Stories

A visitor examines personal artifacts in the interactive exhibit "Memory in a Void," filled with Joe Dulude II's childhood memories. Photo credit of Matthew Cavanaugh

How One Man’s 1970s Childhood Became A Work Of Immersive Art

May 16, 2019

A recent immersive exhibit in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, included the option to eat potato chips and watch TV — and it was all part of the art.

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Photo by Allegra Boverman. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democratic candidate for President, visited To Share Brewing Company in Manchester on Friday evening. There was a drink there named for her on tap, Kirstenweizen, which she sampled. Photo by Allegra Boverman for NHPR

They’ll Drink To That: The Presidential Hopefuls Pull Out The Brewery Stops in New Hampshire

May 10, 2019

There’s an old cliché in politics – who’s the candidate voters would want to have a beer with? It’s a euphemism for likability. But this year, it’s also something New Hampshire voters might actually be able to answer.

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Dr. Kevin Stokebury, right, and his team on boat Liberty preparing for the last sea scallop survey before Vineyard Wind begins construction. Photo by Nadine Sebai for The Public's Radio

“A Big Fugazi”: Why Fishermen Still Can’t Get Behind Offshore Wind

May 8, 2019
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A view of the docks in Stonington, Conn. Women are increasingly shaping the food landscape in the area – as farmers, fisherwomen and food educators. Photo by Cassandra Basler for WSHU

Women’s Work: From Farm – And Sea – To Table

May 8, 2019

Business in one historic town in eastern Connecticut has always revolved around the ocean. Now, a 250-year-old farm in the area wants to diversify the food economy in more ways than one. It’s become a hub to learn about what we eat and value: the men – and women – who produce our food.

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Ben Brickett tests out his time tension line cutter in the Piscataqua river. Photo by Fred Bever for Maine Public

Innovations In Fishing Gear Could Change The Lobster Industry To Help Endangered Right Whale

April 25, 2019

This week a high-stakes conference in Providence is considering new measures that could help endangered North Atlantic right whales avoid life-threatening entanglements in fishing gear. These measures could also challenge Maine’s lobster industry, though.

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As Pilgrim Powers Down, Some Worry It Will Leave Behind Too Much Radiation

April 25, 2019

Like all nuclear power plants, Pilgrim releases small amounts of radioactive gases and liquids as part of its normal operations. These emissions are controlled by the plant, and monitored by federal and state regulators to protect public health.

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The Plymouth Rock portico looks out across the Plymouth Bay to Rocky Point, the location of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. Photo by Robin Lubbock for WBUR

Historic Plymouth Looks To A Future Without Pilgrim

April 24, 2019

Beneath a towering granite pavilion, in the smallest state park in Massachusetts, is an unassuming gray boulder with outsized historic and economic importance: Plymouth Rock. The Rock draws a million visitors a year. Tourism is a powerful economic engine for Plymouth, employing 4,000 workers and generating $30 million annually in local taxes.

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Spent fuel at Vermont Yankee is stored in these casks. NorthStar, the company that wants to buy the closed plant, recently boosted its financial plan to pay for fuel storage. Photo courtesy of Vermont Yankee

This Vermont Town Took A Big Hit When Its Nuclear Plant Closed

April 24, 2019

At the end of May, the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth will permanently shut down. Forty-six years ago it began generating electricity, high-paying jobs and intense controversy over safety and environmental impact. Pilgrim went into service just one day after its sister plant: Vermont Yankee. Both reactors were the same make and model: a GE Mark I reactor. And since 2002, they have been operated by the same company: Entergy.

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U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton at WBUR. Photo by Robin Lubbock for WBUR

Presidential Candidate Moulton Knows He’s Not Very Well-Known

April 24, 2019

Among the challenges facing Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who announced this week he’s joining the crowded field of Democratic candidates for president, is the fact that he’s not well-known. It’s a fact the North Shore politician is well aware of.

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The discharge canal at Pilgrim, where water used for cooling at the plant is release back into the bay. Photo by Robin Lubbock for WBUR

For 46 Years, Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Has Used Water From Cape Cod Bay. How Has It Impacted The Ecosystem?

April 22, 2019

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth pumps about a half-billion gallons of water from Cape Cod Bay into the plant every day. The water cycles continuously, passing through the plant’s condenser, and returning to the bay about 10 minutes later — and 30 degrees warmer.

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