WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley This is the Cali Crossley Show. Today we're hitting the rewind button on this week's news from the great lady's front pages to the stories on the small screen and the reporting that went under the radar. It's a hyper local look at the news that was and wasn't. We'll be dropping in on online communities and alternative presses. For a look at the big stories from the small papers where today's neighborhood news becomes tomorrow's mainstream headlines. Well top of the hour venturing from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with Greg time on tour of the tabloids and a roundup of this week's pop culture. Up next on the callee Crossley Show from gumshoe reporting the gossip rags. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying the trade gap expands

for the first time in five months a deficit hit forty seven point eight billion dollars in November as higher demand for oil and foreign made cars drove up imports exports decreased. Economist Kurt Rankin of PNC Financial says the decline in exports hurts economic growth. This is not good for U.S. job creation which is the primary concern with U.S. growth right now. Citing duplication of services President Obama wants to combine the functions of trade and commerce agencies. He says that would be his target if Congress gives him greater authority to merge agencies as part of a broader plan to cut costs. I will only use this authority for reforms that result in more efficiency. Better service and a leaner government. It's the first such request from a president since Ronald Reagan was in office. Man Maher or Burma has released some of its most famous political prisoners. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the U.S. which has been trying to encourage the reclusive

country to open up has welcomed this latest step. President Obama calls it a substantial step forward that was echoed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who visited me on Mar late last year and encouraged the government to keep on a path of reform. Today I join President Obama in welcoming the news that the government has released hundreds of political prisoners several of whom have languished in prison for decades. Clinton is also welcoming a cease fire agreement that Myanmar's government signed with one of the ethnic rebel groups this week. She says the U.S. will respond by improving ties and upgrading the U.S. embassy. Clinton says the U.S. will soon name an ambassador. Michele Kelemen NPR News Washington. A 23 year old British hacker has lost a first round of his legal fight against extradition to the U.S.. Larry Miller reports it is copyright infringement charges after creating a website that help people watch TV and films for free.

University student Richard O'Dwyer created the TV shack website at his extradition hearing his lawyer argue the site did not store copyrighted material itself. But you reckon users to other sites where they could download restricted content he said that's no more than search engines like Google and Yahoo do. How do I earn two hundred and thirty thousand dollars through advertising. As the number of TV shack users soared to 300000 a month. His lawyer said Oh Dwyer's actions are not crimes in the UK and have tried in the US he become what he termed a guinea pig for testing American copyright law. If convicted in the U.S. O'Dwyer faces a prison term. He's expected to appeal. For NPR News I'm Larry Miller in London. At last glance on Wall Street Dow was down 111 points at twelve thousand three hundred sixteen the Nasdaq was down twenty four twenty seven a one. This is NPR News. There's been a cabinet shake up in Japan as the prime minister tries to rally support for a controversial tax hike. JOHN MATTHEWS In Tokyo reports two of the removed

government ministers had been censured by the opposition. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as proposal to double consumption tax to 10 percent to pay for reconstruction has met with heavy resistance even within his own party nearly as removing defense minister Yes what you calla criticize for denying knowledge of a famous 1995 rape case involving U.S. servicemen and Consumer Affairs Minister Kenji a moka who spoke in support of a pyramid marketing scheme widely respected party diplomat cum see a cut is to take over as Deputy Premier and head up tax reform debate. Analysts are positive on the new changes but many favor the idea that Japan's opposition may force an election this year potentially bringing in Japan's eighth prime minister in six years. For NPR News I'm John Matthews in Tokyo. The Associated Press is reporting a deadly workplace shooting in North Carolina today authorities say a disgruntled employee. Open fire at a lumber company early. Killing three people and injuring another person before he drove home and turned the gun on himself. He was allegedly wounded as well. Most of

the Republican candidates are stumping for votes in South Carolina with just over a week to go before the primary but New Gingrich is busy drumming up support in Florida where the contests won't be held until the end of the month. Gingrich was scheduled to host a breakfast in Miami and open campaign headquarters in Orlando. U.S. stocks falling at last check the Dow was down 120 points or nearly 1 percent at twelve thousand three hundred fifty one Nasdaq down also nearly 1 percent. And Lakshmi Singh NPR News. Support for NPR comes from the Poetry Foundation celebrating 100 years of Poetry magazine online at a Poetry Foundation dot org. Good afternoon I'm Cally Crossley This is the Calla Crossley Show. Today we're hitting the rewind button on the week's local news with a look at the stories that went under the radar on our agenda today. The three strikes bill and documentary

about undocumented students in Boston and Governor Patrick explains his trade missions. I'm joined by Howard Manley the executive editor of Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia the managing editor of El Plata. Welcome back you to. Thank you Kelly. And I know you're We haven't had a chance to say that yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Well let's start off with the piece in the banner. How were the three strikes bill that's in the legislature now having a lot of discussion huge meeting down at the deadly branch of the Boston Public Library of people who are concerned about what it may mean for communities of color. There's a lot of building opposition to this bill and it's problematic on a number of fronts. One is that you have to have some sort of clear sentencing reform and in this bill it's a couple of bills but one of them calls for upon a person's third arrests.

They have to serve the majority all the last sentence of that arrest. Also you are now if you've been convicted of a crime you become a habitual offender and instead of receiving a probationary hearing after half of that last sentence it becomes two thirds of your sentence. The problem is that folks have argued in the community that this will have a disproportionate effect on black and brown folks. It should be stated though that a lot of folks are just as concerned about being tough on crime as some of the legislators that drafted this bill and they have a vested interest in making sure that crimes don't repeat don't happen again. And so what they would like is a little bit more input from the communities Dorchester mad upin and Roxbury to be in the mix so to say with the drafting of this legislation there was a meeting among the state legislators last couple days ago that was canceled. And a lot of that has to do with the sort of building opposition politically.

How do you appease the not appease but how do you work these folks into the drafting of this legislation. Well the it passed in the house one hundred forty six votes in favor and only 12 against and of the 12 8 came from the black and Latino Caucus members. And four came from legislators and Representative Gloria Fox was praising those for saying that was a that was a brave stand. One of the issues this raise Marcelle I'm to get you in on this is that I mean many as Howard has stated but I notice from the legal redress committee from your piece that the third offense can be any felony and that her Massachusetts law felonies are breaking and entering assault and battery on a police officer possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and an armed robbery. So the issue for a lot of people with this bill is not that they don't want to be tough on crime Marcella but that nonviolent offenders get caught up in this. What should be

if anybody agrees. Harsh sentences for four violent offenders. Yeah let's not forget like your piece says I think it's that Massachusetts has 600 felonies or something. Is that what your piece was a large. So it's not just breaking and breaking and entering it's a law. It's a host of an. Of other felonies I would make it really really hard. And not only on on blacks and browns it's just it's also the prison system and the other thing I think that's important is like our society. I really want to echo that that we need to hear from everyone involved in the matter because obviously legislators have have heard a lot from the proponents or the supporters of this bill. And we need to hear from the community and what their stance is. Obviously this is an election year so it's very for allegedly legislators is very appealing to look hard on crime because it's an election year. But it's this is like Howard said it's very very important in a lot of different levels. You've got to look at the prison system and

how we're going how that is going to be impacted through you know these bills so hopefully your other piece says Howard. Governor Patrick is going to take a look at this because apparently you know he hasn't he hasn't said it's not going to weigh in and right it's right. Yeah that's right. So you can see there's a couple things. The overall cost of keeping folks in prison in these tough economic times. You just don't want to keep adding forty seven thousand dollars a year to an inmate. Yes we have. We're talking about nonviolent criminals obviously the violent ones have to be locked up for you know for as long as they can. But we're at St. Matthew's already spent a billion dollars a year. And this bill according to some experts will jack up that price to another hundred twenty five million dollars a year. And there are ways increased counseling that can sort of ameliorate the rate the recidivism rate. That's what we're talking

about here is folks coming out and then doing another crime. So what are the things that the state can do to prevent that. To the extent that they can. But one thing that is a factor again is the overall cost and you can't just do a short term bill sort of appease the folks that are upset still about letting out that Cinelli guy who had three consecutive life terms he never should have got out and then doing some sort of constructive long term plan in which the governor has stood for he the key word here is smart on crime as a being just locking folks up because I'm doing a good. Well let me just raise you mention Dominicks NLE is as was mentioned in your piece he was the cop in Woburn who was killed by this. He was the inmate inmate and yeah mate who is who killed the woman cub right. And the inmate had been you know back and forth inside the system for a long time and was violent. And so this is from the emotional place from right where a lot of people come like this guy. You know here's a woman cop doing his you

know living his life and this guy who never should have been on the street is out. And how does that happen in Massachusetts when the only way to fix it is to do something like this. And like you say it's an emotional approach and we need to walk away from that I think this bill is also called the Melissa's bill is that if if my career but woman that was raped and killed by an offender that was sitting offender. So yes of course that is an incredible tragedy but you cannot put this weight on the system. Just coming from that from that angle you really have to look at it all these different levels and step away a little bit from the emotional the political side to it because again this is an election year so you know that a lot of that just legislators want to do this to look tough on crime. In California this was a longstanding law and didn't do very well there are is there any conversation powered by legislators who are moving to do a similar kind of bill looking at that example.

Well then there's a march the state is having some conference that or some report that's going to come out look at all the sort of different ways you can have alternative sentencing. But yes in California they implemented a three strikes law and then 10 years after that the prisons are overcrowded and they lose in the court battle they have to start releasing the very people that they sort of write up with this three strikes law. And if there's any folks that are more concerned about getting crime as folks in Roxbury mad upin and Dorchester who not only have to deal with folks getting shot is that their arrest record on violent criminals is low. I mean on murders that a lot of those things are not getting caught so. The fear is that folks who just do nickel and diming drug and just nod to my position they're not even real you know. They're just having possession of marijuana are going to be locked up without any treatment with no skills once they do get out. And so it needs to be rethought out in terms of a long term approach which the governor has supported since

his administration. Well I would be clear about when this I mean when is the final I mean they get they have much more discussion. Yes they have more discussion I think because of the backlash coming from the Black Caucus and the Latino caucus. There's going to be some more back door meetings here that I'm in. It's just a bad bill right now and I think with some tweaks I think they can get it moved forward because we do need criminals like Cinelli to stay behind bars I mean that's the bottom line. Marcello Let's talk about the documentary that story that you did about a documentary following around for undocumented students. These are kids who would benefit from what seems now to be the did DREAM Act. That was the act that was originally proposed by Republicans at the national level to offer a couple of ways for people to who are here in the country undocumented to be able to gain get in the system particularly for kids who are brought here by parents and then everything to do with it and they ended up growing up here right

to go to school under that act. Or they could enter into the military. Since then this is flipped and the Republicans have walked away from this bill most recently Mitt Romney the candidate said he would not support it. Right. And so here we are so you're so they're doing this documentary too. For whom then is this a. It was just it was just a documentary to show the human aspect or the day to day the daily life of these undocumented students. Now you say they were brought here by their parents at a very early age this is the country that they've known. They've been in the school system for their most most of their lives but once they reach high school they find out that they can all go to college because it's an affordable to them because it they are consider out-of-state residents and they they have to pay a higher tuition rate than the rest of and so long story short here in Massachusetts in-state tuition the in-state tuition bill hasn't passed. It was actually vetoed by governor then Governor Romney in 2004. The DREAM Act has not gone

anywhere in the at the federal level. So they're still stuck in it has been estimated at some point here in Massachusetts that there's like 500 or 600 kids every year that will benefit from in-state tuition. Now again they're still in in the limbo because this year the DREAM Act is going to go away. You know it's keep it's going to get stuck still so nothing's going to happen with immigration this year we all know that. So we wanted to. Go back and revisit their lives you know what are they doing in one of our photojournalists that contributes. He agreed to spend a week with four of them following them in and just seeing what their struggles are you know finding most of them are in community colleges two year programs struggling semester to semester trying to find the funding sometimes even getting help from friends or sponsors just to continue their education so it was a very moving piece and again we just wanted to show the human aspect of this issue that has been like you say politicized to to all different

levels most recently with Romney in the Republican contest. The Republican campaign context and it was very well received by our community a lot of folks were sharing this video. And again he's just I think it just gives you a glimpse into what what they have to struggle with with no educational prospects right now because anything that sort of removes the stigma of being an undocumented whatever however you want to term these kids who were brought here by their parents I still can't get over the fact that even when folks have volunteered to join the service that the Republican Party the red white and blue patriotic folks are just going to reject this without any consideration of the efforts that these kids are making. I think it's just right to dream I would grant them a path to citizenship if they would serve in the military over they would complete a four year college.

The other military thing is a little puzzling because right now it's looking for people to join the military. So exactly so. So yeah I like like Howard says he really takes the oath. We were hoping that he would show another aspect of this problem because the conversation always seems to be framed by political right. Yeah but not education exactly how to do exactly. I just want to study and they can't. Your piece makes it clear that 13 states offer in-state tuition to undocumented students who are clued in Connecticut and Rhode Island like Massachusetts does not. And that's been a point of contention here in the state right Governor of them to be right Governor Patrick supports the passing of the bill he testified last summer at a hearing when the bill was last presented but I think it hasn't gone anywhere hopefully this year it will move. But but yeah Rhode Island passed the last September Connecticut did last year so hopefully it will move this year here in Massachusetts because I know it will greatly

benefit the future of these kids. Well I think that one thing that this piece is once again and Howard is. Commented on is it is all piecemeal and it's going to stay piecemeal in addressing the issue of immigration reform because it's an election year and nobody is touching it. It is just a tragedy that is going to pass through. Yeah you know politicians not to solving problems while they're down there we've got major problems and it's always get caught up in some. Yeah yeah. Not even going to be discussed. I'm Calla Crossley We're taking a hyper local look at this week's news with Howard Manley of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia of helpless neta. You're listening to WGBH Boston Public Radio. WGBH programs exist because of you and the Joan and James Vernon Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley hospital striving to provide patients with expert Cancer Care innovative services and treatment options information at NWA age dot

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available in Massachusetts. Tickets are $25 with a discount for WGBH members visit WGBH dot org slash taste of WGBH. The informal friendliness of Celtic music. Joining me Brian O'Donovan every Saturday at 3:00 for a Celtic sojourn here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. I'm Kelly Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in and we're looking at the week's local news under the radar. Joining me to talk between the headlines are Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia the managing editor. Now the both of you attended an event with Governor Deval Patrick who was talking about his trade missions with a particular emphasis it seems on Brazil. Marcello Yes. Why was why was this seems to have been a special event to speak to ethnic

media. Well I'm going to explain. Ever since he announced that he was going to go down to Brazil it was pretty significant in the immigrant community because as you know the largest for Sealion community is here in Massachusetts in the U.S. It's the largest concentration of Brazilians in here in Massachusetts. So of course there was a lot of excitement and a lot of. You know people were wondering why is he going to do down there but he was very clear from the beginning that he was going to be a trade mission he didn't even visit the area where most Brasil's come from there are here in Massachusetts. So he just went to the business centers or the most important cities in Brazil and he brought along a delegation of industry leaders he came. He brought people from academia from the business sector etc. So apparently he signed a few a few agreements whose impact I guess will be seen but. But he made it very clear even

here in his debriefing I guess earlier this week he just said that you know it was it was complete was about jobs he was about job creation here and about how we can capitalize I guess or how his administration capitalized on the receiving community leaving here I didn't really see a lot of that like. I know that again in the Brazilian press here in Massachusetts which is very thriving. In Portuguese but it's there it's very very vibrant. The Brazilian press here they they were really wondering why didn't you even take a Brazilian journalist with you you know there are here covering there are the local community so in my in my opinion I think there was that hole they're in. But again the trade missions are I know that it's all commercial and it's about signing agreements he did also talk about an agreement between UMass and an institution down there where they're going to be exchanging students something like that. So again I think it was it was good

all around for Massachusetts and how good or the impact I think it will be seen down the robot. But I still think that there was this opportunity maybe that was missed to probably do more for the folks that are here are Syrians or rather than going down there and it's just if it was a business to business he would actually have legal rights to gay people to people right. Right and I really wanted to talk. I hope that maybe the Brazilian press can cover this. At a deeper level because I'm sure he connected to you know local pursuits over there that have you know what I mean. You know I used to hear that side of the story because in this meeting that he held with the ethnic pres there's also people from or rather media from Haiti or I always find it very very exciting to see that there is people covering the African communities here. People from Kenya from a Kenyan or radio station that covers Kenyan immigrants here in Massachusetts were there. So obviously a lot of topics are covering these ethnic media meetings with the governor.

But but the focus or his focus he wanted to talk about the journey and the missions right. Why is one of these trade missions a big deal for him and you know you thought it worth it to put in the banner. Yeah partly because it's reaching out to a new source of possible revenue and Brazil has one of the seventh largest slow economy in the world. And when combined with the Brazilian population throughout the state and particularly in the Boston area you know the bear likes to sort of cover any outreach efforts the folks that are normally not on the list of trade missions usually when you talk about a governor you're talking about France Switzerland some nice place that really doesn't. Had any real quote jobs but I think there are some services that can be imported and exported. Yeah I know he mentioned he met with the Chilean president. Right I mean so then I don't know how many you know Julians may be in the

community but he says not to expand collaboration on biotechnology. Clean energy and education. She lays a very very he has a very strong economy is one of the most stable countries in Latin America. Actually until very recently because I think they did have some protests along the lines of overlaying reform. No I think he was student protests something like that but you know historically Chile has been like an economic miracle in America so I think like you say it was business to business it was completely commercial. But but yeah like Howard was saying for example pursue it it's really relevant he went down there because Brasil is like it's such a powerhouse right now it's has a great story and it's going to become very relevant within the next few years. They're hosting the World Cup they're hosting the Olympics. The other thing to this follows the trip the Barack Obama made down there. Middle of last year which sort of got short shrift in the press because of

the Libya attack. Oh but he was down in Brazil at the time of that attack and trying to do the same thing on a larger level that Deval Patrick is doing is just trying to build these bridges between growing economies that are doing in some cases better than the U.S. economy. Well we'll see. Look for that payoff. Yes OK. Yeah. You're listening to eighty nine point seven WGBH an online at WGBH dot org I'm Kelly Crossley. If you're just tuning in we're looking at the week's local news that went under the radar. I'm joined by Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia the managing editor of El plan at how it while you're talking there is a piece in the Bay State Banner. Very interesting piece about a Roxbury native who was a Massachusetts court officer who appears to have advanced his case of discrimination after two years of fighting. What he says was wrong. The assessment originally

So give us the story first about Thomas Thomas Flint brother Flint. Had worked in the court system for nearly two decades and on one particular day his call to the back office and as an officer was as an officer and received this meeting. And next thing you know this guy's getting fired without any recourse. So he claims that it flipped claims that it was discrimination that he was charges were brought by a junior officer that didn't match up to anything that he had said. So to make a long story short he goes to the Massachusetts Commission against discrimination. He's lobbying folks up and down the political spectrum to get behind his case and which does that even a cursory initial investigation rules against them. So he files again and says that you all did investigate I was never

asked any questions during your supposed investigation. And once that got changed the case was determined by the NCAA to have probable cause. This is the opening that appears to be a pretty clear case. Just this random firing somebody for whatever reason. In this particular case it's discrimination. So it still has a ways to go but the fact that this guy I mean again think about 20 years just to lose your job for some mysterious reason you don't want to call it racist but I mean I think at some point that's what's going to be determined here. Well let me just just explain to people that he was accused by the junior officer of having some really hot exchange with him. And I pointed out in the case that the South Boston courthouse is so small that if the exchange had happened the heated exchange happened as a junior officer described.

Everyone would have heard it and nobody nobody including the judge the judge was 15 feet away. He said I didn't hear anything and nobody else heard me things which had to so the first ruling that you know he was wrong was didn't make any sense. And what was really interesting is here's a quote from the director of security on the first go around when they said oh yeah you're wrong. Maybe Thomas Flint was wrong. The guy who brought the case I credit officer Donahue's that's the junior officers version of the incident and discredit your flints version of the incident and as Fleance lawyer said The basis is that if the white person said it then it must be true right. So that's why he I mean as blatant as all of that is what I find most aggravating is that he had to wait two and a half years ten years two years for right and all throughout the 0 2 years fighting to get just a resolution and then it was just talk I mean I find that completely completely unacceptable is just. Again

you look at all the facts and you say how is this possible and then you wonder how many people out there have had this. I don't have the wherewithal or the perseverance or just the exactly to the governor. I was able to get to hear my case you get to hear my case and the governor was moving and so I will be on it and a week later he got the first order. Yeah. To the Massachusetts Commission against discrimination I don't know what their situation is but to conduct an investigation where you never even talk to them. Suppose that filer of the complaint is incredible. Yeah. Now I don't know what that speaks to but I'm glad they reversed themselves and will not comment on why they reversed their initial decision. But it doesn't appear to be totally over even though they reversed themselves. Your piece says the next step is a conciliation conference that is mandatory. Well that's all try to work out both sides before we go before the S.A.T. goes to actual hero I suppose. Right so they're going to give everybody a chance to say OK look you know we messed up. We want to

reinstate whatever you know we're going to try to plead you know try to work it out before we go to a hearing and then you're before a jury and then you've got to take the verdict. OK. That's what that is all right over to you big news in the in the football arena but this time it's not the football that everybody's talking about. It's not Tim Thibeault it's not Brady. This is. Yes but this is big news in the soccer world. There was big news given my reasoning here that the revolution be every other sports because they have two new food book players from Colombia they signed two Colombian players and the revolution is a soccer team the soccer team the New England Revolution. And you know in this city that is crazy about the Celtics and the Patriots and the Red Sox and the Bruins with the championship and all that it will be very nice to get support for the revolution and and I think this is going to be this is going to be good for that I think it's going to attract a lot of

Latino. It already has a big Latino audience because obviously football is the sport among Latinos. So this is great news to Colombian players are very young and my schoolin been sources tell me that a very good player so again this might be the year that the revolution has brings the championship here to you know a sports crazed city like this one pointed out that the revolution is owned by Kraft who doesn't really like losing to the revolution has been fairly good they would make it to the finals and then they really sort of hurt the last couple years so right now Kelly really is up on them. Yeah I'm really up on it. Now but I just know that how huge you know soccer is you know and it's really it is actually gone beyond you know just Latino fans there are a lot of fans and Massachusetts may actually introduce some people to the game you know it's a great you know I did say that and I'm always possible to as to why it really has.

There's a lot I mean you can make a lot of markets change. Yes Jane you but you need a temp. I didn't write a letter like that. OK Leslie Howard very nice piece by Hasan Sharif who talked about when the day the Dr. King visited Boston Common in 1965. And as we know the official Martin Luther King Day holiday is Monday so this was just a an a great picture of we see Hassan Sharif holding an umbrella over Dr. King's head as he delivers a talk here because it was rainy that day. That's you know you forget that Dr. King has so many connections here now in Boston. I really really enjoyed working with her on this story. There's a lot of folks that will say that they've been with Dr. King and but he had actual photographs. This really touched you. And what he wrote about was how in 1965 what the climate was as opposed to what it

is now. And and at that time there was like twenty two thousand people who came to the Boston Common and their big issue was yes the civil rights legislation but it was also education. How that was everybody was fighting to get equal and quality education throughout not only the state but in Massachusetts and the country. And so here's this guy Hasan Sharif was given the job of being Dr. King's driver and then he noticed that it was raining out and he held his umbrella up for the guy while he was given this. This is great. You know Dr. King's speech about we need this now and going through all the classic oratory that he's known for it. And the point that Sharif makes is that in today's world where we're sort of hung up on me as men. What can we in the greed of all that that we sort of lost sense of the community which sort of gave us all strength and sustenance to keep fighting for things like education.

What I love about that because it's a lovely read. I loved all the details that he refers to like the fact that he notices the rain in the he brought out his umbrella and then he realized that he should be holding the ground over Dr. King and how excited he was that he was speeding you know with a motorcade who was driving a motor k you can feel the excitement. You can almost be transported to that area where Dr. King was you know such an amazing figure and how now he has transcended the Black I mean ever. But you could feel that excitement through he said. And as a result of the story we just got a email from the other guy that's in this picture that I recall well it says you know what. I'm a write a piece. And where did I go crazy for a little bit. It's a reminder I think to everybody that Boston has a lot of connections to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and that people are still among us who are living history that's exactly right.

That's exactly right. Thank you both already. Thank you Dr. Sharif. I'm Kelly Crossley and we have been talking news with Howard Manley executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia managing editor of Elle. Thank you both for joining us. From local headlines we turn to the latest pop culture headlines on rag time. You're listening to the kallah costly show on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. This program is made possible thanks to you and the Harvard innovation lab a university wide center for innovation entrepreneurs from Harvard the Austin Community Boston and beyond. Engage in teaching and learning about entrepreneurship. Information at. I lapped at Harvard dot edu. And Blake and associates attorneys focused on individual matters individual advice and individual solutions. They listen they understand the issues you face when assisting a vulnerable loved more info at Blake law dot

com. I'm Marco Werman. A political cartoonist Charkha lives in the West Bank in an Israeli settlement. The fact that he's a settler might make him seem irrelevant to many Israelis. But his newspaper colleagues disagree shies work should be seen by everybody. What's really really good. Even if you disagree with the politics like I do I still enjoy reading it. The Art and Politics of Shi'ite Charkha next time on the world. Coming up at 3:00 here on eighty nine point seven WGBH. Last year one of the world's most sought after DVD collections didn't come from premium cable or include anyone from reality TV but it did have a familiar theme. Masterpiece Classic brings back the now. Emmy award winning British drama. Across the Pond for its second season on WGBH television and you can set aside a complete DVD copy of season 2. When you make a gift of eighty four dollars right now online at WGBH dot org.

Context beyond the headline issues you want to know more about. Stories you'll want to share. News and depth online at the GBH news dot org. It's Bragg time. A look at popular culture the salacious the ridiculous and everything in between. But this being public radio we'll conduct our review with the help of some highbrow analysts are pointy head of pop culture Thomas Connelly and Rachel Reuben Thomas Connelly is a professor in the Department of English at Suffolk University. And Rachel Reuben is the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston. Welcome you two. Hello again. Well all pop culture news this week is blue. It's got to be blue collar.

Last Saturday Beyonce Knowles wife Jay-Z also known as Shawn Carter gave birth to their first child who may named Blue Eye Carter. And it's just been news across the pop culture universe for one thing. Jay-Z proud papa that he is. Did a song right away and posted it on his website. So we want to hear that before we talk about all things blue. So here's Jay-Z's very happy tribute to his daughter Blue Ivy and at the end you can hear the baby. Yes. My greatest creation.

That's a little bit of Blue Ivy's first prize there and some people are questioning the name of the baby and all the rest I mean everything has come up since the birth of this child. It's unbelievable. Even even the cry of the child has gotten criticism. People who are aware of today's technology actually think that GZ dragged the newborn into a recording studio. It's amazing I mean you know I'm no great fan of Jay-Z but I know this is wonderful he had a baby I don't know it's amazing how people are parsing this the devil worshippers coming into this the Illuminati. Anything you can think of to discuss with the birth of this baby has come up on the Internet it's absolutely. Mo I should explain that some people are thinking that Jay-Z is a member of the luminosity as you know that's the group very secretive group sometimes affiliated

with Catholics. And so if you spell Ivy Blue backwards which is not the child's name. OK the child's name is Blue Ivy. You get the Latin name of Lucifer's daughter. So that's somehow supposed to prove that he's a member of the Illuminati Rachel. I just. I just love that somebody figure that out but it's not true that's not OK. It's not just what I really like about the song besides hearing the little baby's voices. It just sort of got me thinking that. That there were two forms of music I can think of two genres hip hop music and country music where you get songs about fatherhood. I can think of a whole bunch of hip hop songs about fatherhood which are you know they're just it's just wonderful. You don't get that so much in pop music and in other genres so I want to you know really express my appreciation of that. And I think there's a great hip hop artist here from Boston who did a song that was very popular called be a father to your son. You know that's right no that's right and then Coop has a song about you know a little daughter and not to mention you know Will Smith's just the two of us which is about his kid. You know so so

it is it's a great I think it's a great a great topic for for rap. And we should say that some of the discussion had to do with the fact that there was a for a moment a kerfuffle that some parents were being kept away from their seeing their own children because there was so much security in the wing where in the VIP suite where Jay-Z and Beyonce was the State Department felt looked into it the hospital denied it. And so we moved on from there or claims that he spent 1.9 million dollars to lock up a whole floor of the hospital right. Right and I think it is true that they rebuilt a wing but not apparently at the cost that somebody said and that is there for other people to use now so there you go. Speaking of well some people might call that music. There was a wonderful performance going on with the New York Philharmonic and it was interrupted by a sound that some people may recognize and here it is. OK if you don't recognize it it's the marimba ring tone.

And a lot of people have it on their iPhones but I think other people can download it. A gentleman with us his phone on during the New York Philharmonic performance. That ring tone went off and he just let it go. Rachel this was amazing. It's not amazing if this is the this is dog bites man. Right. Ring Tone somebody's cell phone goes off at a time when it shouldn't. I mean the thing that made it news was that the conductor stopped the performance right and said All right are you ready with you know one has to admire at a certain level but also ended up being more disruptive than the phone going off so we do have to figure out like some kind of long term strategy I'm sure Thomas struggles with this I struggle with this in teaching you know to sort of figure out what to do about it. But but to me it was just like sort of kind of trying to figure out was the story written by The Onion or something you know that that somebody ring phone goes off of the symphony.

Now if the ring if the ring tone had been AC DC's highway to hell there would have been more to say about it. I think there's also. No I don't bet you went on from here. It went on and on and exact several minutes and it didn't stop. And the fact that the conductor stopping the Philharmonic completely and with what I find interesting is the musician's reaction. They were all at the edge of their seats while listening to the ring tone worried that they were going to lose the b worried that something was going to happen. Hoping the conductor would do something and a female musician said that she was so grateful to him for stopping it because she didn't think she could go on playing if he hadn't stopped. Well I think it's odd that the guy didn't reach down and shut off the phone. A but B I think brings into mind something we've discussed here remember now that there theatres are talking about setting aside tweet sex from you so if if we think that a noise can be disruptive so can light. And what will performers do. I mean they can't if they're making a special space for them they can't stop down the performance. But obviously it's

disruptive in some way. No it absolutely is and especially you know what I said last time I think really is true that we have certain expectations for audience hood they change over time nobody's throwing tomatoes anymore. They're culturally determined but they're there. And so you know it is kind of a social compact when you come into that space. So I was also fascinated by this story this week when hip hop runs into crossword puzzles. For the people who do the New York Times puzzle they know that the legendary Times crossword editor is Will Shortz and he was called. Well not not on the carpet but he was questioned by one of his fans for a clue regarding the hip hop word Elin. Yes you heard correctly. I l l i n if people are not familiar with it and the way that he had defined it the person right against it. That's not correct. So first I want to give people the genesis of Dylan from the song you be illin

which is Run DMC s 1986 hit. So here's a clip from Run DMC is one thousand eighty six hit you'd be ill and you. Just took. It. Yes. Oh OK. And that song is meant to be bad. So what. Julianne who wrote in to correct Will Shortz was about it she says you didn't mention what distinction you draw between the two words élan mean stupid and insane and you have wack is defined as as worthless and stupid. That was the clue was whack stupid and it was supposed to be was supposed to get you to write. Ellen

and she's taking issue with that saying Ylem that's not the definition of Dylan and Rachel That's right. And it's again it's a it's one of those things that I think I love about hip hop language in particular and first of all I think hip hop slang in a crossword puzzle is a perfect match because it is a form that's really dependent on verbal virtuosity. And there are number of words that have sort of inverted themselves to mean the opposite of what they once meant of which Iland is an example of nasty sick. You know these words that are positives now in hip hop language which is bad bad bad bad right sort of any good. Yes so that I think I exactly. Why that's a yes let's just back a little further my yes so. So the ability of the vernacular to take some meaning of a word and turn it into its opposite sort of delights me. And it also sort of draws this line if like you're in on the joke and you're laughing but if you're not in on the joke then you are that show and I think that with what happened a little bit in that conversation about the word.

Do you think that that Will Shortz knew the nuance between Elin and whack. I don't think so I think he you know made Wade one reference check and that was enough for him. What I found fascinating was the hair splitting over the definition of this word. It was like a combination of Shakespearean classicists parsing words. My favorite was the discussion of how is whack spelled you know whack or whack with an arrow you know. Well see I always thought if we had a date so there you go. Well anyway I thought this was so fun because well shorts is a very kind of straight lace is a fun guy but to see this whole discussion of the people who love the crossword puzzle back and forth and to also understand I think that hip hop language and slang is just a part of the conversation so much now. It is a part of and also our Saturday is the most difficult puzzle of the week. Oh I don't know the date of the daily paper so there you go. Meanwhile we talked about

Downton Abbey which is airs here on WGBH and is a British production. What we didn't know last week when we talked about it is that there's a real life drama going on behind the scenes and the people the real people who own the castle which Downton Abbey the series is being filmed quite unhappy with Andrew Lloyd Webber who is trying to buy their castle but in a weird way. So first here's a reminder of what Downton Abbey season one the whole tenor and tone of the series is all about. You'll soon get used to the way things are done here. If you mean that I'm accustomed to a very different life from this limited. Will you do your time. I've got a job in Britain. I said I'll start tomorrow. A job in a partnership. You might head of Holland Company. They need someone who understands industrial law you do know I mean to involve you in the running of the state the money plenty of hours in the day. And of course I have the weekend. We'll discuss this

later unmissable the latest pushes that weekend. I just love the website very much Maggie Smith there in Downton Abbey. So Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to buy the castle right under right out from under George Herbert the eighth Earl of Carnival and his wife Fiona and they're not very happy about it Tom. Not at all. Also the way that Andrew Lloyd Webber did this he heard that they needed money and so he went to the local council which was supposed to approve their plan to develop commercially some part of their state and went to the council as well if they need money I'll buy the house and they're just outraged. Lord Carnival I get to see is face the head of the jumped up songwriter wants to buy his ancestral abode it's hysterical but also Andrew Lloyd Webber's attitude seems to be well what they need money I've got money let me let me take the house off their hands. What do you think. Well there's a sky find it's one of those things where I'm as interested in a conversation around the show that I am the show and this is part of it because there is this general sense of

outrage about it and it to me it's a little bit of the Mad Men syndrome where the show I think is offering a deep critique of the class structure that it represents. And then people watching it are still just sort of won over by the notion that we tend to find romantic of you know countesses and earls right and you know how could this sort of vulgar new guy come in and offer to buy the castle you know. You know I'm saying you know I Absolute have tickled by his doing that. And I and I have to admit to taking a certain amount of pleasure in the Countess's irritation at this. I should note that seems very fitting. Andrew Lloyd Webber of course is Oscar winning composer of The Phantom Of The Opera and cats and my favorite song I've read of Don't Cry For Me Argentina. I guess that's what he's saying. If Bravo announced this week that comedian brash comedian D-list comedian Kathy Griffin is going to get her own show for a refresher on her brand of humor here's a clip from her stand up routines.

First of all Ben Affleck went to total fakey Celebrity Rehab because now because first we have like a bad bender in Vegas then went to rehab and he went to this place Promises in Malibu which is total fake celebrity rehab. Oh yes. So anyway he goes there and all these celebrities were giving him messages of hope and I was shows and one after another they look in the camera and they be so earnest and they would say Ben you are so brave. Thank you Ben for your bravery. This is the bravest thing I've ever seen. I'm like OK wait a minute. We've lost over 2000 of our own in Iraq but Ben Affleck going to rehab is the price. The best thing you've ever heard. Great great great great time she's getting a talk show so that she will be really able to let loose so that was from one of her stand up routines. She has it on Bravo a reality show. Yeah I'm I'm surprised it's taken her so long to get a talk show in fact I think the life on the D-List was sort of a consolation prize for it is this is what she really wanted my purse. The problem I think she's going to have is how can she possibly sit

still and just talk to a guest because that's not her thing her. Her whole persona her pride the projection of her act is nobody wants to talk to me so you've got to listen to me and. Well maybe. Maybe she's clever enough to pull it polit off and in this new format but you know good luck to her. Where you think Rachel. Well it'll be interesting to see I mean she sort of. You know I'm in the main I kind of really like it when as as you guys probably know I think it's very healthy when women are able to totally kick over the traces of being a nice girl and you know try and feeling obliged to sort of uphold propriety at all times. The new format I think will constrain her in that regard to some degree but I'm interested to see what she does on there and I'm just kind of I think it's hilarious that there's actually a page on Snopes com devoted to saying that yes in fact she really did see that say that when she got the Emmy. Oh yeah. She says some outrageous things but I think I read with you time is going to be hard for

her not to be sort of the center of the conversation where though she will be pushing to the edge of the conversation. All right well we have a lot to look forward to and the Golden Globes this weekend so I'm sure we'll be talking about it next week. Thank you all for another edition of ragtime Professor Rachel Rubin professor Thomas Connelly. You can keep on top of the Calla Crossley Show at WGBH dot org slash Kelly Crossley follow us on Twitter or become a fan of the Calla Crossley Show on Facebook. Today Show was engineered by Antonio only art produced by Chelsea murders will Rose live and Abbey Ruzicka the Calla Crossley Show is a production of WGBH week.