WGBH Special Reports  

 

 

Government

Governor Responds to Parking Record Controversy


By Sarah Birnbaum
A fight is being waged on Beacon Hill over a newspaper’s request to keep tabs on the comings and goings of lawmakers — and the controversy has provoked additional press criticism of Gov. Deval Patrick.
Boston

Starting a Takeout: A Recipe for Change


By Val Wang
Whether you're buying an established takeout or starting from scratch, it can be challenging to build the trust and community these neighborhood joints require to succeed. Val Wang checks out the progress at Hong Kong Chef and Wok N Talk.
Health Care

The Supreme Court Ruling: WGBH Analysis


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
WGBH News hears from policy and health care experts about the Supreme Court's decision. 
Health Care

SCOTUSblog's Live Feed of the Affordable Care Act Reactions


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
The experts at SCOTUSblog give the blow-by-blow of this morning's decision.
Health Care

WGBH News Coverage of the Health Care Decision


By WGBH News
The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in a complex ruling. Here's our schedule of guests and conversations to help you make sense of it.
Local Voices

Planet Takeout: Dinner, and a Cultural Crossroads


MORE PLANET TAKEOUT
By Val Wang
The Chinese takeout is more than a quick stop to grab dinner. In every neighborhood, it's a place where people from opposite sides of the globe meet to learn something about who we are and how we live.
Local Voices

Val Wang Talks About Planet Takeout


By Val Wang & Bob Seay
Thursday is the first installment of Planet Takeout, Val Wang's exploration into Boston Chinese takeout joints as a nexus of community. She talks to Bob Seay about how she got the idea for the project. 
Government

Attorney General Calls for Change to Open Meeting Law


THE STATE INTEGRITY INITIATIVE
By Danielle Dreilinger
The attorney general's move comes as no surprise to those who have followed the State Integrity Investigation, a nationwide look at corruption risk.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

MBTA Chief Mulls Your Ideas


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Bob Seay
Could the state take back the Big Dig debt? Could the MBTA expand service? Richard Davey, secretary of MassDOT, responds to WGBH listeners' ideas.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

International Models for the T: Your Thoughts


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By WGBH News
Should we look to other cities as a model for the MBTA? Our readers and listeners who have lived elsewhere or traveled around the world had some suggestions.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Former Transportation Chief: The T's Troubles


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
Fred Salvucci headed the state transportation department under two administrations. He talked to WGBH's Bob Seay about his take on the MBTA.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Your Top 5 Ideas to Fix the T


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By WGBH News
In all the responses to our online survey, five solutions floated to the top. Which is your favorite? Vote here or on Facebook.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

'Tourist Train' Status: Delayed


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Sean Corcoran
With cost concerns at the fore, expanding MBTA service is a tough proposition. So the Cape Cod transit authority decided to delay a tourist train to the Cape ... even though the service would pay for itself.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Racial Disparities and the MBTA


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Phillip Martin
The old elevated train from Dudley to downtown was ugly — but fast. Now, with service cuts going into effect, riders are asking why minority neighborhoods get the short end of the transit stick.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Should Massport Help the T?


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Bob Seay & WGBH News
Former state transportation secretary Fred Salvucci says there's one dramatic and simple fix for the MBTA's debt: Have Massport pick it up. Here's the agency's response and your thoughts on the Big Dig debt.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Getting a Free Ride ... from the Bus Fare Box


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Ibby Caputo
If you take the bus, you've probably come across a fare box that didn't work. WGBH News' Ibby Caputo asked just how widespread a problem that is — and how much money it's costing the T.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Sci-Fi Solutions for the T


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Phillip Martin
Some local experts are working to increase MBTA ridership by developing tools that sound like something out of speculative fiction. 
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Your List: 10 Innovative Ideas to Fix the T


ADD YOUR IDEA
By WGBH News
How would you fix the T? Here are some of the more creative ideas we've seen so far in the responses to our survey.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

How to Create a World-Class Transit System


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Phillip Martin
Cities all over the world rely on robust public transportation systems. What are they doing right? PLUS: Your ideas gleaned from taking public transit in other countries.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

Tell Us How You'd Fix the 'T'


SHARE YOUR IDEAS
By WGBH News
If you've taken even one trip on a MBTA bus, train or ferry, you have an opinion about what's wrong and how to fix it. As part of our April news focus on the MBTA, we want to hear your ideas to improve the system.
Government

Is the Public Fed Up with Politics as Usual?


FORMER TREASURER INDICTED
By Adam Reilly & WGBH News
After Tim Cahill's indictment on corruption charges for lottery ads, politicians are saying everyone does it — and some observers say that's the problem. Also: What's your grade for corruption in Massachusetts?
Government

Former Treasurer Indicted for Corruption


YOUR CORRUPTION REPORT CARD
By WGBH News
Attorney General Martha Coakley alleged that Tim Cahill used publicly funded lottery ads to advance his candidacy for governor in 2010. Cahill's former campaign manager and his former chief of staff were also indicted.
Health Care

Physicians' Group Advocates for the Affordable Care Act


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: HEALTH CARE ON TRIAL
By Phillip Martin
Doctors for America, which filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, has 15,000 members of various political persuasions who all support President Barack Obama's health care law, the group's co-founder says.
Health Care

Commonwealth Care: Immigration, Insurance and Independence


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: HEALTH CARE ON TRIAL
By Cristina Quinn
The scenario is daunting enough: a hard-working man, an immigrant, diagnosed with cancer. But when he is bounced back and forth by insurance, cancer is just part of his struggle.
Health Care

One WGBH Journalist's Health Care Journey


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: HEALTH CARE ON TRIAL
VIEW: UPHOLD THE MANDATE
VIEW: OVERTURN THE MANDATE
By Ibby Caputo
At the age of 26, WGBH News' Ibby Caputo was diagnosed with leukemia. She needed expensive treatment — and qualified for MassHealth. It made her ask: whose lives matter, and at what cost?
Health Care

At MGH, Building from the Skeleton of a Heart


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: HEALTH CARE ON TRIAL
By Toni Waterman
Scientists at Mass. General Hospital are working on a technique to strip diseased hearts of their cells and then rebuild them into healthy organs.
Health Care

The Callie Crossley Show Puts Health Care in Focus


SPECIAL COVERAGE
Everyone wants the best treatment when they get sick. But is there such a thing as too much medicine? We examine ethics and costs as part of the show's weeklong special health care coverage.
Health Care

The History Lessons of Health Care


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: HEALTH CARE ON TRIAL
By Phil Redo & Bob Seay
A look at the last century of health care and health insurance through video — including some proposals that seem ideologically unusual today.
WGBH NEWS FOCUS: Health Care on Trial

Changing the Face of Medicine


FOLLOW THE TOUR FOR DIVERSITY IN MEDICINE
By Ibby Caputo
Local doctors are making unique efforts to improve the quality of medical treatment, especially in populations of color — in part by recruiting members of those communities to join the M.D. ranks.
Courts, Crime & Police

What to Listen for in the Health Care Arguments


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
Law professor Renée Landers and WGBH News' Bob Seay preview the week's Supreme Court verbal arguments with a guide to what's at stake.
Health Care

WGBH News Focus: Health Care on Trial


FULL WGBH NEWS COVERAGE
By WGBH News
As we wait for the Supreme Court to hand down its decision on the Affordable Care Act, you can review the issues and arguments from our WGBH News Focus coverage of the case.
Government

Governor Responds to Corruption Risk Investigation


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
By Sarah Birnbaum
The executive branch earned a C-plus on the nationwide State Integrity Initiative, which looked at laws on the books to prevent corruption in government.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The State Integrity Project



When Tim Cahill was indicted on April 2, it was yet another reminder of the state's patchy record on corruption. WGBH News is exploring the risk for corruption in Massachusetts as part of a nationwide initiative.
WGBH Special Reports

Mass. Earns a C on National Corruption Risk Index


FILL OUT YOUR MASS. CORRUPTION REPORT CARD
By Sarah Birnbaum
When you think of Sal DiMasi and his two convicted predecessors, Massachusetts can seem like a hotbed of political intrigue. See how we ranked in a new nationwide study of corruption risk.
Courts, Crime & Police

Danroy Henry Sr.: 'Of Course We Suspect'


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
By WGBH News
After police released a batch of documents from the night of DJ Henry's death, his father talked about what he thought it all meant.
Government

Your Take: A Mass. Corruption Report Card


THE STATE INTEGRITY INITIATIVE
By WGBH News
Tim Cahill's indictment was another reminder of the long history of corruption in Massachusetts. What does that mean for your grade on the corruption report card?
Courts, Crime & Police

What Really Happened on Oct. 17, 2010?


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
By Phillip Martin
The story that emerges from newly released, previously classified documents in the DJ Henry case is unclear. Here's a video and some of the voices from that night.
Courts, Crime & Police

The New DJ Henry Documents


COMPLETE WGBH COVERAGE
By Phillip Martin & WGBH News
New documents are now available from the DJ Henry case, including video of the night of the shooting, multiple depositions and police hotline audio. Check them out online.
Courts, Crime & Police

Henry Family Has the Right to See Surveillance Tapes


Complete WGBH coverage
By Phillip Martin
A federal judge ruled Thursday afternoon that the family of Danroy "DJ" Henry has the right to see surveillance tapes taken on the night of Henry's death. We continue our ongoing coverage of the case.
Environment

A Local Perspective on Global Warming: Complete Series


By Heather Goldstone
Temperatures are increasing, weather is getting more erratic and sea levels are rising. What should we do?
SPECIAL SERIES: CAPE CHANGE

Warm Winter, Big Questions


LISTEN NOW
By Heather Goldstone
The mild winter weather make it almost impossible not to wonder: Is it global warming? This week, WCAI's Heather Goldstone looks at the signs and science of environmental change on the Mass. coastline. Part one in a series.
WGBH Local News

Revisiting School Desegregation in Charlestown


By Phillip Martin
In Kevin White's era, Charlestown made headlines for its opposition to court-ordered school desegregation. Today's high school looks very different. With exclusive archival footage.
Local Politics

How to Take On a Kennedy


JPK3 ENTERS THE RING
THE COMPETITION
By Phillip Martin
Joseph P. Kennedy III is the latest to run from the family whose lingering aura is a political force. We look into WGBH's archives for an answer to the question many have asked: How can you effectively challenge a Kennedy?
Communications & Media

Beat The Press: White's Passing Re-Ignites Feud


WATCH
During the Kevin White funeral coverage, WGBH's "Greater Boston" briefly became the news when an argument broke out on-set over a 30-year-old spoiled scoop. Watch some of the footage we didn't air.
WGBH Special Reports

Mayor Kevin White: Complete WGBH News Coverage


By WGBH News
Former Boston mayor Kevin White died on Jan. 27, 2012 at the age of 82. We look back at his legacy over four terms of change with interviews, analysis and exclusive WGBH archival footage.
Boston

Kevin White And The Toll Of The Tregor Bill


By Ted Canova
The 1981 political standoff pitted every conceivable stakeholder against one another. There was money, politics, gamesmanship and personalities. In the end, Boston may have won ... but its mayor lost.
Race & Ethnicity

Insights Into Mayor Kevin White And His Era


By WGBH News
Watch and hear analysis and memories from people who experienced the changes under White's tenure — whether they were attacked on City Hall Plaza or arguing inside the building.
Race & Ethnicity

Boston's School Desegregation Era


By Phillip Martin
Civil rights leaders, politicians and residents examine mayor White's role in one of the most tumultuous periods in Boston's history.
WGBH Special Reports

From The WGBH Vault: Trying Times


By WGBH News
Kevin White's tenure as mayor was a time of tumultuous race relations in Boston. These exclusive WGBH videos show key moments when White, who died Friday, tried to negotiate those tensions. 
WGBH Special Reports

From The WGBH Vault: Martin Luther King Jr.


By Bob Seay, Elizabeth Deane & WGBH Archives Staff
We step into WGBH's archives to glimpse a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement with exclusive interviews from three giants: Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin and Malcolm X.
Presidents

From The WGBH Vault: The New Hampshire Primary


WGBH ELECTION CENTRAL
By Bob Seay, Elizabeth Deane & WGBH Archives Staff
New Hampshire didn't always command such attention. We go into WGBH's vault for historical recordings showing the primary's rise to prominence.
Election 2012

WGBH Election Central


READ MORE
Mitt Romney has half the delegates he needs for the GOP nomination. What will this Tuesday's races bring? Get results from The Associated Press and check out WGBH's election coverage.
WGBH Special Reports

What’s On The Tape? DJ Henry’s Family Still Doesn’t Know


DJ HENRY AND THE TRAINING OF POLICE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Phillip Martin
The family of Danroy “DJ” Henry has turned down an offer from the Westchester Country district attorney’s office to review surveillance tape that was recorded the night of the shooting. The offer was predicated on the condition that the family not make public what is on the tapes. 
Health Care

Hospitals Face Increasing Drug Shortages


By Jared Bowen
There is a strong chance that should you land in an emergency room anywhere in the country, doctors won’t have all the drugs needed to treat you. WGBH News and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting looked at how drug shortages are changing emergency care.
Communications & Media

Pick A Slogan For The Occupy Movement


OCCUPY: WHAT WOULD DON DRAPER DO?
By Phillip Martin
It's your turn to play Don Draper. What slogan would really set the Occupy movement’s cause on fire? Some of your ideas are....
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

Occupy: What Would Don Draper Do?


PICK YOUR OWN OCCUPY SLOGAN
By Phillip Martin
The Occupy movement has taken a beating in the press and elsewhere — and finds its image in desperate need of repair. For a fix, we look to an unlikely source: the advertising industry.
YOU WEIGH IN

We Share Your Occupy Boston Report Card On-Air


By WGBH News
Your latest report card for Occupy Boston: 40 percent give the movement an A, 32 percent say D or F. And everyone has a lot to say. Give the group your OWN grade and read comments from the poll.
WGBH Special Reports

The Occupy Movement Report Card


WHAT'S YOUR OCCUPY BOSTON REPORT CARD?
By Phillip Martin
How effective are the Occupy movement's tactics, messaging and strategies? At the end of term-time, an academic, an Occupier, a Tea Partier and five Democratic candidates gave their grades.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

WGBH Occupy Boston Coverage


By WGBH News
The Occupy movement's appearance in Boston was one of the area's biggest stories in the fall of 2011. Read, watch and listen to WGBH News' Murrow Award–winning coverage.
Energy

Judges Deny Request To Suspend Nuclear Plant Relicensing


POWER STRUGGLE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Federal regulators will not halt a review of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant's bid to extend its operating license. WGBH News reported on the Pilgrim controversy this November.
Forensics & Investigations

Inmates' Access To DNA Evidence: Part Two


INMATES' ACCESS TO DNA EVIDENCE: PART ONE
By Phillip Martin
Legislators are considering a bill that would allow inmates access to DNA evidence that was critical to their convictions. Advocates say the law can help free the innocent. Opponents believe the bill might serve to assist the guilty.
 
Energy

Power Struggle, Part 3: The Emergency Plan


POWER STRUGGLE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Officials say there is no plan for how Cape Cod could be evacuated in the event of a radiation release — and they estimate only 10,000 people have potassium iodide pills to protect against radiation in a disaster.
Energy

Power Struggle: The Fight Over Pilgrim Nuclear


By Sean Corcoran
The owners of the 39-year-old Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth have applied for a 20-year extension. Opponents question its safety, especially after its sister plant experienced explosions and likely meltdowns this year in Fukushima, Japan. In a three-part series, WGBH News reports on the controversy.
Forensics & Investigations

Inmates' Access To DNA Evidence: Part One

By Phillip Martin
The Boston Globe reported Nov. 20 that Mass. inmates have an unusually difficult time getting access to DNA evidence that might exonerate them. WGBH News asked whether that evidence might help Tyrone Dixon, a man serving life.
WHERE WE LIVE

Where We Live: The State Of The American Dream In Mass.


WGBH NEWS: WHERE WE LIVE
By WGBH News
The week of Nov. 14, WGBH News brings back our series Where We Live. Follow along to read, watch and hear stories of Mass. residents from eight cities and towns as they try to move forward in an uncertain time — and share your own stories as well.
Greater Boston

Municipal Choice: A Power Play In The Bay State


MORE GREATER BOSTON
By Adam Reilly
An investigative report on how big utility companies are pulling the plug on competition in Massachusetts.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Death of DJ Henry: Complete Coverage from WGBH News


By Phillip Martin
WGBH News has been covering the shooting death of Danroy “DJ” Henry, the Pace University football player from Easton, Massachusetts, since it happened in October 2010. Since the shooting, Henry’s death has continued to stir controversy over issues of police training and race.
WGBH Special Reports

Sept. 11: A Day Of Reflection, A Decade Of Stories



By WGBH News
WGBH News joined our community and world to mark the somber anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. On the last day of 2011, we look back at that milestone.
WGBH SERIES

Facing Alzheimer's: The Caregivers' Challenge


By Sean Corcoran
The Alzheimer's caregivers’ story is often one of sustained stress, exhaustion and isolation. Rates of depression, poor nutrition and chronic disease among caregivers of Alzheimer's patients are higher than for non-caregivers — and the state has more than 120,000 of those patients. Read and listen to Sean Corcoran's coverage, which won regional Murrow and AP awards.
Environment

After 30 Years And $1 B, Mass. Superfund Sites Still Toxic


ASHLAND: POISONED TOWN STILL NOT CLEAN
TOWN BY TOWN: TOXINS IN MASS
By Beverly Ford (NECIR)
There are 31 contaminated sites have attained Superfund status due to contamination. According to EPA records, at least one-third of those sites may pose a health risk to people living and working nearby. 
WGBH Special Reports

Human Trafficking Ringleader Jailed In Providence


MORE: SEX AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN NEW ENGLAND
By Phillip Martin
A New York man is beginning 10 years behind bars in Rhode Island after pleading no contest to three counts of human trafficking earlier this month. His conviction marks the first successful prosecution of a human trafficking case in Rhode Island in two years.
Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking in New England: The Series


READ MORE
By Phillip Martin
In recent years, law enforcement officials in Rhode Island and Massachusetts have reported increases in human trafficking. Here's the 2010 series that won reporter Phillip Martin a Murrow Award.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Complete Series


By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth, Mass. say they're suffering headaches, insomnia and depression because of a 400-foot tall town-owned wind turbine that began operating there last year. Most scientists say wind turbines don't cause health problems, but the experience of residents has strengthened anti-wind sentiment in the region.
Boston

WGBH Special Report: Recognizing Bruce


By Phillip Martin
WGBH's Phillip Martin profiles a veteran who lived on the streets of Cambridge for 10 years -- but it's not just a story of homelessness. It is also about a man who has lived a life of both privilege and deprivation.  It is a story about unheralded artistry. And it is about the acknowledgement of individuals who have grown accustomed to being invisible and unknown. 
BLUE HILL AVENUE

Blue Hill Avenue: If A Street Could Speak


By Phillip Martin
Join WGBH's Phillip Martin for a closer look at Blue Hill Avenue, which connects Roxbury to Milton and the past to the present.

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