Retro Report

Independent. Objective. Non-profit.

Retro Report is a growing series of over 125 short documentaries that tell the history behind the news.

Latest

Iran, North Korea, Russia: How the Nuclear Threat Re-emerged

In light of President Trump canceling the nuclear summit with North Korea, and the U.S. and Russia expanding their nuclear arsenals, veterans of the Cold War say the public is too complacent about the risk of nuclear catastrophe.

In light of President Trump canceling the nuclear summit with North Korea, and the U.S. and Russia …

Why We Can't Have a Civil Conversation About Guns

In the 1980s, the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan and the shooting of his press secretary, Jim Brady, led to the Brady Bill. Decades later, are there lessons from that fight for the Parkland students?

In the 1980s, the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan and the shooting of his press secretary, …

Rehab Rarely Works for Opioid Addicts. Could a Vaccine?

Overdose deaths are skyrocketing, forcing researchers to find new ways to think about and treat addiction.

Overdose deaths are skyrocketing, forcing researchers to find new ways to think about and treat …

Selling the Code: Can Genetic Testing Services Really Predict Your Future?

Today, companies market genetic tests for everything from cancer to diet and exercise. But how much can tests like 23andme really predict?

Today, companies market genetic tests for everything from cancer to diet and exercise. But how much …

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Context for this Week

Stories that shine a light on today’s news

An Australian court has found Catholic archbishop Philip Wilson guilty of covering up child sexual abuse in the 1970s. He’s the highest ranking Catholic in the world to be convicted of knowing about abuse, without having committed it himself. This is an issue we explored in our story “Shame of the Church.”

The Shame of the Church

As Gina Haspel faces tough questions about the CIA’s torture of terrorism suspects, we take a look back at the case of David Passaro, the only interrogator connected to the CIA to be convicted in a torture-related case. Passaro still maintains he did nothing wrong.

Anatomy of an Interrogation

An E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has spread to 25 states and killed one person. It’s nowhere near as bad as the 1993 E. coli outbreak linked to Jack in the Box that affected 700 people and killed four children. But 25 years after that outbreak why are we still grappling with food safety issues?

E. Coli Outbreaks Changed Food Production, But How Safe Are We?