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Israel Survived an Early Challenge With War Planes Smuggled by U.S. Vets
In 1948, World War II aviators risked their lives in a secret operation to smuggle weapons and planes to the Israeli military. militarypolitics
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Can We Teach Cars to Drive? It's an Uphill Challenge.
Autonomous vehicle technology has gotten better, but how close are we really to a time when a robot chauffeur will be able to safely drive us? science-technology
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The Moon’s Lasting Pull
Our moon has winked from the heavens as a symbol and anchor, reminding us not only the cycle of life, but also of danger and death. Scientists have brought the moon into sharper focus, and astronauts have left the first footprints there. But will we ever be able to explain its lasting, mesmerizing power of attraction? science-technology
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Space Law: The Next Generation
An international treaty laid out the basics of space law in 1967. But without a lot of case history to go on, lawyers today have looked to maritime law and Arctic exploration as they lay the groundwork for how space will be governed. science-technologylaw-policy
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How NASA Sold Us a Trip to the Moon
To launch its lunar landing project, NASA had to find ways to convince the American public that the costly, audacious pursuit was essential. One lasting result: Tang breakfast drink. popular-culturescience-technology
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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. criminal-justicemedia-criticism
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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. law-policyimmigration
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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.
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Perp Walks: When Police Roll Out the Blue Carpet
Perp walk: Unfair maneuver or a strong warning to would-be criminals?
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The Future of College
Online learning is indeed disrupting college as we know it -- but not in the way you might think. science-technologyeducation
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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. militarycriminal-justice
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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. militarymedicine
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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. science-technologyenvironment
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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. science-technologypopular-culture
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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. politicslaw-policy
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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. science-technologymedicine
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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. law-policymedicine
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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. criminal-justiceimmigration
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Operation Ceasefire: Inside a Community's Radical Approach to Gang Violence
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. criminal-justicecivil-rights
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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. environmentpolitics
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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. popular-culturemedicine
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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. politics
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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. environment
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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." science-technology
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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. sportscivil-rights
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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? science-technology
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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. civil-rights
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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. environmentmedia-criticism
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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. science-technologymedicine
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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. politicscivil rights
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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. politicssex-gender
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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? militarypolitics
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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? politicslaw-policy
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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. science-technologymedicine
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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? science-technologymedicine
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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. medicinescience-technology
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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. medicinescience-technology
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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. politics
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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. sportscivil-rights
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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? criminal-justice
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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. medicine
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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. science-technologyeducation
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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? criminal-justice
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Future of Work
A remote Oregon mountainside offers a window into the workplace of the future. science-technology
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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. science-technology
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Future of Home
Guatemalan homesteaders and a Michigan contractor are riding a wave that could change how our lives are wired. science-technology
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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? science-technology
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Future of Food
A small South Dakota farm holds lessons for feeding a crowded and less predictable world. science-technology
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'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. sex-gender
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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. law-policyimmigration
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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. military
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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. sex-gender
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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? criminal-justice
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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. medicine
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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. popular-culture
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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. medicine
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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. politics
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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. immigration
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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. immigration
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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. law-policyimmigration
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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. environment
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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? medicine
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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? environment
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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? popular-culture
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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? environment
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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? politics
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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. civil-rightseducation
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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? politics
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Where Does the American Dream Live?
How a little-known public housing program from the 1970s is changing housing policy today. law-policycivil-rights
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The Split (1860): Conventional Wisdom
Some issues are too fundamental for a party to withstand, and the consequences can last for a generation. politics
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The Speech (2004): Conventional Wisdom
Sometimes the most important speech at the convention isn't delivered by the nominee. politics
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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. immigrationpolitics
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The Modern Primary (1912): Conventional Wisdom
In 2016, some Bernie Sanders supporters complained that the delegate process wasn’t fair. In 1912, a battle over the primary process transformed American politics. politics
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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. politics
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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. politics
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The Mess In Chicago (1968): Conventional Wisdom
There are important lessons to be learned from the Democrats' 1968 Chicago convention. politics
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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. politics
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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. politics
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The Rock: Ads That Changed the Game
In 2007, long-shot Democratic candidate Mike Gravel released one of the strangest ads in political history. politics
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Willie Horton: Ads That Changed the Game
The infamous Willie Horton ad placed a nail in the coffin of Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential run. politics
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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. politics
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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. politics
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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. politics
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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. sex-gender
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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? popular-culturemedia-criticism
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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. military
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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. popular-culturemedicine
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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? civil-rightslaw-policy
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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. media-criticismpopular-culture
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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? science-technology
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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. medicine
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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. science-technology
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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. politics
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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. science-technologymilitary
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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? science-technology
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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. popular-culturemedicine
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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. law-policy
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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? sports
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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. popular-culture
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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. criminal-justice
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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. media-criticismcriminal-justice
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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. medicine
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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? law-policy
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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. popular-culture
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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. law-policy
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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. sex-gendercivil-rights
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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? environment
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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? law-policy
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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. science-technology
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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. military
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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. environment
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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. medicine
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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. civil-rights
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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. medicinemedia-criticism
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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. science & technology
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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. popular-culturemedicine
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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. criminal justicemedia criticism
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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. criminal-justice
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Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone was a Success. That's When Trouble Began.
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. law-policyenvironment
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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. criminal-justice
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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. politics
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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. environment
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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. popular culturemedicine
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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. science-technology
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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. science-technology
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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? criminal-justicescience-technology
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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. military
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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? sports
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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? science-technology
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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. law-policymedicine
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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. environment
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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. civil-rightscriminal-justice
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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? criminal justice
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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? sex-gender
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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. environment
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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. media-criticismcriminal-justice
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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. environment
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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. criminal-justicecivil-rights
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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. environment
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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. criminal-justice
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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.” environment
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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. criminal-justice
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Blackout: Understanding the US Power Grid's Vulnerability from the 2003 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. science-technology
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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? medicine
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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. environment
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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. popular-culturemedia-criticism
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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. science-technology
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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. media-criticism
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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? medicinemilitary
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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. medicine
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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. environment
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The Battle For Busing
A story of America's school integration and what happened when the buses stopped rolling. civil-rightseducation
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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. science-technology
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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. criminal-justice
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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. media-criticismcriminal-justice
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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. sex-gendermilitary
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