The Big Dig
There is a cynicism that hangs over the topic of American infrastructure — whether it’s high-speed rail or off-shore wind — it feels like this country can’t build big things anymore. No one project embodies that cynicism quite like Boston’s Big Dig. Infamous for its ever-increasing price tag, this massive highway tunneling effort became a symbol of waste and corruption. Yet the project delivered on its promise to transform the city. So how did the narrative go so horribly wrong? And what lessons can the Big Dig offer for the ambitious projects of today?
This nine-episode series is produced by GBH News and hosted by Ian Coss. New episodes come out every Wednesday. Listen below and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
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When states got into the gambling business, they wanted the same thing organized crime wanted: money and power. The question now is who in government will get to wield that awesome power? ---------------------------Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
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It’s 1974, illegal bookies are everywhere and the brand new state lottery is struggling to compete. But a simple piece of paper is about to change the game forever: the nation’s first scratch ticket. ---------------------------Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
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Legal gambling is everywhere. But how did it get like this? And why can't we fully embrace it? "Scratch & Win" looks for answers in the unlikely story of America's most successful lottery, and the charismatic state treasurer who was determined to beat the mob at their own game. ---------------------------Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian He
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Just dropping in to share some news about the show, and what's coming next.
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It’s been fifty years since the Big Dig was first conceived, thirty years since construction began, more than a dozen years since it was completed – and the final twist is: the project has largely delivered on its promises. How do we reconcile that reality with the scandal and outrage we’ve heard so much about?Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossEditor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Stephanie LeydonFact Checker: Lisa WardleScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian He
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Just as the project turns the corner towards completion, its entire legacy becomes clouded. The tunnels are leaking, concrete suppliers are being arrested, and everyday drivers are forced to wonder: are these tunnels safe?Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossEditor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Stephanie LeydonFact Checker: Lisa WardleScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian He
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By the year 2000, the Big Dig has passed through many hands, but in its final years a power struggle spills into public view – over who will determine the project’s fate, and who will take responsibility for its mistakes.Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossEditor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Stephanie LeydonFact Checker: Lisa WardleScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian He
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As work progresses through the 1990s and the tunnels take shape, the true cost of the Big Dig remains unknown to the public, until a series of revelations pulls down the curtain and shakes confidence in the whole project.Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossEditor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Stephanie LeydonFact Checker: Lisa WardleScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian He