The Boston Globe

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Channel • 6 Shows

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Updated 23/12/2025
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Every two weeks
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News Commentary

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Personal Journals

Complete series

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
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
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
20/12/2024

The Harvard Plan Pt. 3: “The Universities Are The Enemy”

In part three of this collaboration with WNYC’s On The Media, the deep history of Harvard and the distinctly American idea of “diversity” is the hidden subtext for much of the recent strife. For most of the past half-century, the academy (and the business world) has embraced a concept of diversity as a social good.That concept, was developed at Harvard and endorsed by the Supreme Court, until the high court ended race-based affirmative action in 2023. This episode also looks at what’s in store for universities as the incoming Trump-Vance administration promises to pressure them to change curricula. To check out more Boston Globe reporting on Harvard and Claudine Gay and support more high quality journalism click here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20/12/2024

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52 min
05/12/2024

The Harvard Plan Pt. 1: A President on Trial

In part one of this collaboration with WNYC’s On The Media, Claudine Gay’s history-making inauguration as Harvard’s first Black president in September 2023 is seen by many as an inspirational moment for the university. But by December 2023, that hope sours as her presidency becomes a proxy battleground for American culture wars After war breaks out in the Middle East, Gay struggles to navigate bitter campus protests over war, anti-semitism, free speech, and the proper role of the university. The tensions are on full display when Gay testifies under oath, providing legalistic answers to outraged members of Congress. Claudine Gay’s short tenure as Harvard’s 30th president, a job she started two days after the Supreme Court struck down Harvard’s program of race-based affirmative action, is seen by some as a symbol of what’s wrong with diversity efforts. It’s also a warning to all colleges and universities, who face a hostile incoming administration which has pledged to use its power to bring them into line. This series slows down the whipsaw chain of events to bring listeners direct eyewitness accounts of what happened, from professors, wealthy donors, and spiritual leaders. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

05/12/2024

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38 min
13/12/2024

The Harvard Plan Pt. 2: “Diversity Hire”

In part two of this collaboration with WNYC’s On The Media, Claudine Gay is accused of academic plagiarism, just days after giving testimony to Congress. The drip-drip of new allegations keeps the story in the headlines. It also reinforces critics’ allegation that Gay is a “diversity hire,” unworthy of the job. We hear from two of the writers who broke that news, and from a defender of Harvard’s diversity efforts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13/12/2024

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36 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
27/12/2024

The secret lives of Shelby Hewitt - 32-year-old high school imposter: A Globe Magazine Narrated Feature

The Boston Globe publishes thousands of stories each year, but only a select few capture the public’s attention for weeks on end. The Secret Lives of Shelby Hewitt: 32 year old high school imposter is one such story—a fascinating tale of a 32-year-old woman who posed as a teenager to re-enroll in high school. This deep dive reveals the ripple effects on the schools, the Department of Children and Families, and the lives of those deceived by her audacious con. Prepare to be captivated by the first installment in a series that uncovers the shocking truth behind the masquerade. To read more about what happened to Shelby Hewitt and all those who were affected by her deception catch up on all of Patricia Wen’s reporting: A new twist in the saga of Shelby Hewitt, high school imposter ‘I lied to you about something big’: Confessions of Shelby Hewitt, high school imposter Click here to support more local journalism and audio offerings from the Boston Globe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27/12/2024

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52 min
07/10/2025

Moving Day

Moving is STRESSFUL and movers... are sometimes de facto relationship experts. They help people through their most stressful moments! In this new episode, Meredith talks to a professional mover who has seen it ALL - from makeups to breakups and even a mover fantasy? She also gets real with author Adam Sass who has moved (with his husband) 12 times in 10 years! Is feeling “settled” is ever really possible? ___ Love Letters is also an advice column. Send questions about your relationships (romance, friendship, family, etc.) to ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter – with behind-the-scenes pics, giveaways, and other extras – at ⁠boston.com/meredith⁠ (all lowercase). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

07/10/2025

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45 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

EPISODE 2: Blind Trust

EPISODE 1: Officer Pastillas

EPISODE 3: The Chief

EPISODE 4: Cops & Robbers

The Harvard Plan Pt. 3: “The Universities Are The Enemy”

The Harvard Plan Pt. 1: A President on Trial

The Harvard Plan Pt. 2: “Diversity Hire”

EPISODE 5: “All this for nothing”

The secret lives of Shelby Hewitt - 32-year-old high school imposter: A Globe Magazine Narrated Feature

Moving Day

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