

Say More
The Boston Globe
Big ideas and big debates, explained through intimate conversations with the compelling personalities who shape them. AI and biotech. Higher education and health care. Climate and sustainability. Politics and the media. Culture and culture wars. Hosted by Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 22, 2024 • 25min
Decoding AI: What Happens When AI Decides Your Medical Coverage
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 15, 2024 • 29min
Nate Silver on Politics, Poker, and Risking it All
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 8, 2024 • 27min
Who is Tim Walz? Globe Opinion reacts
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 31, 2024 • 33min
RERUN: Boys and Men Are Struggling. How Do We Help Them?
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 24, 2024 • 28min
Why Boston said NO to Hosting the 2024 Olympics
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 18, 2024 • 26min
Is NPR Having an Existential Crisis?
Boston has two major NPR stations, and in recent months they’ve both slashed jobs and canceled shows. Public media is in a recession. Fewer people are listening to the radio and ad revenue is insufficient. Attacks from the right accuse the network of having a liberal bias. Can these beloved media institutions survive? Shirley discusses the future of NPR with Boston Globe media reporter Aidan Ryan and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. 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.

Jul 11, 2024 • 24min
Karen Read Case: What’s Next?
The Karen Read case initially caught the attention of a local group of diehards. But now it’s hard to go anywhere in Massachusetts these days without finding strong opinions about a woman accused of murdering a Boston police officer. After a grueling eight-week trial, and a deadlocked jury, the judge declared a mistrial. This week, Shirley is joined again by Boston Globe reporter Sean Cotter, and Globe Opinion columnist Joan Vennochi to discuss the case and what comes next. They talk about the mistrial, similarities to the OJ trial, and what’s up with Chloe the German shepherd. 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.

Jul 3, 2024 • 26min
BEATING BURNOUT: How I Learned to Just Say NO
One solution to burnout is simple: say NO to more stuff. Our plates are too full. It turns out, many people struggle with saying NO - especially women - especially at work. This phenomenon helped to birth the “No Club” - five women digging into the science of why we can’t just say no to stuff and what to do about it. In a special bonus episode of our BEATING BURNOUT series, Shirley talks to two members of the No Club about what they have learned about work and life. 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.

Jun 26, 2024 • 28min
BEATING BURNOUT: Emily Nagoski Connects Sex and Stress
Sex educator Emily Nagoski didn’t set out to be an expert on stress. But it turns out, stress is affecting peoples’ sex lives, big time. After helping her sister Amelia through two life-threatening burnout episodes, the two got together to write a book about the science of stress and how it leads to burnout. For them, the journey to understanding stress became a deeper quest for sisterhood and meaning. Emily talks to Shirley about completing the stress cycle, the problem with self-care, and the connections between stress, sleep, and orgasm. 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.

Jun 19, 2024 • 28min
BEATING BURNOUT: Krista Tippett on the Power of Getting Quiet
We are living in a time of deep uncertainty, marked by global conflicts, economic anxiety, and societal divisions. No wonder we're so uneasy. Founder and host of the “On Being” podcast Krista Tippett says these uncertain times require a larger spiritual quest for meaning and stillness in modern life. We inhabit a noisy, distracting world of Slacks and texts, and we need to learn how to get quiet. It’s surprisingly hard, and Krista shares her own journey managing burnout and “befriending reality” in all its glorious messiness. Then she sends listeners off with a benediction on burnout. 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.