Under the Radar with Callie Crossley

On September 11, 2001, Americans experienced the worst attack on U.S. soil in the country’s history. Millions witnessed the event in-person or on television, with wall-to-wall coverage the entire day. News about what happened, why it happened and who was responsible flooded the media, creating a chaotic and often confusing timeline of events detailing what unfolded before our eyes. And just as quickly arose new narratives: conspiracy theories claiming the attack was secretly performed by the U.S. government, sacrificing nearly 3,000 American lives for its own causes. 25 years later, those false narratives persist, now more mainstream than ever before. So how do we combat these dangerous, deplorable misinformation campaigns in order to preserve the true story of September 11? 

In 2023, America celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the global cultural and music genre created by young artists like 18-year-old DJ Kool Herc and 14-year-old Grand Wizard Theodore who birthed the genre’s signature breakbeat and record-scratching techniques. Five decades later, the teens are elders. Murray Forman explores what it means in his latest book, “Old in the Game: Aging With And In Hip Hop." It’s our September selection for Bookmarked: The "Under the Radar" Book Club.

Depictions of polyamorous relationships are all over popular culture. But the idea of multiple partners isn’t new, especially in Massachusetts, where some cities are home to massive polycules and legislation protecting multiple-partner relationships. So what is polyamory? What are the challenges, pitfalls and joys? And what's it like to be in a long-term polyamorous relationship? We're dedicating the whole hour to exploring this topic as part of our year-long series, How We Love.

It’s been 30 years since the iconic rapper Tupac Shakur died after being shot in Las Vegas in September 1996. Three decades later, the trial against Duane Davis, also known as Keefe D, is underway. Why are people still so invested in who killed Tupac? Plus, a new adaptation of “Little House on the Prairie” features the voices and stories of Native Osage people for the first time, the Grammys rethink their new Best Asian Pop category, Spotify identifies AI artists and the beloved sitcom “A Different World” gets a reboot. It’s our pop culture roundtable!

Finding a romantic partner is tough enough. So what’s it like to navigate the dating world while on the autism spectrum? We hear more about romance on the spectrum from those working directly with – or those in – the autism community as part of our yearlong series, How We Love.

With a thriving concert and club scene, some of the best music schools in the country, and the explosive growth of the Boston Calling Music Festival, Massachusetts is one of the go-to places for performers of all genres. Musicians Alisa Amador and Kemp Harris join us to talk about their careers, inspirations and making a living as an artist in 2026.

To hardcore music fans, Fort Apache Studios is known for recording some of the biggest names in ‘90s rock. But before they became go-to producers, Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie, and Jim Fitting were just three friends with a dream and the lease to an abandoned laundromat. They join us 40 years after the founding of their legendary studio to give us its behind-the-scenes story.

Governor Maura Healey signs legislation ensuring protections for immigrants against ICE, a Latina Power hat sells out after causing a political debate and how are candidates trying to mobilize the Latino vote this fall? It’s our Latinx news roundtable!

Nothing says summer more than fresh produce: juicy peaches, sweet strawberries, crisp corn on the cob, bright and fragrant herbs. Why not add this delicious harvest to an already beloved warm-weather treat: ice cream? We speak with two local ice cream shops -- Third Time Together in Cambridge and Far Out Ice Cream in Boston and Cambridge -- honoring the season with its inventive, unique flavors. 

There’s still time to indulge in your perfect summer read! In this special edition of Bookmarked: The "Under the Radar Book Club,” we’re cracking the spine of one of book lovers’ favorite genres: books about books. We spend the full hour speaking with authors Meg Anderson ("The Memory of Borrowed Books"), Katie Holt ("The Last Page") and Kirsten Miller ("Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books") to learn all about their work in this beloved microtrope.

A recent poll shows 75 percent of Massachusetts voters want AI regulations, a Pittsfield hospital is sued after a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease last summer, and a new Western Massachusetts network for alums and students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities kicks off in Springfield -- it’s our Massachusetts news roundtable!

Nothing says summer like dining al fresco, and East Boston may be the best place to do it! Salt bread and Brazilian pao de queijo are taking over local bakeries. And pop that bottle of red in the fridge – chilled red wine is IN! Our culinary experts tell us the latest food and wine trends.

It’s been a heat-wave summer this year, with triple-digit temperatures striking the U.S. and Europe. Americans used more electricity than ever to keep cool, but the U.S. power grid met the challenge, supported by clean energy. New York becomes the first state to ban AI data centers. Could Massachusetts be next? And is your free-range cat chomping on more than birds and mice? It’s our environmental news roundtable!

In 2015, Amy Bass’s book “One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game that Brought a Divided Town Together” told the remarkable true story of how a high school soccer team that integrated young Somali refugees into its ranks united the town of Lewiston, Maine. The team would go on to have an undefeated season and win the state championship in 2015, which sparked a massive wave of interest in soccer in Lewiston – and across the entire state of Maine – unlike ever before. Back then, soccer was largely underappreciated by American sports fans. But this year, the US embraced the World Cup, bringing soccer fans from all over the globe to enjoy the beautiful game.  We thought it was the perfect time to check in on Lewiston and its soccer community. Has it stuck around or fizzled out?

For decades, designers were told to “shrink it and pink it” when it comes to products for women, ignoring their different needs and leading to missed opportunities, discomfort or even injury. On this episode, we meet two women exposing gender bias in product design and who are working to eliminate it from our world – from the office to the soccer pitch and even in space.

The sun is out and so is Boston’s new citywide mixtape – “Dear Summer: Vol. 4.” Get ready to discover your new favorite local artist as part of the playlist you’ll be listening to all summer long! We speak with the co-curators and co-executive producers who give us a behind-the-scenes look into the mixtape's creation.

Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain residents continue to be angry about the construction of White Stadium, and they let city officials know in a heated public meeting with a few choice expletives. New zoning rules for Chinatown will protect its historic buildings, while promoting small-business development. And how community TreeKeepers are trying to cool down one of the hottest cities in the Commonwealth. It’s our local news roundtable!

A work-distracted wife hiding secrets, a fatal accident, and an experimental therapy combine to upend the lives of a young couple. What happens next puts them on a path for a second chance at a new life together. But is it too late? “The Romance Revival” is the latest novel by bestselling romance writing co-authors Christina Lauren. This sweet and spicy love story with a sci-fi twist  is our July selection for Bookmarked: The "Under the Radar" Book Club.

It’s the original food of America – the fruits, fish, and meat foraged, hunted and preserved by Native Americans for thousands of years before the colonists arrived on New England shores. We unpack the history and culture of Indigenous food – the first American farm-to-table culinary approach – and its connection to New England's Yankee cuisine as part of our celebration of America's 250th anniversary.

Does it really matter if there is a significant age gap between adult partners in romantic relationships? The number of couples living out the ‘age is only a number’ mantra is on the rise, and their reality is increasingly reflected in novels, films, and music =We dive into the world of age-gap romances with relationship expert Susan Winter and clinician and sex therapist Dr. Lee Kinsey as part of our yearlong series, "How We Love."

A double-barrel attack on Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, as billionaires and their spouses AND super PACs back longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins. Three New England states pass on President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair And looking for a fixer-upper? Cape Cod’s historic bridges are up for adoption! It’s our regional news roundtable!

The years have flown by for Abasiama Ufot -- the once student-immigrant is now an octogenarian. At 80, she still reigns as the matriarch of the Nigerian-American family, but she is also content to live a quiet, reflective life alone in Worcester, Massachusetts. That’s where we find Abasiama in the eighth of the nine-part Ufot Family cycle of plays: ” In Old Age.” Playwright Mfoniso Udofiya and actress Ebony Marshall-Oliver join us to discuss the penultimate chapter of the cycle.

While a handful of states are “rebranding” June as anti-Pride Month, some big brands are doubling down on their support. Colorado pushes back on so-called conversion therapy with new protective laws. And parents of transgender kids take on the Department of Justice to stop its efforts to obtain their children’s medical records. It’s our LGBTQ+ news roundtable!

About 60 percent of Gen Z is thinking about forgoing a traditional college degree to become electricians, carpenters, plumbers, or other skilled tradespeople. Even so, the trades are still considered a “boys club,” with women, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ people as the minority in the industry. Now, a local initiative is trying to create a space for them to network professionally and build community. We hear from three local tradespeople about the new Queer Contractors Collective as we mark Pride Month.

It’s the "Under the Radar" annual summer reading special! Three of our Greater Boston librarians are back with their recommendations, offering plenty of choices for the season – including thrillers, biographies, young adult stories, romance and mysteries. Get ready to add a LOT of new picks to your to-be-read list!For the full reading lists from Callie Crossley, Robin Brenner, Veronica Koven-Matasy and Jane Philbrick, go to gbhnews.org/UTR

Cranberries have been a staple of Indigenous culture in North America for hundreds of years – and not just as food. Soon, European settlers also found the benefits of the berry, which would eventually become the state fruit of Massachusetts. These days, cranberries hold a special place on our Thanksgiving tables, but also in everyday baked goods, granolas and, of course, as a delicious, tart juice. In honor of our ongoing celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, we’re boiling down the long history of cranberries in the United States.

One has a tall ship, some rowers, a fishing boat … and a giant lobster crashing through the water in Boston Harbor, defending a goal from an incoming soccer ball. The other features a blend of Celtic punk, classic rock, boy-band beats and classical scoring – some of the musical styles defining Boston. The colorful images and innovative sound remix featured in the Boston World Cup poster and sonic ID are emblematic of the best of Boston – two representations created by local artists to showcase our city to soccer fans worldwide. We speak with two of the artists behind the iconic Boston imagery and sounds.

*This episode addresses the existence of sex and sexual health.*In last month's installment of "How We Love," we dove deep into the world of ethical nonmonogamy and polyamory. For this special episode of "Under the Radar," we meet Justin, Debbie and Alex: three people in a legal domestic partnership, which is only recognized in certain towns in Massachusetts. They live together with their children, cohabitating in a familial structure many may question but that has worked for them for years. So what's their day-to-day like? How did they meet? And how do they push back on stereotypes, myths and side-eyes thrown their way?Check out all the installments of "How We Love": https://www.wgbh.org/culture/series/how-we-love

President Donald Trump’s endorsement resulted in primary victories for loyalists and a political poison pill for dissenters, critics are calling out Massachusetts lawmakers who are making thousands of dollars on top of their base salaries through committee appointments and reflecting on the massive impact and legacy of the late Representative Barney Frank: It’s a full hour of political analysis with the Mass Politics Profs!

There is no national museum of AAPI history in Washington, D.C. But last year, Rhode Island became home to a one-of-a-kind AAPI History Museum, right in the heart of Providence. We learn more about the mission of the museum – and how visitors have responded – from its founder and executive director, and a New England scholar.

144 tiles, often green and white in color, always clicking and clacking throughout the strategic, four-person game. It’s been around since the 1800s, and it crossed the biggest ocean in the world to arrive here in America, where decades later, it’s become a phenomenon. Mahjong is taking over social clubs, senior centers, kitchen tables and even breweries around the country – and here in Boston. Two local experts give us the inside scoop on all things Chinese mahjong.

Some of President Trump’s most loyal Cuban followers are starting to backslide. Hispanic candidates are winning seats in local elections at an unprecedented rate. And Alex Cora is out as the manager of the Red Sox. What’s the reaction from local Latinos? It’s our Latinx news roundtable!RSVP to our FREE event at Molly's Bookstore in Allston with author Tara Menon! https://bit.ly/utrtaramenon

Mother’s Day is a holiday not easily ignored. Though it is not the most popular holiday, it is one of the most commercially successful, with the ubiquitous marketing of flowers, cards, restaurants and jewelry. But for the millions of Americans who are motherless, it’s a sharp reminder of their loss. What is the meaning of Mother’s Day for those who no longer have mothers? And how can they honor memories of their mothers as they manage their grief?RSVP to our FREE event at Molly's Bookstore in Allston with author Tara Menon! https://bit.ly/utrtaramenon

Two new drugs offer hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer, how communities around the country are pushing back on proposed data centers and after more than two decades, the Cape Cod herring run is back in action. It’s our inaugural science and tech news roundtable!RSVP to our FREE event at Molly's Bookstore in Allston with author Tara Menon! https://bit.ly/utrtaramenon

Her funny and frank books for kids, tweens, teens and young adults have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide, resulting in a loyal, multigenerational fandom. So how did Judy Blume, a mother and homemaker, become one of the most successful and beloved children’s authors in history? Author Mark Oppenheimer chronicles her life and career in his new biography, “Judy Blume.” It’s our May selection for Bookmarked: The "Under the Radar" Book Club.RSVP to our FREE event at Molly's Bookstore in Allston with author Tara Menon! https://bit.ly/utrtaramenon

Editor's note: This episode originally broadcast November 24, 2023. 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 and the future. So it's sort of like trying to catch a hold of freedom, dreams that have existed over the course of generations, train my gaze and shine a light on them.” Perry, who is also a Boston University professor, studies the history and the cultural expressions forged by Black Americans in the face of injustice. There are 20 MacArthur fellows across the country, and Perry is one of four based in the Boston area. We talked with professor Perry for Under the Radar's series, “The Genius Next Door.”

Editor's note: This episode originally broadcast on November 24, 2023. 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 event continues to shape global fashion. GUESTS Robin Givhan, senior critic-at-large for the Washington Post and author of “The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History” Alva Chinn, actress and model from the 1973 "Battle of Versailles" Jay Calderin, founder and executive director of Boston Fashion Week and co-director of education at the School of Fashion Design in Boston

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 Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts and a tight-knit duo that continues to grow together. GUESTS Mark O’Donnell, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Karen Rodriguez, volunteer mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Rosela Moreta, Karen’s 10-year-old mentee

Editor's note: This episode originally aired on Feb. 4, 2022. CBD — those three small letters have led to a billion-dollar industry. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a compound from the cannabis plant that does not produce a high. People can consume it, vape it or apply it to their skin. Manufacturers are putting CBD in everything from lattes to lotions. Proponents say that CBD helps manage many health conditions, especially pain and anxiety. "One of the things that we've found that CBD is wonderful for is bringing your body closer to homeostasis, back to alignment. We know that that affects everything from stress to the ability to sleep, etc.," Malaika Jones, co-founder of Brown Girl Jane, said on Under the Radar. "Especially these days, folks are finding themselves, you know, feeling out of whack. So, our consumers really tell us that it [CBD] has been most helpful with anxiety, stress relief and sleep. ... The brand and the products have really resonated with people who need these everyday solutions to their life," she said. But many researchers insist that the substance may not work, let alone be touted as a cure-all. "One particular formulation of [CBD] was FDA approved in 2018 for the treatment of three types of seizure disorders," said Dr. Kevil Hill, an addiction psychiatrist. "But the reality is that probably 95% or greater of the CBD that people are using is not that formulation and it's not regulated by the FDA. And with that come a host of issues and those issues are related to the risk." Guests: Dr. Kevin Hill, addiction psychiatrist, director of the division of addiction psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the author of “Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth about the World’s Most Popular Weed” Malaika Jones, co-founder of BROWN GIRL Jane, a Black woman–owned company that offers broad-spectrum CBD products. She was named one of the most powerful women of 2020 by Entrepreneur Magazine

Eight years ago, when the legislature approved casinos in the Bay State, opponents worried that more opportunities to gamble would be difficult for people with compulsive gambling habits. Everett’s Encore Boston Harbor resort is now set to open in just under two months. It’s the state's third casino, with more to come. How is this impacting people addicted to gambling? Do more casinos put others at risk of developing gambling addictions? Guests: Dr. Debi LaPlante - Director of Cambridge Health Alliance’s Division on Addiction Marlene Warner - Executive Director of Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling Ed Talbot - Executive Director of the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, a 24/7 help line and a list of other resources can be found at the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling's Get Help page. For listeners outside of Massachusetts: National Problem Gambling Helpline.** You can find UTR on the web at ​https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley Subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.\ "Under the Radar with Callie Crossley" is produced by Fransizka Monahan and engineered by Dave Goodman.\ Melissa Rosales is our intern.\ Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys', Grace Kelly and Leo P.\ Under the Radar is a production of WGBH.