BOSTON — The story of a pregnant woman, murdered in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood, gripped the city and the newsmedia. But few people were skeptical of her husband’s story — that a black gunman demanded money and opened fire — a story that forced a tense city to reflect.

BOSTON — Boston lost two men this month who were major players in advancing civil rights for minorities and building bridges across communities. They both served as leaders for the Boston chapter of the NAACP, which is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization.

BOSTON — A late Labor Day this year could mean a later-than-usual end to the academic year next summer. Paul Andrews of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents explains what this year’s school calendar might look like.

BOSTON — Israel’s consul general to New England is back at his job in Boston, two weeks after the leak of a memo he wrote about Israeli-United States relations. Consul General Nadav Tamir joined us in WBUR’s Studio 3 to discuss the consequences of this controversy.

BOSTON — Three-quarters of people hospitalized for swine flu in Boston during the spring outbreak were black or Hispanic, public health officials said.

BOSTON — One of the many repercussions from the recession is a rise in domestic violence. Despite the growing number of women seeking help, there are still many victims in the shadows — male victims. WBUR’s Delores Handy reports.

BOSTON — The Quabbin Reservoir has been closed to recreational boating to prevent the spread of the invasive zebra mussel species. State environmental officials said they are protecting Boston’s main drinking water supply from potential contamination.

BOSTON — The arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has sparked a debate about racial profiling and the state of race relations in America. President Obama was the latest to weigh in on the incident, saying the police department “acted stupidly.” WBUR’s Delores Handy spoke with Reverend Bruce Wall, senior pastor at Global Ministries Christian Church in Boston, about the arrest and its implications.

BOSTON — Boston Globe editor Marty Baron tells WBUR’s Delores Handy about the Boston Newspaper Guild’s decision to approve a new contract with The New York Times Co. and how the negotiation process has affected work at the paper.

BOSTON — Plan to spend your “staycation” watching “vlogs” and “webisodes”? If you’re not sure what this means, you can turn to the latest edition of the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary, published in Springfield, Mass.

BOSTON — The president of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Charlie Baker, announced Wednesday he is stepping down to enter next year’s campaign for governor. WBUR political analyst Todd Domke weighs in.

BOSTON — For some Cape Cod businesses, the July 4 weekend was an antidote after incessant rain in June. WBUR’s Delores Handy speaks with the Hyannis Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO about how business is shaping up on the cape.

BOSTON — WBUR turns to Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University, for more information about the political reverberations of Mass. Treasurer Tim Cahill’s party switch and what it means for a possible gubernatorial run.

BOSTON — Massachusetts state Treasurer Timothy Cahill is defending his support for an enhanced pension for one of his long-time political supporters. A newspaper report says Cahill approved a higher-than-typical pension for a former fundraiser.

LINCOLN, Mass. — A new exhibit at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln is a lesson in history, but not the kind you learn in school. “The Old, Weird America: Folk Themes in Contemporary Art” explores folklore and myth, as interpreted by artists in the United States today. WBUR’s Delores Handy spoke with the museum curator and one of the artists.

BOSTON — A Harvard University study out Thursday shows a 50 percent increase from 2001 to 2007. The vast majority of the 2,300 bankruptcy filers surveyed had health insurance when their medical problems began.
WBUR’s Delores Handy spoke with the study’s co-author Steffie Woolhandler about the findings.

BOSTON — Senate budget writers Wednesday unveiled their bare-bones spending plan for the coming fiscal year.

BOSTON — There’ll be no Super Bowl appearance for the New England Patrios. Patriot’s beat reporter Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe talks with WBUR’s Delores Handy about the team’s 2008 campaign for the Super Bowl.

BOSTON, Mass. — It’s that time of year when Boston stages light up with holiday shows. We look at their role in the city’s theater scene, now and throughout the year

BOSTON, Mass. — On “Black Friday,” a retail expert forecasts how the harsh economy is likely to affect the holiday shopping climate.