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20/05/2025

Pictures Of You

Sadie Dingfelder was in the grocery store one day. She went to her husband to ask him why he was buying something new. Then she realized… this man was not her husband. Sadie was eventually diagnosed with face blindness. How did that change her perception of herself? How did it change her marriage? Sadie explains to Meredith in this funny, fascinating, and sweet episode about how we see the people we love. For giveaways, behind-the-scenes photos of guests, and extra commentary, sign up for Meredith's newsletter at boston.com/meredith (all lowercase). To leave Meredith a voicemail about any episode of Love Letters, call 401-484-0590. To send Meredith an anonymous question about relationships, go to boston.com/loveletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20/05/2025

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39 min
16/12/2025

Mi Amor

Nexan Asencio Corado was 20 when he left Guatemala and crossed into the U.S. illegally. He wound up settling in Massachusetts and built a life there. Within a decade, he was working in construction and framing. He fell in love with Christina Toledo and married her. They had two twin sons. In May, Nexan – who had started the process of seeking lawful permanent residency in the U.S. – was arrested by ICE agents and brought to a Federal Correctional Institution. From that moment, Nexan and Christina faced important choices about how to stay together, care for each other, and protect their family. In this episode, Boston Globe immigration reporter Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio tells the story of Nexan and Christina, using recordings from their life and phone calls, with their permission. We love feedback and questions at Love Letters – and with this episode, there’s a lot to talk about. After listening, please send your thoughts to loveletters@globe.com. You can always email us a voice memo. We’re also a relationship advice column. You can send your anonymous questions to loveletters@globe.com. To learn more about this story and Love Letters, in general, sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at Boston.com/Meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16/12/2025

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36 min
11/03/2025

EPISODE 2: Blind Trust

Spotlight reporter Dugan Arnett receives a desperate phone call from an informant who’s now in prison. He says he's afraid for his life because other inmates know he cooperated with police. This informant always knew he’d be in danger if someone from his gang found out that he was a snitch. What he didn’t anticipate was being betrayed by police, including a New Bedford officer who shares information with a member of the informant's gang. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11/03/2025

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41 min
11/03/2025

EPISODE 1: Officer Pastillas

On the docks of New Bedford, Massachusetts, whispers about a rogue police officer harassing fishermen and stealing drugs come to a head aboard a scalloping boat late one night. The officer forces his way on board, saying an informant told him there would be drugs on board, and demands some. But when another officer, Mark Raposo, shows up, he thinks his colleague is in the middle of a “drug rip.” Now Raposo is ready to blow the whistle on what he’s seen. And it turns out that this officer’s abuse of the informant system is just the tip of the iceberg in this historic port city. *Note: this episode was updated Mar 12, 2025, to include a statement from police that the Globe received after the deadline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11/03/2025

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53 min
01/04/2025

EPISODE 5: “All this for nothing”

Two former New Bedford informants tell shocking stories. The first: a woman who didn’t even know she was being used as an informant by the cop she was sleeping with. The second: a man who was Paul Oliveira’s informant decades ago and who knows – better than anyone – how the police chief exploits the secrecy of this world. Spotlight reporters Dugan Arnett and Andrew Ryan try to get answers and accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

01/04/2025

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46 min
25/03/2025

EPISODE 4: Cops & Robbers

When Frank "Rizzo" Simmons was a big-time drug dealer in New Bedford in the '90s, he went toe-to-toe with a drug cop named Paul Oliveira. After a major bust of Frank’s headquarters, Oliveira tries to turn Frank into an informant. But snitching goes against everything Frank believes in. This won’t be the last time Frank will have to decide if he should cooperate. But the next time, it’s going to be harder to stay true to his code. Because next time, he'll be asked to snitch on Paul Oliveira. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25/03/2025

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38 min
18/03/2025

EPISODE 3: The Chief

Meet New Bedford’s police chief, Paul Oliveira. He’s had a hand in both of the stories we’ve already heard. And the Spotlight Team's reporting shows there's a dark backstory behind Oliveira's rise to the top of the department. Oliveira wrote the playbook on using informants. In this episode, a former New Bedford narcotics cop who worked alongside the chief for nearly two decades agrees to go on the record about everything he’s seen… and taken part in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18/03/2025

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34 min
06/05/2025

UPDATE: Case Dismissed

Reporters Dugan Arnett and Andrew Ryan are back in court to learn the fate of a case that has spanned eight years. In 2017, New Bedford police accused Steven Ortiz of being at the center of a major drug trafficking ring. But an officer involved in his arrest was sleeping with Ortiz’s fiancee while using her as an unwitting confidential informant. This case was what first brought Arnett to New Bedford. In the two years since he broke the story, one drug trafficking case has already been tossed. Now, an even bigger case hangs in the balance. And the outcome could bring a reckoning for police and prosecutors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

06/05/2025

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22 min
25/03/2025

Ready Player One

For Anthony Ureña, video games are more than simple entertainment or a way to pass the time. Games have actually changed him, he says. They’ve taught him who he is. They’ve shown him how to take the best next steps. Through a story about dating, loss, love, and resilience, Anthony explains how games have seen him through the most important relationship transitions in his life. Let’s all Pokemon Go! with him. (And Pac-Man with him. And Final Fantasy with him. And ... you get the point.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25/03/2025

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40 min
25/06/2024

Fly Me to the Moon

As The Boston Globe’s travel writer, Chris Muther has gotten very good at navigating the planet alone. But he wasn’t always this way. It took years, through multiple relationships, for him to gain the independence necessary to thrive on his own — and be a better partner. How he got to this more confident place is a long, winding story that involves some of the most beautiful places in the world. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25/06/2024

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43 min

Narrative mini-series, news, commentary, and audio storytelling from the leading newsroom in New England.

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The Boston Globe

Top Shows

Pictures Of You

Mi Amor

EPISODE 2: Blind Trust

EPISODE 1: Officer Pastillas

EPISODE 5: “All this for nothing”

EPISODE 4: Cops & Robbers

EPISODE 3: The Chief

UPDATE: Case Dismissed

Ready Player One

Fly Me to the Moon

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