The Common

Poison ivy seems to be booming, and researchers think climate change could be to blame. As carbon dioxide levels increase and temperatures warm, this toxic vine is not only getting bigger and growing faster, but the plant's oil, which causes allergic reactions in about 80% of the population, is becoming more plentiful and increasingly potent. Today, WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabriell...

The new $56 billion state budget earmarks $5 million to design and launch a reduced fare program for low income MBTA riders. The program could benefit an estimated 60,000 riders, but it's yet to be seen exactly what the plan will look like and, perhaps most importantly, when it will be available to qualifying riders.  WBUR Transportation Reporter Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez joins The Common to walk u...

In May, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory sounding the alarm on what he calls the “devastating impact of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States.” A growing body of research ties loneliness to an increased risk of health conditions including heart disease, stroke, dementia and even premature death, making it, by many measures, a public health concern....

MBTA ridership still lags about 40% behind pre-pandemic levels, while car traffic has bounced back in-full. This is bad news for the climate, as experts say reducing driving is by far one of the fastest ways to reduce transportation emissions, which make up more than 30% of the state's total greenhouse gas emissions. Today, Boston Globe Transportation Reporter Taylor Dolven joins The Common to dis...

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for us to bring you a story from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom. Today’s story comes from WBUR education reporter, Max Larkin.  Each summer, rising high school seniors known as THRIVE Scholars head to Amherst College for a six week program. They come from all over the country, and they’re all talented students from low income backgrounds who hope to atte...

September 1 is just two weeks away, and so is the giant game of musical chairs that unfolds in the streets of Boston every year. Seven in 10 leases turn over on that day to make way for the tens of thousands of students who return to the city at the end of the summer. Between the traffic, trucking your worldly possessions across town and acclimating to a new neighborhood, move-in day can be an ove...

Last week Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in the Massachusetts family shelter system, which has reached its capacity. The shortage of shelter and temporary housing available means that many unhoused families are being left without adequate support and resources. WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emanuel joins The Common to explain Gov. Healey's declaration, which is...

Last week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a $56 billion state budget for the fiscal year of 2024. Included in that budget are several considerable investments in education in the state, from free lunches for K-12 students to free community college tuition for nursing students. It also set aside a sum of about $1.5 billion to help stabilize Massachusetts' early education and childcare i...

Earlier this month, a report from the Dorchester Reporter found that all six public pools in Dorchester and Mattapan are closed for maintenance this summer. The work ranges from long-anticipated projects, to unplanned repairs, that together make for a perfect storm that has residents wondering: "How was this allowed to happen?" Especially in two of the hottest, most underserved neighborhoods in th...

It’s Monday, which means we’re back with another story from our friends in the WBUR Newsroom while The Common works on some future projects. Today's story is a quick but important one, and comes to us from WBUR Arts Reporter Cristela Guerra. It’s about a former curator at the Worcester Art Museum, who is suing senior leadership at the museum, accusing them of discrimination. WBUR Arts Reporter Cri...

August 11 marks 50 years of hip-hop, one of the most impactful cultural contributions of the last century. And while hip-hop was born in New York City, Boston's scene has been around since the early days, and continues strong today. Edo. G has been part of the Boston hip-hop scene since the '80s, when he came on first as a dancer, and then as an emcee.  He popped in the early '90s with an album he...

Assistant Director of WBUR CitySpace, Candice Springer is back on The Common with three free things to get you out of the house, and through these final weeks of August.  Candice recommends... - GLD FSTVL - 8/12, 12:00 pm - 10: pm at City Hall Plaza - Saint Anthony's Feast - 8/24-8/27 in Boston's North End  - The Museum of Bad Art - Open seven days a week at Dorchester Brewing Company - Check out...

Last month's flooding in Western Massachusetts hit many farmers hard, but it wasn't the first unpredictable weather event of the year. Today, WBUR Senior Climate and Environment Reporter Barbara Moran joins The Common to discuss how changes in weather patterns are impacting farmers, and what you can do to support local producers as they navigate a changing climate. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast...

It’s been almost a month since parts of Western Massachusetts were hit hard by extreme weather and flooding. The state’s Department of Agricultural Resources estimates that 110 farms were affected by the severe weather, and that related losses total $15 million. Stone Soup Farm in Hadley, MA is among them. About 80% of the 10-acre farm was flooded during the rains. Today, Dave DiLorenzo, owner of...

We're back with another feature from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom as Team Common works on some longer term projects. Today's story comes from WBUR Morning Edition's Rupa Shenoy and Laney Ruckstuhl. Last week, Former President Donald Trump was indicted on four felony counts, all related to attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors say that Trump incited the Janua...

September and the first days of school are just around the corner. But there is still nearly a month of summer left for families with kids to pack in the warm weather activities.  So, today we’re turning the show over to the parents of WBUR to tell us how their kids have been making the most of summer vacation while it lasts. Also, they share how they are balancing all that fun in the sun with the...

In January, Massachusetts launched the Behavioral Health Help Line. It's a key part of the state’s Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform project, and aims to provide a so-called “front door” to mental health care, connecting callers with both crisis and longer term resources. Boston Globe Reporter Felice Freyer joins The Common to discuss the first six months of the system's rollout, its successes...

Last week, the U.S. Education Department launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s legacy and donor admissions policies, which give preferential treatment to certain students who come from families of alumni or who donate to the school. Researchers from Harvard and Brown also released a study, which finds that that students from the highest income 0.1% of American households...

Some say the idea of a universal "song of the summer" is a thing of the past, but how about an entire mixtape? Six Boston area DJs and 17 local artists have joined forces with the City of Boston to create "Dear Summer Vol. 1" — the city's first-ever mixtape, and they want it to be your soundtrack to the summer. DJ Chimel "ReaL P" Idiokitas is the executive producer and curator of "Dear Summer Vol....

We're back with another feature from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom as Team Common works on some longer term projects. Massachusetts had its first big heatwave of the year last week, and it likely won’t be the last. As extreme temperatures become more common, knowing how to navigate the heat's effects is important. Especially for certain groups, such as the elderly or people who work outd...

August marks 50 years of hip-hop. It’s one of the most influential cultural movements of the last century, and one that far transcends music. It’s art, it’s fashion, it’s language, it’s community and… it's film. The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline is celebrating the culture with a month-long film series called “Been Here For Years: Hip Hop at 50.” It starts August 1 and runs through the month...

When you pay your monthly utility bills, you pay for a lot more than just the energy you use. You pay to build and maintain the infrastructure that gets the energy to your house. You pay for operating expenses, like employee salaries. You pay for the state's energy efficiency program. And, you might also be helping fund your utility’s attempts to influence climate policy. WBUR Senior Climate and E...

Hollywood is on strike. The writers are on strike, the actors are on strike and it’s the first time in 60 years both groups are doing so simultaneously. They want better pay, regulations on the use of AI in TV and film and a variety of other ticket items. In the meantime, many productions have come to a halt, including here in Massachusetts — where more than 30 major productions were filmed just l...

This week, people from all over the country are coming to Boston to participate in the 114th NAACP National Convention. The convention runs from July 26 through 31 and includes speakers such as Vice President Kamala Harris, rapper Meek Mill and Boston’s own Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space, Mariama White-Hammond. There will also be workshops and social events, all aimed at fostering com...

We're back with a feature from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom as Team Common works on some longer term projects. In May, a new park opened in Mattapan, and, get this… it’s edible. The Edgewater Food Forest is a quarter-acre park in Mattapan full of fruit trees, berry bushes and other edible plants. Anyone in the community can harvest food there, for free. The park is a collaborative effor...