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 White House is offering a

compromise aimed at ending a political stalemate between the president and some faith based groups over covering contraception including Catholic institutions that are opposed to the use of birth control. He says that now insurance companies not religious employers will be directly responsible for covering contraceptions. I understand some folks in Washington may want to treat this as another political wedge issue. But it shouldn't be. I certainly never saw it that way. This is an issue where people of goodwill on both sides of the debate have been sorted through some very complicated questions to find a solution that works for everyone but some faith based critics firmly opposed to the use of contraceptives argue the president's revamped plan is no compromise at all. Explosions in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo are blamed now in the deaths of at least twenty eight soldiers and civilians today. The BBC's Jim Muir reports such violence has been unusual so far

in that city which has largely stood by the government in the ongoing uprising. Aleppo has so far not fully joined in with the uprising being a largely commercial city with a big middle class. But just a few hours before Friday prayers it was shaken by two big explosions which left scenes of carnage. Syrian state TV carried gruesome pictures of devastation with pools of blood and mutilated body parts. It blamed terrorists for the attacks. The same term they apply to armed opposition elements. But activists were quick to accuse the regime itself of staging the bombings to discredit the uprising and cover up what's going on in places like Homs. The BBC's Jim you're reporting an ethics panel investigating insider trading is looking at Congressman Spencer Backus his stock trades a Republican from Alabama. Chairs the House Financial Services Committee. In Florida lawsuits are already flying over congressional and legislative redistricting plans awaiting the governor's signature because the latest census Florida will gain two new congressional seats this year.

Details from NPR's Greg Allen in Miami. One lawsuit was filed by Florida's Democratic Party. The League of Women Voters common cause and the National Council of La Raza have repaired a second lawsuit. They say they'll file if Florida Governor Rick Scott approves the plans. Both lawsuits contend the maps created by the Republican controlled legislature violate constitutional amendments that say districts must be drawn without regard to political parties or protecting incumbents. The League of Women Voters and the other group say in a state that's almost evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats the congressional map gives Republicans double the number of safe seats than Democrats and also favors Republicans in competitive districts. Republican leaders say the lawsuits were expected and they believe their maps will stand up to judicial scrutiny. Greg Allen NPR News Miami. Dow's down 111 points. This is NPR. And from the WGBH radio news room in Boston I'm Christina Quinn with the local stories we're following. Former House speaker Salvatore de Macy is in transit again according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Boston Globe reports that he could be in Worcester as early as today where he's expected to appear before a federal grand jury just two months into his federal prison sentence for a corruption conviction. Prosecutors from US Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office may question to Macie as part of their investigation into the rigging of hiring and promotion practices in the state probation department while the Macy was in office. A Nantucket woman accused of killing her 3 year old daughter because she thought the little girl was possessed by the devil has been ruled competent to stand trial. A judge ruled Thursday that Dora Elisia was competent enough for trial after reviewing a report from Taunton state hospital where she has been a patient since her arrest last March. The Cape Cod Times reports Dorothy Hotta was sent to jail without bail after yesterday's hearing. You have your health officials say a comparison of surveys taken before and after changes to a federal nutrition program show the state's low income women and children are eating healthier. In 2009 the Women Infants and Children program began offering more healthy foods including vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables. In

sports the Celtics face the Raptors in Toronto tonight and the weather forecast for this afternoon sunny with highs around 50 tonight will be cloudy with snow showers likely after midnight lows in the lower 30s and Saturday Snow is in the forecast with an accumulation of two to four inches. It will be much cooler with temperatures in the lower 30s. Right now it's 49 degrees in Boston 42 in wester and 49 in Providence. I'm Christina Quinn. You'll find more news at WGBH news dot org WGBH programs exist because of you and Boston Logan constantly working to improve your travel experience the latest Logan express options are at Fly Logan dot com Boston Logan proudly supports the Emily Rooney show weekdays at noon on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. Good afternoon. I'm Kelly Crossley. Today we're taking a hyper local look at the week's news with Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. And Sue O'Connell co publisher of bay windows and the south and news

on his way. John Rouche editor of the Jamaica Plain Gazette and Mission Hill. That's it. He'll be here as soon as a cab arrives. Welcome back everyone. OK thank you. So Peter let's start with you. You got a huge piece about the Charles River esplanade and the plans there of. It's an hour outside of the road even though it's a new story. And I think that this is one of the most exciting things to happen in Boston in a long time which is a plan to totally overhaul refurbish re conceived re-imagine the Esplanade to maybe make it the premier pock in the city. The reason I'm so excited about it is if you look at the Rose Kennedy Greenway which it's it's beautiful that we have this untrammelled access to the sea but it's just a big swath of grass and

and you know there's a whole opportunity that was missed here. But this plan for the house. Help me out here my mind is going blank that's been out here thank you lady. The esplanade is just so exciting and it complements so much of Boston. We have such terrific poxy it that I think those of us who've spent big chunks of our lives here almost take them for granted. And this is just a dazzling vision of of what the city can be. Some of the focus has been on the Ferris wheel which is a part of the plan and the cafe is also part of the plan a cafe I've got a lot of positives. Some people are not so sure about the fare as well but whatever. What do I mean by my initial I mean I think it's I agree with Peter. Some of the the best and finest moments I've had in the city have been in the city parks. You know I remember being

at the gay gay alliance youth pride day at the Hatch Shell on a beautiful summer spring day. You know I'm just standing at the Esplanade having it just be so tremendous My first reaction to the Ferris wheel was Oh how London you know it was you know London. But my daughter immediately who's 11 was like oh that would be great because they've got a little Merry-Go-Round over by Faneuil Hall on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and she just adores that and I think anything that just is simple I mean I just love the iconic nature of having a ferris wheel or or something like that that brings back you know sort of the great first public beach in America Revere Beach with with with we used to be the highest roller coaster in the country I mean I just think it ties in our seaside New England roots and it would be great if anything that gives access to all you know some entry point into the public park of course and it does conjure up a three level word half you and oh my god. Oh yeah oh ok. Very good yes.

JOHN RICHES joined us courtesy of the cab the editor of the Jamaica Plain is that admission here is that we're talking about the Phoenix's story about the Charles River esplanade being transformed perhaps into the world's greatest Park which is the headline of your next article. And it's already a pretty nice park. I think another part of that that really interests me is fixing up Storro drive a little bit and supposedly I mean I don't know exactly what it means but making it more of the park way it's intended to be and that seems like a good idea. It's not just what do you do with a park it's how do you get to that market Yeah it is really hard if you're a pedestrian or you know anything that isn't overpowering and oh yeah I just closed in that one yeah yeah you know that one lane that they do to let people park during the summer movie thing. I mean it you can feel the back up all the way up to New Hampshire back practically from that so. So well do you think it will happen. Well you know. Just as I thought I put that out there just for you to get a greenway somehow. Yeah no one's done.

No one's done anything with the green light I think there's going to be resistance from people in the Back Bay. Yeah North Korea because the North all view this is the private little fiefdom. There is the issue of money but I don't know that this is something. Let's put it this way you were ask a very inconvenient question. Sorry this is something that should happen right and it shovel ready. I mean look at you know I don't know where the funds are scheduled to come from but this is a perfect way to put Bostonians and folks in Massachusetts to work. All right well we'll be keeping an eye on that one. And John Roos now that you've had a chance to catch your breath. Fascinating story about the series of hearings going on now looking at the potential cutbacks in services and the elimination of certain bus and bus lines for sure and certain lines on the T as well that the acting general manager Jonathan Davis is going

to lose his line if what you propose goes through. Yeah I guess we'll just never go to work again I mean yes. I was on a bus ride would be killed by his plan and he politely has never said this in any of these meetings. But you know I know a lot of the feedback at the meetings is of course it's a plan that nobody likes including the tea itself it's kids being forced to do this by a by a really bad budget situation and funding situation but you know a lot of the shouting at the meeting has been you know you guys take your SUV store. You don't care if you had a ride this service you wouldn't cut it in. And I thought well I think they do ride it and so I just asked him about that. What I really don't feel good about this because I write at work so you know I think I think that's one of the important things to keep in perspective. They're going to feel the pain themselves in many many ways. Well he said right here on this program that he was going. They are not just he but they the whole group they're going to listen to what is said at these meetings and some adjustments can be made.

So when it is a travesty I mean the whole thing is a travesty and I think in your in the story and that is that it talks about how you know this is an issue for the lawmakers. You know we talk about it being the tea and how they're going to deal with it but it's a funding issue it's a budget issue. Years ago in the 80s we talked about how dangerous it was to have you know public public things under privatization like if a private company came in and ran the bus lines they would cut off the bus lines that no one used. Well we actually have bus lines that people use and we have people who may not be able to afford cars anymore I mean forget about the whole Isn't it good for the environment argument. You know there are people who no longer can afford the insurance and the gas in the car and this is how they get to work. This is how they keep the city running and I think the conversation has to go from the bus lines in the issues and go to what is this what is state lawmakers doing about this. How can the state lawmakers let this go on and how could the governor fail to mention that in his State of the right address. And I talked to a

Republican right after that speech and. I said you know why didn't anyone bring him up he says you know we all want to settle in the back rooms. You know he didn't use the word backrooms but that was clearly what he meant. And that's a very very important issue and it deserves the public debate in PA to educate the public as to just how tight the finances are. The ER is not an easy solution here. But this has horrendous economic consequences for the region. I do know that in your piece you say that Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and Representative Liz Molly are saying that the state legislature is to blame for the debt and the funding crisis. So they're yeah they're one of the two of the few saying this. Two of the many saying that you know I mean the challenge here is between the Boston delegation and and suburban and Western Mass legislators whose constituents don't use the team much and are sick of bailing it out frankly. And we're going to be doing some coverage on that talking to Western Mass legislators. I think

there's going to have to be a statewide solution. And what's not being looked at here as much is transit equity in other parts of the state where they really have also had cutbacks in the very meager public transit they have. Even as unemployment goes up and so on and so forth. So there are some interesting proposals on the table. OK. Well when we heard that how long do the public hearings go. Do you know right. I don't know off the top of my head I mean they have to wrap this up by next month basically and then I June the budget has to be done. So the board will be voting in April. I ask because you know and I know that they're doing as much as they can to get the word out about it but I was actually having a conversation with some people last night and they were like What are you talking about and I said Well you bring into these hearings you know if you're a dot.com there's a whole whole list are OK. All right well over to you Sue. My name we haven't heard in a while but he's bad. Chuck Turner Oh yeah.

Chuck Turner and also Chester Darling which for those who love to follow politics in the law just there's another player he is Chuck Turner's lawyer Chuck Turner of course the ousted. City Councilor during the whole Dianne Wilkerson fiasco Chuck Turner was asked to leave the city council much like Felix Unger. Only the request came from his fellow councillors. And there's some question about whether or not he was it was constitutional and legal for them to ask him and kick him out before he was sentenced for his crimes and Chester Darling who has famously not met a controversial case he has left to defend and he actually defended the the folks who put on the St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston to keep gays out. And then actually in Worcester was on the side of the gay marchers in another parade. So he's a real constitutionalists. And his argument which they saw they said they sat before the Supreme Judicial Court I think on Tuesday and made the argument that Chuck Turner should have been allowed to

serve out. Serve on the council until his his his verdict came down and he or very came down but till he was sentenced. So we'll see how that plays out I mean there's we talk much about Chuck Turner here on the show when it was all going on. Many people believe he was punished for defending himself punished for speaking up. And I think that they may you know just from the black and white of it it seems like they have a case here you know it's. I think the first time that this is happened. But he was not sentenced and he was asked to leave so we'll see how it plays out. You know I was I was curious about that Peter that because I thought maybe he's right. Unlike the United States Congress where constitutionally there's a provision for each body to regulate its own membership. You know what city councils the lower then you position then you know frankly when this case for a start I thought oh this is crazy is as much of a as much as I believe that

that Chuck was persecuted. But the more I like Sue the more I watch I said. Of course you know what's at stake here. Eleven thousand All right. OK. There's money investing pretty good pay that he would be yeah yeah yeah. You know we have a saying around the newsroom at the news just because you're crazy doesn't mean you're not right. Yeah I know and the issue here is is retroactive or you know essentially retroactive laws or you know OK and they aren't really in our system in general so you know it's it's a pretty important principle applies you know and this is a guy who was elected by thousands of his constituents. It's it's a big deal and a bunch of lawyers on the city council who seemingly didn't understand what the law was. So that's always exciting like you know what I think is interesting here is it's a timing question so you know it could be argued and many of them on the council argued yes they had the right to vote him off but the question might be when did they have a right to exact what I think you know. Yeah absolutely There you go. Well much more we're looking at local news hyper local news with John Ruesch.

Peter Katz and Sue O'Connell I'm Catholic Crossley You're listening to eighty nine point seven. WGBH Boston Public Radio. This program is made possible thanks to you. And Dana Farber Cancer Institute dedicated to defeating cancer one precious person at a time in the clinic one gene at a time in the laboratory. This combination of care and research strives to offer patients the best possible outcome. Dana Dash Farber dot org. And show 2012 summer programs offering high school and middle school students courses in writing science and math or special programs like the John F. Kennedy Institute in government more at summer DOT Choate dot edu. And masterpiece the Spanish flu strikes Downton Mary Sibyl and Robert H confront a moment of truth. And Anna and Bates know a moment of happiness. Don't miss Downton Abbey Sunday night at 9:00 on

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Great question has a great question and it's a great question. It's a great question. Rick great question and feel hear unexpected questions and unexpected answers this afternoon to hear an eighty nine point seven WGBH. Welcome back to the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're looking at the week in local news. Joining me to talk between the headlines are John Roche editor of the Jamaica Plain Gazette and the Mission Hill Gazette. Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. And Sue O'Connell co publisher of bay windows and the South in news. So John Rouche you're taking another look at the pilot system so it's kind of weird this story. Some people are paying and some are not. Please explain what pilot is and what's going on here. Pilot is an acronym for payment in lieu of taxes which are voluntary payments that large nonprofit institutions hospitals colleges museums make to the city in exchange for the

city services they consume and consume heartily. I might add. And you know there's been a system to do this for ages and ages usually connected to big development projects because that's the only way to get leverage. But the system was was very obscure or it was backroom deals. Very few written records we did a big investigation a few years ago we found all sorts of problems with it became an issue in the mayoral campaign. Mayor Menino has reformed the system so now it's much more transparent there's a formula that everybody is going to abide by. Supposedly but now it's all politics as to how do you actually get people to pay up. And under the new system it's certainly working well in the sense that payments have really increased across the board. Northeastern University for example is paying maybe $30000 a year. Now they're paying you know they just recently paid over four hundred forty thousand dollars I think.

But then there's others who are like no we're not paying we're doing more than enough in community services. And it's still unclear as to how they're going to calculate you know do you pay cash or do you get in kind trade for doing community services. No. It's becoming confusing again and will we be reforming it again. It's very weird this says your piece says this is a 24 percent boost to the old system which sounds good but then you get some people this is the part that gets me is that some people have paid and then we like says I'm not paying anything. So who can make me. Yeah it's very confusing. But yet there is so much controversy about this people are mad and if you just listen to people talking about taxes and how they feel just individual people feel put upon. They always point out how all these goals and they never say it. Whenever there's a city council race it always comes out or a Merrell race because the candidates always say well one thing I would do is immediately ask the nonprofit while the other part of it is that they also

have jobs they're hiring people from Boston they're hiring people from the area they're Can contributing in lots of ways. The issue isn't that they don't pay taxes so much because they're never going to I mean we might as well just get that right out. But that how do you how do you judge what their contribution is so that it's uniform I'm sure we look as a very good argument as to why they don't want to pay and won't pay and why all the sudden northeastern decided to be so generous I mean you know what happened there that suddenly they decided to to make a big contribution and it's just you know are they you probably know are they you know Peter they're there you know are they contributing to the public education of the Boston school system I mean what are they doing and how do we judge whether or not that's enough. There's another aspect of this too. Malcolm Rogers they have the Museum of Fine Arts has been very eloquent and very persuasive on this pointing out that you know the arts groups in Boston this is a well-known fact but politicians never grasp what the arts bring in more money to the city of Boston

than all the sports teams combined. Really. Yeah I mean it's fab for your you know that and now he was saying look you know yes we built a new wing. Yes we did this but you know we're a not for profit organization we bring all these people into the city. And he has a very very good point here. Another thing that people really bring up is the single biggest nonprofit tenants of our resident of the city is the state of Massachusetts. So those people in Western Massachusetts who begrudge us the T money should maybe think twice. Well and what is the seed let them join New York. I'm saying the situation the state sometimes makes pilot payments Massport does sometimes it doesn't. OK well so who's going to fix it no. It's also nobody's benefit to fail to talk about it next year. Yeah ok I'm going to go through my calendar I'll come back OK. OK all right so there you go.

Well the next time we have a city council election they come in to talk to you ask them what they're going to do about the pilot program I want their blank faces as they go why is there something wrong with it you know. Well then I can do my new fun fact provided to me by Peter about the arts organizations which I did not know since I don't care about sports this is very interesting to me. So you've got a group marking a National Black HIV AIDS Day and I know this because I think people think it's really got away. Oh yeah I mean it is you know it's it's horrifying to think about. You know what the statistics are what the number of infections within the African-American community within the female African-American community. It's just a continuing challenge. And along with that even though HIV we now hope is a disease that can be managed and if folks have access if folks have access to the medicines and so the doctors can live a long good life. There are other things that come along with it. There are people who are on diagnosed who are spreading the disease. There are people who are diagnosed who are

spreading the disease there's homelessness there's inability to access medicine just a whole myriad of problems that the folks over at the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts are dealing with. And it's important especially in black history month to take a moment and say OK here's an issue we need to pay attention to and. Both that's out the news in that bay windows. You know we are clearly aware that it has not gone away and it's not manageable for many many people and it's still a shocking diagnosis for someone to get. And the numbers as I said of what's growing is horrible and what AIDS Action has is in the south and we have the mail center which is a drop in center which is primarily geared toward men but but women have used it as well to go in and get free testing. You know the first step to really get a grip on where you're at is to get a test and there are so many places you can get a free HIV free coffee dental anonymous test. I was tested a few years ago I went through the process at the

mail center. It was I remember the counselor sat down and said to me I think it was you know probably 21 or 22 and he said what do you think you know about HIV and AIDS and I just started to laugh at him but you know what I learned something yeah. You know so it's an important moment within every one of our communities however you count yourself to take a moment say HIV is still out there and it's still an enormous challenge. If not. A life changing challenge for those who contract it. Yeah we've we've had some of the folks over at the Fenway you're talking you know just trying to get people tested and their whole Magic Johnson effect of where people think it's you know well he's walking around looks fine so you know I just went through a whole bunch of testing for an ailment which it turns out I don't have in not once not once did the doctor ask me if I was HIV positive and knowing what I know about how the disease you know presents itself I finally said to some Isn't anyone going to ask me if I need to be tested they asked me if I wanted a flu shot. They asked me when I had my last tetanus shot and it's still like it's just amazing That's how much off the

radar. Yeah it's just not part of you or you know if they can't figure out what's wrong with you why are they going there. Just one small small cold here. It is important I think to recognize that the African-American community which for so long so that had its head in the sand yesterday is is coming to grips with this issue right now absolutely. You're listening to eighty nine point seven WGBH an on line at WGBH dot org I'm Kalee Crossley we're talking about the stories that went under the radar with Peter Katz of the Boston Phoenix. Sue O'Connell from the south in news and bay windows and John Roche from the Jamaica Plain as that and the Mission Hill does it. Now here's a couple of political stories let's start with you John. Occupy Roxbury there was an attempt to form occupy Roxbury and it didn't go over very well. Yeah there still is it's a guy from JP who is involved in Occupy Boston an Occupy JP decided that maybe Roxbury could use an Occupy as well.

And he's attempted he's held one meeting now only one person went to it but he's got the ball rolling there and he didn't do outreach to Occupy the Hood which is already active there and has drew hundreds of people to Dudley Square and a couple rallies and is still active as well. And so tomorrow Crawford who runs Occupy the Hood was not thrilled to hear about a white guy from GP hopping over stuff to give Iraq to do you know about Occupy the Hood I'm going to try to figure out why he thought there was something needed there. He did an Occupy the Hood actually had teamed up with Occupy Boston a little bit so I get the sense that yeah there's there's some I think a dispute in vision here as to whether or not there is merrier or you know what are the turf wars what are the I want racial class I want to join Occupy Downton Abbey. Oh yeah. It's just ridiculous now that Shirley MacLaine is joining the cast. All right well I think it doesn't seem like that has legs it seems like that's going to go away right.

Especially now but yeah but I think I mean here's here's what's really interesting to write about this I think there are so many Occupy groups popping up suburbs neighborhoods small towns and as this keeps going where do those circles start to overlap. Do they work together. Is there conflict. Are there differences in vision are there differences in message. So you know I think it's going to be interesting to watch this sort of thing unfold. I could understand that better than some guy coming from not the community to start a new one see if you had you know about Roxbury from someone who maybe didn't know Occupy the Hood was it but it was from Roxbury that sort of makes then you can you know say OK we're already here of course that was some of the criticisms of the Occupy movement in the first place all these outsiders coming to New York and all these outsiders coming to Boston so. Yeah OK they obviously need a main home office of Occupy and these things wouldn't happen I don't know where you can say that or against that I forgot to suggest you go south and occupy the south then well

yeah yeah Phoenix huge piece. But David Bernstein about lessons that Mitt Romney who we consider local here for his many years as governor that he is learning or has learned from Charlie Baker and David Bernstein says not good lessons. You know David liberates he singles out nine you know mistakes that the Romney campaign thinks that the baker campaign made that the Romney camp. I'll just mention three. Look both of these guys were a very successful businessman very successful running organizations. But that's lost on the voters they don't find a way to translate that. Let's take another example. Charlie Baker did not know how to relate to the press or people. I mean that's the press are not people like you. Say actually no I didn't because the way there's a way to Schama saw

disarm us return our call retreat. It's just holding you with an arm's length doesn't in this relates to the Charlie Baker was sort of uncomfortable pressing the flesh. We all know you know Mitt is not exactly the common man but I think these all add up to one thing. David points out that Ted Kennedy's campaign sort of exploded on the launching pad when he was asked why he wanted to be president. Well just this Charlie Baker couldn't really articulate why he wanted to be governor even though we probably would have made a pretty good governor. He could not take away Mitt Romney kind of tactic you late. Why he wants to be president. You know you it's I must say that David really outdid themselves with this that drawing these parallels and you know maybe it's in the Republican drinking water maybe they you know it's they put something in the

Quabbin Reservoir you know the whole CEO thing which I think is dead on. And I'm sure it spreads further than Romney and Baker but how many times have you sat in a corporate room and the boss says something totally you know just wrong. So many level I boss is never wrong. But right at the kernel of it you know said completely politically in correctly and wrong and then 10 years later you go CI you know what he meant was you don't have that luxury when you're running for office when you're president you just look at what Romney stepped in with his you know the poor the rich are all set we don't need to worry about them. I know what he was saying you know and I know what I don't think he means any ill will towards poor people by any means but when you're CEO you don't have to worry about how you're saying you just need to make sure it gets done. And this is the major disconnect that Baker had and that Romney has that. And then he went ahead and kept saying it the next day that the poor will take you know they have a safety net they

have a safety net. It's just a disconnect about what you really need in order to run for office. Well it's a real disconnect to to say if there's a problem with the safety net I'll fix that when I if I mean where do you get the Oh that I just fix it then I'll just send out a memo and everyone will just fail. I think the problem here is the government isn't a corporation. This is part of it's not just perception it's reality but I think you know probably the most clever part of this piece to me was just reminding people that Mitt was governor of Massachusetts. OK I thought that the over criticizing. Oh no actually the failing to find a fatal flaw and it was a very interesting one that I hadn't considered and David Bernstein makes the point in this piece that neither Charlie Baker with regard to Mitt Romney with regard to President Obama has found a fatal flaw they just sort of nag at them about separate issues and don't synthesize it in a way that makes sense to people in America.

And I thought wow that I guess that is what maybe he's going to do if after he gets to be the nominee Mitt Romney. Well I think it takes more skill than he has I mean it's not that you know Obama is unbeatable. But you know they're not they're not sharpening their swords on the Republican side in any way that can can fight. You know it's complicated a time as Obama has had being president as anyone would have been president this isn't about Obama during these past three and a half years three years. You really need to be able to not attack the American people and not attack the solutions put forward and speak to a higher ground and say OK great job you've messed up here but here's where we're going and I don't think that any of the candidates on the Republican side are capable of being able of mounting such a high minded campaign. All right well so that maybe that's why you wrote a piece called It's halftime in America for your kids. Is that it.

Well if I put that on Twitter I think the tweet I said was Clint Eastwood shoots Karl Rove in the butt. OK. Cowell has a point. Karl Rove was complaining that this ad was the car ad with your name and you know it Clint Eastwood for no Ford Chrysler Chrysler Chrysler. Well the point is this ad per se was not political at all. But when you take a step back and you view the larger context it's extremely political for the very simple reason that although George Bush began it the Republican Congress killed it and President Obama resuscitated the idea of saving a million jobs a million jobs in Detroit and the surrounding area. What happened is this is an example of corporate them a very rare example of corporate America giving the government big fat and justified kiss

for you know basically saving the state of Michigan. And listen when you're the Republicans and Clint Eastwood is against you you might as well just go home. Yeah everybody. Isn't a Republican what it's like having John Wayne be against young Israel publican mayor Carmel California who has been quite independent off identifies as a libertarian I don't know and you know we're going to remember worse for the repair and I would say that he is politically and aesthetically he's a contrarian and I can see you know he likes kind of giving people a prod and some provocation you see it in his movies you see it in this ad after that and I was ready to move to Detroit. Ok well and Eminem didn't do it for you when he did is it laid out you know right here OK what can I say Well thanks very much to all of you. We've been talking local news with John Roos editor of the Jamaica Plain Gazette Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. And Sue O'Connell co-publisher of bay windows in the south in news and from local news we're going to talk to the latest pop culture headlines with our analyst Thomas Connelly and Rachel Ruben in rag time. You're listening to WGBH Boston

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It's an evening inspired by Downton Abbey space is limited. Tickets are just $35 with a discount for members on line at WGBH dot org slash box office. Great question had it's a great question and it's a great question. It's a great question. Rick great question on fresh air we'll hear unexpected questions and unexpected answers this afternoon at 2:00 here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. It's rag time a view of the week's pop culture happenings. It's an examination of 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. Our pointy head of pop culture Rachel Ruben and Thomas Connelly. Rachel Reuben is the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston and Thomas Connelly is a professor of English at Suffolk University.

Welcome back you two. Now again well let's just start right off sometimes I'm just amazed at how much pop culture just seeps into all that is political. And we have that this week with Ellen DeGeneres the host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show a pretty. Lively host that you know a lot of people like anyway. There is a huge campaign going on led by something called the One Million Moms to get her fired as the new spokes person for J.C. Penney J.C. Penney by the way is standing by her. They say they think Ellen is someone we all trust she's lovable likable honest and funny. But but at her soul we trust her so that's J.C. Penney. But the million One Million Moms and others are quite unhappy. Something unusual. Bill O'Reilly from the Bill O'Reilly show this week took up Ellen's cause. And here is Bill O'Reilly talking with Sandy Rios. She's with family pack Federal an organization is trying to get J.C. Penney to drop Ellen. What is the difference between a McCarthy era communist blacklist in the 50s and the Million Mom saying hey

J.C. Penney all you want the stores don't you hire any gay people. Don't you care. What is the difference. Will you let me listen to me. The problem is that Ellen the generous has helped her act out her lesbian lifestyle marry her. Partner it's what that represents. And the fact that J.C. Penney is supposed to be middle America the store where families shop and people who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and their children should not be exposed to propagandize of homosexuality have a moral problem with that. Do You Do You Were you surprised by this time. I was very surprised that Bill O'Reilly came out like this and I also think that his question was vet was an excellent one because it really crystallizes the nature of this debate. It is keeping people out of the discussion keeping people out of public life because we disagree with the way what they believe in or in any case the way that she lives because certainly what she believes in as she explained in that wonderful address she made to on her

television program are absolutely core family values of the allegedly Million Moms and as Ellen said well they only have 40000 people registered on their website so you know where the other hundreds of thousands. I am really really surprised. At a rally for doing this. Aside from Bill O'Reilly Were you surprised at the pushback against Ellen by the 1 Million Moms or and others it wasn't just that organization there as we said this woman that was talking to Bill O'Reilly is from family packed federal. I'm yes I'm surprised Bill O'Reilly laughs a little freaked out. For you Bill O'Reilly. From a historical perspective he is spot on. You know the McCarthy era did link red baiting with gay baiting So you know it actually did happen that a lot of blackmailing right. Exactly and you know she she as she pointed out there are only 40000 of them registered and I really liked what you said but I get it. They were they were rounded up to the nearest mill Yeah. So you know she was funny right her. Her use of the issue I thought was quite skillful where she said to those

people you're the reason I'm doing this. You're you know I'm doing this because of haters like you. So it's it's interesting it's an occasion for people to you know have this conversation everybody is now focused on J.C. Penney. You know clearly they I mean you know not to be like cynical just to be realistic clearly they did some kind of study and decided that it would be all right for their business even good for their business to keep to keep Ellen on. Right you know even though corporations are of course officially people now they can't really trust Right so well and so I think they said it by saying she's likable. I mean. It was not as likable however you define that right it's an ongoing thing that wasn't yet you're also engaged right now in trying to sort of shift their image and sort of working with like hipster fashion bloggers and so forth. That's right so this is probably right on the cutting edge of them I mean you know in some ways it's you know they couldn't be very smart. You know I mean what Barney Frank said You know what's the gay agenda join the army buy a house and get married how radical is that. But he's not likable the way Ellen is I mean this is absolutely crucial

there's something about Allen she's absolutely. You can just imagine her knocking on your door and saying Do you have a cup of sugar. And it's a big step you know when she had her sit com and they had the character come out you know she lost advertisers and so maybe that is one measure of change. I think once you've been a cartoon is in Finding Nemo maybe you're more likable. Speaking of someone who may be more accessible to some who don't like rap Jay-Z he's performing in the big venues now. This week he was at Carnegie Hall. And this is right on the heels of the birth of his child Blue Ivy Carter whose real name is Shawn Carter. Here's one of the hit songs that Jay-Z performed at Carnegie Hall. We were told to stop drop somebody how to start your step or see somebody how to read but it was a small class we're going to go to see. That's

Jay-Z's sampling of course the hard knock life from the musical Annie one of his most popular hits. He did two hours it was for charity and by all accounts went very well. Rachel Yeah sure did and it's really it's very interesting that it's worth it is worth talking about and it's interesting that's worth talking about because it does sort of remind us that where you're standing or sitting when you listen to music or you know see art or whatever where you're standing or sitting where your body is sort of determines shapes the experience of it. Right so if you're in a symphony hall then we think of that as sort of automatically being more you know high culture in quotation marks and if you're say in a stadium or on the street. So there's Jay-Z I think up ending it a little bit in the history of that I'm I was reminded hearing about this. Ernest Tubb who was the first country musician to play Carnegie Hall and he went there and he looked out over all the people and he said Boy you sure could fit a lotta hay in here. That's hilarious and brilliant. Why did he was sort of definitely signifying on exactly

that hierarchy end. You know it's so cheesy being there is sort of in that tradition. Yeah yeah this is been going on since the swinger with Benny Goodman and you know songs like The joint is really jumping down a Carnegie Hall. What I was interested to read some of the responses online was people saying get out of Carnegie Hall Jay-Z we don't need you there. You know we need you on the street and they say yeah you know we need you with us we don't need you there. I also find it interesting that you know the almost the first the next thing you did was to trademark Blue Ivy's name claiming that he was preventing other marketers from getting ahold of that name to sell things but I don't. This is clearly down the road there's going to be at Target or Macy's or somewhere a whole line of baby products I'm sure under his auspices and well I will I will know he's only the second hip hop act to perform at Carnegie Hall. And some of these tickets which were sold mostly in a private sale went from 500 to 25 hundred and the proceeds benefit United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation which helps low income students cover college

costs which you know that's where you're going to get some credit for that. Yeah. You know be on the street too. Right it's not a choice. Yeah exactly there you go. All right well speaking of music. Our old pal Paul McCartney of Beatles fame and for others who may know him from Wings this week offered his music free of the livestream on iTunes. So this is from Kisses on the bottom. Paul McCartney's new quote album unquote. You got to see you with the next Blatche to be don't miss me. OK that's enough of that he was a concert that was a live stream that's from his new album he's saying that at the concert he also got his Hollywood star of walk on in Hollywood this week to be accepted.

Yeah it's interesting you mentioned album and you have seen dancing in quotation marks because the star that he has has a record with a needle on it and I wonder how many will for how many people under the age of I don't know 40. You know you're thrilled over Sir Paul McCartney but how many of there were young people in the crowd and you saw in fact a teenager got him to sign something but it when they look at that star they wonder what is that thing. What is that circle in the middle like. And why I have to say I think it's a horrible song. Let me just put it out there Rachel. God is such a horrible song. He won Johnny Mercer questions about the streaming concert. Is is is very interesting because it does sort of you know we just were talking about what it means to perform in Carnegie Hall versus on the street and then in the case of Paul McCartney there is no place that is required right you can listen to this concert anywhere there is no time that's required either. So it's sort of like and a change in the sociability of how we listen to music because if you're at a concert it is a kind of

community forming thing. You cheer other people cheer you're all there because you sort of are liking this music together and now it's happening in a whole different way and I know that young people would say we do feel that sense of community you know what you know online and so forth so with so it's marks a shift. Also the Beatles one of the crucial things about changes in their music was when they realized they could no longer perform live it was just the crowds were too much and it was the way that their personal damage wasn't working live anymore I mean as we know that they ended their career you know recording in separate rooms practically. Well if we just this was a better song i just can't. I mean you know I love the people do that you know they go at the you know in the latter part of the career to make an album in which they sing you know that's sort of standard and I was always said that you know Irving Berlin is his favorite composer I know but they all but he knew what I had. Yeah you know I don't want to sing a standard Oh yeah just be good. Yeah you know or some better one right.

Here is something somebody who can say. This. Is a zip up. This is rolling in the deep. She's got about 90 million. The Grammy Award nominations and everybody's are thrilled about her apparently except Karl Lagerfeld who says she's a little fat. What was that about Tom that the Scarecrow speaks I mean this guy he obviously felt well I haven't got enough you know hits on my website this week so I'm going to you know stir up rattle the cages a little bit. He also went after Lana Del Rey. And you know the idea that this you know failed Chanel designer is going to comment on Adele and in a physical way and then then toss her camera saying well yes she can sing. I mean how does this fellow set himself up as an arbiter from his perspective which is such.

Such a slim range one. Yeah yeah I know you've got something to say Rachael. Well I mean I was just sort of thinking about you know the fact that there is a way in which this is a not another non news story because it is somebody who within from within the fashion industry trying to sort of police women's body size. That's right. His hose his whole industry is an inventor of the idea that women should only look one particular way so it doesn't seem that surprising to me that he is continuing you know to express that. OK well you know I don't get it I'll just and then I get the you know the call. Lana Del Rey a con struct I mean a fashion designer accusing a woman of being a construct someone who does not deal with real human beings well right somebody who wants to do the construct. Yeah I mean that's all I'm saying. All right. OK here we go. A lot of dog owners met at McDonald's. You have to hear this to believe it this is a McDonald's ad that inflamed Pit Bull Nation trying a brand new menu item at

McDonald's isn't risky. You know it's risky petting a stray pitbull or shaving your head just to see how it would look. That's risky naming your son super super risky giving your friends your Facebook password. Ultra risky. So trying a new menu item at McDonald's is about a zero on the old brisker scale. Try a snack size of our new chicken make bites for free with purchase of any extra value meal from January 30 through February. It's off the air now because. The people who are owners of pit bulls were very unhappy but they seem to like offend a whole bunch of other people. Johnny cash for. What it was it was somebody just losing it in this. How could this get approved. This is clearly one of these moments where the advertising people got together and said let's see if they'll buy this. And then they did. We're sure it's very it's funny because you know I'm sitting there thinking about it. I though these different ways that animals are in our lives now. Eating them

is one having them a sort of pets and companions is one we don't even use them for work so much anymore because of you know the way things have been sort of automated. And this sort of lined up two of them and it's fascinating to me to see the way people reacted for instance. I don't eat meat. I don't care about dogs that much one way or the other I can only say that because my the only male to write a joke I'm to say could only say that because my younger brother does not live in the state of Massachusetts. He loathes dogs and usually has like six of them but he eats meat. You know I mean so it's like there are these sort of different ways that I think that people envision themselves it's interacting with animals and you know the people in that advertisement was kind of whew I know I mean I'm not offended that the first rule of advertising. I don't have. Sure that's the first interview I did the more I'm going to never comment Pitbulls are a controversial breed but you don't take anything that's not a breed even though it's just like several kinds of dogs that get lumped together under that it's what you don't attack on a convoy and so you know you dog owners will mobilize. Yeah and they did yeah.

McDonald's apologized and pulled it off the air. All right finally because we're talking about so much music here the end of the DVD already really I don't think they're predicting now. Well the it is the end of the DVD is coming but I don't think this merger between Verizon and Redbox means that you know throw your player out of the window and just start streaming but it is coming but this is just another corporate thing you know it's definitely and it's been coming at you right now there's a struggle I think the Verizon Redbox thing is shows us that there is sort of struggle going on over who will control it now who will control the information that is you know a movie for example because we just saw Megaupload get shut down right and a bunch of streaming sites got shut down at the same time and others cropped up so who's going to control it and where is the money going to go. You know those are the questions and we'll review them when it comes up again. Thank you both. Thomas Connelly and Rachel Reuben for another edition of rag time our review of this week's pop culture news. You can keep on top of the Kelly Crossley Show at WGBH dot org slash

Calla Crossley follow us on Twitter or become a fan of the Kelly Crossley Show on Facebook. Today Show was engineered by James typically produced by Chelsea Mertz will rose with. Abbey Ruzicka the our production of WGBH Boston. Public radio.