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Retro Report is a growing series of over 175 short documentaries that tell the history behind the news.
Latest
Suicide, Veterans and How a Simple Idea Is Trying to Combat a Crisis
As the nation continues to confront an epidemic of suicide, we explore the promising work of Dr. …
What Happens Next
Why Earth's Driest Places May Hold the Key to the Future of Water
The increasing scarcity of drinking water is beginning to capture the world's attention -- but …
What Happens Next
Future of Gaming
As gaming becomes the dominant form of entertainment this century, game developers increasingly …
The Roots of Evangelicals’ Political Fervor
White evangelical Christians are among President Trump’s most important supporters. But more than …
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Context for this Week

Stories that shine a light on today’s news

President Trump blamed “gross mismanagement of the forests” for California’s wildfires. This isn’t the first time forest management has been criticized during a massive forest fire (although it may be the first time the criticism is coming from a president) – the 1988 Yellowstone fire sparked a fierce debate that still reverberates today.

The Wildfire That Burned Yellowstone and set off a Media Firestorm

Michelle Obama has revealed that she and Barack Obama used IVF to conceive their daughters. Here we look back at the origins of IVF and meet the world’s first IVF baby.

Where the Debate Over "Designer Babies" Began

A record-breaking Burmese Python, measuring a whopping 17 feet, 5 inches and weighing 120 pounds, has been captured in Florida. The story of how Burmese Pythons took over the FL everglades is a fascinating one. Watch “The Snake That Ate the Everglades.”

The Snake That Ate the Everglades
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Playlists

Veterans »

How Special Ops Became Central to the War On Terror
Atomic Vets
Agent Orange: Last Chapter of the Vietnam War
Walter Reed: The Battle for Recovery
The Legacy of Tailhook

The Changing Face of the War on Drugs »

Surviving Heroin
Rehab Rarely Works for Opioid Addicts. Could a Vaccine?
LSD: From 60s Counterculture to Doctor's Office
How Heroin Addiction's Rural Spread Changed an Inner City War on Drugs
From Crack Babies to Oxytots: Lessons Not Learned

Retro World »

Pandemics, Plagues and Politics
Argentina's Stolen Babies, and the Grandmothers Leading the Search
He's the only CIA Contractor to be Convicted in a Torture-related Case
A Mother, a Dingo and an Australian Media Frenzy
A Search for Justice

Race in America »

Unraveling Zero Tolerance
Where Does the American Dream Live?
The Superpredator Scare
The Battle For Busing
The Tawana Brawley Story

Environmental Blunders and Lessons Learned »

Violence in the Amazon: Why Protecting the Rainforest is Still a Fight
The Snake That Ate the Everglades
Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone Requires a Delicate Balance
Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood: The Love Canal Disaster of 1978 is an Ongoing Mess
The New York Garbage Barge That Revealed We Have a Trash Problem

Crime & Punishment »

How Heroin Addiction's Rural Spread Changed an Inner City War on Drugs
SWAT: Mission Creep
Flawed Evidence: The Limits of Science in the Crime Lab
The Superpredator Scare
Crime and Punishment: Three Strikes and You’re Out

Staff Favorites »

How Toughness on Leaks and a Free Press Link Trump, Obama, and Nixon
The Boy in the Bubble
Go or no Go: The Challenger Legacy
The New York Garbage Barge That Revealed We Have a Trash Problem

Award Winning »

Future of Money
A Search for Justice
Go or no Go: The Challenger Legacy
How Hot Coffee Landed McDonald's in Hot Water
Infamous Birth Defect Drug Thalidomide's Unlikely Comeback

Pop Culture Panics »

D&D: Lessons from a Media Panic
When Politicians Blame Bad Behavior on Pop Culture
Why Pinball Was Banned for Decades
How Napster Created the 'Culture of Free'

Viewing Trump's Presidency Through a Historical Lens »

Us vs. Them: from George Wallace to Donald Trump
Trump’s Immigration Rhetoric Echoes a Bitter Fight in the 90s
How Toughness on Leaks and a Free Press Link Trump, Obama, and Nixon
Sanctuary Cities: Trump Renews an Uproar That Began Long Ago
Trump, Vaccines and the Man Fueling the Controversy
Weekly Recommended Reading
Latest Photo Essays
News and Awards