Episode 165: Vaping Scare Prompts Official Action; Climate Change Migrant Goes To Maine
A huge selection of vaping juices available at Liquid Smoke And Vape Shop in Allston which will no longer be available after Governor Baker’s declaration for a four-month temporary ban on all vaping products. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
This week on NEXT:
Two mayors face corruption charges and not all voters seem to care.
We’ll hear why a vaccine for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is not widely available.
Plus, as the Gulf of Maine warms and cold-water species travel north, fishermen who adapt will thrive.
The Indicted Fall River Mayor Who Refuses To Quit
Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia, left, outside the federal courthouse in Boston after his appearance on bribery, extortion and fraud charges. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo, File)
Municipal corruption is nothing new for New England cities and towns. Connecticut and Rhode Island, in particular, have had their fair share of mayors who have faced corruption charges and even spent time in prison.
But the recent corruption scandal in Fall River, Massachusetts, takes it to the next level. Earlier this month Mayor Jasiel Correia was charged with bribery and fraud – among a slew of other crimes. The 27-year-old mayor allegedly extorted marijuana vendors for cash.
City Council has tried to kick him out of office, but Correia has refused. On September 17, two weeks after his arrest, Correia ran in the already-scheduled preliminary election. He came in second after school committee member, Paul Coogan, making it on the general election ballot in November.
Nadine Sebai of The Public’s Radio has been following the story.
Ban On Vaping Products Frustrates Mass. Businesses
Fast Eddie’s Smoke and Vape Shop manager Cathy McCarthy and owner Richard Lamoretti. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
As public health officials investigate a potentially fatal illness linked to vaping, some states made the move to ban some – or all – e-cigarettes. New York and Rhode Island banned the sale of flavored vaping products aimed at teens – because as Governor Andrew Cuomo says, states have to do something.
“The vaping issue is real, and it’s frightening. You have hundreds of people across the country who have gotten ill,” says Cuomo.
But none of the states go as far as Massachusetts, which has prohibited the sale of all e-cigarettes and vaping devices for at least the next four months. That includes marijuana products, which are otherwise legal in the state. Retailers are not happy they’re being put out of business with no prior warning.
Learn how the ban could impact them.
A Warming Maine Ocean Will Require Fishermen To Adapt
With the state’s lobster harvest now appearing to fall off from recent record levels, Fred Bever called Jeff this week to see how the oysters are coming along. (Fred Bever/Maine Public Radio)
In 30 years, the Gulf of Maine will be transformed by climate change. Waters are predicted to warm up and the species that flourish in the future will be those that can adapt.
The same might be said for people who make their living from the sea.
Hear how fishermen are prepping for the future.
A Climate Migrant Flees Texas Heat And Hurricanes For Maine
Alexander Parsons recently moved from Texas to Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He says his family’s move was prompted by climate change and schools. (Pixaboy)
As the effects of climate change become more and more real, some people are leaving their homes for safer, less volatile ground. Alexander Parsons, writer and professor at the University of Houston is one of those climate migrants.
Until recently, he lived in Houston with his wife and kids, but when Hurricane Harvey hit, they started to talk about leaving. This July, Parsons and his family packed up and moved to Maine.
He wrote about this move in the Boston Globe.
Also in this week’s show:
- There Is An EEE Vaccine For Humans. You Just Can’t Get It.
- The Elusive Origin of Vermont’s Hi-Lo Biddy Road.
About NEXT
NEXT is produced at Connecticut Public Radio
Host: John Dankosky
Producer: Morgan Springer
Digital Producer: Carlos Mejia
Senior Director: Catie Talarski
Contributors to this episode: Lucy Soucek, John Keimel
Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon, “Same Town” by Chris Ross and the North, “Chasm” by Muddy Ruckus, “C’est pas de sa Faute” by Francesca Blanchard
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