Under the Radar with Callie Crossley

There's no question: Women ARE funny. So what's it like to be a woman who performs as a stand-up, improv, sketch or musical comedian? We speak to three funny ladies about their experiences in the spotlight and their involvement with this year's Women in Comedy Festival , which takes place April 19 through April 23 throughout clubs and venues in Boston.

Listen to this week's news you may have missed, including the TSA's pot-related blunder on its new website; the new Ink Underground park being built under Interstate 93 in the South End; changes coming to the Boston City Council and what's next for the former Boston Flower Exchange building. All that and more on this week's local news roundup!

In the United States, one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. And in nearly all domestic violence cases, there is a factor controlling victims that is hidden in plain sight: financial abuse. For more than a decade, the Allstate Foundation has worked to help victims of financial abuse through its Purple Purse fundraiser, which assists victims through financial education...

What's with Hollywood's continuous whitewashing of Asian characters in film? How will Pepsi come back from its controversial -- and, eventually, pulled -- ad featuring Kendall Jenner and a nondescript protest? Plus, a discussion on the success of Jordan Peele's "Get Out," Michelle Obama's natural hair, Mama June and Jeremy Meeks, also known as "The Hot Felon" -- it's pop culture roundtable!

What's the deal with ICE's new detainer policy? Is Saturday Night Live's Michael Che right: Is Boston racist? And the fight between Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson gets heated on social media. All that and more in this week's Latinx roundtable!

Author Michael Finkel’s book is a hard-to-believe true narrative of a modern-day hermit whose self-imposed isolation is much more than a simple story. “The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit” is our April selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club.”

Springtime is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather and sunnier days than with a glass of wine and some tasty treats? Our food and wine experts talk to us about artisanal toast, affordable poke bowls, sweet wines and the re-emergence of caviar.

This week's news from New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Cape Cod that you may have missed, including financial relief arriving for New Hampshire dairy farmers after a severe drought, a Massachusetts doctor's efforts for his right to die on his terms, how Cape Cod fishermen are hoping to put shark meat on our plates and a toast to Narragansett Beer, which starts brewing in Rhode Island once more. All...

Intersectional feminism is a term that’s been used in the social justice and gender studies sphere for quite some time, but the concept and buzzword is now hitting news stories and social media regularly, especially since the Women’s March on Washington in January. What does it mean and what makes it different than your run-of-the-mill feminism?

Octavia Butler’s books call into question the notion held tight by many dystopian novels of today: The future is violent, oppressive and predominantly white. Butler, whose work earned her a MacArthur Genius Grant, had a different take on science-fiction – one that talks about race and community and a hopeful future. We discuss the recent resurgence and adaptations of her work.

Do you know how to pour a proper pint of Guinness? What’s in an Irish breakfast? How authentic is corned beef and cabbage? And which Irish soda bread is the real deal – sweet or savory? Our experts answer all that and more.

Savannah, Georgia, is famous for its romantic, Southern charm. But it’s also home to a massive St. Patrick’s Day party that kicks off weeks before culminating on March 17. We talk to two Savannah residents about Savannah's long Irish history.

In Ireland, two national sports reign supreme: hurling and Gaelic football. Hurling, often called "the fastest game on grass," and Gaelic -- or Irish -- football, are starting to increase in popularity here in Massachusetts and throughout the country. We talk to two Irish sports experts about the importance of passing on the tradition of Gaelic sports to a younger generation.

They say numbers tell the story, and that is how authors Bennett Singer and David Deschamps are telling the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer experience in America. We talk with Deschamps and Singer about their latest book -- “LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers" -- our March selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book...

Could politics put food stamps out of reach for some New Hampshire residents? Will new flights from Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport help the state’s economy lift off? And a Hyannis man’s story may earn Oscar gold at this year's Academy Awards. It's our regional news round-up, featuring Arnie Arnesen of "The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen," Paul Pronovost of the Cape Cod Times, and Philip Eil, freel...

Since 2008, the medical community and patients have banded together on the last day of February to observe Rare Disease Day. The day is meant to spread awareness for undiagnosed disorders and the need for continued research to help identify, treat and, someday, eliminate these enigmatic illnesses. Callie Crossley speaks with clinical geneticist Dr. Joan Stoler and community activist Quita Christis...

After a fiery community meeting in December, activists are skeptical about Beacon Hill’s promises to approve reform legislation this year. Is criminal justice delayed justice denied in the Bay State? Our panel discusses this complex issue, focusing on the contentious topic of mandatory minimum sentencing.

Every other year, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) awards its James and Audrey Foster Prize to established, Boston-based artists who are well-known on a national and international level but who have received little recognition in Boston itself. Callie Crossley sat down with ICA curator Dan Byers and two of the artists -- Lucy Kim and Sonia Almeida -- chosen for this year's prize exhibit.

Our February selection for "Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club" is Massachusetts author Susan Quinn's latest book, "Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady." It tells the story of the multiple relationships First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt developed outside of her marriage, including her seminal friendship with AP reporter Lorena Hickok.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, what could be more romantic than a love letter from your sweetheart? In today’s world of instant connectivity, letters may seem a bit passé, but snail mail is making a comeback through niche groups and online movements. Literary expert Sue Weaver Schopf and author Nina Sankovitch join Callie Crossley to talk about the importance of love letters in our history, our l...

Could a leaked document from President Donald Trump's administration cause trouble for legal immigrants in the United States? And how will the Trump travel ban affect Latinx immigrants? Plus, Oscar Lopez River: Hero or villain? It's our Latinx roundtable!

"I Am Not Your Negro" is a documentary about the late, renowned essayist, novelist and social critic James Baldwin, whose searing words about race and relations are still resonant today. The documentary features both interviews with Baldwin and narration of his work by actor Samuel L. Jackson. And just this week, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The directo...

Are casinos actually taking business away from the Massachusetts state lottery? What happens when a Cumberland Farms on "Methadone Mile" closes up shop? And is it possible for dry ice to help curb the rapidly growing rat population in Boston? All this and more this week in our reporter round-table of local news, featuring Gin Dumcius, Sue O'Connell and Seth Daniel.

The Mass Politics Profs join Under the Radar to discuss Donald Trump. What can we expect from the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency? How are local politicians reacting to Trump and his administration? On local politics, the profs discuss Tito Jackson and his mayoral candidacy and Marty Walsh’s State of the City address.

Khalil Gibran Muhammad, professor of history, race and public policy at Harvard University; Tomiko Brown-Nagin, the Daniel P.S. Paul professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law; and Jim Demers, a political consultant with The Demers Group in New Hampshire join Under the Radar to discuss how Barack Obama’s policies, popularity and grassroots revolution changed American politics.