March 3, 2025 • 38 mins
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday is expected to be challenged by Republican members of Congress over Boston’s policies on immigration. Carine Hajjar, an opinion, and editorial writer for the Boston Globe previewed Wu’s trip to Washington and commented on the threats being made by the Trump Administration.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w BZY Boston's Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, welcome back. We apologize for that last guest
last hour. Very infrequently do we have the no show guest,
but that's we had last hour. We have a great
guest this hour, though, who's going to take your phone calls?
As a matter of fact, I have been following her
time with The Boston Globe with a great deal of interest,
(00:29):
and I'm delighted to introduce to all of you Kareeen Hajar,
who is the one of the editorial writers and an
opinion writer at The Boston Globe. Kareen Hajar, Welcome to Nightside.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm good, Thanks for having me on. Thanks for a
nice introduction.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, I've just started because you have written on foreign policy,
on deterrence, on all sorts of issues, including immigration issues.
You are someone who grew up in the Greater Boston area,
(01:08):
went to a wonderful high school, Ursuline Academy, matriculated at
Harvard University, graduating in twenty twenty one, if I'm reading
your resume correctly, and then you went on and did
a lot of different things, working in a Senate office,
in Washington, working at National Review and at the Wall
(01:32):
Street Journal, all of which are pretty right of center organizations,
you know, you know, somewhat right of center, and now
you find yourself at the Boston Globe, no less the
editorial Board's that's a pretty interesting career path here, kareen
(01:53):
to end up at the Boston Globe. Can you sort
of sort that out for us if you will?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
From your perspective, Yah, Well, it's great to be at
the hometown paper. You know, growing up, the Globe was
a constant presence. I had a lot of family members
that I had to drive to DC High back in
my high school days, and you know, passing the Globe
office and now getting to go downtown and go to
the Globe office is sort of a, you know, an
(02:18):
iconic Boston feeling. But I came on to be a
different voice, and I've enjoyed that my colleagues on the
opinion side are incredibly open minded, and I think our
page presents a diversity of opinions on a lot of issues,
and you know, I enjoy getting getting to be just
another perspective there. But you know, bringing along those experiences
(02:41):
from the journal, from National Review, I think it sort
of brings a different flavor.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, I think credit to the Boston Globe they have
had over the years occasional Well, Jeff Jacoby, our mutual friend,
you know, writes pieces from the Globe for the Globe
from a conservative slash, I think, libertarian perspective. But to
be in this group of of editorial writers, you told
(03:10):
me today that it is a group that represents pretty
much eight to ten different people within the Globe. Are
those conversations pretty friendly and respectful?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I would hope they sure are.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I mean I feel comfortable to bring different viewpoints to
the table, and I really enjoy the meetings. I mean
I felt the same way, and I felt a similar
way in college, where Harvard's obviously an extremely left leaning campus,
and being in those sort of being in those places
forces you to really consider your ideas and to hone
(03:47):
your opinions, and I enjoy that exercise. I think it's
I think it's good for everyone to sort of expose
themselves to different opinions on a regular basis and have
to really defend the way they think.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, that's one of the things that always has bothered
me Korean, and that is that in a lot of
the institutions that stress a diversity. The one type of
diversity that they are not particularly interested in is diversity
of philosophical opinion. And they even don't even they don't
recognize that within some of the groups that they perceive
(04:22):
as being marginalized, whether it's women, or or or Black
Americans or Hispanic Americans or Asian Americans, there's genuinely diversity
of viewpoints within those groups. None of those groups are
you know, monolithic, And yet as they stress diversity, they
seem to focus upon people from different groups, but all
(04:44):
of whom think the same. I see that as as
incredible irony. I don't know if you share that few
I suspect you may.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, sure, I sure do. And I think, you know,
one of the central ideas in conservatism is you know, individualism,
individual freedom, and the idea that you know, I think
it's important to have this idea that the individual can
have all types of different ideas, regardless what they look like,
where they come from, how much money they have, what
race they are. I had a great conversation sort of
(05:13):
in that vein with Glenn Lowry, which I wrote up
for our idea section, and Glenn Lowry obviously a heterodox thinker,
an iconic professor and black conservative. You know, you can't
put him in a box. He has these interesting ideas. So,
you know, as a young woman who's conservative, speaking to
(05:34):
someone like Glenn Lowry was just a fascinating conversation.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah, yeah, And is that sort of perspective that I
think the Globe would do well to to even find
more more different voices. So let's talk about some of
the work that you've done recently, because it certainly came
to my attention recently that it was your f it's
(06:00):
that produced the redacted, the fully redacted reports on some
of the migrant shelter serious crime. And I believe that
the Globe actually produced an editorial which I suspect you
if you didn't write, you probably help craft that basically
called the Healy administration out for not being as transparent
(06:24):
as they would like us to believe they are.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, we you know this. The unreducted version came from
John Featherston, who was a shelter operator in Marlborough at
the Holiday and Shelter there. He previously worked there and
you know the state it took months, but the new
side had been pushing. I know other groups like Mattheop
and a Herald had been pushing for the serious incident
(06:48):
reports in the various hotel shelters and emergency shelters. We've
had proliferate across the state because we sort of knew
something was going on there. You had fires at some
you had different incidents at others, and we wanted to know.
You know, tex Players are spending a billion dollars and
we're putting the state. We'll say, you know, we're putting
(07:08):
migrants there, vulnerable migrants. We want to know if people
are safe, if communities are safe. We finally got those
records after a long time of acting, and then they
were extremely redacted, and the line was that they were
redacted to protect the safety of migrants, the safety of
residents in these emergency shelters. The problem is that, you know,
(07:29):
people were not safe and we didn't know about it.
So having the details and just being able to show
the details of one example of domestic salt that happened
in one of these shelters was really telling.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, the thing that that's troubling is that, Okay, political
decisions are made where we're going to become you know,
a de facto a sanctuary state, even though the governor
says we're not a a sanctuary state. Many communities are
de fact are day jury in fact act, you know,
(08:03):
either welcoming cities or sanctuary cities. And if we're going
to invite people in some form profession to come here
and promise them shelter, that shelter should be adequate and
their children and they should be protected. So you're on
the side and the globe, and this one was on
(08:23):
the side of the angels, and the Heally administration with
all of the redactions were basically absolutely non non transparent
and arguably had engaged in a cover up. I'm not
saying that that the governor was the one with the
magic mark er real blacking things out, but some one
(08:45):
of their functionaries were. And I'd be loved to know
if the functionary has ever served any sort of a
punishment for that sort of behavior.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Was it?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Did you guys look at that as to if anybody
was called to task for being overreacted the reports that
had been requested.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Not that I know us, but it's you've given me
an idea of something to look into. I mean, I
doubt that anything's happened to that effect, I would doubt.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I would doubt that that's my instinct. I don't know.
I also, when we get back, I want to talk
about not only the news story of the weekend, at
least in Boston, the shooting of the individual inside the
Boylston Street eatery uh and comments that Mayor Wu has made.
(09:35):
But she finds herself in this fight with the Homeland
Security Director Tom Homan, and you wrote a really interesting
piece last week which basically says that Holman should be
bringing hell to Beacon Hill and and not necessarily attacking
(09:55):
the police commissioner in Boston. I want to I want
to walk look at that a little bit and all.
So I want to invite people to call if you
like to join the conversation and ask anything of Kareem
Hajar again, a Massachusetts native who now finds herself in
a position of real influence as a member. You don't
(10:16):
have to like the Boston Globe listeners. You may disagree
with the editorial policy. I like the Globe because I
think that it has the best sports page in the country.
And now that I know that Korean has is there,
I'm going to read the editorials even more carefully than
I have before. Six one, seven, two, five, four ten
thirty six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. I'll
(10:38):
continue my conversation, hope you'll join us as we talk
with Boston Globe editorial writer and opinion writer Kareem Hajah
back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ the News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
With me is Boston Globe opinion writer and editorial writer.
She is She's a young woman who graduated from Ursuline
High School here in Milton in Denham, excuse me. Grew
up in the Great Boston area, graduate from Harvard twenty
twenty one and as a conservative and as a member
(11:21):
of the editorial team at the Boston Globe. She has
worked journalistically for the Wall Street Journal and for National
Review magazine. And we're talking about, you know, her experience.
I think it's great that the Globe has reached out
and we were talking a little bit about some of
the work that Korean Hajar has done dealing with immigration issues.
(11:46):
Those issues I think are going to come to the
forefront this Wednesday when Mayor Wu is appearing in Washington.
You've worked in Washington. What sort of of a situation
do you think Michelle Will was going to find yourself?
And I also want to bring in to the conversation
your criticism or your suggestion to Tom Holman that he
(12:07):
should lay off of the city of Austin and basically
focus his fire on Beacon Hill.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
I mean, look, tomorrow is going to be Wednesday. Rather
her hearing in Congress is going to be quite the spectacle.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
I think.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
You know, Republicans generally have a winning issue here. They
see the disorder in places like Massachusetts, they see sort
of the disaster we've seen in the shelter system. But
that doesn't necessarily mean they're always putting the blame in
the right place. So with the Tom Holman fiasco at Seapack,
for example, I mean, he's generally right that there's disorder
(12:45):
in Massachusetts in Boston, but that's there's really nothing that
Commissioner Cox or mayor Wu can do about it. Their
hands are pretty much tied by by s JC ruling
from twenty seventeen, the one decision that says that you know,
federal or state law enforcement cannot hold a migrant either
(13:07):
charge or convicted of criminal activity solely based on an
immigration detainer. So if anyone wants to change this or
create an avenue for ICE to be working with state
law enforcement, it would have to be the legislature. The
justice is said that quote. The prudent course is not
for this court to create an attempt to define some
(13:27):
new authority they go want to say. The better course
is for us to defer to the legislature to establish
and carefully define that authority. So the pressure really needs
to be on a Democrat led legislature to make any
changes here.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
But it's going to take quite a while for the
leadership of this legislature and for this governor to do that.
I think they have no interest in doing that, And
it will be Mayor Wou that will take the heat
on Wednesday and washed Uh. Now I'm wondering if she,
(14:04):
being more of a political player, she will survive that
crucible more effectively than the former president of the great
University from which you graduated, Claudine Day, successfully uh dealt
with those issues.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
The sense of that, I mean, I'm sure she very
closely studied the Claudine Gay hearing and is trying to
avoid some of the similar similar pitfalls there. But you know,
especially now that were going into sort of re election
season campaign season, it's also a chance for her to
(14:45):
to sort of back up some of these progressive bona
fides and and uh, look like she's fighting back against
an administration that isn't that popular back in Massachusetts. And
you know, it's it's quite easy for her to say, hey, look,
hands are tied. There's nothing I can do. Point at
the Lund decision. We don't have the authority to do so. Now,
(15:07):
if the Republicans in Congress want to be smart about
their questioning, they will hone in on that and they'll
put her on the spot and they'll say, okay, well,
would you support a bill that would potentially give Boston
police and just law enforcement the power to work with ice,
even if it's a narrow bill, even if it's just convictions.
That's what they should do if they really want to
put her on the spot.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, and I suspect that she wins and loses no
matter how she answers that, or she loses no matter
how she answers that. If she says no, I wouldn't
support that legislation, which would you know, overturn or redefine
the Lund decision. She's going to be blasted by her
(15:48):
progressive base, should be supported by her progressive base, I
should say, But then it will reinforce in the minds
of people that no matter what the law was, she
would stand in the way of that, and if she,
of course went the other way, then she would potentially
alienate her progressive base in a mayoral election. I think
it was James Pindell of your newspaper who wrote that
(16:11):
this is a gift to Mayor Woo, that that the
Republicans are giving her by putting her on the griddle
during you know, an election season when she's running for reelection,
And I think that that can be argued pretty effectively
as well. Your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, I think it certainly can be gift. I mean,
she's going to go up there and again it's going
to be, you know, WU a progressive champion up against
the Trump administration or you know, Trump allies a Republican
led Congress, and that plays well in deep blue Massachusetts,
that plays even better in deeper blue Boston. So I think,
(16:54):
you know, if she can avoid any particularly pointed gotcha questions,
she'll get some good clips out of that. But again,
Republicans can put her on the spot if they ask
the right questions. These can't just be general questions about
why aren't you working with ICE? Why is this individual
or that individual being released? It has to be do
(17:15):
you support some type of legislation that allows law enforcement
to work with ICE?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I agree with you. A friend of mine works in
a program that you may not have a lot of
familiarity with. But we have a program where medical personnel, doctors, nurses,
pharmacists are always on twenty four hour notice to rally
(17:47):
and to provide medical support, nursing support, et cetera, pharmaceutical
support in areas of crisis like Hurricane Katrina, domestic situations
like the Los Angeless. And it's an all volunteer force.
And this friend of mine has been dispatched not only
to places in this country, but also to Haiti uh
(18:10):
and Too Iran for an earthquake a few years ago.
He informs me today that he was sent a memo
that their membership these are volunteers, okay, volunteers that they
have to comply with the Elon Musk. Tell me five
things you did last week, which to me sounds absolute overkill. Now,
(18:32):
I know I'm opening up another area of conversation here,
but I would like to get your response when when
when we come back after the news break as to
whether or not the administration, the Trump administration has been
preps a little too aggressive, uh in terms of this
(18:53):
this doge activity that that you know as matter of fact,
have a minute, just give me a quick risk spons
if you could to how has the Trump administration been
too heavy handed, too quick and made too many mistakes
with their doge their early doge efforts.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
In your opinion, it's almost hard to keep up with
what's been happening. You know, every day there's a new cut,
a new mandate. But I think, like with the point
that you make about the five points in the email
with Elon Musk, on one hand, it just it can
strike you as sort of unnecessary trolling and easy red
meat for the base. But on the other hand, it
(19:32):
gets you to sit there and think, huh, is it
really that hard for somebody to think about five things
they did they've done over the last week.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Let me let me just interrupt you because I'm coming
up on a CBS news break. I will finish by saying,
when you talk about volunteers who can be called on
a moment's notice, maybe they haven't done anything the last week.
We'll be back with Kareem Hajar, the Boston Globe editorial staff.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
We're joined by Kareem Hajar. She is a Boston Globe
editorial writer. Harvard graduate twenty twenty one. She's worked for
The National Review for the Wall Street Journal. Also worked
in Washington in the halls of Congress. And we're talking
about the immigration fight that is going on. Kareean, as
(20:27):
as you look at all of this, and we look
at some of the the actions that the Trump administration
has taken in the first six weeks, and of course
tomorrow night he has his speech to Congress. Do you
anticipate any surprises in that speech tomorrow night? Obviously you all,
(20:50):
it's not a State of the Union address, it's a
it's a speech to Congress. What do you think if
you were advising Donald Trump he should what tone should
he strike? I mean no, he struck a tone on
Friday with Zelensky. President Zelensky, which in the short run
(21:13):
has I think been problematic. Today he followed on with
the tariffs or pledged to follow on with the tariffs
despite the fact that Mexico is ying to stand that
has handed over some of the members or the leaderships
of cartels. I'm not quite sure what he's trying to
prove at this point. Do you have a reading that
(21:35):
you would like to share with me as to what
do you think is in his mind?
Speaker 3 (21:40):
After being on the campaign trail and during a presidential
this last presidential election, I've learned not to try to
anticipate what President Trump is going to say.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
That's a solid position to take, yeah, ahead of or
otherwise go ahead.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
But you know what I think a lot of Trump
Republicans would say is that he's trying to be extremely
strong right off the bat to have favorable terms to
negotiate that sort of whether or not that is a
pre planned strategy or just a rationalization of what is
happening is to be determined. But you know, I think
(22:19):
the president is going to I don't. I don't expect
him to take on a more a softer tone. I
guess in the way he addresses Congress, I think it's
going to be strong, decisive, Uh, He's going to stand
by everything. He's done because he he hasn't backed off
on anything.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
There's some suggestion that Zelensky may have met with Democratic
Senate leaders on Friday before he went to the White House.
Have you have you heard that that suggestion.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
To be honest, I haven't seen details about that, but
I'm sure that he's meeting with anyone and everyone who
could sort of help his cause or you know, potentially
sway public opinion. And he's been doing this, you know,
media tour, government tour everywhere.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
But what I don't understand, and again I've watched it
for a long time, but I don't understand is how
you can have a signing ceremony that can blow up
on everyone's face that all of that stuff is supposed
to be litigated and dealt with, and every I has
(23:32):
dotted and T is crossed and those papers should have
been sitting on the desk for them to sign when
they emerged from the you know, the behind closed door meeting,
and it it looked to me as it was, it
almost seemed embarrassing. I mean, it was like almost amateur
hour as this. And I think that the president, I
(23:53):
think he enjoyed the the confrontation. I really think he
enjoyed the confortation, which said to me, why do that's
what's gained by that? If Celenski didn't want to sign,
why would you even bring him to the White House.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Yeah, you know, I've been asking myself a lot of
similar questions, and something that President Trump said is pretty
telling that this is going to make great television. I
think he likes the clips. I think he likes the
sound bites. I think he likes that these instances go viral,
and I think a lot of people in his camp
feel that it gives them leverage to ask even more,
(24:32):
not just of Zelensky, but also of the Europeans. This
is sort of a similar argument that they've made about
NATO in the past. You know, Trump's made these really
scathing comments about NATO, even making some people fear that,
you know, will will the US exit will it not?
And then in turn European countries contribute more of their
(24:53):
GDP to their defense. So that's sort of the rationalization
we're seeing from the MAGA world. But I'm curious to
see how this will play out and if he does
actually get better terms from what was, as you said,
you know, quite a shocking exchange. In the White House
and sort of the type of exchange you expect to
happen behind closed doors, and with good reason behind closed doors.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Let's let's get a phone call in here, and we'll
continue to take some phone calls for the balance of
this hour. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty six, one, seven, nine,
three thirty Ernie and Lowell. I'm going to get Ernie
in before we go to our break. Ernie, you uh
first this hour with Kareem Hazar of the Boston Globe
Editorial Department.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Ernie, hiy, Yeah, I got a quick question with you, Dan.
It's not it's not exactly about your topic, but it's
about Governor.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Heay, well, what let's hear the question? Yeah, And if
it's not about the topic, we can move into another
another night topic.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
You know, speaking of amateur hour, you you heard about
the two thugs from Stoneham who stole forty million dollars.
Is from mass stage right.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
I have no idea what you're talking about her, Andy,
Let's save that for another night. Talk to Rob and
tell him about that that story, and maybe we can
follow up on it. But I have no idea what
you're talking about, and I don't think my guest does either.
Sorry about that, Karain. We'll be back with a more
relevant phone call six one seven, two five four ten
thirty six one seven nine three one ten thirty if
(26:23):
you'd like to speak with kareein Hajar. She is the
i think the newest Boston Globe editorial writer UH and
and opinion writer. She also, I'm certain is the youngest,
having graduated from Harvard UH in twenty twenty one. A
great grew up in Great Boston, educated at Erstline Academy.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
UH.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Certainly that school has to be very proud of her,
and we're we're talking with her about her position with
the Globe and also getting a sense of how she
sees the world, and she has She's has been a
very active participant working at the Globe for a year
and a half and there has been I think somewhat
of a change in the editorial philosophy at the Globe,
(27:10):
and she I'm sure has had her hend in that.
And that's why i have her hon as a guest.
And if you'd like to ask her a question or
make a comment, you are more than welcome. My name's
Dan Ray. This is Nightside. Will be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
My guest Boston editorial writer and Boston Globe. Boston Globe
editorial writer in Boston Global opinion writer Kareen Hajar, who
again is a not too many people end up being
able to work on the editorial page on the editorial staff,
if you will, of the Boston Globe, particularly if they've
(27:53):
just graduated from Harvard in twenty twenty one, speaks to
the experience that she has had at a relatively young age.
I can't tell you how jealous I am of Europe,
your your age, Korean. So let's let's keep going here
with callers six one, seven, two thirty, six one, seven, nine, three,
ten thirty. Let me go to Rick in Dover. Rick,
(28:14):
you were next on Nightside with Korean. How's your go
right ahead? Rick? Hi? Hi? Dan Hi?
Speaker 6 (28:20):
Korean? Ah, Hey oh, I'd like to know what your
opinion is, uh, mister Trump uh deciding to side with
a dictator as the I don't know, Pootin. I guess
a dictator our enemy for seventy years or whatever, against
(28:45):
the democratic theory world in the European Union, don't you
think that's an American?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
You want my answer, do you want Koreans, I'll give
you mine first, Okay, okay, sure, yeah, oh I can
tell I think that Trump is attempting, and maybe unsuccessfully,
is attempting to play chess as opposed to checkers. And
I think what he's hoping he can do is get
(29:17):
Zolensky to the point where he would say, Okay, I'm
willing to end this confrontation, this war, which has cost
a couple of million lives, but I want to end
it on terms that will secure the independence of my country.
And he's hoping he's hoping that if Zelensky's willing to
(29:37):
at least engage in that conversation, he might be able
to get Putin to end clearly the invasion. I mean,
you know, Zolensky did not invade Russia. Ukraine did not
invade Russia. And that's my view that he and I
think that he is looking to maybe maybe uh end
(30:01):
the war, not with Ukrainian troops marching into into Red
Square in the Kremlin, but simply to end the war.
Koreine want to take a shot at this.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
For Rick from Dover, I actually couldn't agree more with
with your assessment therett. I think, you know, he's trying
to put Zelenski in a position where he has to
accept a deal. You know, for Ukraine to win the
war would be extremely unlikely at this point without you know,
probably US troops on the ground or European troops on
(30:31):
the ground, and that's just not going to happen. There's
no political appetite for it, not here and not in Europe.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
That is world War three. That that is World War three. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Well, not to say that, you know, yeah, go.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Ahead, Rick, hold on later to finish your comment, please, yeah, correct,
Not to.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Say that the manner that he that you know, Trump
is going about this. Obviously it's rustling a lot of feathers.
Obviously the optics are complicated here. But I do think
he's just really pushing for a deal.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
I kind of agree with most of you, you know,
kind of you know, I mean, I think it's making
us really look bad as you know, the beacon of freedom.
But uh, on a follow up, I mean, have we
ever extorted a country to help them before?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
I don't understand, I don't I don't think extortion is
what's going on. Here. I think he's trying to to
to to force Zelensky to to deal with the reality
of the moment.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
And well, it seems like.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
One of those words that just just let me just
say that as a lawyer, extortion is one of those
words that raises the hair in the back of my
head because you gotta you got to show the quid
pro quo here, and uh, you know it does it
doesn't fit.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
Give us as minerals, Ukraine, give us your minerals, and
we might give you Somehow, No, I.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Think I think you're reading it quite differently. I think
his position is that by we when we invest with
Ukraine in these rare earth minerals and we have an
investment in the ground, that is going to protect the
integrity of Ukraine because Russia at that point will be
hesitant to say, well, why don't we go back and
(32:20):
you know we had a peace deal, but let's go
back and break that peace treaty. As what Solonski was
referring to, knowing all well that by going in, uh,
they then would be be putting US civilians who would
be working in those minerals in jeopardy. Rick I got
to get some other calls.
Speaker 6 (32:40):
In here, and I appreciate it for your responses.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
You're welcome. Thanks Rick. Let's go to Frank in Montreal.
Frank say had to Korean Hasjar Go right ahead, Frank.
Speaker 7 (32:50):
I I'm sorry I missed your name, but.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Korean.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Her name is Korean. Frank is calling Korean from Montreal.
He's a regular. Frank.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
I'm I think I joined it a bit late. But
we're talking about the Korea, the Ukraine War, correct, and
that end up funding.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Yeah, yeah, Frank, let me bring it to date. Okay.
Korean is a Conservative. She's a Harvard graduate twenty twenty one,
and she's now a member of the Boston Globe editorial
opinion writer and editorial writer, which I think is an
extraordinary accomplishment. And we're talking tonight. So go right ahead, Frank,
(33:34):
your question.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Thank you? Well, Yeah, so Korean. I think I'm not
sure why the Republicans are not bringing to light the
fact or putting into perspective the situation where in twenty
fourteen President Obama funded a coup to overthrow a pro
(33:58):
Russian or a sympathizer. I guess I could say.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Who was elected who was elected president by.
Speaker 7 (34:06):
At exactly exactly, and and then the thought of bringing
Ukraine into NATO was also I think threatening to Putin,
and Putin did reach out to the US and asked
and said suggested maybe we could have a diplomatic resolution
(34:30):
to Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Rank let me let me get you to a question
from my guest. I'm sure she is familiar with the
facts that you're right.
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Well, listeners, My question really is that why would why
would president or President Trump not bring to light the
fact that US GDP versus the European GDP is almost
identical fifteen percent of the global economy, and yet your
(34:57):
two x the funding of of any other country. Of course,
President Trump is saying enough is enough? No, no, yeah,
why is this not being brought to light?
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Well, he's talked about that a lot.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Go ahead, Kreane, Yeah, I was gonna say. I actually
think that's sort of a central pillar of his Ukraine
strategy and a big part of just this foreign policy,
especially as it pertains to Europe. His line about NATO
has always been that the Europeans have to contribute more.
So I do think that that's a pretty central aspect
of it. But when you're talking about you know, the
(35:34):
last few years. We were recently talking about the minerals
deal with Zelensky. We're talking about the last few years
and Putin's spears about Ukraine joining NATO. I think that's
another reason why this mineral deal is so big, because
you know, US interests. It wouldn't just the US civilians
and US interests in Ukraine. It would be against US
(35:55):
economic interests if Russia were to encroach on that deal
or interfere with it in any way. So I see
this as sort of a different way to get US
interest without going full BONNATO in Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Frank, Frank, Unfortunately, I wish Frank, I wish you called earlier.
I'm flat flat at the time, Buddy. We'll talk about it.
Speaker 7 (36:18):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
All Right, one of my favorite Canadian callers. Let me
see if I get one more final quick question, and
if it can be a quick question, that's great. If
it Cod, we're gonna have to move on. Frank in Boston,
Gotta have a quick question for my guest.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Why is all of this talk on other stuff except
the economy? Why is everybody talking about this stuff when
the economy was supposed to be the number one issue
that propelled this guy into office, and that the conservatives
were rolling about all over the place.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
That's that's a broad that's a broad question. Frank, I'm
flat out of time. I'm going to give Kareem about
thirty seconds to take a shot at that. Obviously, the
economy is being addressed, but let's see what Kareen has
to say. This is a matter sometimes presidents can't take
the crisis that they would prefer to deal with in
(37:17):
a vacuum. Kareem.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Yeah, and I'd say it's sort of I agree that
the economy, it was a big part of our Trump
was elected, but it's sort of early to assess how
his policies, especially because we haven't had the tax bill
that he's promised. It's a bit early to assess how
his economic policy is going to play out.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Frank, I wish it called early, but I'm flat out
of time. Look at the clock. Thank you, my friend.
Call early. We'll have a much better conversation. Korean has Ar,
Thank you so much for your time. It's a pleasure
to have met you, at least over the phone, and
I'll be following your work very closely with the Globe.
Thank you so much for having me on I hope
you've enjoyed it. You've enjoyed this, Thanks Kreen. We'll talk soon.
(37:58):
When we come back, we're going to talk about Mayo
Wu's comments over the weekend regarding these shooting on Boylston Street,
amongst others.
It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w BZY Boston's Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, welcome back. We apologize for that last guest
last hour. Very infrequently do we have the no show guest,
but that's we had last hour. We have a great
guest this hour, though, who's going to take your phone calls?
As a matter of fact, I have been following her
time with The Boston Globe with a great deal of interest,
(00:29):
and I'm delighted to introduce to all of you Kareeen Hajar,
who is the one of the editorial writers and an
opinion writer at The Boston Globe. Kareen Hajar, Welcome to Nightside.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm good, Thanks for having me on. Thanks for a
nice introduction.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, I've just started because you have written on foreign policy,
on deterrence, on all sorts of issues, including immigration issues.
You are someone who grew up in the Greater Boston area,
(01:08):
went to a wonderful high school, Ursuline Academy, matriculated at
Harvard University, graduating in twenty twenty one, if I'm reading
your resume correctly, and then you went on and did
a lot of different things, working in a Senate office,
in Washington, working at National Review and at the Wall
(01:32):
Street Journal, all of which are pretty right of center organizations,
you know, you know, somewhat right of center, and now
you find yourself at the Boston Globe, no less the
editorial Board's that's a pretty interesting career path here, kareen
(01:53):
to end up at the Boston Globe. Can you sort
of sort that out for us if you will?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
From your perspective, Yah, Well, it's great to be at
the hometown paper. You know, growing up, the Globe was
a constant presence. I had a lot of family members
that I had to drive to DC High back in
my high school days, and you know, passing the Globe
office and now getting to go downtown and go to
the Globe office is sort of a, you know, an
(02:18):
iconic Boston feeling. But I came on to be a
different voice, and I've enjoyed that my colleagues on the
opinion side are incredibly open minded, and I think our
page presents a diversity of opinions on a lot of issues,
and you know, I enjoy getting getting to be just
another perspective there. But you know, bringing along those experiences
(02:41):
from the journal, from National Review, I think it sort
of brings a different flavor.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, I think credit to the Boston Globe they have
had over the years occasional Well, Jeff Jacoby, our mutual friend,
you know, writes pieces from the Globe for the Globe
from a conservative slash, I think, libertarian perspective. But to
be in this group of of editorial writers, you told
(03:10):
me today that it is a group that represents pretty
much eight to ten different people within the Globe. Are
those conversations pretty friendly and respectful?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I would hope they sure are.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I mean I feel comfortable to bring different viewpoints to
the table, and I really enjoy the meetings. I mean
I felt the same way, and I felt a similar
way in college, where Harvard's obviously an extremely left leaning campus,
and being in those sort of being in those places
forces you to really consider your ideas and to hone
(03:47):
your opinions, and I enjoy that exercise. I think it's
I think it's good for everyone to sort of expose
themselves to different opinions on a regular basis and have
to really defend the way they think.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, that's one of the things that always has bothered
me Korean, and that is that in a lot of
the institutions that stress a diversity. The one type of
diversity that they are not particularly interested in is diversity
of philosophical opinion. And they even don't even they don't
recognize that within some of the groups that they perceive
(04:22):
as being marginalized, whether it's women, or or or Black
Americans or Hispanic Americans or Asian Americans, there's genuinely diversity
of viewpoints within those groups. None of those groups are
you know, monolithic, And yet as they stress diversity, they
seem to focus upon people from different groups, but all
(04:44):
of whom think the same. I see that as as
incredible irony. I don't know if you share that few
I suspect you may.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, sure, I sure do. And I think, you know,
one of the central ideas in conservatism is you know, individualism,
individual freedom, and the idea that you know, I think
it's important to have this idea that the individual can
have all types of different ideas, regardless what they look like,
where they come from, how much money they have, what
race they are. I had a great conversation sort of
(05:13):
in that vein with Glenn Lowry, which I wrote up
for our idea section, and Glenn Lowry obviously a heterodox thinker,
an iconic professor and black conservative. You know, you can't
put him in a box. He has these interesting ideas. So,
you know, as a young woman who's conservative, speaking to
(05:34):
someone like Glenn Lowry was just a fascinating conversation.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah, yeah, And is that sort of perspective that I
think the Globe would do well to to even find
more more different voices. So let's talk about some of
the work that you've done recently, because it certainly came
to my attention recently that it was your f it's
(06:00):
that produced the redacted, the fully redacted reports on some
of the migrant shelter serious crime. And I believe that
the Globe actually produced an editorial which I suspect you
if you didn't write, you probably help craft that basically
called the Healy administration out for not being as transparent
(06:24):
as they would like us to believe they are.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, we you know this. The unreducted version came from
John Featherston, who was a shelter operator in Marlborough at
the Holiday and Shelter there. He previously worked there and
you know the state it took months, but the new
side had been pushing. I know other groups like Mattheop
and a Herald had been pushing for the serious incident
(06:48):
reports in the various hotel shelters and emergency shelters. We've
had proliferate across the state because we sort of knew
something was going on there. You had fires at some
you had different incidents at others, and we wanted to know.
You know, tex Players are spending a billion dollars and
we're putting the state. We'll say, you know, we're putting
(07:08):
migrants there, vulnerable migrants. We want to know if people
are safe, if communities are safe. We finally got those
records after a long time of acting, and then they
were extremely redacted, and the line was that they were
redacted to protect the safety of migrants, the safety of
residents in these emergency shelters. The problem is that, you know,
(07:29):
people were not safe and we didn't know about it.
So having the details and just being able to show
the details of one example of domestic salt that happened
in one of these shelters was really telling.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, the thing that that's troubling is that, Okay, political
decisions are made where we're going to become you know,
a de facto a sanctuary state, even though the governor
says we're not a a sanctuary state. Many communities are
de fact are day jury in fact act, you know,
(08:03):
either welcoming cities or sanctuary cities. And if we're going
to invite people in some form profession to come here
and promise them shelter, that shelter should be adequate and
their children and they should be protected. So you're on
the side and the globe, and this one was on
(08:23):
the side of the angels, and the Heally administration with
all of the redactions were basically absolutely non non transparent
and arguably had engaged in a cover up. I'm not
saying that that the governor was the one with the
magic mark er real blacking things out, but some one
(08:45):
of their functionaries were. And I'd be loved to know
if the functionary has ever served any sort of a
punishment for that sort of behavior.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Was it?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Did you guys look at that as to if anybody
was called to task for being overreacted the reports that
had been requested.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Not that I know us, but it's you've given me
an idea of something to look into. I mean, I
doubt that anything's happened to that effect, I would doubt.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I would doubt that that's my instinct. I don't know.
I also, when we get back, I want to talk
about not only the news story of the weekend, at
least in Boston, the shooting of the individual inside the
Boylston Street eatery uh and comments that Mayor Wu has made.
(09:35):
But she finds herself in this fight with the Homeland
Security Director Tom Homan, and you wrote a really interesting
piece last week which basically says that Holman should be
bringing hell to Beacon Hill and and not necessarily attacking
(09:55):
the police commissioner in Boston. I want to I want
to walk look at that a little bit and all.
So I want to invite people to call if you
like to join the conversation and ask anything of Kareem
Hajar again, a Massachusetts native who now finds herself in
a position of real influence as a member. You don't
(10:16):
have to like the Boston Globe listeners. You may disagree
with the editorial policy. I like the Globe because I
think that it has the best sports page in the country.
And now that I know that Korean has is there,
I'm going to read the editorials even more carefully than
I have before. Six one, seven, two, five, four ten
thirty six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. I'll
(10:38):
continue my conversation, hope you'll join us as we talk
with Boston Globe editorial writer and opinion writer Kareem Hajah
back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ the News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
With me is Boston Globe opinion writer and editorial writer.
She is She's a young woman who graduated from Ursuline
High School here in Milton in Denham, excuse me. Grew
up in the Great Boston area, graduate from Harvard twenty
twenty one and as a conservative and as a member
(11:21):
of the editorial team at the Boston Globe. She has
worked journalistically for the Wall Street Journal and for National
Review magazine. And we're talking about, you know, her experience.
I think it's great that the Globe has reached out
and we were talking a little bit about some of
the work that Korean Hajar has done dealing with immigration issues.
(11:46):
Those issues I think are going to come to the
forefront this Wednesday when Mayor Wu is appearing in Washington.
You've worked in Washington. What sort of of a situation
do you think Michelle Will was going to find yourself?
And I also want to bring in to the conversation
your criticism or your suggestion to Tom Holman that he
(12:07):
should lay off of the city of Austin and basically
focus his fire on Beacon Hill.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
I mean, look, tomorrow is going to be Wednesday. Rather
her hearing in Congress is going to be quite the spectacle.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
I think.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
You know, Republicans generally have a winning issue here. They
see the disorder in places like Massachusetts, they see sort
of the disaster we've seen in the shelter system. But
that doesn't necessarily mean they're always putting the blame in
the right place. So with the Tom Holman fiasco at Seapack,
for example, I mean, he's generally right that there's disorder
(12:45):
in Massachusetts in Boston, but that's there's really nothing that
Commissioner Cox or mayor Wu can do about it. Their
hands are pretty much tied by by s JC ruling
from twenty seventeen, the one decision that says that you know,
federal or state law enforcement cannot hold a migrant either
(13:07):
charge or convicted of criminal activity solely based on an
immigration detainer. So if anyone wants to change this or
create an avenue for ICE to be working with state
law enforcement, it would have to be the legislature. The
justice is said that quote. The prudent course is not
for this court to create an attempt to define some
(13:27):
new authority they go want to say. The better course
is for us to defer to the legislature to establish
and carefully define that authority. So the pressure really needs
to be on a Democrat led legislature to make any
changes here.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
But it's going to take quite a while for the
leadership of this legislature and for this governor to do that.
I think they have no interest in doing that, And
it will be Mayor Wou that will take the heat
on Wednesday and washed Uh. Now I'm wondering if she,
(14:04):
being more of a political player, she will survive that
crucible more effectively than the former president of the great
University from which you graduated, Claudine Day, successfully uh dealt
with those issues.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
The sense of that, I mean, I'm sure she very
closely studied the Claudine Gay hearing and is trying to
avoid some of the similar similar pitfalls there. But you know,
especially now that were going into sort of re election
season campaign season, it's also a chance for her to
(14:45):
to sort of back up some of these progressive bona
fides and and uh, look like she's fighting back against
an administration that isn't that popular back in Massachusetts. And
you know, it's it's quite easy for her to say, hey, look,
hands are tied. There's nothing I can do. Point at
the Lund decision. We don't have the authority to do so. Now,
(15:07):
if the Republicans in Congress want to be smart about
their questioning, they will hone in on that and they'll
put her on the spot and they'll say, okay, well,
would you support a bill that would potentially give Boston
police and just law enforcement the power to work with ice,
even if it's a narrow bill, even if it's just convictions.
That's what they should do if they really want to
put her on the spot.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, and I suspect that she wins and loses no
matter how she answers that, or she loses no matter
how she answers that. If she says no, I wouldn't
support that legislation, which would you know, overturn or redefine
the Lund decision. She's going to be blasted by her
(15:48):
progressive base, should be supported by her progressive base, I
should say, But then it will reinforce in the minds
of people that no matter what the law was, she
would stand in the way of that, and if she,
of course went the other way, then she would potentially
alienate her progressive base in a mayoral election. I think
it was James Pindell of your newspaper who wrote that
(16:11):
this is a gift to Mayor Woo, that that the
Republicans are giving her by putting her on the griddle
during you know, an election season when she's running for reelection,
And I think that that can be argued pretty effectively
as well. Your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, I think it certainly can be gift. I mean,
she's going to go up there and again it's going
to be, you know, WU a progressive champion up against
the Trump administration or you know, Trump allies a Republican
led Congress, and that plays well in deep blue Massachusetts,
that plays even better in deeper blue Boston. So I think,
(16:54):
you know, if she can avoid any particularly pointed gotcha questions,
she'll get some good clips out of that. But again,
Republicans can put her on the spot if they ask
the right questions. These can't just be general questions about
why aren't you working with ICE? Why is this individual
or that individual being released? It has to be do
(17:15):
you support some type of legislation that allows law enforcement
to work with ICE?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I agree with you. A friend of mine works in
a program that you may not have a lot of
familiarity with. But we have a program where medical personnel, doctors, nurses,
pharmacists are always on twenty four hour notice to rally
(17:47):
and to provide medical support, nursing support, et cetera, pharmaceutical
support in areas of crisis like Hurricane Katrina, domestic situations
like the Los Angeless. And it's an all volunteer force.
And this friend of mine has been dispatched not only
to places in this country, but also to Haiti uh
(18:10):
and Too Iran for an earthquake a few years ago.
He informs me today that he was sent a memo
that their membership these are volunteers, okay, volunteers that they
have to comply with the Elon Musk. Tell me five
things you did last week, which to me sounds absolute overkill. Now,
(18:32):
I know I'm opening up another area of conversation here,
but I would like to get your response when when
when we come back after the news break as to
whether or not the administration, the Trump administration has been
preps a little too aggressive, uh in terms of this
(18:53):
this doge activity that that you know as matter of fact,
have a minute, just give me a quick risk spons
if you could to how has the Trump administration been
too heavy handed, too quick and made too many mistakes
with their doge their early doge efforts.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
In your opinion, it's almost hard to keep up with
what's been happening. You know, every day there's a new cut,
a new mandate. But I think, like with the point
that you make about the five points in the email
with Elon Musk, on one hand, it just it can
strike you as sort of unnecessary trolling and easy red
meat for the base. But on the other hand, it
(19:32):
gets you to sit there and think, huh, is it
really that hard for somebody to think about five things
they did they've done over the last week.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Let me let me just interrupt you because I'm coming
up on a CBS news break. I will finish by saying,
when you talk about volunteers who can be called on
a moment's notice, maybe they haven't done anything the last week.
We'll be back with Kareem Hajar, the Boston Globe editorial staff.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
We're joined by Kareem Hajar. She is a Boston Globe
editorial writer. Harvard graduate twenty twenty one. She's worked for
The National Review for the Wall Street Journal. Also worked
in Washington in the halls of Congress. And we're talking
about the immigration fight that is going on. Kareean, as
(20:27):
as you look at all of this, and we look
at some of the the actions that the Trump administration
has taken in the first six weeks, and of course
tomorrow night he has his speech to Congress. Do you
anticipate any surprises in that speech tomorrow night? Obviously you all,
(20:50):
it's not a State of the Union address, it's a
it's a speech to Congress. What do you think if
you were advising Donald Trump he should what tone should
he strike? I mean no, he struck a tone on
Friday with Zelensky. President Zelensky, which in the short run
(21:13):
has I think been problematic. Today he followed on with
the tariffs or pledged to follow on with the tariffs
despite the fact that Mexico is ying to stand that
has handed over some of the members or the leaderships
of cartels. I'm not quite sure what he's trying to
prove at this point. Do you have a reading that
(21:35):
you would like to share with me as to what
do you think is in his mind?
Speaker 3 (21:40):
After being on the campaign trail and during a presidential
this last presidential election, I've learned not to try to
anticipate what President Trump is going to say.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
That's a solid position to take, yeah, ahead of or
otherwise go ahead.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
But you know what I think a lot of Trump
Republicans would say is that he's trying to be extremely
strong right off the bat to have favorable terms to
negotiate that sort of whether or not that is a
pre planned strategy or just a rationalization of what is
happening is to be determined. But you know, I think
(22:19):
the president is going to I don't. I don't expect
him to take on a more a softer tone. I
guess in the way he addresses Congress, I think it's
going to be strong, decisive, Uh, He's going to stand
by everything. He's done because he he hasn't backed off
on anything.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
There's some suggestion that Zelensky may have met with Democratic
Senate leaders on Friday before he went to the White House.
Have you have you heard that that suggestion.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
To be honest, I haven't seen details about that, but
I'm sure that he's meeting with anyone and everyone who
could sort of help his cause or you know, potentially
sway public opinion. And he's been doing this, you know,
media tour, government tour everywhere.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
But what I don't understand, and again I've watched it
for a long time, but I don't understand is how
you can have a signing ceremony that can blow up
on everyone's face that all of that stuff is supposed
to be litigated and dealt with, and every I has
(23:32):
dotted and T is crossed and those papers should have
been sitting on the desk for them to sign when
they emerged from the you know, the behind closed door meeting,
and it it looked to me as it was, it
almost seemed embarrassing. I mean, it was like almost amateur
hour as this. And I think that the president, I
(23:53):
think he enjoyed the the confrontation. I really think he
enjoyed the confortation, which said to me, why do that's
what's gained by that? If Celenski didn't want to sign,
why would you even bring him to the White House.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Yeah, you know, I've been asking myself a lot of
similar questions, and something that President Trump said is pretty
telling that this is going to make great television. I
think he likes the clips. I think he likes the
sound bites. I think he likes that these instances go viral,
and I think a lot of people in his camp
feel that it gives them leverage to ask even more,
(24:32):
not just of Zelensky, but also of the Europeans. This
is sort of a similar argument that they've made about
NATO in the past. You know, Trump's made these really
scathing comments about NATO, even making some people fear that,
you know, will will the US exit will it not?
And then in turn European countries contribute more of their
(24:53):
GDP to their defense. So that's sort of the rationalization
we're seeing from the MAGA world. But I'm curious to
see how this will play out and if he does
actually get better terms from what was, as you said,
you know, quite a shocking exchange. In the White House
and sort of the type of exchange you expect to
happen behind closed doors, and with good reason behind closed doors.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Let's let's get a phone call in here, and we'll
continue to take some phone calls for the balance of
this hour. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty six, one, seven, nine,
three thirty Ernie and Lowell. I'm going to get Ernie
in before we go to our break. Ernie, you uh
first this hour with Kareem Hazar of the Boston Globe
Editorial Department.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Ernie, hiy, Yeah, I got a quick question with you, Dan.
It's not it's not exactly about your topic, but it's
about Governor.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Heay, well, what let's hear the question? Yeah, And if
it's not about the topic, we can move into another
another night topic.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
You know, speaking of amateur hour, you you heard about
the two thugs from Stoneham who stole forty million dollars.
Is from mass stage right.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
I have no idea what you're talking about her, Andy,
Let's save that for another night. Talk to Rob and
tell him about that that story, and maybe we can
follow up on it. But I have no idea what
you're talking about, and I don't think my guest does either.
Sorry about that, Karain. We'll be back with a more
relevant phone call six one seven, two five four ten
thirty six one seven nine three one ten thirty if
(26:23):
you'd like to speak with kareein Hajar. She is the
i think the newest Boston Globe editorial writer UH and
and opinion writer. She also, I'm certain is the youngest,
having graduated from Harvard UH in twenty twenty one. A
great grew up in Great Boston, educated at Erstline Academy.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
UH.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Certainly that school has to be very proud of her,
and we're we're talking with her about her position with
the Globe and also getting a sense of how she
sees the world, and she has She's has been a
very active participant working at the Globe for a year
and a half and there has been I think somewhat
of a change in the editorial philosophy at the Globe,
(27:10):
and she I'm sure has had her hend in that.
And that's why i have her hon as a guest.
And if you'd like to ask her a question or
make a comment, you are more than welcome. My name's
Dan Ray. This is Nightside. Will be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
My guest Boston editorial writer and Boston Globe. Boston Globe
editorial writer in Boston Global opinion writer Kareen Hajar, who
again is a not too many people end up being
able to work on the editorial page on the editorial staff,
if you will, of the Boston Globe, particularly if they've
(27:53):
just graduated from Harvard in twenty twenty one, speaks to
the experience that she has had at a relatively young age.
I can't tell you how jealous I am of Europe,
your your age, Korean. So let's let's keep going here
with callers six one, seven, two thirty, six one, seven, nine, three,
ten thirty. Let me go to Rick in Dover. Rick,
(28:14):
you were next on Nightside with Korean. How's your go
right ahead? Rick? Hi? Hi? Dan Hi?
Speaker 6 (28:20):
Korean? Ah, Hey oh, I'd like to know what your
opinion is, uh, mister Trump uh deciding to side with
a dictator as the I don't know, Pootin. I guess
a dictator our enemy for seventy years or whatever, against
(28:45):
the democratic theory world in the European Union, don't you
think that's an American?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
You want my answer, do you want Koreans, I'll give
you mine first, Okay, okay, sure, yeah, oh I can
tell I think that Trump is attempting, and maybe unsuccessfully,
is attempting to play chess as opposed to checkers. And
I think what he's hoping he can do is get
(29:17):
Zolensky to the point where he would say, Okay, I'm
willing to end this confrontation, this war, which has cost
a couple of million lives, but I want to end
it on terms that will secure the independence of my country.
And he's hoping he's hoping that if Zelensky's willing to
(29:37):
at least engage in that conversation, he might be able
to get Putin to end clearly the invasion. I mean,
you know, Zolensky did not invade Russia. Ukraine did not
invade Russia. And that's my view that he and I
think that he is looking to maybe maybe uh end
(30:01):
the war, not with Ukrainian troops marching into into Red
Square in the Kremlin, but simply to end the war.
Koreine want to take a shot at this.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
For Rick from Dover, I actually couldn't agree more with
with your assessment therett. I think, you know, he's trying
to put Zelenski in a position where he has to
accept a deal. You know, for Ukraine to win the
war would be extremely unlikely at this point without you know,
probably US troops on the ground or European troops on
(30:31):
the ground, and that's just not going to happen. There's
no political appetite for it, not here and not in Europe.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
That is world War three. That that is World War three. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Well, not to say that, you know, yeah, go.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Ahead, Rick, hold on later to finish your comment, please, yeah, correct,
Not to.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Say that the manner that he that you know, Trump
is going about this. Obviously it's rustling a lot of feathers.
Obviously the optics are complicated here. But I do think
he's just really pushing for a deal.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
I kind of agree with most of you, you know,
kind of you know, I mean, I think it's making
us really look bad as you know, the beacon of freedom.
But uh, on a follow up, I mean, have we
ever extorted a country to help them before?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
I don't understand, I don't I don't think extortion is
what's going on. Here. I think he's trying to to
to to force Zelensky to to deal with the reality
of the moment.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
And well, it seems like.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
One of those words that just just let me just
say that as a lawyer, extortion is one of those
words that raises the hair in the back of my
head because you gotta you got to show the quid
pro quo here, and uh, you know it does it
doesn't fit.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
Give us as minerals, Ukraine, give us your minerals, and
we might give you Somehow, No, I.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Think I think you're reading it quite differently. I think
his position is that by we when we invest with
Ukraine in these rare earth minerals and we have an
investment in the ground, that is going to protect the
integrity of Ukraine because Russia at that point will be
hesitant to say, well, why don't we go back and
(32:20):
you know we had a peace deal, but let's go
back and break that peace treaty. As what Solonski was
referring to, knowing all well that by going in, uh,
they then would be be putting US civilians who would
be working in those minerals in jeopardy. Rick I got
to get some other calls.
Speaker 6 (32:40):
In here, and I appreciate it for your responses.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
You're welcome. Thanks Rick. Let's go to Frank in Montreal.
Frank say had to Korean Hasjar Go right ahead, Frank.
Speaker 7 (32:50):
I I'm sorry I missed your name, but.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Korean.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Her name is Korean. Frank is calling Korean from Montreal.
He's a regular. Frank.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
I'm I think I joined it a bit late. But
we're talking about the Korea, the Ukraine War, correct, and
that end up funding.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Yeah, yeah, Frank, let me bring it to date. Okay.
Korean is a Conservative. She's a Harvard graduate twenty twenty one,
and she's now a member of the Boston Globe editorial
opinion writer and editorial writer, which I think is an
extraordinary accomplishment. And we're talking tonight. So go right ahead, Frank,
(33:34):
your question.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Thank you? Well, Yeah, so Korean. I think I'm not
sure why the Republicans are not bringing to light the
fact or putting into perspective the situation where in twenty
fourteen President Obama funded a coup to overthrow a pro
(33:58):
Russian or a sympathizer. I guess I could say.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Who was elected who was elected president by.
Speaker 7 (34:06):
At exactly exactly, and and then the thought of bringing
Ukraine into NATO was also I think threatening to Putin,
and Putin did reach out to the US and asked
and said suggested maybe we could have a diplomatic resolution
(34:30):
to Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Rank let me let me get you to a question
from my guest. I'm sure she is familiar with the
facts that you're right.
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Well, listeners, My question really is that why would why
would president or President Trump not bring to light the
fact that US GDP versus the European GDP is almost
identical fifteen percent of the global economy, and yet your
(34:57):
two x the funding of of any other country. Of course,
President Trump is saying enough is enough? No, no, yeah,
why is this not being brought to light?
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Well, he's talked about that a lot.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Go ahead, Kreane, Yeah, I was gonna say. I actually
think that's sort of a central pillar of his Ukraine
strategy and a big part of just this foreign policy,
especially as it pertains to Europe. His line about NATO
has always been that the Europeans have to contribute more.
So I do think that that's a pretty central aspect
of it. But when you're talking about you know, the
(35:34):
last few years. We were recently talking about the minerals
deal with Zelensky. We're talking about the last few years
and Putin's spears about Ukraine joining NATO. I think that's
another reason why this mineral deal is so big, because
you know, US interests. It wouldn't just the US civilians
and US interests in Ukraine. It would be against US
(35:55):
economic interests if Russia were to encroach on that deal
or interfere with it in any way. So I see
this as sort of a different way to get US
interest without going full BONNATO in Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Frank, Frank, Unfortunately, I wish Frank, I wish you called earlier.
I'm flat flat at the time, Buddy. We'll talk about it.
Speaker 7 (36:18):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
All Right, one of my favorite Canadian callers. Let me
see if I get one more final quick question, and
if it can be a quick question, that's great. If
it Cod, we're gonna have to move on. Frank in Boston,
Gotta have a quick question for my guest.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Why is all of this talk on other stuff except
the economy? Why is everybody talking about this stuff when
the economy was supposed to be the number one issue
that propelled this guy into office, and that the conservatives
were rolling about all over the place.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
That's that's a broad that's a broad question. Frank, I'm
flat out of time. I'm going to give Kareem about
thirty seconds to take a shot at that. Obviously, the
economy is being addressed, but let's see what Kareen has
to say. This is a matter sometimes presidents can't take
the crisis that they would prefer to deal with in
(37:17):
a vacuum. Kareem.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Yeah, and I'd say it's sort of I agree that
the economy, it was a big part of our Trump
was elected, but it's sort of early to assess how
his policies, especially because we haven't had the tax bill
that he's promised. It's a bit early to assess how
his economic policy is going to play out.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Frank, I wish it called early, but I'm flat out
of time. Look at the clock. Thank you, my friend.
Call early. We'll have a much better conversation. Korean has Ar,
Thank you so much for your time. It's a pleasure
to have met you, at least over the phone, and
I'll be following your work very closely with the Globe.
Thank you so much for having me on I hope
you've enjoyed it. You've enjoyed this, Thanks Kreen. We'll talk soon.
(37:58):
When we come back, we're going to talk about Mayo
Wu's comments over the weekend regarding these shooting on Boylston Street,
amongst others.
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