Say More

If it's an important slice of American history, you can bet Ken Burns has made a documentary about it. The list is nearly endless. From baseball to jazz, Mark Twain to Ernest Hemingway, the Civil War to the Dust Bowl. Now, he's going back to the beginning. Burns’s upcoming documentary series, out later this year, will explore the Revolutionary War with a focus on the lesser-known characters of the revolution. Burns tells the Globe’s editorial page editor Jim Dao that this new film is the most important one he’ll ever make. Email us at saymore@globe.com. To read Ken’s essay about his forthcoming series in Boston Globe Ideas, click here. And to read the rest of Globe Opinion’s coverage of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, click here.

Today, we’re sharing the first episode of the brand new podcast Spotlight: Snitch City, produced by The Boston Globe's award-winning Spotlight team. In this specific episode, you’ll find yourself on the docks of New Bedford, Massachusetts, hearing whispers about a rogue police officer harassing fishermen and stealing drugs, all of which come to a head one late night aboard a scalloping boat. The officer forces his way on board, saying an informant told him there would be drugs on board, and demands some. But when another officer, Mark Raposo, shows up, he thinks his colleague is in the middle of a “drug rip.” Now Raposo is ready to blow the whistle on what he’s seen. And it turns out that this officer’s abuse of the informant system is just the tip of the iceberg in this historic port city. To listen to the rest of the series, follow Spotlight: Snitch City here: https://link.chtbl.com/tTLbVzKf?sid=SayMore

When it comes to the war on drugs, you could say the police are addicted to confidential informants. That’s the conclusion of a new Boston Globe Spotlight investigation into the pervasive and shadowy world of this police practice that is widely used and barely regulated. The story starts in New Bedford Massachusetts, where use of informants has had dramatic consequences. This week on Say More, podcast host Jazmin Aguilera speaks to Spotlight reporters Dugan Arnett and Andrew Ryan about their investigation and their new podcast series “Snitch City”.  Email us at saymore@globe.com.  For links to the Snitch City investigation, click here.

Being a working parent can be a rewarding joy, but it’s also an endless challenge. This week, Say More is happy to share its first LIVE show, recorded from the Boston Globe’s inaugural Working Mothers Summit in Boston. In the episode, Shirley talks to Mayor Michelle Wu about her decision to parent in public, even bringing baby Mira on stage. Then, Shirley sits down with state Attorney General Andrea Campbell about her office’s efforts to reign in social media - for the health and safety of kids. Email us at saymore@globe.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Canadian Journalist Stephen Marche says he’s experiencing the most powerful moment of Canadian politics in his lifetime. The trigger has been Donald Trump’s presidency and his antagonistic stance towards Canada, one of the US’s closest historic allies and trading partners. On this episode of Say More, Shirley talks to Marche about the ways Canadians are reacting to Trump’s aggression, their fear and heartbreak, and what the future holds for Canada in a new political world order. Email us at saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Massachusetts has one of the oldest and most successful publicly run lottery systems in the country. It shouldn’t surprise you that per adult, MA residents spend more on the lottery than any other state, by a wide margin. But if you dig into the numbers, the problems with the lottery system start to become visible - tickets are more likely to be bought by low-income people, and the revenue that’s generated is not distributed fairly. On Say More this week, Shirley is joined by Ian Coss, host of the new 8-part GBH podcast Scratch and Win, to talk about the history, present, and future of the Mass Lottery. Also on the show is Esmy Jimenez, a Boston Globe reporter who covers the racial wealth gap. She has a recent investigation on who spends the most on the Mass Lottery and where the money goes. Email us at Saymore@globe.com.  To see Esmy’s investigative reporting on the Mass Lottery, click here:  Mass. residents are the biggest lottery players in the US. But the wealth isn’t shared equitably. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former New York Times Beijing bureau chief Jane Perlez will pay $1 million to whoever knows what President Trump will do when it comes to China. Ok, not really, but Jane says Trump’s plans are hugely important, and anyone’s guess. Jane is now a fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, and is the host of the podcast, Face-Off: The U.S. vs China. This week on Say More, Jane talks to The Boston Globe’s editorial page editor Jim Dao about why China is so important to the U.S., and what she thinks might happen between the two super powers. Email us at saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was called to Washington this week to answer questions about Boston’s so-called "sanctuary city” status. At a Congressional hearing, she, and 3 other blue-city mayors, were grilled by Republicans who say that Boston’s lack of collaboration with federal immigration officials puts residents in danger. Wu refuted this point, and defended her policies. On Say More this week, host Shirley Leung talks to Globe national political reporter Jim Puzzanghera about the politics of the hearing and Wu’s performance. Shirley also talks to Globe Opinion columnist Marcela Garcia about how the city’s immigrants are dealing with the political machinations in Washington. Email us at saymore@globe.com.  Read Jim Puzzanghera’s coverage here:  “‘Give ‘em hell Michelle’: Mayor Wu stayed calm and combative during her first congressional hearing on immigration” Read Shirley’s column on Wu’s performance here:  “Don’t mess with Boston. In the lion’s den of Congress, Michelle Wu was formidable and fearless.”   Sign up for Marcela Garcia’s newsletter here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first days of the COVID pandemic feel like a movie looking back: we watched in horror as the virus ravaged China, Italy, and Iran - and wondered if we would be next. Now, five years later, we know what happened: the economy suffered from a prolonged shutdown, more than one million Americans died, and political polarization reached an all-time high. One person leading us through the chaos was physician Ashish Jha, the Dean of the Brown School of Public Health. He was a regular contributor to TV and radio news throughout the pandemic, and later worked for the Biden White House on COVID policy. This week on Say More, Ashish offers a mea culpa, saying health experts failed the public during the pandemic. He says they need to learn from their mistakes, because the next pandemic is around the corner. Email us at saymore@globe.com.  To read Ahish Jha’s latest article in the Boston Globe, click here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The story of Sandra Birchmore may never have made headlines if it wasn’t for Laura Crimaldi, a Boston Globe reporter who spent years following the trail of Birchmore’s life and tragic death. While Birchmore’s death was originally ruled as a suicide, follow up investigations showed she was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a married Stoughton police officer, starting when she was a minor. This new line of investigation uncovered years of mistreatment by multiple officers and had Sandra’s loved ones asking why nothing was done to protect Sandra while she was alive. Guest host Jazmin Aguilera speaks to Globe reporters Laura Crimaldi and Yvonne Abraham about what it took to unravel this story. Email us at saymore@globe.com.  Read Laura and Yvonne’s stories here:  Chapter 1:  Sandra Birchmore put her trust in the police. They broke it.  Chapter 2: Investigators assumed Sandra Birchmore took her own life. What did they miss? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michelle Wu is the first Boston Mayor to have a baby while in elected office, and while it was unprecedented, it wasn’t much of a news story. Pregnancy is increasingly normalized for powerful women, which is a sign of progress. But Wu’s decision to forgo maternity leave brings up important questions about the politics of motherhood: Can a champion of paid family leave justify not taking it herself? Is having a baby an asset or a liability on the campaign trail? Three working mothers – Globe columnists Shirley Leung and Joan Vennochi, and Say More producer Anna Kusmer – unpack the debate. Listen to “Say More” episodes at globe.com/saymore and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like the show, please follow us and leave us a review. You can email us at Saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Surveys show that more and more Americans put down the bottle this January to try out drinking less. For some people, the goal was sobriety, and for others, moderation. Researchers are finding that alcohol consumption is going down in general across the population after spiking during the pandemic. Helping the cause are some stark recommendations from top health officials saying alcohol can cause cancer. Shirley takes a trip to a non-alcoholic bottle shop in Boston to try some mocktails, and later talks to Dr. Scott Hadland, who is a substance use specialist at Mass General for Children. Email us at saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Writer Jenny Boylan is perplexed about why trans people “finding their peace” has resulted in such outrage from much of the American public. She moves forward in the only way she knows how: by continuing to write and tell stories about the humanity of the trans experience. Jenny transitioned 25 years ago and in that time she has seen the culture change dramatically when it comes to treatment of trans people. In some ways it’s gotten better, and in some ways it’s gotten worse. Jenny talks to editorial page editor Jim Dao about this scary moment in American politics and her new book, “Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us.” Email us at saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It happened. Trump was sworn in as 47th president of the United States, as only the second person in history to serve non-consecutive terms. Trump laid out a detailed list of priorities during his speech, but it’s still unclear what he will actually do, and what the Trump 2.0 coalition will look like. Will he stick to his populist roots? Or continue cozying up to billionaires? Will we see a new resistance to Trump from the left? Or a great resignation?  For this week’s episode of the Say More podcast, editorial page editor Jim Dao sits down with Globe Opinion columnist Joan Vennochi and Globe political reporter James Pindell to discuss what Trump 2.0 might have in store. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You wrote in, and we read everything. Say More’s THE COMMENT SECTION is a monthly exploration of the many forms of reader engagement found within the pages of Boston Globe Opinion. This week, we talked to columnist Marcela García about her pet stories. Recently, Marcela covered a fraught court case about pet euthanasia, and hundreds of readers wrote in about their own experiences. We also checked in with Globe Letters editor Matthew Bernstein to hear some of his favorite letters of the month. Email us at saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 saymore@globe.com.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 saymore@globe.com.   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.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 saymore@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 saymore@globe.com.  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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.