Retro Report makes sense of the present by revealing the past. Join journalists Celeste Headlee and Masud Olufani as they connect the present to the past through four distinct and varied stories, and New Yorker humorist Andy Borowitz adds his signature wit.
Episodes
-
Episode 8, Season 1
Correcting the Myth of the SuperpredatorFlawed research predicting remorseless teen killers led to life sentences.10:27 -
Episode 8, Season 1
The Bullying Industry | Andy BorowitzNew Yorker magazine humorist Andy Borowitz takes a look at a thriving industry: bullying.4:37 -
Episode 8, Season 1
How Napster Stirred Up EntertainmentAfter Napster, many consumers got used to media on demand. There was no turning back.10:06 -
Episode 8, Season 1
Sex ed; a crime myth; Ryan White’s legacy; napster; Andy Borowitz on bullying.53:22 -
Episode 8, Season 1
The Controversy Over Teaching Teens About SexA decades-old battle is re-emerging over how sex is presented in the classroom.13:22 -
Episode 8, Season 1
The Forgotten History of AIDSH.I.V. rates have fallen in many places, but the AIDS crisis persists in parts of the U.S.11:55 -
Episode 7, Season 1
Immigration; hot coffee lawsuit; special ops; Challenger legacy; Borowitz on Anita Bryant.55:09 -
Episode 7, Season 1
How the U.S. Came to Rely on Special Ops ForcesThe rise of special operations units today can be traced to two past operations.7:46 -
Episode 7, Season 1
The Truth About the Lawsuit Over Hot McDonald’s CoffeeHer complaint sounded frivolous. But the facts told another story.11:18 -
Episode 7, Season 1
Exploring the Recent History of U.S. Immigration BacklashesToday's immigration policies echo an anti-immigration movement 25 years ago in California.9:54 -
Episode 7, Season 1
Lessons From the Space Shuttle Challenger TragedyA new understanding of risk emerged from the study of a NASA disaster.18:31 -
Episode 7, Season 1
Anita Bryant, Gay Rights Icon | Andy BorowitzAndy Borowitz examines how Anita Bryant inadvertently energized the gay rights movement.3:58 -
Episode 6, Season 1
The ZIP Code AdvantageA new approach to reducing poverty has its roots in a 1970s public housing experiment.12:58 -
Episode 6, Season 1
A Life in a BubbleThe surprising medical legacy of David Vetter, the boy in the bubble.11:39 -
Episode 6, Season 1
Hard Risks for AthletesAs concussions plague football, are there lessons from earlier concerns about boxing?11:51 -
Episode 6, Season 1
What Happened to the Population Bomb?In the 1960s, fears of overpopulation sparked talk of population control. What happened?10:18 -
Episode 6, Season 1
May The Space Force Be With You | Andy BorowitzAndy Borowitz takes a look at the sci-fi origins of Donald Trump’s Space Force program.4:37 -
Episode 6, Season 1
Public housing, the bubble boy, boxing, overpopulation and Borowitz on Space Force.55:03 -
Episode 5, Season 1
Could a Simple Intervention Fight a Suicide Crisis?An intervention to reduce suicides showed promise in the 60s, but was overlooked.9:29 -
Episode 5, Season 1
Reducing suicide; Baby M; Lead perils; climate help from Cold War science; Andy Borowitz.55:10 -
Episode 5, Season 1
Born by Surrogate: Pathways to ParenthoodParenthood by surrogacy is accepted across the U.S., but it's not closely regulated.12:05 -
Episode 5, Season 1
Lingering Peril From PaintHalf a million American children have high lead levels, but who should clean it up?14:58 -
Episode 5, Season 1
Engineering Earth’s Climate?Is geo-engineering the climate an answer to global warming?10:56 -
Episode 5, Season 1
Smoke On The Water | Andy BorowitzAndy Borowitz investigates why America’s water supply seems to keep bursting into flames.4:11 -
Episode 4, Season 1
Trump's War Against the PressPresident Trump’s efforts to clamp down on White House leaks have echoes of Nixon.11:48 -
Episode 4, Season 1
How Fears Over the Measles Vaccine Took HoldVaccine skepticism was fed by a discredited 1998 study which still has repercussions today12:24 -
Episode 4, Season 1
Presidents vs. press; measles cases soar; free agency; wild horses, “apologies.”53:50 -
Episode 4, Season 1
The Birth of Free AgencyToday’s superstar athletes reaping the benefits of free agency owe a debt to Curt Flood.12:54 -
Episode 4, Season 1
Horses: Wild, But Not FreeWild horses are caught in a battle between the government, ranchers and environmentalists.8:52 -
Episode 4, Season 1
Sorry/Not Sorry | Andy BorowitzAndy examines the tropes and clichés politicians use to cling to power after a scandal.4:22 -
Episode 3, Season 1
Bystander behavior; a Navy scandal; psychedelic drugs; wayward trash barge; zany theories54:11 -
Episode 3, Season 1
LSD Gets Another Look | Full ReportPsychedelic drugs, associated with the 1960s, are now treating depression and anxiety.11:46 -
Episode 3, Season 1
The Garbage Barge That Helped Fuel a Movement | Full ReportThe 1987 garbage barge was a fiasco, but it helped raise public awareness about recycling.11:01 -
Episode 3, Season 1
The Modern Bystander Effect | Full ReportWhy don’t people intervene when they encounter violence streaming live online?11:03 -
Episode 3, Season 1
She Rocked the Pentagon | Full ReportHow the 1991 Tailhook sexual assault scandal is still shaking up the military today.12:24 -
Episode 3, Season 1
Were the Moon Conspiracy Theories Faked? | Andy BorowitzAndy Borowitz looks at the evolution of the myth that the moon landing was faked.4:19 -
Episode 2, Season 1
Are Robots Really Taking Over? | Full ReportExploring fears about A.I. by revisiting a 1997 chess match between man and machine.9:34 -
Episode 2, Season 1
DNA clues; thalidomide; robot ambivalence; obsessive gamers; Borowitz on no news.55:15 -
Episode 2, Season 1
New Clues From Old Evidence | Full ReportDNA information available on genealogy websites is today being used to solve crimes.14:32 -
Episode 2, Season 1
Return of an Infamous Pill | Full ReportHow a pill that led to drug safety guidelines became a case study for rising drug prices.11:31 -
Episode 2, Season 1
Could D&D Help Fight Screen Addiction? | Full ReportD&D, once at the center of a moral panic, is now seen as an antidote to screen addiction.11:23 -
Episode 2, Season 1
Where Did The News Go? | Andy BorowitzWe hear a lot about fake news, but Andy Borowitz examines another horrible tend: no news.4:29 -
Episode 1, Season 1
Social media loops, athlete protests, Wall Street harassment; pet threat; Andy Borowitz53:47 -
Episode 1, Season 1
Online All the Time? Researchers Predicted It. | Full ReportOur social media addiction is explained by theories pioneered by B.F. Skinner decades ago.10:39 -
Episode 1, Season 1
Athletes vs. Injustice | Full ReportThe #TakeAKnee movement has ties to a protest at the 1968 Olympics.11:51 -
Episode 1, Season 1
Sexual Misconduct at Work, Again | Full ReportHow a decades-old Wall Street sexual harassment battle is affecting today’s workplace.13:09 -
Episode 1, Season 1
Warning: These Ads Contain Politicians | Andy BorowitzHumorist Andy Borowitz has found a solution to the problem of political ads on TV.3:52
