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Under the Radar with Callie Crossley
Under the Radar with Callie Crossley
Author: GBH News
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©2018 WGBH Educational Foundation
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"Under the Radar with Callie Crossley" looks to alternative presses and community news for stories that are often overlooked by big media outlets. In our roundtable conversation, we aim to examine the small stories before they become the big headlines with contributors in Boston and New England.
- Learn more about our show on our website: gbhnews.org/utr
- Check out all the stories in our year-long series, Unbound Pages: gbhnews.org/unboundpages
- Follow us on X @CallieCrossley and Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarGBH
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A Burlington, Vermont company helps topple Trump’s tariffs. A Sandwich resident heads to Milan Cortina for the Paralympic Games. And Rhode Island’s got a $70,000 rug problem at the state house. It’s our regional news roundtable!Get your tickets now to our Bookmarked: LIVE! event at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.: https://bit.ly/miasosaUTR
In the 1950’s, two young women were born poor and motherless in rural Louisiana. From the cradle to adulthood, the two are bonded for life as each searches for love and belonging. “Kin,” the latest novel by author Tayari Jones, is the heartfelt and tender story of their unbreakable bond. It’s our March selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club.”
See Tayari Jones live at The Brattle Theatre on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m.! More information here: https://www.harvard.com/event/tayari-jones
Get your tickets now to our Bookmarked: LIVE! event at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.: https://bit.ly/miasosaUTR
The Pride flag is flying over New York’s Stonewall Inn once more, despite calls from the Trump administration to remove the symbol from the historic landmark. LGBTQ+ athletes are making history at this year’s Winter Olympics. And remembering civil rights icon and queer rights ally, the Rev.Jesse Jackson. It's our LGBTQ+ news roundtable!Get your tickets now to our Bookmarked: LIVE! event at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.: https://bit.ly/miasosaUTR
What if your favorite TV show or movie series didn’t end when the credits rolled? That’s at the heart of fanfiction: the social, collaborative, and imaginative community of amateur writers creating new adventures – and new love interests – from established stories and franchises. We kick off our new series, How We Love, with a conversation about the intersection of romance and fanfiction.Get your tickets now to our Bookmarked: LIVE! event at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.: https://bit.ly/miasosaUTR
Massachusetts mayors brace for an ICE surge, while Boston and Worcester mayors declare city property off-limits to ICE. President Donald Trump’s call for Republicans to lead an effort to nationalize elections is met with resistance, including from one of the President’s strongest supporters: Texas Governor Greg Abbott. And State Auditor Diane Dizoglio amps up her campaign for an audit of the legislature–with a lawsuit and financial support from a state GOP candidate. It’s a full hour of political analysis with the Mass Politics Profs!Join us at our Bookmarked: LIVE! event at Lovestruck Books on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m. Get your tickets now: https://bit.ly/miasosaUTR
The ICE arrest of a 5-year-old and his father in Minneapolis has amplified the fear and outrage in Latinx communities across the country and calls for immigration reform legislation from Massachusetts’ Black and Latino legislators. President Donald Trump wants to open up Venezuela’s oil sector to U.S. investment. Will this “Make Venezuela Great Again”? And Bad Bunny isn’t the only one making history at this year’s Super Bowl. It's our Latinx news roundtable!
It’s been nearly four years since 15-year-old high school basketball player Preston Settles suddenly collapsed on the court, dying 22 days later. Now his parents are supporting legislation that could expand the use of AEDS -- or automated external defibrillators -- in the state, especially at gyms and sporting arenas. The proposed bill is making its way through the Massachusetts Legislature right now.
Award season is in full swing, and now, it’s the Recording Academy’s turn onstage. This weekend marks the 68th Grammy Awards, with decorated stars like Kendrick Lamar, up-and-comers like Olivia Dean and global icons like Lady Gaga all vying for a chance to take home a trophy. Two music experts give us the inside scoop on this year's Grammys.
Two giants of African American History share a connection few understood … until now. Jackie Robinson, the first Black player to integrate Major League Baseball, and artist and activist Paul Robeson became opposing voices amid the anti-communist fervor of the 20th century. Author Howard Bryant reveals a never-before-told story of how their historic intersection helped shape racial progress for decades to come in his latest book, “Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America” -- our February selection for Bookmarked: The "Under the Radar" Book Club and part of our tribute to Black History Month.
It’s been scientifically proven that taking time to reflect on what you’re grateful for is good for your health – emotionally, mentally and physically. But in recent years, these documented benefits have been overshadowed by a huge cottage industry of wellness influencers promoting gratitude merchandise and practices. So is practicing gratitude worth the hype?
What would you do if you had all the money you needed to create your own vision of the world you want to live in? For multimillionaire Fergie Chambers, it meant building a self-described communist revolutionary base in Alford, Massachusetts. Fergie and his mission are the story in a new documentary, “All About the Money,” premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival. We speak with the film's director, Sinead O'Shea.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the federal holiday honoring The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – 40 years of community gatherings, public forums and special activities to pay tribute to the civil rights icon. And throughout most of the holiday’s history, millions of Americans have commemorated the day by volunteering for civic engagement and service projects in their communities, including local efforts like Many Helping Hand 365's Cambridge MLK Day of Service and Learning.
Her maps push the boundaries of the form beyond the typical two-dimensional depictions of static, and defined spaces, centering the history, environment, and political narratives of Indigenous people in North America. Cartographer Margaret Wickens Pearce is one of 4 local 2025 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. She joins us for our annual series, “The Genius Next Door.”
A new report declares 2025 as one of the costliest years when it comes to climate disasters. Environmental groups are cautiously optimistic about the environmental commitments for the proposed Everett Soccer Stadium. And will YOU add shellfish harvested from Boston Harbor to your dinner table? It’s our environmental news roundtable!
It’s easy to mistake Jeremy Frey’s baskets for fine china when you see them from afar. But up close, his intricate, tiny weaves, coupled with surprising colors, patterns and forms, elevate the ancient craft of basket-making from utility to high art. Visual artist Jeremy Frey is one of four local 2025 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. We speak with him for our annual series, “The Genius Next Door.”
Forget about baseball and apple pie: Ice is the real cultural symbol of America. From fancy ice cubes to high-tech refrigerators and coolers and an ongoing love affair with the Zamboni, ice is literally and figuratively carved into every aspect of American lifestyles and traditions. How did it happen? Author Amy Brady traces the history in her book, “Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks – A Cool History of a Hot Commodity.”*This segment originally aired in September 2023*
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?*This segment originally aired in December 2024*
A novel about a fictional school shooting, which captures the perspectives of all involved. A memoir which begins with a young person’s complicated journey questioning their sexual identity. And a novella detailing a year in the life of a young Latina living in Chicago as she approaches adolescence. In many cities and states, these storylines are at the heart of best-selling, critically acclaimed books that are no longer available in local schools or public libraries, because they’ve been banned. In this special edition of “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club,” we’re showcasing three authors who have written about subject matter targeted by organized book-banning campaigns. This episode is also part of Unbound Pages, our year-long series examining the anti-book-banning movement in America.*This episode originally aired in August 2025*
For more than three decades, PRX and GBH's "The World" engineer Mike Wilkins has created a mixtape -- now a playlist -- of holiday music full of quirky, weird and sometimes way-out-there songs. We take a listen and learn more about this year's playlist in this special hour-long all-music episode!
She wrote just six novels in her short life, but her literary influence is enormous. Jane Austen’s prose and characters have enthralled millions on the page and in films and TV adaptations for decades. On this week’s special episode, we cordially invite you to celebrate the life and legacy of Jane Austen in honor of her 250th birthday!




