The Globe

Latest Episodes:

“I’ve been locked up all my life” - The Story of Frank Smith: A Globe Magazine Feature Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Frank Smith is very likely the longest-serving prisoner, ever, in the United States. He spent around 85 years in the justice system. He was in prison for the Battle of Stalingrad, and the liberation of Auschwitz. He was in custody during Elvis’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, the opening of the first McDonald’s franchise, the wars in both Korea and Vietnam, and the moon landing. He missed the introduction of credit cards and the September 11th attacks and the invention of the Internet, a development he regards with some suspicion. Almost everyone he knew before he went away is dead.

This is his story.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding Lisa: A Globe LongReads Feature Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

Lisa never stopped wondering who she was. So she joined millions of others who have turned to DNA databases to trace their roots. Her roots wound across the country, and through a serial killer's backyard.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Junior Roller Derby Turned a Brutal Sport into a Safe Haven for Kids Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Block. Jam. Repeat.

From practice to tournament, host Jazmin Aguilera brings you inside an inclusive roller derby bootcamp where every kid – no matter their background, body type, or skill level – can lace up, roll out, and find their place on the track.

Turns out, a violent, dangerous sport like roller derby is a prime environment for emotional growth while also being fun to play. Somehow the combination of self-policing and emphasis on emotional regulation keeps roller derby an inclusive and welcoming environment, skaters say. And it’s precisely because of that commitment that skaters can explore their inner fierceness and individuality. And isn’t that for everyone?

Check out the full multimedia experience here.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Never get into a car with an Elvis impersonator and other things I learned in Vegas: A Globe Magazine Feature Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prostate cancer, Joe Biden, and me: A conversation with Mark Shanahan of Mr 80 Percent May 23, 2025

Show notes

Last week former President Joe Biden announced his prostate cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer is the second deadliest cancer for men in the U.S. and is incredibly common. Boston Globe’s own Mark Shanahan knows that all too well. He was also diagnosed with it back in 2013 when he was 48 years old. His experience from diagnosis to cancer-free was the subject of a Boston Globe podcast released in 2020 called Mr. 80%. In this episode, Mark and Jazmin talk about the Joe Biden news and about Mark's experience with this disease before featuring the first episode of Mr. 80%.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voter Vibes: Immigration May 20, 2025

Show notes

In the second issue of Voter Vibes, a periodic check-in with a wide range of New England voters about the second Trump administration, we asked a group of New England voters what they really think about President Trump's immigration policies.

This is what they said.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voter Vibes: The Economy Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

Introducing Voter Vibes, a periodic check-in with a wide range of New England voters about the second Trump administration. First up: How's the economy doing?

We asked 14 New Englanders what they really think of the Trump-era economy. This is what they said.

Check out all the respondent's answers here.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Mediatrician's Guide - how to live a healthy life with screens Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

‘Media-trician’ Dr. Michael Rich thinks you should abandon screen time restrictions because "they don't work."

Dr. Rich is a doctor and researcher at Boston Children's Hospital. As director and founder of The Digital Wellness Lab and the Clinic for Problematic Interactive Media Use, he is an expert in the intersection of medicine, mental health, and screen time.

Host Jazmin Aguilera sits down with the self-described ‘mediatrician’as he walks through what the Digital Wellness Lab and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders see on a day to day basis, how their research informs their guidelines for parents, and what tangible steps parents can take to develop healthy screen habits with their children.

To read the transcripts of this episode and learn more about Dr Rich and The Digital Wellness Lab go to Globe.com/theglobepodcast

Show Links:

The Digital Wellness Lab : DigitalWellnessLab.org

The Mediatrician's Guide : https://www.harpercollinsfocus.com/9780785255727/the-mediatricians-guide/

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The secret lives of Shelby Hewitt - 32-year-old high school imposter: A Globe Magazine Narrated Feature Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

The Boston Globe publishes thousands of stories each year, but only a select few capture the public’s attention for weeks on end. The Secret Lives of Shelby Hewitt: 32 year old high school imposter is one such story—a fascinating tale of a 32-year-old woman who posed as a teenager to re-enroll in high school. This deep dive reveals the ripple effects on the schools, the Department of Children and Families, and the lives of those deceived by her audacious con. Prepare to be captivated by the first installment in a series that uncovers the shocking truth behind the masquerade.

To read more about what happened to Shelby Hewitt and all those who were affected by her deception catch up on all of Patricia Wen’s reporting:

A new twist in the saga of Shelby Hewitt, high school imposter

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

Click here to support more local journalism and audio offerings from the Boston Globe.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Harvard Plan Pt. 3: “The Universities Are The Enemy” Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

In part three of this collaboration with WNYC’s On The Media, the deep history of Harvard and the distinctly American idea of “diversity” is the hidden subtext for much of the recent strife. For most of the past half-century, the academy (and the business world) has embraced a concept of diversity as a social good.That concept, was developed at Harvard and endorsed by the Supreme Court, until the high court ended race-based affirmative action in 2023. This episode also looks at what’s in store for universities as the incoming Trump-Vance administration promises to pressure them to change curricula.

To check out more Boston Globe reporting on Harvard and Claudine Gay and support more high quality journalism click here.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices