Say More

Who was the first Masshole? It’s a question that dogged Boston Globe feature writer Billy Baker, resulting in some serious research. This week on Say More, Billy comes on the show with Globe reporter Emily Sweeney to discuss the origins and deeper meaning of the phrase. They discuss their Boston childhoods, the fading Boston accent, and how Good Will Hunting changed South Boston forever. Email us at [email protected].

Maine keeps grabbing national attention. First it was the unexpected rise and fall of economic populist Graham Platner, a serious contender for Maine’s senate seat. Now begins the race to find a new nominee to run against incumbent Susan Collins, whose own campaign is being marred by the chaotic violence of federal ICE agents, including the tragic killing of a young man. On this month’s politics panel, opinion editor Jim Dao talks to writers Abdallah Fayyad and Joan Vennochi about Maine, Iran and bike safety in Boston. Email us at [email protected]. 

Chelsea High School in Massachusetts is around 90 percent Latino, and the city has been ground zero for ICE raids in the Boston area. On the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, we wanted to know how teachers were talking to their students about American history and how it relates to the American present. On this third and final installment of PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, host Anna Kusmer talks to Chelsea High history teacher Byron Williams about framing the complex history of the US to students and why the Declaration of Independence is still a radical document.  Email us at [email protected].

If you ask Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley about her relationship with America, she doesn't mince words, “it’s complicated.” Pressley has come to develop strong feelings of patriotism that are rooted in love for American people and the promise of the American ideals of equality and justice. On this second episode of PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, Pressley discusses the verbs that are most patriotic to her: things like lawmaking, protest, and dissent. She also talks about the ways Black people have pushed America to be better since its founding. Email us at [email protected].

This July 4th, liberals are faced with an awkward milestone. The country’s 250th anniversary requires our attention, and yet, the state of national politics brings only angst and despair. This month on Say More, we bring you the series PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, about the ways liberals who are uncomfortable with the idea of patriotism and reclaim their love of country. In this first episode, host Anna Kusmer talks to Yale Historian Beverly Gage about the power of a good American road trip, and her new book This Land is Your Land. Gage says although the national mood is fraught, our big birthday provides a perfect moment for us to reset our relationship with the country. Email us at [email protected]. 

And tune in next week for an interview with Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley where she talks about why she thinks, ‘dissent is patriotic.”

Despite every prediction of endless traffic, grumpy residents and societal collapse, Boston hosting the World Cup has been downright delightful. The biggest surprise for many has been the Tartan Army, a truly shocking influx of Scottish fans in our streets, drinking all our beer and eating all our ranch dressing. This week on Say More, Shirley Leung talks to Globe NFL writer Ben Volin who has been moonlighting as the paper’s chief soccer correspondent and covering all seven World Cup games in Massachusetts. He talks futbol, the future of the sport in the US, and what makes the World Cup so special. Email us at [email protected]  

Scandal-ridden Graham Platner easily defeated Governor Janet Mills to become the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine. Will his controversies hurt him with voters? How has the Trump era changed the way voters respond to political scandal? This week on Say More’s politics panel, Globe opinion writer Abdallah Fayyad and Joan Vennochi compare Platner’s campaign to another scandalous Democrat in Boston, Rachael Rollins, who is running to reclaim her role as Suffolk County District Attorney. Then, they discuss a compromise on Massachusetts rent control and the World Cup in Boston. Email us at [email protected]

Dr. Elisabeth Marnik is not your average immunologist.  Because she grew up unvaccinated, she has a special insight into why people choose to opt out of vaccine schedules and what can be done to build trust and increase vaccine acceptance. This week on Say More, Dr. Marnik, who is also the executive director of the Evidence Collective, sat down with Say More’s Anna Kusmer to talk about vaccine mandates, the limits of empathy, and why “facts alone are not enough.” Email us at [email protected].

From the Science Classroom by Science Whiz Liz

Eureka Day, now playing at the Huntington Theater.

Comedian Alex Edelman is always striving to be better. He spent his childhood going to a yeshiva Jewish day school in Brookline Massachusetts, and now performs comedy on the world’s biggest stages. He’s well known for an award-winning Broadway show “Just For Us,” which recounts his covert visit to a white nationalist meeting in New York City. His new show is called “What Are You Going to Do.” This week on Say More, Alex sits down with host Anna Kusmer to talk about striking a balance between tradition and modernity, the past and future of Jewish comedy, and his renowned hatred of shtick. Email us at [email protected].

 Dr. Khameer Kidia is a physician and mental health researcher at Harvard Medical School and University of Zimbabwe. He headlined the Globe’s Health Equity Summit this year, discussing the ways that Western psychiatry fails to meet the demands of our unequal world. On stage with Say More’s Anna Kusmer, Dr. Kidia talks about using the wisdom of grandmothers to help alleviate mental suffering in Zimbabwe and what he learned from his mentor Dr. Paul Farmer, who cofounded Partners in Health. Email us at [email protected].