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Retro Report is a growing series of over 175 short documentaries that tell the history behind the news.
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What Happens Next
Gaming Rules Entertainment, but Are We the Ones Being Played?
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 …
Genetic Screening: Controlling Heredity
With every new advance in prenatal genetic screening, the ability to prevent suffering has also …
Abortion Was Illegal. This Secret Group Defied the Law
We tell the story of a little known chapter in American history, before Roe v. Wade, when a …
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Gaming Rules Entertainment, but Are We the Ones Being Played? Future of Cities Future of Money Future of Work Future of Fact Future of Home Future of Food

Context for this Week

Stories that shine a light on today’s news

NBC has announced that it would no longer run an incendiary GOP political ad after complaints of racism. It’s far from the first time such an ad has sparked controversy. So what is the infamous Willie Horton ad? And what is its lasting impact? Watch….

Willie Horton: Ads That Changed the Game

In the 1980s Carl Sagan scared the bejesus out of everyone when he warned of the devastation that would result from a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. Sagan’s description of the ensuing “nuclear winter” helped bring about the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty – which Trump wants to withdraw from. Watch our story to get a fuller picture of what it means.

Nuclear Winter's Forecast of Doom Still Debated Today

A US Treasury employee has been accused of leaking information about suspicious financial transactions related to Paul Manafort and Russians to the media. Trump gets a lot of attention for targeting leakers, but he’s just the latest president to do it. Watch How Toughness on Leaks and a Free Press Link Trump, Obama and Nixon.

How Toughness on Leaks and a Free Press Link Trump, Obama, and Nixon

Playlists

Animal Tales »

The Snake That Ate the Everglades
Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone Requires a Delicate Balance
Bee Collapse: The Sudden Dying Off Bee Colonies Remains a Mystery
The Fly That Quarantined California and Pitted Environmentalists Against Farmers
How Cloning a Sheep Set Off a Sci Fi Panic

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 »

How Special Ops Became Central to the War On Terror
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