Podcast
Say More
Hosted by The Boston Globe · EN
Big ideas and big debates, explained through intimate conversations with the compelling personalities who shape them. AI and biotech. Higher education and health care. Climate and sustainability. Politics and the media. Culture and culture wars. Hosted by Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung.
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Episodes
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PATRIOTISM IS A VERB: Rep. Ayanna Pressley is an a ‘situationship’ with America
6d ago00:24:00Tap to summarizeIf you ask Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley about her relationship with America, she doesn't mince words, “it’s complicated.” Pressley has come to develop strong feelings of patriotism that are rooted in love for American people and the promise of the American ideals of equality and justice. On this second episode of PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, Pressley discusses the verbs that are most patriotic to her: things like lawmaking, protest, and dissent. She also talks about the ways Black people have pushed America to be better since its founding. Email us at saymore@globe.com.
Transcribe →PATRIOTISM IS A VERB: Liberals have a Patriotism Problem
2w ago00:34:01Tap to summarizeThis July 4th, liberals are faced with an awkward milestone. The country’s 250th anniversary requires our attention, and yet, the state of national politics brings only angst and despair. This month on Say More, we bring you the series PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, about the ways liberals who are uncomfortable with the idea of patriotism and reclaim their love of country. In this first episode, host Anna Kusmer talks to Yale Historian Beverly Gage about the power of a good American road trip, and her new book This Land is Your Land. Gage says although the national mood is fraught, our big birthday provides a perfect moment for us to reset our relationship with the country. Email us at saymore@globe.com. And tune in next week for an interview with Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley where she talks about why she thinks, ‘dissent is patriotic.”
Transcribe →How Boston Came Down with World Cup Fever
3w ago00:27:10Tap to summarizeDespite every prediction of endless traffic, grumpy residents and societal collapse, Boston hosting the World Cup has been downright delightful. The biggest surprise for many has been the Tartan Army, a truly shocking influx of Scottish fans in our streets, drinking all our beer and eating all our ranch dressing. This week on Say More, Shirley Leung talks to Globe NFL writer Ben Volin who has been moonlighting as the paper’s chief soccer correspondent and covering all seven World Cup games in Massachusetts. He talks futbol, the future of the sport in the US, and what makes the World Cup so special. Email us at saymore@globe.com
Transcribe →Politics Panel: From Platner to Rollins, it’s One Scandal After Another.
4w ago00:31:51Tap to summarizeScandal-ridden Graham Platner easily defeated Governor Janet Mills to become the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine. Will his controversies hurt him with voters? How has the Trump era changed the way voters respond to political scandal? This week on Say More’s politics panel, Globe opinion writer Abdallah Fayyad and Joan Vennochi compare Platner’s campaign to another scandalous Democrat in Boston, Rachael Rollins, who is running to reclaim her role as Suffolk County District Attorney. Then, they discuss a compromise on Massachusetts rent control and the World Cup in Boston. Email us at saymore@globe.com
Transcribe →“Facts Alone Are Not Enough.” This Immunologist Grew up Unvaccinated.
Jun 1100:33:49Tap to summarizeDr. Elisabeth Marnik is not your average immunologist. Because she grew up unvaccinated, she has a special insight into why people choose to opt out of vaccine schedules and what can be done to build trust and increase vaccine acceptance. This week on Say More, Dr. Marnik, who is also the executive director of the Evidence Collective, sat down with Say More’s Anna Kusmer to talk about vaccine mandates, the limits of empathy, and why “facts alone are not enough.” Email us at saymore@globe.com. From the Science Classroom by Science Whiz Liz Eureka Day, now playing at the Huntington Theater.
Transcribe →“No Bubbes, No Bagels.” Comedian Alex Edelman Hates Shtick
Jun 400:33:07Tap to summarizeComedian Alex Edelman is always striving to be better. He spent his childhood going to a yeshiva Jewish day school in Brookline Massachusetts, and now performs comedy on the world’s biggest stages. He’s well known for an award-winning Broadway show “Just For Us,” which recounts his covert visit to a white nationalist meeting in New York City. His new show is called “What Are You Going to Do.” This week on Say More, Alex sits down with host Anna Kusmer to talk about striking a balance between tradition and modernity, the past and future of Jewish comedy, and his renowned hatred of shtick. Email us at saymore@globe.com.
Transcribe →Say More LIVE: What Zimbabwe Can Teach Boston about Mental Health Care
Jun 200:25:13Tap to summarizeDr. Khameer Kidia is a physician and mental health researcher at Harvard Medical School and University of Zimbabwe. He headlined the Globe’s Health Equity Summit this year, discussing the ways that Western psychiatry fails to meet the demands of our unequal world. On stage with Say More’s Anna Kusmer, Dr. Kidia talks about using the wisdom of grandmothers to help alleviate mental suffering in Zimbabwe and what he learned from his mentor Dr. Paul Farmer, who cofounded Partners in Health. Email us at saymore@globe.com.
Transcribe →Politics Panel: Was Barney Frank Right? Plus Rent Control and the Governor’s Race.
May 2800:32:48Tap to summarizeIn his final days, Massachusetts political legend Barney Frank had harsh words for the democratic party. This week on Say More’s political panel, Opinion writer Joan Vennochi, and Globe Ideas writer Abdallah Fayyad discuss the salience of Frank’s final message, and what democrats can learn from him. With Say More host Anna Kusmer, they then discuss the problem with the proposed rent control ballot measure in Mass, and end with a reflection on Governor Maura Healey and her growing unpopularity. Email us at saymore@globe.com.
Transcribe →Chris Lydon Got Barney Frank his First Job in Politics.
May 2600:16:29Tap to summarizeBarney Frank, who died last week at the age of 86, was one of the most unique and entertaining politicians of his time. Frank got his start in politics right here in Boston working for Mayor Kevin White in the late 60s. Journalist Chris Lydon introduced them. He was a Boston Globe reporter at the time, and now hosts the show Open Source at WBUR. On today’s BONUS episode of Say More, Chris discusses the fateful day he brought Barney Frank to Kevin White’s house to introduce them. Email us at saymore@globe.com
Transcribe →Isaac Fitzgerald and Johnny Appleseed are Massachusetts Dirtbags.
May 2100:31:27Tap to summarizeAmerican legend Johnny Appleseed was from here. He hailed from North Central Massachusetts, just a couple miles down the road from Isaac Fitzgerald, a contemporary writer whose first memoir “Dirtbag, Massachusetts” told the story of his misspent youth in the teenage pregnancy capital of the state. This week on Say More, Fitzgerald joins Anna Kusmer to discuss his new book, “American Rambler” which follows the footsteps of Appleseed from New England to Indiana, in search of nature, camaraderie, and some truths about America. Email us at saymore@globe.com. To read Isaac's piece in the Boston Globe, click here: The best rest stop in America is in Lancaster, Mass.
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