbies in the country. Ceramics classes are full to bursting, some kilns are running 24 hours a day and the British show, “The Great Pottery Throwdown” has millions of rabid fans. What ...
Dec 09, 2024•36 min
James Baldwin was the writer of some of the most acclaimed books in America’s literary history, an essayist whose nonfiction works masterfully reflected his work toward human rights and equality, and a Black political activist who went toe-to-toe with the white conservative intellectual William F. Buckley in a televised debate about race relations and who urged the civil rights movement to go even further in its mission. James Baldwin is an American icon, and “Under the Radar” joins this year’s ...
Dec 02, 2024•36 min
For millions of Americans, the holiday season includes a tradition that starts after Christmas – Kwanzaa, the week-long celebration of African-American culture and history. Author and culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris traces the history of Kwanzaa, its community rituals and the foods of the diaspora in her book, “A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook: Celebrating the Holiday with Family, Community, and Tradition.” It’s our December selection for Bookmarked: The “Under the Radar” Book Club....
Dec 02, 2024•22 min
Residents of Fields Corner are upset about the opening of a chain restaurant. Can local businesses survive the arrival of a popular nation-wide pizza chain? Debt is declared as the MBTA’s most toxic problem, and it dates back to the early 1900s! Will riders ultimately be the ones paying to get the T out of the hole? And is it predatory lending or helping families stay in their homes? The latest in the Bluehub Capital saga. It’s our local news roundtable!
Nov 25, 2024•34 min
When it comes to leftovers, these days, any plastic – or glass – container will do. But for decades, that plastic storage container was Tupperware, created by Earl Tupper right here in Massachusetts. Though the Tupperware brand declared bankruptcy earlier this year, the name and the items have been ingrained in American cultural history. We speak with filmmaker Laurie Kahn about the story of Tupperware and its journey from home-party novelty to cultural phenomenon.
Nov 25, 2024•24 min
In this year’s general election the Sleeping Giant – Latino voters – awakened. Latino men were part of the coalition that catapulted President-Elect Donald Trump to a sweeping victory. Candidate Donald Trump promised mass deportation of America’s estimated 11 million undocumented residents; will it come to fruition? And in Arizona, where 33 percent of the population is Latino, Democrat Ruben Gallego beat out Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake becoming Arizona’s first Latino US Senator. It’s our La...
Nov 18, 2024•35 min
The holiday countdown is underway, and with it comes much anticipation of making the perfect turkey, whipping up the right sides and finding a great culinary gift. Our food and wine experts are here to tell us more about the latest food trends, what to sip during Thanksgiving dinner and how Advent calendars are appealing to the young – and the young at heart.
Nov 18, 2024•23 min
Food insecurity is a year-round problem, but as the holidays approach, what is often an invisible problem gets more public attention. Nearly 2 million Massachusetts residents are food insecure, meaning they don't have enough to eat or don't know where their next meal will come from. We speak with three members of Make Hunger History, a coalition of organizations, anti-hunger advocates and policymakers, to hear more about the state of hunger in Massachusetts.
Nov 11, 2024•35 min
Barbara Walters is known for breaking barriers in the world of journalism, but who was she behind the cameras? Susan Page, the Washington D.C. bureau chief for USA today who’s also a best-selling author, aims to answer that question in her latest book, “The Rule Breaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters” – our November pick for Bookmarked: the Under the Radar book club.
Nov 11, 2024•23 min
The Mass Politics Profs are back for one last hour-long all-politics special right before Election Day! Could Latinos, motivated by recent comments against Puerto Rico, turn out for Vice President Kamala Harris? Are former President Donald Trump’s anti-trans ads effective? And will we find out the results of the election on Tuesday, November 5 … or months later? All that and more on this week’s episode!
Nov 04, 2024•58 min
