Episodes
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Trump’s Cabinet picks court controversy as Biden crams appointees, pardons into his final days
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 Fernandes Anderson faces federal charges. All that and more in this week’s all-politics hour with the Mass Politics Profs! -
The Genius Next Door: How lizards led Martha Muñoz to an evolutionary breakthrough
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.” -
Ceramics craze: Boston area artists share why people are flocking to pottery studios
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 kicked off this ceramics craze that shows no signs of slowing down? -
“A Kwanzaa Keepsake” invites families to celebrate with their own traditions
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. -
Honoring 100 years of visionary Black activist, writer James Baldwin
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 worldwide celebration of what would have been Baldwin’s 100th birthday. -
Life in plastic: Tupperware’s journey from ‘wonder bowl’ to American icon
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. -
Local news roundtable: Debt slows down the T, redevelopment in Dorchester and the North End, and the latest in the BlueHub Capital saga.
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! -
Food and wine: Try a light white wine – and a ‘cook from frozen’ turkey – this holiday season
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. -
Donald Trump made inroads with Latinos. These local experts are not surprised.
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 Latinx news roundtable! -
“The Rulebreaker” explores the trailblazing legacy of TV icon Barbara Walters
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.
