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This image provided by NASA shows a solar flare, as seen in the bright flash in the lower right, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on May 9, 2024. A severe geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for Earth starting Friday and lasting all weekend _ the first in nearly 20 years. (NASA/SDO via AP)

Local Coverage

1 hour ago

Massachusetts could to see the Northern Lights this weekend

A strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce the Northern Lights in the U.S. and potentially disrupt communications this weekend. Most of New England could see the Northern Lights on Friday and Saturday, with visibility stretching as far south as Newport and the Cape.

U.S. and world news

Former Trump White House senior adviser Stephen Bannon speaks to journalists after leaving federal court in Washington, D.C., after being sentenced in 2022. Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress. (Getty Images)

Steve Bannon loses his appeal of his contempt of Congress conviction

Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling has named the mosquito as the world's scariest animal. He has a point. (David Gannon/AFP via Getty Images; Paul Sarosta/Getty Images)

Ryan Gosling has the correct answer to Colbert's question about the scariest...

Congolese gynecologist Denis Mukwege has spent nearly 25 years campaigning against sexual violence and aiding survivors. On Thursday, he won the $1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. In his remarks, he paid tribute to the survivors. "These women stand up again after being subjected to extreme violence and not only reclaim their own strength but also extend a helping hand to others." (AFP via Getty Images)

He fights sexual violence. He's won a Nobel and now a $1...

Terrible at directions? Tricks to improve your navigation skills

Aliza Shatzman created the Legal Accountability Project database to gather stories from law clerks about the judges they've worked for — to help warn law students about hostile situations. (Aliza Shatzman)

Meet the lawyer who's trying to flag judges who harass their clerks

A U.S. Navy ship docks off the coast of the Gaza Valley area in the central Gaza Strip on April 29, 2024. The ship is expected to participate in the construction work of a floating naval dock to deliver more humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip announced in March. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Aid workers are doubtful of a U.S.-built pier near Gaza; RFK Jr.'s...

More Boston Headlines

Fatima Shahzad went through four rounds of IVF (Courtesy Fatima Shahzad)

Woman shares IVF journey through audio diary

Every year, thousands of people in Massachusetts pursue parenthood through fertility treatments. One mother shares her story.

Radio Boston

07:382 hours ago

Chef Ana Sortun in the kitchen at Oleana, her restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Ana Sortun: Food that makes sense in my heart

I love when people feel good after they've eaten — even if they've eaten quite a bit, says chef Ana Sortun. That to me, is great cooking.

Cognoscenti

8 hours ago

Psychedelics in Massachusetts: The future of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, which could become the first psychedelic-assisted therapy as early as August.

The Common

13:288 hours ago

Encore Boston Harbor Casino and Hotel. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Wynn suspends casino expansion in dispute over taxes and payments to Everett

Wynn Resorts has suspended its planned expansion of the Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett, saying it can't come to terms over things like taxes and impact fees with the...

Local Coverage

May 9, 2024

Police and pro-Palestinian protesters face each other at MIT on Thursday afternoon. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Police clash with protesters at MIT, a day after student suspensions

Police detained several protesters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Thursday afternoon, the day after the school began issuing suspensions to those who took part in a pro-Palestinian encampment...

Local Coverage

03:03May 9, 2024

A baby penguin at the New England Aquarium (Photo courtesy New England Aquarium)

Boston is about to have a lot more penguins

There was surprisingly a lot of penguin news coming out of Boston on Thursday, thanks to the New England Aquarium and Franklin Park Zoo.

Local Coverage

May 9, 2024

A man uses a cell phone. (Jenny Kane/AP)

Local experts say helicopter parenting is a bigger danger to child mental health than screens

Radio Boston speaks with two local experts who think our concerns about screen time might be blinding us to other issues causing anxiety in our children.

Radio Boston

15:08May 9, 2024

With plans on the table, the state budget negotiation begins

WBUR state politics reporter Walter Wuthmann and Evan Horowitz of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University join Radio Boston to discuss state budget negotiations.

Radio Boston

14:23May 9, 2024

Dominic, 39, and his fiancé, Samantha, are using a smartphone app to help them stay off drugs as part of a pilot program through CODAC Behavioral Healthcare. (Lynn Arditi / The Public's Radio)

R.I. is using a new app to help people stay off drugs. But is it reaching those most in need?

Rhode Island is piloting an app developed by a Boston-based tech company that offers people struggling with addiction small rewards, like gift cards or vouchers, for staying clean. But there...

Local Coverage

May 9, 2024

Homes on Nantucket in Massachusetts. (John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

After latest vote, Nantucket's debate over short-term rentals gets longer

For the fourth time since 2021, Nantucket voters rejected a proposal to officially legalize and regulate the island's short-term rental market.

Local Coverage

May 9, 2024

Radio Boston

Protesters at MIT re-claim the encampment space on Kresge Lawn Monday evening, despite the university's threat of suspension. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

College encampments raise questions about role of protests in society

Radio Boston

46:53May 8, 2024

Keith Lockhart conducts the Boston Pops during a rehearsal for the Holiday Pops concerts at Symphony Hall. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Conductor Keith Lockhart previews upcoming Boston Pops spring season

Radio Boston

15:33May 7, 2024

WBUR investigation uncovers oversight failures in Massachusetts' special education system

Radio Boston spotlights a WBUR investigation that has uncovered potential conflicts of interest and a lack of oversight in Massachusetts' special education programs.

Radio Boston

14:09May 7, 2024

Chef Jody Adams in her kitchen at Rialto in 2010. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Chef Jody Adams on Boston's changing dining scene and what's next in the industry

Radio Boston

13:13May 6, 2024

More Boston Headlines

MIT begins issuing suspensions to students participating in protest encampment

Massachusetts Institute of Technology administration began issuing suspensions Wednesday night to students who participated in the encampment on Kresge Lawn protesting the war in Gaza. The university would not confirm...

Local Coverage

May 9, 2024

Alvin Campbell is brought into Suffolk Superior Court in handcuffs for a 2023 hearing in his ongoing case. He's accused of raping eight women and attempting to rape a ninth. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Mass. lawmakers suggest changes to police handling of rape cases after WBUR investigation

Legislators say potential improvements could include launching a new statewide sexual assault unit, forcing police to disclose more information about rapes and expanding the state’s DNA database.

Local Coverage

02:46May 9, 2024

Stefanie Belnavis, who launched Birthlooms, photographed Dr. Sade Bully-Bell pregnant with Isaiah Bell. (Courtesy Stefanie D. Belnavis/Birthlooms)

Boston photographer captures tender and tough birth stories

Stefanie Belnavis started Birthlooms to capture the stories of Black and brown birthing people. "I just want to continue empowering... folks to honor their stories."

Arts & Culture

May 9, 2024

Signs near the Sumner Tunnel entrance warn drivers of tunnel closures in 2023. The Sumner Tunnel will close again for one month in 2024. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

This year's Sumner Tunnel closure reduced to just one month

Massachusetts officials announced Tuesday that they've halved the expected length of the summer 2024 Sumner Tunnel closure. Under the new schedule, the Sumner will shut down on Friday, July 5,...

Local Coverage

May 8, 2024

A cocktail dress designed by Valentino and worn by Donna Summer in 2011 for an event in Zurich, Switzerland. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Donna Summer's disco style on display at the MFA

The Boston-born singer's glittering garments are on display in the Museum of Fine Arts' fashion exhibition "Dress Up."

Arts & Culture

05:35May 8, 2024

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

MIT quietly ends diversity statements in hiring as leaders try to manage protests on campus

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will no longer require prospective faculty to write a document explaining how they would enhance the university's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Education

May 7, 2024

Mount Wachusett Community College. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

What to know about the Mass. Senate's free community college proposal

Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka’s chamber released a $75 million plan Monday to expand the offer of free community college to all Bay Staters as part of a budget proposal....

Local Coverage

May 7, 2024

John Snyder, founder of Electronic Audio Experiments. (Lukas Harnisch for WBUR)

This Boston guitar pedal builder is shaping the sound of rock music

A longtime guitarist with a doctorate in electrical engineering, John Snyder started building pedals in 2015 to solve a problem for the band he played in. Now, his company Electronic...

Arts & Culture

May 7, 2024

PWHL Boston Jessica Digirolamo and Kaleigh Fratkin celebrate after Fratkin scored late during the third period to defeat Montreal 4-3 in regulation. (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

As Boston makes playoffs, PWHL enjoys booming interest in women's sports

Less than a year since getting off the ground, the Professional Women’s Hockey League's inaugural broken televised or streamed and attendance records over and over, putting the sport in the...

Local Coverage

May 6, 2024

Protesters push over the fence surrounding the encampment at MIT on Monday evening. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Protesters reclaim encampment at MIT, as university threatens suspension

Presidents at Harvard and MIT say they will suspend students who refuse to leave the protest encampments that have been operating for more than two weeks.

Education

May 6, 2024

Massachusetts could to see the Northern Lights this weekend

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Steve Bannon loses his appeal of his contempt of Congress conviction

Ryan Gosling has the correct answer to Colbert's question about the scariest...

He fights sexual violence. He's won a Nobel and now a $1...

Terrible at directions? Tricks to improve your navigation skills

Meet the lawyer who's trying to flag judges who harass their clerks

Aid workers are doubtful of a U.S.-built pier near Gaza; RFK Jr.'s...

Woman shares IVF journey through audio diary

Ana Sortun: Food that makes sense in my heart

Psychedelics in Massachusetts: The future of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD

Wynn suspends casino expansion in dispute over taxes and payments to Everett

Police clash with protesters at MIT, a day after student suspensions

Boston is about to have a lot more penguins

Local experts say helicopter parenting is a bigger danger to child mental health than screens

With plans on the table, the state budget negotiation begins

R.I. is using a new app to help people stay off drugs. But is it reaching those most in need?

After latest vote, Nantucket's debate over short-term rentals gets longer

College encampments raise questions about role of protests in society

Conductor Keith Lockhart previews upcoming Boston Pops spring season

WBUR investigation uncovers oversight failures in Massachusetts' special education system

Chef Jody Adams on Boston's changing dining scene and what's next in the industry

MIT begins issuing suspensions to students participating in protest encampment

Mass. lawmakers suggest changes to police handling of rape cases after WBUR investigation

Boston photographer captures tender and tough birth stories

This year's Sumner Tunnel closure reduced to just one month

Donna Summer's disco style on display at the MFA

MIT quietly ends diversity statements in hiring as leaders try to manage protests on campus

What to know about the Mass. Senate's free community college proposal

This Boston guitar pedal builder is shaping the sound of rock music

As Boston makes playoffs, PWHL enjoys booming interest in women's sports

Protesters reclaim encampment at MIT, as university threatens suspension