The Common

It's almost Juneteenth, and you know that means it's time to get out on the town to learn, celebrate and reflect. WBUR Arts Editor Lauren Williams joins The Common to walk us through four events happening in Boston, and beyond, over this long weekend to celebrate this important day. Celebrate Juneteenth with Cornell Coley: Saturday, June 17 - the Honan-Allston branch of the Boston Public Library J...

Boston's life sciences sector is growing rapidly, with more than 6,000 jobs expected to open up over the next decade, according to a report from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation. But as the number of available jobs grow, so do concerns about developing and attaining enough talent to fill positions. WBUR Senior Business Reporter Zeninjor Enwemeka joins The Common to explain what...

The Supreme Court of the United States is expected to deliver decisions on two cases concerning affirmative action in college admissions, including one case involving Harvard, in the coming weeks. The conservative-leaning court is anticipated to rule against the race-conscious admission practices used by elite schools like Harvard to promote a diversified student body, which the plaintiffs in each...

Boston’s Pride Parade has been on hiatus since 2019, after being canceled due to the pandemic, and then again after calls for more diversity and inclusion led to the event’s organizers disbanding. The city’s re-imagined pride celebration, organized by Boston Pride for the People, took to the streets on Saturday, drawing tens of thousands of participants. WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann covered the event. H...

The WBUR newsroom covers a lot of stories, and we aren't always able to get to them all on the show. So, today we're bringing you one of those pieces while Team Common works on some reporting we're really excited to share with you soon. Today's piece comes from reporter Lynn Jolicoeur. It’s about the shutdown of a hospital-run program that treats people with addiction in an area one person calls a...

Grace by Nia, which opened late last month, is a new restaurant and music club in Boston's predominantly white Seaport neighborhood. But unlike many of its neighbors, Grace by Nia, owned by Nia Grace of Darryl's Corner Bar and Kitchen, aims to cater specifically to the experiences of guests of color. Today on The Common, we take you to Grace by Nia and talk with owner Nia Grace about her vision fo...

It's a hot dog summer, y'all. More than 20 businesses (and counting) are taking advantage of a new city initiative that allows qualifying restaurants, bars and beer gardens to welcome dogs to their outdoor dining and drinking spaces. Emily Schario, head of content for The B-Side joins The Common to walk us through the dos and don'ts of pup patio etiquette, and for the lowdown on some of the partic...

We’ve been making The Common every day since November, and it’s been a privilege to bring you stories from Greater Boston five days a week. Now, we want your story. Knowing our audience helps us serve our audience. And, it helps us get support for the show. So, it would mean the world to us if you would take a moment to fill out this quick survey: wbur.org/survey Greater Boston’s weekly podcast wh...

Massachusetts lawmakers and Governor Maura Healey have only passed 12 new laws in the past five months – the fewest by this point in the legislative session in decades. By comparison, Charlie Baker signed nearly 30 bills by June during his first year and Deval Patrick signed 44 bills into law in the same time period. Boston Globe Politics Reporter Matt Stout joins The Common to discuss what is beh...

As the housing crisis continues in Massachusetts, developers in states like Pennsylvania, California and neighboring New Hampshire are leaning on factory-made construction to make new housing, and make it fast. With this method, entire portions of buildings are made in a factory, off-site and shipped to the construction site to be pieced together into one cohesive building, like a giant game of Le...

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, also known as MCAS, has been the standard for state testing in MA for 25 years. Yet, some advocates and educators worry that this testing system is leaving some students behind, especially as the number of English language learners continues to grow in public schools. WBUR Education Reporter Max Larkin joins The Common to talk about a group of sch...

We finally made it to June and it is time to get outside and par-tay. WBUR Assistant Director of City Space Candice Springer joins The Common with a list of ways to have fun in the sun this month.  Candice recommends... Boston Pride For The People, June 10  Donna Summer Disco Party, June 16 Boston Art and Soul Music Festival (BAMS Fest), June 23-24 Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and cu...

Drug regulators are currently considering whether to make birth control pills available over the counter in the U.S.. If approved, this increase in accessibility would be a significant new chapter in the medication’s history, which can be traced back to Massachusetts, where it was first developed. WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emmanuel joins The Common to discuss the origins of...

A new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows an increase in acts of hate including antisemitism and an increase in the distribution of white supremacist propaganda in Massachusetts. The data covers 2021 and 2022. Interim Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League of New England, Peggy Shukur, joins The Common to discuss the report's findings, and what they can tell us about political a...

The company in charge of decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth has proposed treating and diluting more than one million gallons of radiation-contaminated wastewater, and releasing it into Cape Cod Bay. But recently released state data detailing the high levels of radiation in the untreated wastewater has some worried that the wastewater, even once treated, may still pose thre...

We hope you all are having a great Memorial Day Weekend! Team Common is taking the day off to rest and rejuvenate. So in place of our regular show, we bring you a feature from the WBUR newsroom. ___________________________________________________________________________ With summer vacation right around the corner, it's a busy time Massachusetts School Districts, who are working to fill all their...

Boston City Council has finally agreed on a new district map for the city after a month of heated negotiation, narrowly avoiding potential delays to this years’ election. This is the second time in the past year the council was faced with redrawing the city's nine districts, from which they are elected. This comes after a federal judge barred the city from using the previously approved map in earl...

How many times have you sneezed today? It's allergy season, and, like with so many things that suck, climate change is making it worse. Dr. Gaurab Basu, Health Equity Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, joins The Common to explain the connection between climate change and allergies, and what you can do to mitigate your s...

This week, the Massachusetts State Senate begins debate on their 2024 budget, with plans to finalize a proposal by the end of the week. And while it's easy to think of a budget as an overwhelming sheet of dollar signs, on Beacon Hill, a budget is a moral document that can tell you a lot about what your elected representatives are prioritizing, and what they're not. Boston Globe Political Reporter...

Boston Calling returns to the Harvard Athletic Complex this weekend with a packed lineup of national and local acts. This year's ticket includes over 50% female and non-binary performers, a first for the festival, however racial diversity still lag behind. WBUR Newsroom Fellow Jacob Garcia joins The Common to discuss diversity and inclusion at one of Boston's largest cultural events, and to previe...

Late last week, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins submitted her resignation to President Joe Biden, just a year-and-a-half into her appointment.  Her resignation follows the release of two investigations, detailing numerous allegations against Rollins, including that she used her federal position to influence a local election in Suffolk County.  WBUR Senior Correspondent Deborah Beck...

If you're a regular listener of The Common, you might have noticed something different about our show this week. We have a new theme song! Our new music is "ME - Band Version" by singer-songwriter and producer HEESU, a Berklee College of Music alum and WBUR's local Tiny Desk favorite of 2021. HEESU joins The Common to talk about her music, influences and experiences studying music in Boston. Great...

Since its state legalization in 2016, cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar industry that helps fuel the Massachusetts economy and tax revenue, while also providing opportunities to address racial equity. Still, despite its popularity, cannabis is heavily regulated and the negative stigma around the drug lingers. Today on The Common, we take you to Newton, where Devin Alexander is CEO and cof...

Since its state legalization in 2016, cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar industry that helps fuel the Massachusetts economy and tax revenue, while also providing opportunities to address racial equity. Still, despite its popularity, cannabis is heavily regulated and the negative stigma around the drug lingers. Today on The Common, the second part of our three-part discussion about cannabis...

Since its state legalization in 2016, cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar industry that helps fuel the Massachusetts economy and tax revenue, while also providing opportunities to address racial equity. Still, despite its popularity, cannabis is heavily regulated and the negative stigma around the drug lingers. Today on The Common, it's the first of a three-part discussion about the state o...