Next New England

This week on NEXT: Loss of smell has emerged as a possible symptom of COVID-19. We delve into cases in Rhode Island and how the state is screening patients. Plus, a look at how the iconic New England fishing industry is navigating the pandemic. And we take a ride with a Boston limo driver who says this isn’t the first pandemic to touch his life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New England states are asking visitors to self-isolate for 14 days to slow the spread of coronavirus. This week on NEXT, we look at Rhode Island’s approach to out-of-staters as COVID-19 cases rise. And we head to Maine, where a toilet paper company is trying to meet demand for rolls of “white gold.” Plus, the unintended consequences of school choice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, a wife visited her husband nearly every day at the nursing home. This week on NEXT, how visitor limitations are separating the couple for the first time in 70 years of marriage. Plus, how homeless shelters are coping with the pandemic. And we talk with singer-songwriter Heather Maloney about music, meditation and how she found her voice during a silent retreat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT, elementary school teachers scramble to put together remote learning for students as schools close amid the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, the backlash in a New England town that reinstated a school mascot critics say is racist. And the resilient journey of an ESPN editor whose headline went viral for the wrong reasons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the coronavirus spreads, we look at how New Englanders are preparing. And after the only black woman in Vermont’s House of Representatives was targeted by a white nationalist, state officials and community members debated racial harassment versus free speech. Plus, “The Portuguese Kids” tap their culture experiences for comic material. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary's life changed drastically when she became the foster parent for four grandnieces and nephews. This week on NEXT, we explore the ways foster care is succeeding and struggling in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. And for families looking to adopt, we hear about the most affordable option — and other routes that could break the bank. Plus, bestselling author Lily King weaves parts of her life into her new novel, Writers & Lovers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Activists in Maine and Connecticut are fighting against mandatory vaccine rules for students in public schools. This week on NEXT, we look at the fate of religious exemptions for vaccines. And the only requirement for sex education in New Hampshire is that teens learn about HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Some teens are having conversations around inclusivity, consent and abstinence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

White parents say they want their kids to go to integrated schools. But when they’re given the power to choose, schools tend to be more segregated. This week on NEXT, we’ll dig into a recent report on school choice. And we hear from a mother who says her son was on the losing side of school integration. Plus, a soldier exposed to secret nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War returns to college at 83. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economic impact of COVID-19 or the coronavirus outbreak in China is trickling down to Boston’s Chinatown. This week on NEXT, how unusually quiet restaurants indicate ignorance and possibly racism. And a Harvard study outlines the long-term health risks for gunshot survivors. Plus, we’ll recap the New Hampshire primary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After delays in the Iowa caucus results, we turn our attention to the New Hampshire primary on February 11. This week on NEXT, what to expect from the Granite State in the 2020 presidential election. And a political scientist shares how identity politics has impacted the race so far. Plus, a look at how candidates are addressing climate change —a top issue for New Hampshire voters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut has become the last New England state to include a non-binary option on its driver's licenses. This week on NEXT, we talk to the person who helped push for change in Maine — the first state in the region to include the non-binary designation. And ahead of the New Hampshire primary, we hear where Democratic presidential candidates stand on drug policies. Plus, what happened to the ESPN editor whose headline about Jeremy Lin was interpreted as a racial slur. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. population is getting older. And in northern New England, it’s even more pronounced: Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are the oldest states in the nation, on average. This week on NEXT, stories of housing for seniors, including an investigation into inadequate care facilities and a window into alternative housing situations that work. Plus, we hear from three women named Dot who grew up together in the same town, turned 100 last year and remain friends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New England town has decided to reinstate a school mascot critics say is racist. This week on NEXT, the school board in Killingly, Conn., ditched the old “Redmen” mascot — then brought it back in what may be the first reversal of its kind. We also look at the impact of college football on the rise of two Massachusetts colleges. Plus, we talk to a mother about raising an adult son with severe autism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2020 is a big year in politics, and New England senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are among the Democratic front-runners challenging President Trump. This week on NEXT, we look at where things stand in the presidential race and impeachment. And we hear how coal continues to play a role in New England’s electrical grid. Plus, how paid leave proposals and nursing shortages highlight cross-border economies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT, some scientists believe the Northern Star coral in New England’s cold oceans could hold valuable secrets for fighting climate change. And we look at what it would take to create an effective public transit system and cut back personal car use in Vermont. Plus, how a drummer influenced a generation of female rockers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT, we talk with singer-songwriter Heather Maloney about quitting her music degree for meditation, then becoming a songwriter during silent retreat. And the carrier pigeons of old still find a way to race across the sky. Plus, essayist Tim Clark remembers the neighbors who helped when his wife fell down the church stairs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2018, a doctor in Rhode Island discovered EMS crews misplacing breathing tubes a potentially fatal mistake. This week on NEXT, an investigation from The Public’s Radio and ProPublica into the state’s 911 emergency system. And a black activist talks about the pitfalls of the call-out culture. Plus, as fewer babies are born in the U.S, some adults are choosing to be childfree. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voters across the region –and political spectrum– can agree on one thing: they care about immigration. This week on NEXT, a new poll of New Hampshire voters finds the immigration policies they care about largely don’t affect them. And we hear from a historian who says U.S. cities owe their revitalization to Latino immigrants. Plus, how achieving the triple decker, immigrant dream in New England is fading. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on NEXT, we talk about greenhouse gas emissions and the two sectors that are emitting the most: energy and transportation. Scientists and policy-makers agree these sectors need to transform in order to slow the pace of global warming; we look at how they’re doing. Plus, 400 years after the first slaves were brought to the United States, a jazz composer maps the history of African-Americans music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PFAS chemicals have contaminated sites around New England, but when a World War II-era bomber crashed at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut last month, firefighters did not hesitate to use foam containing the chemicals. This week on NEXT, we’ll talk about the ethical balance between saving lives in the moment and long-term health risks. And we look misconceptions surrounding Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims. Plus, the case for cohousing communities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.