Under the Radar with Callie Crossley

On this week's Latinx roundtable: How will more flexibility regarding bilingual education affect classrooms in Massachusetts? Why is the attack on a Los Angeles street vendor reverberating nationwide? And what's in a name: Why would La Raza become UnidosUS? We also take a deep-dive into the recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling on ICE and discuss a sweet and funny short film exploring...

Rosie the Riveter isn’t just a cultural icon. She is the symbol for the millions of women who took over the jobs left behind by men fighting in World War 2. Now, our local branch of the National Park Service will honor these so-called SWONs -- the Shipbuilding Women of the Navy – in a weekend-long celebration at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The event is called Rosies Invade the Yard. Guests: Maria C...

On this week's local news roundtable, we discuss a plan for an opioid-recovery campus at Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, vandalism at a Dorchester tennis club, the death of the east-west rail proposal and how Chelsea's landscape will change if its iconic red-and-white water tower is torn down. Guests: Seth Daniel, senior reporter for the Independent News Group, and Mike Deehan, Massachusetts S...

Can you tell the difference between wine in a bottle, a box, a can or a tube? Callie and our experts agree: It's all good! Our food and wine gurus give us the low-down on what to eat and drink this summer, including where to find the tastiest lobster rolls in Boston and a healthier snack alternative to munch on while we binge-watch Netflix. Guests: Jonathon Alsop, founder and executive director of...

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. It’s a special day here in Massachusetts, where we double-dip every day of the year, even in freezing temperatures. And it was here in Greater Boston where ice cream innovators help catapult ice cream from a mass-produced product to a handmade, artisanal specialty. Our guests talk to us about the ice cr...

MassPort's plan for the Seaport's Omni Hotel is changing how business is done here in Boston by elevating the importance of diversity and minority investment at all levels of real-estate development. Could this business model become a new standard for other businesses and industries in the cit? And could this business model spread beyond the Bay State and affect business nationwide? Guests: Duane...

On this week's regional roundtable, we discuss how New Hampshire is pushing for more social studies and civics education in schools, a dangerous tick disease in Cape Cod, the latest in the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's land-ownership dispute and what the hold-up is regarding Rhode Island's state budget. Guests: Arnie Arnesen, of WNHN's "The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen"; Philip Eil, freelance journalis...

Often we think of masterpieces inspired by what’s already beautiful. But what about the stuff we often overlook? What about neon signs, storefronts and baking sheets? When arranged by Nari Ward, these forgettable items turn from trash to timeless works of art. Nari Ward’s work, currently on display at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, celebrates and elevates the objects that surround ou...

Millennials may get a bad rap as lazy, social-media-obsessed, Peter-Pan-syndrome narcissists, but as the generation grows up and establishes itself in the fabric of the American economy, and labor and housing market, it's time to stop admonishing Millennials and look to these young adults as the future of our nation. This is especially true of Boston, where 35 percent of the population is consider...

It sounds like a fantasy for a wine lover -- spending every day tasting and learning about wine. Bianca Bosker went from rank amateur to cellar rat to the top of the wine-professional chain as a certified sommelier. She tells us all about it in her book, " Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among The Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, And Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me To Live For Taste ."...

What's the difference between a vacant home and a problem property? Was the elimination of toll-booth workers actually worth it, financially? And is it unfair to hire professionals to get verified signatures for a mayoral campaign? All that and more on this week's local news roundtable! Guests: Gin Dumcius, Massachusetts Statehouse reporter for MassLive; Lauren Dezenski, reporter for Politico Mass...

This is the 19th year Boston’s Roxbury International Film Festival will screen shorts, documentaries and feature-length films illustrating the stories of people of color. The 10-day film festival screens most of its movies at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Haley House Bakery Cafe. Topics for the films are quite varied, including bone-marrow donations for mixed-race people, the untold stories of t...

Traditionally, fathers are still expected to be the breadwinners, the disciplinarians and the heads of households. But families and gender roles are evolving, and new fathers are looking to become more nurturing caregivers than the generations who came before. We discuss fatherhood in America today, along with new studies on postpartum depression in fathers, the importance of prenatal care for bot...

Each June 19, thousands of people across America and around the world, including right here in Boston, will celebrate Juneteenth – first celebrated on June 19, 1865 – 152 years ago. That is the day when enslaved people in Texas found out they were free. The event, which first had most meaning for the people of Texas, has now become an observance that recognizes the history but embraces the broader...

What happens when a budding rapper combines his faith, a love of literature and a message of social justice? A historic thesis project is born. Twenty-year-old Obasi Shaw made history just a few weeks ago as the first Harvard student to submit a rap album as an honors thesis. His album is called “Liminal Minds.” The album is his reflection on being black in America. It was also inspired by Geoffre...

Will Texas' new anti-immigrant law lead to major boycotts? Can a cumbia ringtone help Spanish-speaking immigrants learn their rights? And how have Latinos affected Boston's workforce? All that and more on this week's Latinx roundtable! Guests: Julio Ricardo Varela, of the Futuro Media Group; and Marcela Garcia, of the Boston Globe.

Give that Netflix habit a break this summer and pick up one of these books recommended by our panel of librarians! We discuss books for kids, teens and adults, including the latest releases from a best-selling young-adult series, debut novels from women of color and introspective, moving memoirs. Guests: Julie Roach, of the Cambridge Public Library; Robin Brenner, of the Public Library of Brooklin...

Gold-star families are the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and relatives left behind when a member of their family is killed while on active military duty. This Memorial Day weekend, we take the time to honor the stories of the fallen soldiers and their loved ones, who remember the sacrificed paid by their family members to our country not just on the last Monday in May, but every day. Guests:...

Will the threat of sharks force change on a decades-old Provincetown event? How is the University of New Hampshire dealing with a plague of racism among its student body? And Providence's reputation for government correction continues. All that and more on this week's regional news roundtable! Guests: Arnie Arnesen, of WNHN's "The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen"; Philip Eil, freelance journalist base...

Looking for the perfect gift for the mom who has everything? The mall and department stores just won't cut it. But a unique, handmade vase, bowl or piece of jewelry could be the solution for a child hoping to get in mom's good graces. Guests: Dara Cheek, artist and owner of Hieropice and the director of the Etsy Artists of Boston Linda De Valpine, owner of Greentail Table in Newton, Mass.

How have mother figures like Clair Huxtable, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett and Edna Turnblad shaped the way we view mothers in America? And how do these characters reflect the nation's current values or priorities when it comes to being a mom? Guests: Michael Jeffries, professor of American studies at Wellesley College; Irene Mata, associate professor of women’s and gender studies at Wellesley College;...

Admit it: You can't help but check your phone when you're behind the wheel. Distracted driving has evolved from fiddling with the radio to taking Snapchat videos while on the freeway. It's a dangerous, addictive habit we see in other drivers and ourselves. So how can we get drivers to put down the phone and focus on the road? Guests: Emily Stein, president of Safe Roads Alliance; Karen Twomey, spo...

What happens when the woman who does it all stops doing it all? Tiffany Dufu discusses her triumphs in learning to let go in her book, "Drop the Ball: Achieving More By Doing Less." It's our May selection for "Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club." Guest: Tiffany Dufu, author of "Drop the Ball: Achieving More By Doing Less" and chief leadership officer at Levo.

Could hydrogen-powered cars be the way for our country to break its dependence on fossil fuels, create its own local fuel and commit to zero-emission transportation? How do these vehicles work, and will they become as common on the road as hybrid and battery-powered electric? Guests: Chris O'Brien, of Ivys Energy Solutions, and Charlie Myers, of the Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition.

In places like Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa, Internet access, phone chargers and even clean water are hard to come by. WrightGrid and PV Pure -- two Boston-based start-ups -- are working to change that. Guests: Ryan Wright, of WrightGrid, and Huda Elasaad, of PV Pure.