Say More

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THE COMMENT SECTION: You Wrote In, We Listened Sep 26, 2024

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You wrote in, and we read everything. Say More’s THE COMMENT SECTION will be a monthly exploration of the many forms of reader engagement found within the pages of Boston Globe Opinion. The spectrum begins with the lively, often passionate, and usually anonymous online comments on viral essays, and ends with the thoughtful signed letters to the editor, printed daily in the paper. Today’s guests are author and journalist Karen Stabiner, whose essay on dating after 50 drew hundreds of comments online, and Globe Letters editor Matthew Bernstein. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Sebastian Junger Nearly Died. It Changed His Life. Sep 19, 2024

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“A black pit opened underneath me… a void that was infinitely black.” This is what author Sebastian Junger saw while near death on an operating table in a Massachusetts hospital. Junger survived, but his brush with death would alter his life - and his attitude about the existence of an afterlife. Junger is best known for writing the book “The Perfect Storm” - which later was made into a blockbuster Hollywood movie. He has always focused on themes of death and danger in his books - but this latest book “In my Time of Dying” is his most personal yet. He sits down with The Globe’s editorial page editor Jim Dao to talk about his experience. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

To read Globe Opinion's special issue on aging, click here.

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50 Years Ago, Busing Rocked East Boston. Two Best Friends Remember. Sep 12, 2024

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Growing up in East Boston, Robert Lewis Jr. and Sal LaMattina have been best friends since they were in the first grade. They both received an education of a lifetime when, in 1974, a federal court order forced the city to bus kids to different schools in the name of racial integration. Forced busing resulted in a racist backlash that tore their East Boston neighborhood apart. They remember it like it was yesterday: stabbings at school, a firebomb in the kitchen, and a community fractured. Lewis Jr. is now the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, and LaMattina served as a Boston city councilor for a decade in the 2000s. They discuss their memories on this 50th anniversary of busing - and their hopes for the next 50 years of public education in Boston. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

FOR PHOTOS OF SAL AND JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND NOW - Check out our instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/globeopinion/

For the Boston Globe’s newsroom audio documentary about busing, visit their show page: https://www.bostonglobe.com/multimedia/audio/podcast/globe-podcast/

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Should Kids Play Tackle Football? A Concussion Expert Has Thoughts Sep 05, 2024

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Would you let your kid play in traffic? Co-Founder and CEO of Boston’s Concussion Legacy Foundation Chris Nowinski has some tough questions for parents who sign their kids up for tackle football while their brains are still in vulnerable stages of development. Chris is a neuroscientist who played football at Harvard and wrestled in the WWE. He's had uncountable concussions and the terrible symptoms that go along with repeated hits to the head. Shirley has a dilemma about whether or not to let her 11-year-old son play tackle football and Chris gives his honest advice. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Glenn Loury Shares Confessions of a Black Conservative Aug 29, 2024

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Glenn Loury is not your average economist, and his memoir is full of shocking details. You might enjoy the parts about policy and markets, and pay even closer attention to the parts about sex workers and an enduring addiction to crack cocaine. While he was working during the day in places like Harvard and Boston University, he was spending nights on the streets, getting into trouble. Shirley joins Glenn at his home in Providence, RI, to talk about his new book, “Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative.” Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Decoding AI: What Happens When AI Decides Your Medical Coverage Aug 22, 2024

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Murky rules for health care coverage are not new, but now, companies are increasingly turning to AI to help make complex decisions about medical decisions — leading to some devastating mistakes. STAT News reporters Casey Ross and Bob Herman were recently named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for exposing how the large insurer UnitedHealth Group used AI to deny care. On Say More, they talk to Globe Ideas editor Brian Bergstein about the dangers of AI in health care. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Click here to see Casey and Bob’s reporting.

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Nate Silver on Politics, Poker, and Risking it All Aug 15, 2024

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Nate Silver is famous for using statistics to predict elections. He’s a self-professed “numbers guy” and likes to use math to make complicated decisions. Nate’s new book ‘On the Edge’ is about people who take big calculated risks, for better or for worse. Nate says he and his fellow risk takers are members of a community called “The River.” On this episode of Say More, Nate takes Shirley on a guided tour. They also talk about politics and why polls are sometimes misused. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Who is Tim Walz? Globe Opinion reacts Aug 08, 2024

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Trump picked Vance. Harris picked Walz. Boston Globe Opinion has thoughts. Shirley sits down with Joan Vennochi and Carine Hajjar from Globe Opinion to discuss the VP picks, campaign strategies, and women voters. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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RERUN: Boys and Men Are Struggling. How Do We Help Them? Jul 31, 2024

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Men and boys are less likely to excel in high school or go to college. They are more likely to get hooked on drugs or die of suicide. More broadly, boys and men are at a crossroads. While the #MeToo movement has provided a needed global reckoning for women and girls, it left boys with a long list of “don’ts” without enough “dos.” This week on Say More, author and scholar Richard Reeves talks to Shirley Leung about how this cultural vacuum leaves boys vulnerable to reactionary figures, such as Andrew Tate and other ‘manfluencers.’ He gives Shirley advice on how to prepare her sons for the world. Reeves is president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and author of the book “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It.” Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Why Boston said NO to Hosting the 2024 Olympics Jul 24, 2024

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If things had gone differently, right now Boston would be swarmed with athletes and spectators from around the world for the 2024 Summer Olympics. A coordinated grassroots campaign in 2015 shut down a bid to host the games. It turns out - Boston isn’t alone. Movements in cities around the world have since blocked local efforts to host the games. This week on Say More, Shirley talks to political scientist Jules Boykoff about the politics of the Olympics - especially the “no” campaigns. Jules watched all the drama play out in Boston, and still thinks about what happened. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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