Say More

In modern US politics, no one’s star has risen and fallen more times than Joe Biden’s.  His life has been defined by the worst personal tragedy and the greatest professional success. After decades in politics, Biden leaves office with arguably his biggest failure, the loss of the presidency to Donald Trump. Will this final failure define the Biden presidency? Or will we think about him differently with time? This week on Say More editorial page editor Jim Dao talks to Biden biographer Frank Foer about Biden’s career and legacy. Email us at [email protected]. 

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The last 12 months were tumultuous on Harvard’s campus: pro-Palestinian encampments took over the quad, students were suspended, and a university president lost her job. If those things weren’t enough, the story coincided with conservative activism happening throughout the country working against diversity programs - with a particular eye on Harvard. Could the events of the last year foreshadow the future of DEI on campus and beyond? This week on Say More, Shirley talks to Ilya Marritz, the reporter behind the Boston Globe’s new podcast series "The Harvard Plan." Email us at [email protected].  

To listen to the first installment of The Harvard Plan, click here.

To subscribe to The Globe podcast from The Boston Globe newsroom, click here. 

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Author Amy Tan doesn’t just watch birds, she “feels the life within them.” Amy’s new book, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” takes us into her daily journal, drawing and musing on the lives of birds in her backyard in California. Shirley Leung talks to Amy about her breakthrough novel, “The Joy Luck Club,” the agony of fiction writing, and whether she considers herself an Asian-American writer or just a writer. Throughout her career, Amy has written extensively about mother-daughter relationships, which partly stems from her own experience. Amy says her late mother is present in every one of her works, even this one. Email us at [email protected].

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The murder of a healthcare CEO has led to an overdue conversation about health insurance in the US. The reaction to the news is revealing a visceral anger about the unfairness and dysfunction of how we pay for healthcare. What makes our system so frustrating for people? And what are the solutions? On Say More this week, host Shirley Leung turns to Casey Ross, an investigative reporter with Stat News and Dr. Vikas Saini, a cardiologist who runs the Lown Institute here in Massachusetts. Email us at [email protected].

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Usually it’s easy to tell a con artist’s motivations. Some do it for money, power or access. Some, however, do it for reasons hard to understand. The Boston Globe recently exposed an incomprehensible con: a 33-year old-woman who posed as a destitute teenage high school student. Her name is Shelby Hewitt. She enrolled in public high school under different names and created the identities of two social workers to legitimize a fake harrowing backstory. But last year it all came crashing down, leaving more questions than answers. Boston Globe reporter Patricia Wen talked to dozens of people who knew Shelby and were affected by her crimes. In this episode, Say More guest host Jazmin Aguilera sits down with Patricia to talk about what this story reveals about Boston institutions and systemic failure. Email us at [email protected]. 

To read Patricia Wen’s original reporting, follow these links: 

The secret lives of Shelby Hewitt, 32-year-old high school imposter

‘I lied to you about something big’: Confessions of Shelby Hewitt, high school imposter

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If there is one thing to know about writer and entrepreneur Josh Foer: he wants to learn EVERYTHING. Tying his projects together is an endless curiosity about our world. On this episode of Say More, editorial page editor Jim Dao journeys to Somerville to visit one of Josh’s projects: Lehrhaus, the world’s first Jewish tavern and house of learning. They discuss modern Jewish life and one of Josh’s other ventures, the Atlas Obscura project and his latest book about the weirdest wildlife on the planet. Email us at [email protected]. 

Josh’s new book is called Atlas Obscura Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders.

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This week on Say More, we share a podcast episode from our friends at Boston’s NPR station WBUR. Find new episodes of The Common here, hosted by Darryl C. Murphy

Last spring, the City of Boston welcomed its inaugural Director of Nightlife Economy, Corean Reynolds. You might have heard some people refer to her as the “night czar,” though that’s not her official title. Now that she’s been in her position for a year, we wanted to catch up with her about some of the initiatives her office is working on, as well as challenges to improving nightlife in the city.

You'll also hear producer Frannie Monahan hit the streets to ask Bostonians about their thoughts on the city's nightlife scene, and their suggestions for improving it for everyone.

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Until recently, Connie Chung didn’t realize what her TV career meant to millions of Asian Americans who saw her on the nightly news. While they watched her breaking barriers, she was focused on being the best possible journalist she could be: camping out for high-profile interviews and delivering scoops. Now, Connie is coming to terms with her legacy. She talks to Shirley about her new memoir “Connie.” She opens up about the mistreatment she faced in the news business, including by CBS co-anchor Dan Rather, and she talks about her miraculous path to motherhood. Email us at [email protected].

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After a big election, it’s easy to point to all the things the winners did right and the losers did wrong. But where does the Democratic Party go from here? Globe writers James Pindell and Adrian Walker say there’s hope for Democrats in the future, but they need to find a way to reconnect with their voters. Shirley asks why more Black voters were drawn to Trump, whether a woman can ever be elected president in America, and what national trends might mean for the political landscape in Massachusetts. Email us at [email protected].

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Whether you like it or not, America made a clear choice in the 2024 presidential election. Donald Trump won decisively, and Kamala Harris fell short. What exactly happened? On Say More, Shirley Leung talks to Globe Opinion writers Joan Vennochi and Carine Hajjar about national results. They also discuss how New England is shifting right like the rest of the country. Email us at [email protected]. 

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