Episodes
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Latinx News Roundtable: Boston Schools' English learners advisors resign in protest of 'harmful' plan
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 Varela, MSNBC opinion columnist and founder of Latino Rebels Marcela García, opinion columnist and associate editor at the Boston Globe -
Author Marta McDowell explores how gardening inspires mystery writers
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 with a magnifying glass, trying to figure out what pest is on your petunia," McDowell told Under the Radar. "And there are quite a few crime writers who also dabble in the garden, so they have that at their fingertips for various plot devices." McDowell explores the link between mystery and gardening in her book, "Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers." GUEST Marta McDowell, author of "Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers." -
A new $4 billion bond bill takes aim at Massachusetts' housing shortage
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 Black Lives Matter. Those stories and more on Under the Radar's Local News Roundtable. GUESTS Katie Lannan, State House reporter for GBH News Gin Dumcius, reporter for CommonWealth Magazine Mike Deehan, co-writer of the Boston Axios Newsletter -
New restaurants solidify Boston as a big catch for seafood lovers
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 millions. It's Under the Radar's Food and Wine Roundtable. GUESTS: Jonathon Alsop, founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School, author of "The Wine Lover's Devotional" Amy Traverso, senior food editor at Yankee Magazine, co-host of the GBH series, "Weekends with Yankee," author of "The Apple Lover’s Cookbook” -
From Arkansas to New Hampshire, states are rolling back child labor laws
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-year-olds can work an almost 40-hour week. "[Nationwide] we're finding kids in automobile factories on the floor of a packing house, or some chicken processing plants and in other manufacturing facilities, in seafood, in lots of industries where we really haven't seen children working in decades," said David Weil, Brandeis University professor and a former administrator for the Wage and Hour Division at the U.S. Department of Labor. "And now we're finding them in significant numbers and in very dangerous conditions, so it's unfortunately a real return to the past." Some lawmakers are saying changing youth labor rules will help address worker shortages, but experts and advocates worry that these measures will negatively impact minors. "We're seeing a coordinated multi-industry push to roll back labor standards, and what that's really reflecting is industry's desire to maintain and expand their access to pools of low wage labor," said Jennifer Sherer, director of the State Worker Power Initiative at the Economic Policy Institute. "And in this case doing that in a really disturbing way that can expose children to hazardous conditions or long, excessive hours that we know based on research, can put kids in a high risk category for their grades slipping." What’s behind the newfound push to relax child labor laws? GUESTS Jennifer Sherer, director of the State Worker Power Initiative at the Economic Policy Institute David Weil, professor at Brandeis University and former administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the U.S. Department of Labor -
Cricket is the world's second most popular sport. Can it thrive in Boston?
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 about 72 teams playing," said Kumar Putravu, president of the Massachusetts State Cricket League. "So we've doubled the number of teams and we have a total number of players, roughly around 2,000 to 3,000 players, give or take a few. It has grown exponentially over the last decade." From Major League Cricket premiering in the U.S. this summer, to high stakes rivalries currently playing out in the Cricket World Cup, the so-called Gentleman’s Game of the 17th century is exploding in growth in Greater Boston thanks to local immigrant communities. "There's now opportunities for men, women, kids... people above 40, even people above 50, people above 60, there are opportunities for them to play" said Kartik Shah, founder and director of the Greater Boston Cricket Foundation. "As more opportunities come about, you see more and more people trying to play the game that are immigrants here from all over the world. And cricket is played all over the world. And all of these people now have a chance to play different versions, different styles, different formats." Will the surge in Massachusetts teams help add cricket to Boston’s roster of beloved sports? GUESTS Kartik Shah, founder and director of the Greater Boston Cricket Foundation Phani Kumar Putravu, president of the Massachusetts State Cricket League -
In the wake of the hottest summer ever recorded, climate change action heats up in Massachusetts
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 Environmental News Roundtable. GUESTS Dr. Gaurab Basu, director of education and policy at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health Beth Daley, executive editor and general manager of The Conversation, U.S. Sam Payne, digital development manager and communications specialist for Better Future Project, a Massachusetts-based grassroots climate action organization -
Is hybrid work now a permanent fixture in America?
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 policies that some have quit jobs when their employers push for a five-day-a-week traditional work environment. After three years of post-pandemic turmoil, is hybrid work now a permanent fixture in America? GUESTS: Bryan Hancock, global leader of McKinsey & Company’s talent management practice Dena Upton, head of people at Dandy and former chief people officer at Drift, both which have embraced the remote work style -
Cranberry Day celebrates an age-old Wampanoag tradition on Noepe aka Martha's Vineyard
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 favorite holiday, and so I was shaped by that," Jannette Vanderhoop, member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, told GBH's Under the Radar. "If someone came by and there wasn't enough food, everyone just got a little less. And I thought that was really beautiful and indicative of our community and how we take care of each other." The treasured tradition serves as a way to commemorate Indigenous People’s Day, says Jordan Clark, assistant director of Harvard University’s Native American Program. "When you think about Massachusetts, when you think about the areas around Boston and the Cape and the Islands, Native people have been living on it for tens of thousands of years," Clark said. "Oftentimes a lot of the founding ideology, a lot of the founding philosophy that we think of as 'American,' is often directly taken from Native communities. But again, that's not part of our national narrative. And so, Indigenous People's Day plays a role in taking a pause and asking, kind of, the larger community to maybe refocus and recenter and reimagine kind of how they see the world and their relationship to it." GUESTS Jannette Vanderhoop, member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, board member of the Aquinnah Cultural Center and author of "Cranberry Day: A Wampanoag Harvest Celebration" Jordan Clark, assistant director of Harvard University’s Native American Program, and a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah -
NPR's Aisha Harris argues pop culture is much more than just entertainment
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 art or media, if it's not for work, I'm still in the back of my mind thinking of, okay, perhaps down the line, this could be something that I touch on years later or months later. ... I'm kind of a hoarder when it comes to both books and notes, and I think that's kind of what helps me stay as up and as absorbed as I can, in addition to all the things that I'm doing for my actual job on a day to day basis." Harris has captured her adventures in pop culture in her first book, “Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me.” GUEST Aisha Harris, co-host and reporter for NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, author of “Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me”
