Stories
Nettie Lesser’s grave is tucked in the back of Mount Auburn Cemetery in a quiet area surrounded by trees and birds and a carpet of purple flowers starting to bloom. The plot blends into the scene around it, the only marker a small plaque the size of a hockey puck; you wouldn’t know it was a…
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Rhode Island saw a surge in calls to domestic violence helplines in 2020, as people were directed to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As much of the state reopens, domestic violence prevention advocates say the need for support services remains high. Every day, Neyda DeJesus answers calls from domestic violence survivors seeking…
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Bald eagles are soaring again in Vermont. The magnificent birds were pushed to the brink of extinction by hunting, habitat loss and pesticide poisoning. For decades, no eagles nested in the Green Mountain State. Now, the birds of prey have recovered to the point where the state is ready to take them off the endangered…
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Just before 10 o’clock most mornings, cars begin lining up outside the Goodwill donation center in Seabrook. They’re offering trunks full of treasures, yes, but also perhaps some unsellable, un-recyclable wares that also make it into the bins — and strain Goodwill’s trash bill. “We hope everyone brings great things that helps our programs, but…
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In the Beachmont neighborhood of Revere, there’s a street called Pearl Avenue. It’s a wide quiet street with views of the Atlantic Ocean, Belle Isle Marsh and the Boston skyline — the sort of place that’s great to raise a family, residents say. And in fact, many of its residents are part of one big,…
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When Nelson Orr, 70, retired from his job as an X-ray tech at a Boston hospital, he knew what would come next. He and wife moved full-time into their gray-shingled beachfront home in the town of Barnstable, embracing its original exposed beams and decorating with an old wooden carousel horse in the entranceway. “This is…
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Shipwrecks have stoked fear in our collective imaginations throughout history. But what can these disasters at sea say about humans’ damaging impact on the planet? That’s something artist Alexis Rockman confronts in his new series of psychedelic, large-scale paintings on view at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. “Alexis Rockman has been described as an…
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The push to switch from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy will mean a lot more demand for battery storage. It’s just part of massive efforts to modernize the electric grid in New England and the nation to meet the challenge of climate change. The future of renewable energy in New England depends on…
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People living on and off the coast of New England will soon be at a greater risk from flooding due to heavier rain and rising seas caused by climate change. Global warming will put more pressure on the federal flood insurance program, which is already overstretched, prompting an overhaul to be completed later this year.…
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For Earth Day 2021, NHPR reporter Annie Ropeik hosted a roundtable of reporters from the New England News Collaborative for a special episode of NHPR’s The Exchange. They highlighted innovations and signs of progress in tackling climate change in New England, as well as the issues that are top of mind. GUESTS: Daniela Allee – NHPR reporter…
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