Podcast Wbur

For the past decade or so, Massachusetts taxpayers have spent between $100 million and $200 million a year on family shelters. This year, lawmakers allocated more than $325 million, an all-time high. And the Healey Administration says more is needed. Here's a look at where the money is going, and how it fits into the state's budget.…

Paul Jahnige, the director of the newly created Office of Outdoor Recreation, spoke with WBUR’s Morning Edition about the new department and what Massachusetts has to offer.Bởi WBUR

WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy spoke with House Minority Whip and Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark about the looming shutdown and what her colleagues on Capitol Hill need to do to avert it.Bởi WBUR

Gov. Maura Healey said Massachusetts will do "everything we can" to keep food aid benefits flowing even if Congress fails this week to stave off a federal government shutdown.Bởi WBUR

The Berklee duo's performance of their song "You'd Like Me More" is WBUR's favorite local entry to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.Bởi WBUR

The local chapter of a historic, national magicians organization — once led by Houdini himself — is facing a shortage of members. Now its ranks are rallying with events to woo new magicians.Bởi WBUR

The start of fall marks the beginning of respiratory virus season. COVID has been on an upswing for much of the past couple months — and other viruses, including flu and RSV, are still to come.Bởi WBUR

WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy talks with Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper about her first year leading Massachusetts' largest school district and what she is thinking about in the new year.Bởi WBUR

New Paris Bakery, which has been in business for more than 100 years, shut its doors for good on Saturday.Bởi WBUR

Geri Denterlein's husband Jack Thomas spent his final days much the same way he spent most days in their 34-year relationship: reading, writing, collecting recipes, gardening and planning ahead. "It was my life that changed," Geri writes.Bởi WBUR

The longest road in the U.S. starts in Boston. Or ends here, depending on which direction you're heading.Bởi WBUR

The order calls for the state Department of Fish and Game to draw up a set of biodiversity conservation targets for state agencies to implement in 2030, 2040 and 2050.Bởi WBUR

WBUR's Todd Wallack explains that local housing agencies have repurposed 120 subsidized apartments across the state despite a long waitlist for affordable housing and why officials say they need the units for alternative uses.Bởi WBUR

Salem High School began requiring students to lock up their cellphones for most of the school day starting this fall. The crackdown is part of a larger trend in Massachusetts schools to minimize distractions during school hours.Bởi WBUR

WBUR's Christine Willmsen explains that the biggest reason state-subsidized units are vacant is a backlog of maintenance and renovation, which public housing authorities say it’s hard to complete because they're cash-strapped and short-staffed.Bởi WBUR

The number of families in need of shelter in Massachusetts has almost doubled in the past year. Yet an investigation by WBUR and ProPublica finds many state-subsidized apartments are sitting empty.Bởi WBUR

WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy spoke with Dave Wattles, biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, about whether large wildlife encounters are occurring more frequently and what people should do if they come across a coyote or bear.Bởi WBUR

Each night, workers at Logan Airport provide cots for travelers with canceled flights. But lately, they’re also providing temporary beds for immigrants seeking refuge in Massachusetts. Since July 11, Logan’s Crisis Response Team has assisted over 1,600 new arrivals.Bởi WBUR

WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy talked with 'The Common' host Darryl C. Murphy his trip to Mattapan for the 'Field Guide to Boston' and the local culinary institutions that are part of the community.Bởi WBUR

Lee will pass a couple hundred miles to Massachusetts' east, and likely make landfall somewhere near the western tip of Nova Scotia. The primary effects will be felt along the immediate coast, especially for Cape Cod and the Islands.Bởi WBUR