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Image from Trump, Measles, and a Study That Fueled Fear

Trump, Measles, and a Study That Fueled Fear

President Donald Trump has long been a critic of childhood vaccines -- but recently he changed course, urging parents to vaccinate their children.

Image from Life After Columbine

Life After Columbine

Sean Graves was told he would never walk again after being shot during the attack at Columbine High School. This is the story of what happened next.

Image from Columbine at 20: Media Attention and Copycat Killers

Columbine at 20: Media Attention and Copycat Killers

Twenty years after Columbine, we examine the impact the attack has had on today's youths -- and how the media has more recently shifted its coverage of school shootings.

Image from Migrant Children in Custody: The Long Battle for Protection

Migrant Children in Custody: The Long Battle for Protection

The number of immigrant children held in federally contracted shelters reached record levels last year, leading to lawsuits over the Trump administration’s treatment of minors.

Image from Future of Aging

Future of Aging

Across the globe, more and more people are living longer lives and that's redefining what it means to be over 65, and what the future might mean for retirement.

Perp Walks: When Police Roll Out the Blue Carpet

Perp walk: Unfair maneuver or a strong warning to would-be criminals?

Image from The Future of College

The Future of College

Online learning is indeed disrupting college as we know it -- but not in the way you might think.

Image from How A Folk Singer’s Murder Forced Chile to Confront Its Past

How A Folk Singer’s Murder Forced Chile to Confront Its Past

Víctor Jara was a legendary Chilean folk singer and political activist, whose brutal killing during a military coup in 1973 went unsolved for decades. Now, his family may finally get justice.

Image from Suicide, Veterans and How a Simple Idea Is Trying to Combat a Crisis

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. Jerry Motto, who in the 1960s, pioneered a simple, yet surprisingly successful method of treatment that is being implemented today.

Future of Water

The increasing scarcity of drinking water is beginning to capture the world's attention -- but surprisingly, an innovative solution might just be found in one of the Earth's driest places.

Image from Future of Gaming

Future of Gaming

As gaming becomes the dominant form of entertainment this century, game developers increasingly track player behavior to tailor experiences that will keep people playing longer and spending more money.

Image from How Segregation Influenced Evangelical Political Activism

How Segregation Influenced Evangelical Political Activism

While abortion is often cited as the motivation behind evangelical Christians becoming politically active in the 1970s, there's another little-known reason that involves the IRS and segregated schools.

Image from The Roots of Evangelicals’ Political Fervor

The Roots of Evangelicals’ Political Fervor

White evangelical Christians are among President Trump’s most important supporters. But more than 40 years ago, they were on the margins of American politics.

Image from How an Underground Abortion Network Got Started

How an Underground Abortion Network Got Started

It started with one request. A friend's sister was pregnant and suicidal. Before long a clandestine group called Jane was created to help women in Chicago with illegal abortions.

Image from Genetic Screening: Controlling Heredity

Genetic Screening: Controlling Heredity

With every new advance in prenatal genetic screening, the ability to prevent suffering has also sparked difficult questions about what should count as “a disease” versus “a difference,” and whether we’re in danger of wiping out certain segments of the population. This story was produced in collaboration with PBS, American Experience.

Image from Abortion Was Illegal. This Secret Group Defied the Law

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 clandestine group provided thousands of women with illegal abortions in Chicago.

Image from For Private Prisons, Detaining Immigrants Is Big Business

For Private Prisons, Detaining Immigrants Is Big Business

An inmate population surge in the 1980s led to the growth of for-profit prisons. Today, despite their mixed record, private prison companies are overseeing the vast majority of undocumented migrants.

Image from Operation Ceasefire

Operation Ceasefire

Our latest collaboration with The New Yorker, tells the story of cops, African-American pastors, gang members, and academics coming together to create positive change for Boston, while upending notions of traditional policing in a way that is especially pertinent today.

Image from Future of Cities

Future of Cities

In the latest installment of our “What Happens Next” series examining the future of society, we visit Medellín, Colombia—a city that has reinvented itself over the past few decades, turning its violent past into a sustainable future by transforming its slums.

Image from Anita Hill Testified in 1991. But How Much Has Changed?

Anita Hill Testified in 1991. But How Much Has Changed?

Accusations by Professor Christine Blasey Ford against Judge Brett Kavanaugh in his Supreme Court confirmation hearing, have us looking back at Anita Hill's 1991 testimony and our interview with her last year.

Image from A Trusted Pill Turned Deadly. How Tylenol Made a Comeback

A Trusted Pill Turned Deadly. How Tylenol Made a Comeback

How do some companies regain public trust after something goes seriously wrong, while others fail? A look at how Tylenol responded after someone spiked its pills with poison in the 1980s sheds some light.

Image from Bitter Supreme Court Confirmations: From Bork to Kavanaugh

Bitter Supreme Court Confirmations: From Bork to Kavanaugh

Leading up to the SCOTUS confirmation hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, we explored how the bitter hearings over Judge Robert Bork changed how nominees answer, or rather, don't answer questions.

Image from Wild Horse Wars: Will Overpopulation Force Drastic Action?

Wild Horse Wars: Will Overpopulation Force Drastic Action?

The decades-long quest to save wild horses has run amok, creating a problem that even swooping helicopters, aging cowboys, camera-savvy activists, and millions of dollars can’t solve.

Image from Biosphere 2: A Faulty Mars Survival Test Gets a Second Act

Biosphere 2: A Faulty Mars Survival Test Gets a Second Act

NASA isn't the first organization to experiment with living on Mars -- in 1991 eight people sealed themselves inside a giant glass biosphere to practice space living. By the time they emerged two years later, they had "suffocated, starved and went mad."

Image from Why MLB and NBA Free Agents Should Thank Curt Flood

Why MLB and NBA Free Agents Should Thank Curt Flood

The drama of modern free agency has become as much a part of professional sports as the games themselves. But it wasn’t always that way.

Image from From Y2K to 2038, Lessons Learned from First Computer Crisis

From Y2K to 2038, Lessons Learned from First Computer Crisis

The Y2K bug threatened to wipe out computers and disrupt modern society at the end of the 20th century. We all remember the doomsday hype, but what really happened?

Image from Trump Administration Sued for Torpedoing Enforcement of Landmark Housing Law

Trump Administration Sued for Torpedoing Enforcement of Landmark Housing Law

Ben Carson, Secretary of HUD, is being sued for not enforcing the Fair Housing Act -- landmark legislation that was passed 50 years ago during the Civil Rights era.

Image from The Wildfire That Burned Yellowstone and set off a Media Firestorm

The Wildfire That Burned Yellowstone and set off a Media Firestorm

Increasingly, wildfires affect populated areas. But 30 years ago, it was a huge fire in Yellowstone National Park that stoked media attention and political controversy.

Image from Surviving Heroin

Surviving Heroin

After surviving four heroin overdoses, Heather Wetzel hopes she can stay clean for her daughter.

Image from Where the Debate Over "Designer Babies" Began

Where the Debate Over "Designer Babies" Began

Genetic technology is advancing, and critics are warning of a slippery slope. We spoke with the scientists working at the forefront of the research, families who have benefited and the first-ever "test-tube" baby to understand the debate.

Image from Life as the World's First Test Tube Baby

Life as the World's First Test Tube Baby

On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown became the first ever so-called “test-tube baby.” Her birth was one of the biggest media stories of the 20th century, and she became famous just by being born.

Image from Gerrymandering's Surprising History and Uncertain Future

Gerrymandering's Surprising History and Uncertain Future

Both political parties have always played the redistricting game. But some of today’s battles have roots in a civil rights case decided by the Supreme Court 30 years ago.

Image from She Derailed the Fight for Equal Rights for Women

She Derailed the Fight for Equal Rights for Women

Even in the #MeToo era, many people don't know that the Equal Rights Amendment never passed...because of one woman -- which is why it's a big deal that Illinois recently passed the amendment.

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

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

Despite President Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un, new reports suggest North Korea is pushing ahead with its nuclear program. The U.S. and Russia are also expanding their nuclear arsenals... so how is it that the public seems so complacent about the risk of nuclear catastrophe?

Image from Why We Can't Have a Civil Conversation About Guns

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?

Image from Rehab Rarely Works for Opioid Addicts. Could a Vaccine?

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.

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

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?

Image from The Code

The Code

The race to sequence the human genome was also billed as a race to end disease. So what happened? With CRISPR-Cas9, Precision Medicine and genetic testing all making headlines, Retro Report investigates.

Image from Fixing the Code: Genetically Engineering Your DNA to Cure Disease

Fixing the Code: Genetically Engineering Your DNA to Cure Disease

For the past 20 years, scientists have been trying to cure disease by altering DNA. We examine how with CRISPR Cas-9 gene editing and the revival of gene therapy, they're closer than ever.

Image from Finding the Code: The Race to Sequence the Human Genome and What It Means

Finding the Code: The Race to Sequence the Human Genome and What It Means

One of biology’s most spectacular achievements -- the race to sequence the human genome -- was billed as a way to end disease. Here's where it led.

Image from Us vs. Them: from George Wallace to Donald Trump

Us vs. Them: from George Wallace to Donald Trump

Trump has used populist politics to appeal to voters who are fed up with the status quo. We look at another politician who tapped into America’s divisions decades ago: George Wallace.

Image from Crumbling Bridges: US Infrastructure 10 Years After Minneapolis

Crumbling Bridges: US Infrastructure 10 Years After Minneapolis

A tragic bridge collapse in Miami echoes a similar event in Minnesota over a decade ago, one of the first signs of America's growing infrastructure problem.

Image from The Rise of SWAT: How Cops Became Soldiers

The Rise of SWAT: How Cops Became Soldiers

As police have become more militarized, the role of SWAT teams has morphed -- from use in emergency situations to fighting the drug war.

Image from Anorexia and Suicide: A Mother's Fight for Change

Anorexia and Suicide: A Mother's Fight for Change

Kitty Westin shares the story of her daughter, Anna, who killed herself after struggling with anorexia for years.

Image from Louis Armstrong And The Black Celebrity's Dilemma

Louis Armstrong And The Black Celebrity's Dilemma

As America's jazz icon, Louis Armstrong was seen as a smiling, easygoing entertainer. But in 1957, he invited controversy by speaking forcefully on behalf of his fellow African Americans, putting him in a position familiar to many black athletes today.

Image from Isolated Tribes

Isolated Tribes

Today, there are approximately 100 tribes in the Amazon rainforest that have not interacted with the modern world. A hundred years ago, there were many more. Co-produced with PBS, American Experience, we look at the delicate situation these tribes find themselves in.

Image from What Jesse Owens's Story Tells Us About Sports and Politics

What Jesse Owens's Story Tells Us About Sports and Politics

This season, NFL players have been derided for injecting politics into the country's favorite sport. But, when convenient, America has also celebrated black athletes for acting as political emissaries.

Image from The Black Athlete in America

The Black Athlete in America

In an N.F.L. season marked by President Trump’s attacks on football players who “took a knee” during the national anthem, this video explores the legacy of dissent in sports.

Image from What History Can Teach Us About Mass Killings

What History Can Teach Us About Mass Killings

A century ago, a culture rid itself of the problem of mass murder. How did that happen and what can the modern-day world learn from it?

Image from Myths and Misperceptions about Eating Disorders

Myths and Misperceptions about Eating Disorders

30 million people will suffer from eating disorders in their lifetime, yet decades after Karen Carpenter died from anorexia, myths about eating disorders continue.

Image from Raising Doubts about Evolution… in Science Class

Raising Doubts about Evolution… in Science Class

A growing skepticism of science has seeped into the classroom, and it’s revived attacks on one of the most established principles of biology – evolution.

Image from How ISIS Resembles the Doomsday Cults of the 1970s

How ISIS Resembles the Doomsday Cults of the 1970s

Can the lessons we learned from extremist cults decades ago be used to fight ISIS recruitment today?

Image from Future of Work

Future of Work

A remote Oregon mountainside offers a window into the workplace of the future.

Image from Future of Money

Future of Money

Future of Money, the first in a 5-part series, looks at what ancient stones on a tiny Pacific island can teach us about Bitcoin, blockchains and the future of money.

Image from Future of Home

Future of Home

Guatemalan homesteaders and a Michigan contractor are riding a wave that could change how our lives are wired.

Image from Future of Fact

Future of Fact

Online manipulation and immersive media have begun to eradicate our shared notion of authenticity and trust. How will society change when we can no longer believe what we see, hear, or think?

Image from Future of Food

Future of Food

A small South Dakota farm holds lessons for feeding a crowded and less predictable world.

Image from What Happens Next

What Happens Next

What Happens Next, produced in collaboration by Retro Report and Quartz, is a series of deeply reported short documentaries that examine radical transformations coming to central aspects of life in the near future, through the experience of people already living them out.

Image from 'Why Hasn't Sexual Harassment Disappeared?'

'Why Hasn't Sexual Harassment Disappeared?'

From naming the problem in the 1970s, to bringing it out of the shadows in the 90s, to a growing accountability today – the evolution of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Image from Trump’s Immigration Rhetoric Echoes a Bitter Fight in the 90s

Trump’s Immigration Rhetoric Echoes a Bitter Fight in the 90s

Border fences, deportations, and putting “America First.” It all happened in the 1990s, and it started in California.

Image from How Special Ops Became Central to the War On Terror

How Special Ops Became Central to the War On Terror

As President Trump steps up the use of special operations forces, Retro Report looks at how two historic military missions -- one a legendary success, the other a spectacular failure -- helped set the stage.

Image from Reproductive Rights and the Women Who Sparked a Movement

Reproductive Rights and the Women Who Sparked a Movement

As the U.S. tightens restrictions on women's reproductive health, the new season of The Handmaid's Tale seems more relevant than ever. We look back on a group of women who broke sexual taboos in the 1970s, and how the fight over women's bodies continues today.

Image from How Social Media Has Turned Us Into Digital Bystanders

How Social Media Has Turned Us Into Digital Bystanders

Live-streaming apps like Facebook Live and Periscope give us a voyeuristic peek into the lives of others. But what is our obligation when we encounter digital violence?

Image from Trump's Medicaid Positioning Echoes the Controversial Welfare Reform of the 90s

Trump's Medicaid Positioning Echoes the Controversial Welfare Reform of the 90s

During his campaign, Donald Trump vowed not to cut to entitlements, including Medicaid. But now he's reversing himself and additionally plans to turn more control of the program over to the states. We take a look at what happened to another entitlement, welfare, when the states took over.

Image from Polio: An Elusive Finish Line

Polio: An Elusive Finish Line

The polio virus is almost completely wiped off the face of the earth, thanks to a global effort to exterminate the crippling disease, but eliminating it entirely has been a challenge.

Image from Pandemics, Plagues and Politics

Pandemics, Plagues and Politics

What do the CIA and Nigerian imams have to do with the fight to end polio? Retro Report examines how the worlds of politics and public health can collide.

Image from Conspiracy Theories and Fake News from JFK to Pizzagate

Conspiracy Theories and Fake News from JFK to Pizzagate

Retro Report explores decades of conspiracy theories -- from the John F. Kennedy assassination to Pizzagate -- and what they can tell us about how we view the world today.

Image from The Back Story on Bad Forensic Science

The Back Story on Bad Forensic Science

With the Trump administration’s move to end a commission investigating flaws in forensic science, Retro Report looks at the history of one now-challenged method: hair analysis.

Image from Mr. Pilates

Mr. Pilates

Did you know, the origins of the Pilates workout stem from WWI? Learn more about the fitness regimen Joseph Pilates developed in a British internment camp in this collaboration with PBS, American Experience.

Image from Lobotomy: A Dangerous Fad's Lingering Effect on Mental Illness Treatment

Lobotomy: A Dangerous Fad's Lingering Effect on Mental Illness Treatment

From the 1930s to the 1950s a radical surgery -- the Lobotomy -- would forever change our understanding and treatment of the mentally ill.

Image from 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

Taking a page from Nixon, President Trump is waging his own battle against leaks, which threatens to damage Americans’ right to know.

Image from Suing the President: The Students Who Challenged the Travel Ban

Suing the President: The Students Who Challenged the Travel Ban

With the release of Donald Trump's new travel ban, a brief look at a Yale group that fought the original ban.

Image from Sanctuary Cities: Trump Renews an Uproar That Began Long Ago

Sanctuary Cities: Trump Renews an Uproar That Began Long Ago

As deportations rise under President Trump, churches and cities are declaring themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. It’s the latest chapter of a movement with a long history.

Image from Forever Prison

Forever Prison

Guantanamo Bay has become a symbol of the war on terror, but its story actually begins a decade before, when it was first used to detain thousands of Haitians outside the reach of U.S. law. This story was created in collaboration with NPR and PBS, FRONTLINE.

Image from DDT, Malaria, and the Book That Changed Environmental Debate

DDT, Malaria, and the Book That Changed Environmental Debate

Author Rachel Carson's strike against the pesticide DDT turned her into both an environmental hero and a foil for those who believe regulation has gone too far. That fight is more relevant than ever.

Image from The Malaria Warriors

The Malaria Warriors

The West African country of Burkina Faso, an epicenter of the world’s malaria epidemic, is also a thriving research hub where scientists have been embedded within local villages for years, looking for new solutions to combat malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Image from Freeman Dyson

Freeman Dyson

We've teamed with PBS' American Experience to take a look back at Freeman Dyson, who explored whether interplanetary space travel could be made possible by harnessing the power of a nuclear bomb.

Image from Signal Repair

Signal Repair

"The equipment ranges from the early 1900s to up to date present time." Our latest collaboration with PBS, American Experience takes a look at the Boston "T" – the oldest subway in America.

Image from Could You Patent the Sun?

Could You Patent the Sun?

Decades after Dr. Jonas Salk opposed patenting the polio vaccine, the pharmaceutical industry has changed. What does that mean for the development of innovative drugs and for people whose lives depend on them?

Image from Violence in the Amazon: Why Protecting the Rainforest is Still a Fight

Violence in the Amazon: Why Protecting the Rainforest is Still a Fight

In 1988, the murder of Chico Mendes fueled a movement of activists, celebrities and indigenous peoples that helped to make the rainforest a household name. But what happens now?

Image from Activating a Generation: From Live Aid to the Ice Bucket Challenge

Activating a Generation: From Live Aid to the Ice Bucket Challenge

Thirty years after "Live Aid" changed the face of charity fundraising, clicktivism has taken center stage. If you share, re-tweet and like, are you making the world a better place?

Image from Princess Diana Brought Attention to Land Mines, but Their Danger Lingers

Princess Diana Brought Attention to Land Mines, but Their Danger Lingers

In the late 1990s, Princess Diana brought public attention to land mine victims. But, more than two decades after her death, how much progress has been made in the worldwide fight against leftover munitions?

Image from Nikola Tesla Was a Hundred Years Ahead of His Time

Nikola Tesla Was a Hundred Years Ahead of His Time

Wireless power seems cutting edge, but it was actually pioneered more than 100 years ago by Nikola Tesla. We've teamed up with the American Experience to explore how Tesla's technology is being used today.

Image from The Populist Politician and California's Property Tax Revolt

The Populist Politician and California's Property Tax Revolt

In 1978, voters passed Proposition 13, lowering taxes for millions of California homeowners. Decades later, what has it meant for California?

Image from How Zero Tolerance Blurred the Lines Between Schools and Criminal Justice

How Zero Tolerance Blurred the Lines Between Schools and Criminal Justice

Over the last 30 years, schools across the country have enacted tough new discipline policies. Some of those schools say they went too far.

Image from The Great Debate: Style or Substance?

The Great Debate: Style or Substance?

The moments we remember from political debates are embedded in our political folklore, from the knockout lines to the losing gaffes. But does media coverage often miss the real lessons they offer?

Image from Fair Housing

Fair Housing

Has the government done enough to stop housing discrimination?

Image from Where Does the American Dream Live?

Where Does the American Dream Live?

How a little-known public housing program from the 1970s is changing housing policy today.

Image from Life After Welfare

Life After Welfare

Twenty years ago, welfare reform was signed into law, promising needy families a path out of poverty. This is the story of Tianna Gaines-Turner, a former welfare recipient, who still struggles to make ends meet.

Image from Conventional Wisdom

Conventional Wisdom

We've partnered with Politico for an eight-part series titled “Conventional Wisdom,” telling the stories behind some of the most memorable political conventions in U.S. history -- and how they have impacted today's political climate.

Image from The Split (1860): Conventional Wisdom

The Split (1860): Conventional Wisdom

Some issues are too fundamental for a party to withstand, and the consequences can last for a generation.

Image from The Speech (2004): Conventional Wisdom

The Speech (2004): Conventional Wisdom

Sometimes the most important speech at the convention isn't delivered by the nominee.

Image from How Anti-Immigrant Sentiment Gave Birth to a New Democratic Party (1924): Conventional Wisdom

How Anti-Immigrant Sentiment Gave Birth to a New Democratic Party (1924): Conventional Wisdom

Immigration has been a defining issue in a campaign before, and the consequences transformed the Democratic Party.

Image from The Modern Primary (1912): Conventional Wisdom

The Modern Primary (1912): Conventional Wisdom

In 2016, some Bernie Sanders supporters have said the delegate process isn’t fair. In 1912, a battle over the primary process transformed American politics.

Image from How It Started (1831): Conventional Wisdom

How It Started (1831): Conventional Wisdom

In 1831, a radical third party had a new idea for selecting a presidential candidate, and it’s still in use today: the national nominating convention.

Image from The Outsider Republican (1964): Conventional Wisdom

The Outsider Republican (1964): Conventional Wisdom

Donald Trump's candidacy wasn't the first time the Republican Party was split by an outsider declaring war on the establishment elite.

Image from The Mess In Chicago (1968): Conventional Wisdom

The Mess In Chicago (1968): Conventional Wisdom

There are important lessons to be learned from the Democrats' 1968 Chicago convention.

Image from The Power of the Delegate (1976): Conventional Wisdom

The Power of the Delegate (1976): Conventional Wisdom

In 1976, Ronald Reagan found owning the soul of a party isn't the same as taking home its nomination.

Image from Image Makers

Image Makers

From Lyndon Johnson's “Daisy” to Hillary Clinton's “It's 3 am,” Image Makers goes behind the scenes of some of our most historically influential political ads with the people who made them. This series of mini docs was created by Matthew Spolar in collaboration with NBC News.

Image from Smoking Man: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Smoking Man: Political Ads That Changed the Game

In the 2012 Republican primary, Herman Cain's campaign produced an unusual video featuring Cain's chief of staff, Mark Block, giving a pep talk while smoking a cigarette.

Image from The Rock: Ads That Changed the Game

The Rock: Ads That Changed the Game

In 2007, long-shot Democratic candidate Mike Gravel released one of the strangest ads in political history.

Image from Willie Horton: Ads That Changed the Game

Willie Horton: Ads That Changed the Game

The infamous Willie Horton ad placed a nail in the coffin of Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential run.

Image from Morning in America: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Morning in America: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Future "warm and fuzzy" ads can trace their lineage to this one. For his reelection campaign, Ronald Reagan employed a team of advertising all-stars, resulting in one of the most famous catchphrases in American politics.

Image from It's 3:00 am: Political Ads That Changed the Game

It's 3:00 am: Political Ads That Changed the Game

After a string of critical losses in the 2008 Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton's campaign put out a hard-hitting ad that questioned Barack Obama's readiness for the White House.

Image from Daisy: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Daisy: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Perhaps the most famous political ad of all time, this early television spot ran on air just once, but generated enough media coverage to become a real factor in the 1964 presidential election.

Image from The Mommy Wars

The Mommy Wars

The Mommy Wars were billed as the nastiest fight in American parenting, and actually fueled by a decades-old blunder. This story was produced in collaboration with Quartz.

Image from The Outrage Machine

The Outrage Machine

In the digital age, where everyday people can suddenly become public enemy number one, how do we strike the balance between keeping free speech alive online and preventing a cyber mob from taking over?

Image from Atomic Vets

Atomic Vets

The story of the veterans who witnessed secret atomic testing and how their decades-long struggle for recognition affects soldiers today. This story is a coproduction with Reveal, from The Center for Investigative Reporting.

Image from LSD and Cats

LSD and Cats

The early science of hallucinogens in the 1950s and '60s was "kind of a Wild West free-for-all." For more info on the science of spiders and drugs, visit www.drpeterwitt.com.

Image from LSD: From 60s Counterculture to Doctor's Office

LSD: From 60s Counterculture to Doctor's Office

In the 1960s, mind-altering drugs like LSD helped fuel the counter-culture. Today, psychedelics are turning on a new generation – of scientists.

Image from Life After Welfare

Life After Welfare

Tianna Gaines-Turner, a former welfare recipient, still struggles to make ends meet with her family in Philadelphia.

Image from Welfare and the Politics of Poverty

Welfare and the Politics of Poverty

Bill Clinton's 1996 welfare reform was supposed to move needy families off government handouts and onto a path out of poverty. Twenty years later, how has it turned out?

Image from Growing up Gygax - The Son of D&D's Creator

Growing up Gygax - The Son of D&D's Creator

Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax's son explains what life was like in a household where D&D took center stage.

Image from Junot Díaz and the D&D Revolution

Junot Díaz and the D&D Revolution

Why Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Junot Díaz says playing Dungeons and Dragons was a revolution.

Image from D&D: Lessons from a Media Panic

D&D: Lessons from a Media Panic

Dungeons and Dragons was once accused of leading children to Satanism, but today the game looks more like a solution to a problem plaguing modern parenting.

Image from Remembering Kitty

Remembering Kitty

More than 50 years after Kitty Genovese's murder became a symbol of urban apathy, her partner, Mary Ann Zielonko remembers Kitty's life and impact.

Image from Nuclear Winter's Forecast of Doom Still Debated Today

Nuclear Winter's Forecast of Doom Still Debated Today

Carl Sagan and other Cold War scientists once feared that a nuclear war could plunge the world into a deadly ice age. Three decades later, does this theory still resonate?

Image from A Change of Heart

A Change of Heart

The artificial heart became a media sensation in the 1980s as it both raised hopes and spread controversy. Today its impact on medical science is still playing out in surprising ways.

Image from Teaching Robots to do Easy Stuff is Still Hard

Teaching Robots to do Easy Stuff is Still Hard

The robotics team from M.I.T recovers from disaster at the robot Olympics.

Image from Machine trains self to beat humans at world's hardest game

Machine trains self to beat humans at world's hardest game

Image from Hillary Clinton and the Superpredator

Hillary Clinton and the Superpredator

Wondering what the Hillary Clinton/superpredator brouhaha is all about? Here's the cliff notes...

Image from The Terminator and the Washing Machine

The Terminator and the Washing Machine

What the legendary match between a supercomputer and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov reveals about today's artificial intelligence panic.

Image from Why Bush v. Gore Still Affects Our Elections Today

Why Bush v. Gore Still Affects Our Elections Today

The dramatic controversy surrounding the 2000 presidential election led to sweeping voting reforms, but opened the door to a new set of problems that continue to impact elections today.

Image from Runaway Plane

Runaway Plane

For decades the United States has been on a quest to perfect stealth technology, but development of the F-35 fighter jet shows just how complicated dreams can become.

Image from When Dreams Fly

When Dreams Fly

More than 40 years ago, Pierre Sprey set out to build the ultimate fighter jet.

Image from What Is a Healthy Diet? The Answers Are Unsatisfying

What Is a Healthy Diet? The Answers Are Unsatisfying

Thirty-five years after the first dietary guidelines, how much do we really know about the science behind a healthy diet?

Image from Bliss Point: How Food Companies Make Us Crave Their Products

Bliss Point: How Food Companies Make Us Crave Their Products

How did food companies get us to crave their products? They discovered the "bliss point."

Image from Is the Key to Obesity All in Your Gut?

Is the Key to Obesity All in Your Gut?

Is there a hidden cause of obesity? A professor at Stanford thinks the answer might lie with the 100 trillion microbes living in our bodies.

Image from The Unexpected Science of Exercise

The Unexpected Science of Exercise

Does exercise really make you lose weight? One scientist went to Africa and found an unexpected answer.

Image from Being in the Bubble

Being in the Bubble

The curious origin of a political metaphor.

Image from The Boy in the Bubble

The Boy in the Bubble

In the early 1970s, an unusual boy captivated the nation. Now, decades later, his story continues to unfold in remarkable ways.

Image from Surviving Heroin

Surviving Heroin

After surviving four heroin overdoses, Heather Wetzel hopes she can stay clean for her daughter.

Image from How Heroin Addiction's Rural Spread Changed the War on Drugs

How Heroin Addiction's Rural Spread Changed the War on Drugs

In the 1970s, frustration over heroin related, urban crime led to the War on Drugs. Today, heroin is back. But the users, and the response, are very different.

Image from A Tale of Two Boxers

A Tale of Two Boxers

For many boxers, once the punches stop, the real fight starts. Former world champions Iran Barkley and Wilfred Benitez live that battle every day.

Image from Boxing's Popularity Declined Due to Health Concerns. Is Football Next?

Boxing's Popularity Declined Due to Health Concerns. Is Football Next?

In 1982, boxing fans tuned in for a fight the sport wouldn't soon forget. Today, with concerns about the toll of football on the rise, is America’s favorite game nearing its own inflection point?

Image from Leaving NFL Over CTE Concerns Made Chris Borland Football's Most Dangerous Man

Leaving NFL Over CTE Concerns Made Chris Borland Football's Most Dangerous Man

He’s been called the most dangerous man in football. Not for what he’s doing on the field -- but what he’s saying off of it. A new series of original Retro Report short docs produced for Facebook.

Image from Censored Comics: How MAD's Al Jaffee Beat the Comics Code

Censored Comics: How MAD's Al Jaffee Beat the Comics Code

Cartoonist Al Jaffee has been causing mischief at MAD Magazine for decades and at 94-years-old, he's as irreverent as ever. A new series of Retro Report short docs produced for Facebook.

Image from Free Speech VS Censorship: Warnings From Explicit Lyrics to Trigger Warnings

Free Speech VS Censorship: Warnings From Explicit Lyrics to Trigger Warnings

Offended by lyrics they deemed too sexual and violent, Tipper Gore and Susan Baker campaigned to put warning labels on albums in 1985. Years later, warning labels have ended up in some unexpected places.

Image from When Politicians Blame Bad Behavior on Pop Culture

When Politicians Blame Bad Behavior on Pop Culture

Every so often, Congress holds a hearing on the perils of pop culture. The "peril" has evolved from comic books, to rock and hip hop music, to violence in video games, but the proceedings follow a script.

Image from Why Pinball Was Banned for Decades

Why Pinball Was Banned for Decades

Pinball was illegal? Really?

Image from Argentina's Stolen Babies, and the Grandmothers Leading the Search

Argentina's Stolen Babies, and the Grandmothers Leading the Search

The Mothers and Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a group of women dedicated to finding babies who were taken by Argentina's military regime in the 1970s and 1980s, have reunited their 130th family.

Image from Separated from Parents as a Child, Argentine Man Finds his Family

Separated from Parents as a Child, Argentine Man Finds his Family

The story of one man's search for his identity after his parents disappeared during Argentina's military dictatorship.

Image from Sisters Search for Lost Brother Separated by Argentine Dictatorship

Sisters Search for Lost Brother Separated by Argentine Dictatorship

Flavia Battistiol has turned to social media in hopes of being reunited with the sibling who disappeared in 1977, when the military junta ruled Argentina.

Image from Lessons from Columbine About School Shootings and Media Misinformation

Lessons from Columbine About School Shootings and Media Misinformation

The killing of twelve students and a teacher at Columbine High School in 1999 continues to shape how we view and understand school shootings today.

Image from The Doctor

The Doctor

The pediatric neurosurgeon who first identified shaken baby syndrome has a surprising take on the very syndrome he's credited with discovering.

Image from The Lawyer

The Lawyer

A mini-doc about the anatomy of a shaken baby case from the perspective of defense attorney Adele Bernhard.

Image from The Nanny Murder Case: Shaken Baby Syndrome on Trial

The Nanny Murder Case: Shaken Baby Syndrome on Trial

In 1997, a young British nanny charged with murder brought shaken baby syndrome into the national spotlight, and raised a scientific debate that continues to shape child abuse cases today.

Image from How a Standoff with the Black Panthers Fueled the Rise of SWAT

How a Standoff with the Black Panthers Fueled the Rise of SWAT

SWAT teams were created in the 1960s to combat violent events. Since then, the specialized teams have morphed into a force increasingly used in routine policing, most often to serve drug warrants,sometimes with disastrous results. Which raises the question -- are we too militarized?

Image from How Napster Created the 'Culture of Free'

How Napster Created the 'Culture of Free'

In 1999, a file-sharing program created in a Boston dorm room sent shockwaves across the music industry and served notice that a major cultural shift was underway.

Image from Faces of Treatment

Faces of Treatment

A photo essay by Sarah Weiser detailing the difficult path to recovery faced by pregnant addicts at New York City's Non-profit Center for Comprehensive Health Practice, one of the oldest centers in New York City to offer such treatment.

Image from Why Waco is Still a Battleground in the 2nd Amendment Debate

Why Waco is Still a Battleground in the 2nd Amendment Debate

Twenty-six years ago, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and generated a legacy that continues to shape antigovernment groups today.

Image from Transgender Rights: A Decades-long Struggle for Equality

Transgender Rights: A Decades-long Struggle for Equality

This #PrideMonth, 50 years after Stonewall, many transgender people are still struggling for inclusion, even amongst the LGBT community.

Image from The Story of Sasha and Olympia

The Story of Sasha and Olympia

Transgender issues today are rooted in a decades-long struggle for inclusion.

Image from Population Bomb: The Dire Prediction That Fell Flat

Population Bomb: The Dire Prediction That Fell Flat

In the 1960s, fears of overpopulation sparked campaigns for population control. But whatever became of the population bomb?

Image from A Journey through India: The Legacy of Population Fears

A Journey through India: The Legacy of Population Fears

By 2030, India is poised to become the most populous nation in the world. The country's fertility rate has declined from an estimated 5.9 children per woman in the 1950s to 2.5 today, but concern over population growth persists.

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

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

A 1993 E. coli outbreak linked Jack in the Box hamburgers sickened 700 people and acted as a wake up call about the dangers of food-borne illness. Decades later, how far have we really come in terms of food safety?

Image from Fire Safety and Chemicals in our Clothes

Fire Safety and Chemicals in our Clothes

There are over 80,000 chemicals in use today. The story of TRIS, removed from children's pajamas in the 1970s, illustrates just how hard it is to regulate chemicals, or to even know if they're safe.

Image from The Public Debate About Torture

The Public Debate About Torture

Poll graph created by Britney Dennison, Lisa Hale, Codi Hauka, and Peter W. Klein

Image from He's the only CIA Contractor to be Convicted in a Torture-related Case

He's the only CIA Contractor to be Convicted in a Torture-related Case

The story of the first and only interrogator connected to the CIA to be convicted in a torture-related case.

Image from The Snake That Ate the Everglades

The Snake That Ate the Everglades

Burmese pythons, often released into the wild by well-meaning pet owners, have infested the Florida Everglades and created a reptilian nightmare in the ecosystem.

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A Right to Die?

Should doctors be allowed to help suffering patients die? In 1990, with his homemade suicide machine, Dr. Jack Kevorkian raised that question. It's an issue Americans still struggle with today.

Image from How Geography Drove MLK's Fight for a Ferry in Alabama

How Geography Drove MLK's Fight for a Ferry in Alabama

Weeks before Selma's Bloody Sunday in 1965, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. urged residents of Gee's Bend, Ala., to vote, and fed a continuing fight over a small ferry that would last for decades.

Image from Searching for Better Answers

Searching for Better Answers

On the heels of a national measles scare, Google announced that it is refining its search results for hundreds of medical conditions to show only vetted resources and web sites.

Image from Why the Measles Vaccine is Falsely Blamed for Autism

Why the Measles Vaccine is Falsely Blamed for Autism

An outbreak of measles that started at Disneyland turned a spotlight on those who choose not to vaccinate their children. Watch this Emmy-nominated backstory to understand how we got to a place where fears can triumph over established science.

Image from Remembrance of a Massacre — El Mozote

Remembrance of a Massacre — El Mozote

Photographs by Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos Introduction by Raymond Bonner

Image from Power Line Fears

Power Line Fears

News media coverage in the 1980s and early 1990s fueled fears of a national cancer epidemic caused by power lines and generated a debate that still lingers today.

Image from Is Multiple Personality Disorder Real? One Woman's Story

Is Multiple Personality Disorder Real? One Woman's Story

In the 1970s, the TV movie “Sybil” introduced much of the nation to multiple personality disorder and launched a controversy that continues to resonate.

Image from A Mother, a Dingo and an Australian Media Frenzy

A Mother, a Dingo and an Australian Media Frenzy

In 1982, an Australian mother was convicted of murdering her baby daughter. She was later exonerated, but soon fell victim to a joke that distracted the world from the real story.

Image from The Murder of US Churchwomen in El Salvador That Exposed a Government Coverup

The Murder of US Churchwomen in El Salvador That Exposed a Government Coverup

The murder of four American churchwomen focused attention on the United States' involvement in El Salvador. Decades later, the case continues to take surprising turns.

Image from Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone Requires a Delicate Balance

Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone Requires a Delicate Balance

In the 1990s, the federal government reintroduced the gray wolf to Yellowstone National Park. It was considered a big success. And that’s when the real fight began.

Image from How the Shootout at Ruby Ridge Resonates in the Gun Debate Today

How the Shootout at Ruby Ridge Resonates in the Gun Debate Today

When armed suspects stand off against the law today, one event continues to cast a shadow on both sides of the police line: the 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge.

Image from Campaign Finance from Watergate, to Soft Money and Citizens United

Campaign Finance from Watergate, to Soft Money and Citizens United

The Watergate campaign finance scandals led to a landmark law designed to limit the influence of money in politics. Forty years later, some say the scandal isn’t what’s illegal, it’s what’s legal.

Image from Bees: Colony Collapse Disorder Is More Complicated Than You'd Think

Bees: Colony Collapse Disorder Is More Complicated Than You'd Think

The mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder has pushed honeybees into the public eye. But the story of their plight -- and its impact -- is much more complicated.

Image from How Prozac Turned Depression Medication into a Cultural Phenomenon

How Prozac Turned Depression Medication into a Cultural Phenomenon

When Prozac was introduced in 1988, the green-and-cream pill to treat depression launched a cultural revolution that continues to echo.

Image from The Surprising Technological Revolution Launched by the Air Bag

The Surprising Technological Revolution Launched by the Air Bag

How did cars become “computers on wheels,” so automated that some are about to start driving themselves? The story begins forty-five years ago with a quest to make cars safer and the battle over the air bag.

Image from Why NASA Ignored Warnings Before Challenger and Columbia Disasters

Why NASA Ignored Warnings Before Challenger and Columbia Disasters

On January 28, 1986, seven astronauts "slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God." America’s space program was never the same.

Image from Flawed Evidence: The Limits of Science in the Crime Lab

Flawed Evidence: The Limits of Science in the Crime Lab

Before DNA testing, prosecutors relied on less sophisticated forensic techniques, including microscopic hair analysis, to put criminals behind bars. But how reliable was hair analysis?

Image from Agent Orange: Last Chapter of the Vietnam War

Agent Orange: Last Chapter of the Vietnam War

The use of the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War continues to cast a dark shadow over both American veterans and Vietnamese citizens.

Image from The NFL Draft 20 Years After Manning-Leaf: How Teams Try to Pick a Winner

The NFL Draft 20 Years After Manning-Leaf: How Teams Try to Pick a Winner

After the 1998 NFL draft produced one of the greatest busts in history, what have we learned about the science of evaluating human talent – on and off the field?

Image from Nuclear Power's Public Opinion Rollercoaster from Three Mile Island to Fukushima

Nuclear Power's Public Opinion Rollercoaster from Three Mile Island to Fukushima

Four decades after the accident at Three Mile Island cast a shadow on the atomic dream, is America again ready to give nuclear energy a chance?

Image from Her Vegetative State Caused Congress, President Bush and Even the Pope to Weigh In

Her Vegetative State Caused Congress, President Bush and Even the Pope to Weigh In

The controversy over Terri Schiavo’s case elevated a family matter into a political battle that continues to frame end-of-life issues today.

Image from Earthquake Readiness: How the San Franciso 1989 Quake Shook Awareness

Earthquake Readiness: How the San Franciso 1989 Quake Shook Awareness

The 1989 earthquake that shook San Francisco sent out a wake up call that continues to echo across the country.

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The Superpredator Scare

In the mid-1990s, after a decade of soaring juvenile crime, some social scientists warned the violence would only get worse. Reality proved otherwise.

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Lessons from the Nuclear Dream

A photo essay by Sarah Weiser

Image from The Shame of the Church

The Shame of the Church

Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has been making headlines for years. Some priests have been punished, but what about the bishops who shielded them?

Image from A Surrogate Mother's Fight to Raise the Baby She Bore

A Surrogate Mother's Fight to Raise the Baby She Bore

The custody battle over Baby M was the first time a court considered surrogacy. Today's families are created in many different ways. But have we resolved the question of surrogacy?

Image from The Fly That Quarantined California and Pitted Environmentalists Against Farmers

The Fly That Quarantined California and Pitted Environmentalists Against Farmers

In the summer of 1981, the Mediterranean fruit fly spread through California’s Santa Clara Valley, infesting backyard fruit trees and threatening the state’s $14 billion agricultural industry.

Image from The Preschool Sex Abuse Case that Changed How Molestation is Investigated

The Preschool Sex Abuse Case that Changed How Molestation is Investigated

The nightmare began in 1983 when a 39-year-old mother called the police department in Manhattan Beach, California and accused a teacher at the McMartin Preschool, Raymond Buckey, of molesting her two and a half-year old son.

Image from The Minneapolis Bridge Collapse that Sounded the Alarm on US Infrastructure

The Minneapolis Bridge Collapse that Sounded the Alarm on US Infrastructure

At the height of rush hour on August 1, 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a bridge carrying eight lanes of I-35W over the Mississippi River suddenly collapsed, sending cars trucks plunging into the water below.

Image from Stealing J. Edgar Hoover's Secrets

Stealing J. Edgar Hoover's Secrets

Long before Edward Snowden, there was the greatest heist you've never heard of. On March 8, 1971, a group of eight Vietnam War protestors broke into a Federal Bureau of Investigation field office in Media, Pennsylvania and stole hundreds of government documents that shocked a nation.

Image from The Lasting Impact of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Disaster

The Lasting Impact of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Disaster

On a cold March night in 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground off the coast of Southern Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into the waters of Prince William Sound and creating one of the worst oil spills in American history.

Image from Crime and Punishment: Three Strikes and You’re Out

Crime and Punishment: Three Strikes and You’re Out

After the 1993 murder of a California child, many states passed laws to lock up repeat offenders for life, but today those laws are raising new questions about how crime is handled in America.

Image from Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood: The Love Canal Disaster

Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood: The Love Canal Disaster

In 1978, toxic chemicals leaking from an old landfill thrust an upstate New York community called “Love Canal” into the national headlines, and made it synonymous with “environmental disaster.”

Image from Wrongly Accused of Terrorism: The Sleeper Cell That Wasn't

Wrongly Accused of Terrorism: The Sleeper Cell That Wasn't

Six days after 9/11, the FBI’s raid on a Detroit sleeper cell signaled America’s resolve to fight terrorism. But, despite a celebrated conviction, there was one problem — they’d gotten it wrong.

Image from Blackout: Understanding the US Power Grid's Vulnerability from the 2004 Failure

Blackout: Understanding the US Power Grid's Vulnerability from the 2004 Failure

In 2003, a blackout crippled areas of the U.S. and Canada, leaving some 50 million people in the dark. Years later, we are still grappling with concerns over the vulnerability of our power grid.

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The Long War on Cancer

When President Richard Nixon vowed to make curing cancer a national crusade, many anticipated quick results. But decades later, what have we really accomplished?

Image from Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath and Lessons in Dealing with Disaster

Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath and Lessons in Dealing with Disaster

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, and Louisiana’s troubled housing recovery has shaped the response to every major disaster since, including Hurricane Sandy.

Image from How Hot Coffee Landed McDonald's in Hot Water

How Hot Coffee Landed McDonald's in Hot Water

In 1992, Stella Liebeck spilled scalding McDonald's coffee in her lap and later sued the company, attracting a flood of negative attention. It turns out, there’s more to the story.

Image from How Cloning a Sheep Set Off a Sci Fi Panic

How Cloning a Sheep Set Off a Sci Fi Panic

In 1997, Scottish scientists announced they had cloned a sheep and named her Dolly, and sent waves of future shock around the world that continue to shape frontiers of science today.

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Richard Jewell: The Wrong Man

The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta were rocked by a bomb that killed one and injured more than 100. In the rush to find the perpetrator, one man became a target. There was only one problem. He was innocent.

Image from Walter Reed: The Battle for Recovery

Walter Reed: The Battle for Recovery

In 2007, the scandalous treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center shocked the nation. Today, after major reforms, what’s changed for America’s injured soldiers?

Image from Infamous Birth Defect Drug Thalidomide's Unlikely Comeback

Infamous Birth Defect Drug Thalidomide's Unlikely Comeback

In the 1950s, thalidomide cut a wide swath of destruction across the world, leaving behind thousands of deformed infants, but that was only the beginning of the story.

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Freeing Willy

In the wake of the 1993 hit movie Free Willy, activists and fans campaigned to release the movie’s star – a captive killer whale named Keiko -- and launched a story Hollywood couldn’t invent.

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The Battle For Busing

A story of America's school integration and what happened when the buses stopped rolling.

Image from GMO Food Fears and the First Test Tube Tomato

GMO Food Fears and the First Test Tube Tomato

In the 1990s, a bunch of gene jockeys brought the first genetically engineered food to market. The business crashed but biotech science has flourished far beyond the produce aisle.

Image from The Tawana Brawley Story

The Tawana Brawley Story

In 1988, the nation learned the truth about the alleged crimes against Tawana Brawley, but the shocking story was far from over.

Image from The Crack Baby Scare: From Faulty Science to Media Panic

The Crack Baby Scare: From Faulty Science to Media Panic

In the 1980s, images of tiny, jittery "crack babies" caused social outcry -- crack-addicted pregnant mothers were prosecuted and the media warned that a generation of “crack babies” would plague our country. Turns out… they were wrong.

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The Legacy of Tailhook

Military sexual assault is not a new phenomenon. A second look at the Tailhook scandal in 1991 reveals what happened then. And what it all means now.

Image from The New York Garbage Barge That Revealed We Have a Trash Problem

The New York Garbage Barge That Revealed We Have a Trash Problem

The 1987 voyage of a barge loaded with New York garbage became a sensational fiasco, but it ended up fueling the modern recycling movement.