The pandemic has been a balancing act for first-gen college students like Mikayla, who attends Brown University while worrying about her family back home. This week on NEXT, Mikayla’s audio diaries on navigating 2020 as an Ivy Leaguer and the daughter of undocumented immigrants. Plus, when a student gets COVID — what’s it like in the “isolation dorms”? And actor Luis Guzman on making Vermont his home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

A Canadian court has determined the U.S. is no longer safe for refugees. This week on NEXT, we go to the border of Vermont and Canada to learn what this could mean for asylum seekers heading north. Plus, when a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, who will want one and who will get priority? And New Hampshire residents who commuted to Massachusetts before the pandemic are not keen on the state’s persisting income taxes as they work from home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

College students are heading back to some New England campuses. This week on NEXT, how schools are dealing with the influx of students during a pandemic. Plus, a doctor who quit showering five years ago talks about the impact of "too much" hygiene on skin health. And a New Hampshire town considers how to honor a Black Revolutionary War hero who did not get his dues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Most New England schools are still fine-tuning their reopening plans. This week on NEXT, we visit a school in northern Maine that has started the year early — and hear about the lessons learned so far. Plus, two sisters re-examine the racism they experienced growing up in a predominantly white Massachusetts town. And we hear from early survivors of COVID-19 about their long recovery process. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Following the rise of protests against police brutality, we look at what has changed, from police reforms to employee walk-outs. Also on this week’s show, we talk to an activist who says today’s call-out culture is toxic — and advocates "calling in." Plus, refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo find community in an Orthodox Armenian church in Rhode Island. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

This week on NEXT, we hear from teachers who are agonizing over going back to school and putting their families and themselves at risk — or quitting their jobs. Plus, a doctor who has experienced racism vows to stop being silent when she witnesses injustice. And we remember a Black transgender woman whose brutal murder in Boston helped spark a global movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

This week, in a special episode of NEXT, we listen to a collection of award-winning stories from the New England News Collaborative — from the divorced couple that was the face of marriage equality in Massachusetts, to a close look at a First Amendment dispute in New Hampshire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

This week on NEXT, New Englanders debate the removal of controversial statues. Plus, Connecticut is refusing to reveal the cost of some taxpayer-funded coronavirus tests. And we look at how the pandemic and climate change are complicating efforts in New Hampshire to stay cool during this hot summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

The pandemic forced many of us into new habits. Why can’t we do that with climate change? This week on NEXT, why seismic lifestyle shifts to help the environment could be possible right now. Plus, how the business community is addressing systemic racism. And the tension over thru-hikers who resisted calls to quit the Appalachian Trail during the pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Eviction cases are expected to soar this summer. This week on NEXT, the debate over extending an eviction moratorium. Plus, a recent night of vandalism in Providence, Rhode Island, was blamed on “outside agitators” — the story is much more complicated. And 16 ideas for investing in a green pandemic recovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more