Next New England

After explosions in the Merrimack Valley, residents, and local businesses deal with life without gas. We check-in on recovery efforts and reflect on how New England’s aging infrastructure effects gas lines throughout the region. Plus, we remember the Hurricane of 1938. And we travel along the Northern Border to learn about life in the country’s “Northland.” Finally, a new podcast explores the largest unsolved art heist in history: the theft of thirteen pieces of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. We learn more about the pieces that were stolen and about what happened that night. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we listen back to stories from our archive that explore energy and the environment. First, we travel along the region’s largest river and hear how a re-licensing process offers a rare opportunity for re-imagining its future. We dive into the plans for a microgrid on a small island off of Maine that could serve as a model for future electricity grids around the country. Plus, we speak with author Elizabeth Rush about preserving language as our climate changes. We also visit an island off of Massachusetts that is facing the reality of rising seas. Finally, we explore the impact of beavers on our region’s landscape with author Ben Goldfarb. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: we hear from Salvadorans who are in the region on Temporary Protected Status, but might soon be forced to leave the country. And we visit the detention center where deported Salvadorans are welcomed back into El Salvador. Plus, a unique program teaches students how to play squash, and helps them gain admission to competitive schools. We also listen to the first episode of VPR’s new podcast, “JOLTED,” which explores a school shooting that didn’t happen, and the repercussions of the event. Finally, we discuss the link between mental illness and creativity and learn about the lives of a neurologist and a famous author. It’s NEXT.  (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year after a racially-charged, violent incident in New Hampshire, we hear from two young men about their experience growing up black in a town that’s mostly white. Plus, we sit in on a new play that discusses race, with the hope of making its audience uncomfortable. We also hear about an unexpected victory in the Massachusetts state primaries, and check-in on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island legislative sessions. And, as the fire season continues in the West, we hear from a New Hampshire firefighter who has just returned from the Mendocino Complex. Finally, we discuss the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale and hear an orchestra inspired by the majestic creatures. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After PFAS Chemicals were found at the Coakley Landfill, residents demanded answers. NHPR’s Annie Ropeik explores the response from officials and community members. And, as the global market for recycling crashes, VPR’s John Dillon looks at how prices are changing in Vermont. Plus, what’s unique about governing in New England? We speak with two experts about the challenges of governing in our region. Finally, as MGM opens a casino in Springfield, Mass., we hear from local residents about their reactions, and learn about what programs are in place to help individuals with gambling addictions. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we speak with WBUR’s Shannon Dooling who recently returned from a reporting trip from Honduras and El Salvador where she explored the effects that U.S. Immigration Policies are having on individuals in those countries. Plus, after a forum about diversifying New Hampshire’s workforce faces a backlash, we explore how hate groups are present in our region. In addition, the PawSox announce that they are moving to Worcester, and we hear reactions from Pawtucket. And, did you know that heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano grew up in New England? Author Mike Stanton tells us about his roots in our region. Finally, we listen in on an annual moose calling competition. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: we explore eviction rates in Maine. Plus, New Hampshire is the only state in the country where the secure psychiatric unit is located inside of a prison. We discuss what that means for individuals in the unit. And, we learn how controlled burns can actually help keep some forests healthy. We also visit a summer camp held by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe on Cape Cod that combines culture and science. In addition, we discuss the legacy of the Salem Witch Trials with an author and a historian, and we visit Yale University’s bell tower, where we listen to music from a unique instrument: the carillon. NHPR’s Peter Biello guest hosts for John Dankosky. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: we discuss the move to alternate forms of energy around the region, including the latest on the effort to bring hydropower from Canada to Massachusetts, a nuclear power plant that’s up for sale, and the effect of individual solar panels on the region’s grid. We also learn about PFAS chemicals in the region’s water, and how climate change is effecting coastal drinking wells. Plus, we visit two New England towns shaped by Stephen King: his hometown of Bangor, Maine, better known as the fictionalized Derry, and Orange, Massachusetts where the new series based on King’s Castle Rock was filmed. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore how proposed changes to the farm bill will affect SNAP programs around New England. Plus, we speak with an environmental journalist to learn how beavers have shaped our region. We explore how the response to acid rain could serve as an example for science informing public policy. And we take you on a hike in the White Mountains in New Hampshire to search for true quiet. Finally, we look at the United States’ relationship with Canada, and we visit a theater troupe who are performing along the border. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: we examine why HIV disproportionately affects African-Americans nationwide and learn about efforts to promote a drug that can lower one’s risk of getting the disease. Plus, during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, Provincetown, Massachusetts was hit especially hard. We hear from survivors about the impact of AIDS on their community. And, we speak with Bill Littlefield, host of WBUR’s “Only a Game,” before his retirement. Plus, we talk with a group of marathon swimmers who attempted to swim across a lake that borders both the United States and Canada to raise awareness about international borders. Finally, we learn about a program in a New Hampshire state prison where inmates learn woodworking. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: months after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, we check-in on life on the island. Plus, we look at conservation projects around New England, including a debate between “green” and “grey” infrastructure on Plum Island, Massachusetts. We visit a forest in Vermont that is helping to meet greenhouse gas goals in California and review a debate about whether or not to turn an old stone quarry into a massive reservoir in Connecticut. We hear about a proposed development in Central Vermont and the four small towns that banded together to stop it. Finally, we discuss how the trade war between the U.S. and China is affecting Maine’s lobster industry, and speak with two cousins who are bringing the Maine lobster bake around the country. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The view from the top of Mt. Washington. Photo by Annie Ropeik for NHPR This week we discuss border patrol checkpoints around New England and a recent arrest that was made in New Hampshire. And, we consider sustainable infrastructure around the region, including how a small island off the coast of Maine is transforming its energy system into what they call the next, next electricity grid. Tensions rise between preservation and tourism on top of Mt. Washington, and we see the effort being made to make the marijuana industry more energy efficient in Massachusetts. Also, as the state of Vermont narrowly avoided a government shutdown at the end of June, we check-in on Vermont politics. Finally, we get a tour of Cuttyhunk Island by the last two kids who live there. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: The invasive Emerald Ash Borer has made its way around the region, threatening millions of ash trees and the culture of the Penobscot Nation in Maine. And, as recreational marijuana becomes legal in Massachusetts, we hear from new populations who are considering partaking. Plus, we visit a Baseball Museum in an old mall in the Berkshires, and we speak with one of the best Atlantic salmon fishers alive, who reflects on the “Presidential” history of the fish. Finally, we take you to an exhibit in Lyme, Connecticut that explores the unique nature and history of the New England farm. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on a special 100th episode of NEXT: we hear highlights of a live panel discussion about the effects of immigration on the economy. Plus, we listen back to some of our favorite reports from the past 100 episodes, including how one actress perfected a Boston-flavored accent, why a local chef cooks with invasive species, and what a musician is doing to make a “sound map” of the White Mountains. Finally, we revisit a conversation with a composer whose music is inspired by the New England landscape. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As housing assistance ends for Puerto Rican evacuees in Massachusetts, many families face uncertainty. Plus, a look at Massachusetts’ struggling public transit, and the aging water treatment infrastructure along the Connecticut River. A rural small town in Maine wonders how it will get its high-achieving graduating high school seniors to return, and new programs in Vermont and Maine aim to bring in young workers. Finally, an interview with Bill McKibben about the Ripton Country store in Vermont, and the importance of general stores around New England. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: why is the region’s largest utility buying water companies? We explore Eversource’s move to get into the water business. Plus, a look at the new Hartford Commuter Rail that will link Springfield, Massachusetts to New Haven, Connecticut. And, we talk with a local author about how she is using language to preserve the changing world. Finally, a look at innovation around the region, from the booming biotech industry in Boston, to changing industrial buildings in New Hampshire, to innovative distilling in Vermont. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT we look at two sources of alternative energy: hydroelectric power along the Connecticut River, and solar power in New England. We also discuss gun deaths in Vermont and New Hampshire and hear about an unlikely partnership that is working to reduce the rate of gun suicides. Plus, fifty years since the death of Robert F. Kennedy, we reflect on his legacy and visit an archive of his assassination. Finally, we debate the history of stone walls in New England and listen to a stonemason describe the work that goes into creating each one. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: the story of how one “unaccompanied minor” traveled to Massachusetts. Plus, a massive wind farm will open off of the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. We discuss what this deal means for energy in the region. And, how the opioid crisis is affecting the African American population in Massachusetts, and pregnant women in New Hampshire. In addition, now that the New Hampshire legislative session has come to a close, we reflect back on the past few months of politics in the state. Finally, two local-food battles: one between the FDA and maple syrup producers in Vermont, another between food-delivery apps in Maine. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT: We discuss security concerns on the Northern border of the United States. A Vermont Supreme Court ruling touches on when an action can be construed as a threat, and when it falls under a person’s right to free speech. Plus, while the Steamship Authority is performing an audit of the Martha’s Vineyard Ferry, we discuss the history and the future of the shipping industry in New England. We also hear about the “living memorial” to Holocaust survivors created by one Massachusetts man. We tour the Mark Twain house with a group of Puerto Rican evacuees. Finally, Maine-based L.L. Bean is finding unlikely success in Japan. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT, we’re focusing on the many ways climate change and rising sea levels are affecting New England. We talk with climate scientists, urban resilience experts, and artists about how they’re grappling with these questions. Plus, we’ll visit eroding salt marsh islands, rivers and streams that are getting saltier, and a city that’s bearing the brunt of climate worries and industrial infrastructure. It’s NEXT. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.