Greater Boston

Attorney Eric MacLeish represented hundreds of people who, as children, had been sexually abused by priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. He joins us to talk about the abuse he suffered as a child, and his work changing the statute of limitations on child sex abuse laws.  

Recent Suffolk University graduate Kaitlynn Cates went to the Boston Marathon finish line with her friend Leo Fonseca to watch their friends finish. When the first bomb went off, she fell to the ground, and Fonseca got on top of her to protect her. After the second explosion, he carried her to his car and applied a tourniquet to her leg. She was treated at MGH and lost part of her calf, including muscle, which is expected to grow back.  She credits him with saving her life. 

In light of the devastating tornados that ravaged Oklahoma City and its southern suburb, Moore, we follow up with the town of Monson, which was hit hard by the tornados that swept through Massachusetts in 2011. Monson residents Karen King and Laura Yarbrough say rebuilding will be long and arduous, just like it has been in their hometown.

Through the Geena Davis Institute of Gender Media, the Academy Award-winning actor targets the inadequate representation of women in the media, especially children’s media. Davis talks with Emily Rooney about visiting elementary schools to teach kids that girls can be firefighters and mathematicians, not just eye candy. 

Black children drown almost three times as often as white and Latino children do, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That moved the YMCA of Greater Boston to create an urban swimming program that focuses on teaching poor black and Latino kids how to stay safe in the water. CEO Kevin Washington, who learned to swim at the Y when he was 9, says minority children who live in cities often don't take lessons because their families can't afford them or don't have access to a pool. 

In 1994, three teenagers known as the West Memphis Three were convicted for the murder of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. The prosecution claimed the murders were part of a satanic ritual. In 2011, the "three" (Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin) were released after reaching a deal with prosecutors and entering Alford pleas. Damien Echols, who served 18 years on death row, discusses the case, his imprisonment and his freedom, all of which he's written about in his new book, Life After Death.

One month after the Boston Marathon bombings, we talk to Boston Police Commissioner about the last 30 days, unresolved questions about the investigation, and how this will change the city moving forward.

Jared Bowen speaks with Barry McGee, the San Francisco graffiti artist whose career retrospective at the Institute of Contemporary Art is on view through September 2. 

Malcolm Astley, whose only child, Lauren, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2011, talks about testifying on Beacon Hill to get support for preventing teen dating violence. The former Lexington elementary school principal told lawmakers on Wednesday that they should require schools to teach students about healthy romantic relationships and signs of harmful ones as part of their health curriculums. 

The American Cancer Society is enrolling participants in a long-term cancer study to better understand what causes cancer. Dr. David Rosenthal of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Janet McGrail of the American Cancer Society will talk about the goals of the study and where we are in cancer research.

Chefs Ming Tsai and Ken Oringer have organized Wednesday's Boston Bites Back gala at Fenway Park to raise money for the One Fund. The foodie fundraiser will bring together 100 local top chefs. Tickets are $200 (except for the Marathon's first responders and victims, who get in free) and cover tastes of dishes like Japanese fried chicken and banh mi, as well as wine and beer. The event is for people 21 and older, and all proceeds will go to Boston's One Fund. 

Adam Reilly concludes Greater Boston's Right of Way series with a studio-based forum of bikers from in and around the Boston area who offer their insights on improvements, problem areas, and how bicyclists and motorists CAN co-exist.

The message of unity and resilience encapsulated in the mantra "Boston Strong" is now part of a widespread marketing strategy. Boston Strong T-shirts are flying off the shelves – with some of the proceeds going to the One Fund. One company tried to trademark the motto. Others are advertising Boston Strong scented candles and coffee. We'll discuss the business ethics involved.  

After the tragic death of a cyclist last fall, the town of Wellesley is trying to figure out how to make it safer for cars and bikes to share the streets. But as fervent as Wellesley’s desire for solutions is – making changes that really work may not be easy.

Dr. David Crandell is treating several Marathon bombing victims at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown. He spoke with Greater Boston host Emily Rooney about Rosann Sdoia’s prognosis and about how bombing victims like her are coping both physically and mentally with losing a limb.

Jared Bowen takes a look at how the city has rebuilt for bikes – and the challenges that remain.

We bring you a story of devastating loss, compassion, and courage. Roseann Sdoia is one of the two-dozen bombing victims who lost a limb on Marathon day – and now face a different life. 

Gays and lesbians can now get married in ten states, they can serve openly in the military and in Congress, and even the Boy Scouts are slowly coming around. So when NBA player Jason Collins came out this week, the media wrestled with how to place it in context.

(From the May 3, 2013 show)

Media critics aren't exactly movie stars, so their names and faces aren't household names. The one possible exception is Howie Kurtz, who rose to prominence at The Washington Post and CNN before taking a job with The Daily Beast. But now, the media critic himself is at the heart of the criticism.

(From the May 3, 2013 show)

Nearly three weeks after the Boston marathon bombings, the national media is still covering the story aggressively, camping out in Copley Square. That's reasonable as long as the story is still developing. But at some point, the national press may find that it's overstayed its welcome.

(From the May 3, 2013 show)

Our panel's media rants and raves for the week of Friday, May 3, 2013.

“Samurai! Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection” features the extraordinary artistry of the armor used by samurai—the military elite led by the shoguns, or warlords, of Japan from the 12th through 19th centuries. 

  Wellesley College has held a hoop rolling race in spring before graduation since 1895. It was traditionally held on May Day, and the winner was said to be the first to get married in the senior class. Now, the winner is promised to be the first to achieve self-defined success.

Today marks the start of the 2013 fishing season, something that fishermen usually look forward to. But new catch limits announced by the federal government have cast a dark cloud over the season, with some warning that they leave the industry in dire shape.

Within hours of the marathon bombings, corporations like John Hancock, Hill Holliday, and New Balance mobilized to aid victims and their families. They pledged millions to the newly created One Fund – which is now worth some 26 million dollars and growing. The task of distributing that money falls to Kenneth Feinberg, who has overseen many other victim compensation funds. 

Officials have cited the owner of an Allston building where a Boston University student was killed in a fire Sunday. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the blaze, which also hurt 15 people. But the discovery that at least 19 people were living in the two-family home has brought new attention to the issue of overcrowded student housing.

News organizations have been covering the marathon bombings virtually around the clock for the past two weeks. A lot of that coverage has been outstanding, but as with any breaking news story there's often a combination of the good, some bad, and a little ugly.

(From the 4/26/13)

Even with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev telling authorities why he and his brother carried out the attacks, conspiracy theorists are insisting the two were framed or that the bombings were faked. Now the mainstream media has a choice: cover the paranoia or ignore it.

(From the 4/26/13 show)