The Common

The Dorchester Reporter, founded in 1983 by husband and wife Ed and Mary Forry, celebrated 40 years of circulation this month. Bill Forry, current publisher of The Reporter (and Ed and Mary's son) was 10-years-old when his parents started the paper. Today, Bill Forry joins The Common with his wife and co-publisher Linda Dorcena Forry to reflect on four decades of The Dorchester Reporter and how it...

Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, wants to expand one of its pipelines in the Northeast in order to increase the supply of natural gas to states like Massachusetts. This comes as Massachusetts and surrounding states are actively trying to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in order to combat the impacts of climate change. However, pipeline expansion projects like this one fall under the authorit...

The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (M.I.C.E) is a festival focusing on independent, small press and self-published comics and cartoons. This year's event is hosted by Boston University's School of Visual Arts, and takes place September 30-October 1st at BU's Fuller Building (808 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Mass.) And best of all, it's free to attend. Dan Mazur is a professional cartoonist,...

After months of refusing to provide records on a police officer who was accused of sexual assault, the town of Natick has paid WBUR more than $22,000 in a lawsuit settlement. It's the latest example of a Massachusetts city paying out big, after being sued for ignoring or rejecting a request for public records. Ally Jarmanning is a senior reporter for WBUR. She joins The Common to talk about why mu...

Massachusetts is in the midst of a housing crisis. Just last month, Governor Maura Healey declared an emergency in the state's family shelter system, through which a record number of people are desperately trying to obtain housing. Producer's note: After this interview was recorded, state housing officials announced that they are launching a 90-day effort to reduce the number of vacancies in state...

The end of summer means a whole slue of fun things to do in Greater Boston. Like cinema? How about dance? There are more than half-a-dozen film festivals happening in the region this autumn, and over a dozen dance events. How about new music for a new season? Look no further than WBUR's Fall Arts Guides, featuring new albums from local artists, theatre events, art exhibitions, classical music perf...

The top regulator of the state's $5-billion legal weed industry has been suspended, even as the Control Commission is poised to make new rules governing cannabis production and commerce in Massachusetts. State lawmakers also sent a letter Monday to the Legislature’s committee on cannabis policy, asking for a hearing and an independent state auditing unit to review the board's actions. Today, Bosto...

Green crabs are an incredibly successful — and harmful — invasive species. They thrive in ocean waters the world over, including in New England. Although traditionally only used as fish bait, some chefs are now serving green crab at Boston restaurants. Today, Radio Boston Producer & Director Amanda Beland joins The Common to explain how green crabs are harming our local environment, and what some...

With traditional flu season bearing down fast, and Covid-19 on the rise, the upcoming fall and winter might be better characterized as a triple-viral threat: Covid, flu and RSV. This is also the first year we've ever had vaccines available for all three respiratory viruses. Public health experts say the threat to the public at large -- and the hospital system -- must be taken seriously, but with m...

Starting this year, Salem High School is instructing students to put their phones into lockable pouches during the school day, outside of lunch, to reduce in-class distractions and encourage in-person interactions.  Today, WBUR Senior Education Reporter Carrie Jung joins The Common to talk about this new policy, how students are responding, and what's next for cell phone restriction policies in hi...

Amplify Latinx's ALX100 recognizes inspirational leaders from across Massachusetts' Latinx community's diverse professions, nationalities and identities. This year's inaugural list of 100 includes WBUR's own José Massó, host of ¡Con Salsa!, the station's bilingual salsa and Latin jazz music show that has been on the air for 48 years. José joins The Common to discuss the ALX100 honor and ¡Con Salsa...

Boston City Councilors Ricardo Arroyo (District 5) and Kendra Lara (District 6) lost their bids for reelection during Tuesday's preliminary vote. This follows a year of controversy for both the councilors and city council. It's also the first time in over 40 years that an incumbent city councilor has lost a preliminary election in the city of Boston. WBUR Reporter Walter Wuthmann was at the polls...

Today, we're heading to Mattapan, looking for food. This culinary quest is part of WBUR's Field Guide to Boston -- a station-wide effort to help you connect with the city's communities. WBUR arts reporter and Mattapan native Arielle Gray joins us as a local guide on this episode of The Common, and takes us to three of her can't-miss spots for top-tier food in the neighborhood. Ari recommends.... -...

Cousin Stizz is a Dorchester-raised (currently LA-based) MC who broke out in 2014 with his song "Shoutout." Since then, he's gone on to release five albums and has won Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards three times (2018, 2019 and 2022). Now, he's returning to Boston on September 16 to launch Commonwealth Fest, a hip hop festival featuring a stacked lineup of local artists as well as na...

A month ago, Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency within Massachusetts' family shelter system, which is struggling to support record numbers of unhoused families across the state. WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emanuel joins The Common today to discuss several of her latest stories from within the state's family shelter system, including challenges enrolling newly...

Thursday marked the first day of school for Boston Public Schools, and WBUR Education Reporter Max Larkin was out as busses departed and facility doors opened, talking to students and parents to get an idea of what's top-of-mind heading into the 2023-2024 school year. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Boston-based content creator Keonte Henson, also known as @atstayathomedad, has built a following on TikTok and Instagram with his humorous, real-talk approach to local restaurant reviews. Often recording from the driver's seat of his parked car, Henson reviews Greater Boston food options with a focus on casual eateries, take-away spots and budget-friendly options. Keonte Henson joins The Common t...

Experts say that many cities and states, including Massachusetts, are vastly underestimating the number of people who die from heat every summer. And, as WBUR Senior Climate and Environment Reporter Miriam Wasser explains, this lack of data makes it hard to know if efforts to protect people from extreme heat are working. Miriam joins The Common to walk us through her reporting. Miriam's story: htt...

The beginning of September is Boston's unofficial moving season, and settling into a new space isn't always a walk in the park. But one great way to make any house (or apartment, or studio... we know how it is) feel like home, is to add plants.  Today on The Common, we visit Emerald City Plant Shop, New England's first Black-owned specialty plant store, to learn how best to care for green life ind...

Happy Labor Day, everyone. Team Common is taking the day to relax. We hope you are, too.   Today, we bring you a story from our friends in the WBUR newsroom.  This story comes from Senior Health Reporter, Priyanka Dayal McCluskey.  For decades, gay men were banned from donating blood in the U.S. based on fears that these donations would spread HIV. But this year, federal officials updated the guid...

The end of summer is always bittersweet but it also ushers in one of our favorite times of year: Theater season. Assistant Director of CitySpace Candice Springer is back on The Common with three theatrical performances to enjoy during the month of September. Candice recommends: POTUS - Sept. 15 - Oct. 15: SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Calderwood Pavilion https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/shows-a...

Boston's preliminary municipal elections are September 12. Among the seats up for grabs are District Five and District Six, which are currently held by Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Lara, respectively. Both candidates have had their share of high profile drama this past year, and are heading into the election with multiple competitors. Boston Globe Politics Reporter Emma Platoff joins The C...

Today on, The Common, a story about how social media can be used for good. Elizabeth Amador is an activist and community leader who uses Instagram to help Spanish speaking residents navigate local government bureaucracy to get the help they need. In her posts and livestreams, she answers questions about everything from obtaining rental and food assistance to getting a driver’s license for her audi...

Last week, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, or POST, finally released its new database of complaints against police officers in Massachusetts – a year after its deadline. The release of the data is being called ​​“a major milestone” in the effort to increase transparency and accountability in our state’s law enforcement system. But, as WBUR Senior Reporter Ally Jarmanning expla...

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for us to bring you a story from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom. When you think about pollution, you probably think of contamination in the air or water. But light pollution can impact the health of people and wildlife, too. Today's story comes to us from WBUR Environmental Reporter, Paula Moura. She talked to one resident on Nantucket who made it her fu...