The Common

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wants to change the way the city approaches development, with one goal being to increase opportunities for economic growth within communities of color. She wants to start with Mattapan, a neighborhood that's 43% Black and 31% Hispanic. WBUR's Rupa Shenoy walks us through the city's proposed plan in today's episode of The Common.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news...

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has made building a diverse and inclusive administration a priority during her first weeks in office. However, she has yet to appoint any Latino people to cabinet positions. Executive Chairman of El Planeta, Boston's largest Spanish-language publication, Javier Marin joins The Common to break down this moment. Also, we speak with Marcos Marin, El Planeta's new C...

Wednesday night, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took the stage at MGM Music Hall in Fenway to give her first State of the City address. She used the speech to highlight her plans for housing and development, and to celebrate the successes of her first year in office. WBUR reporter Walter Wuthmann joins The Common to walk us through the major points of Mayor Wu's speech, and to offer analysis on what thi...

Last week, nearly 100 children across Massachusetts were stuck in hospital emergency rooms waiting for mental health services. This is not unusual, as child psychiatric units have long been overstretched, particularly during the pandemic. That's why the state has begun partnering with diversion services that allow children to access mental health counseling in their own homes. WBUR's Martha Bebing...

We've got more on housing, folks! Today, we're taking a look at what Gov. Maura Healey's has planned to address housing insecurity at the state level. WBUR's Simón Rios joins The Common to discuss what we know about Gov. Healey's housing policy, including plans to hire a cabinet-level housing secretary.  P.S. if you missed it, check out yesterday's show all about Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's new pla...

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is planning to propose a rent control policy for the city that would cap yearly rent increases at 10%. However, Mayor Wu faces a steep uphill battle to push the policy through, with critiques of her plan coming from all sides of the issue. Boston Globe reporter Emma Platoff, who helped break the story, joins The Common to explain the plan and the arguments around it.  Grea...

Boston was recently named the second worst city for traffic congestion in the country and fourth worst in the world, according to INRIX’s 2022 global traffic scorecard. Today on The Common, Boston's Chief of Streets, Jascha Franklin-Hodge joins the show to discuss city efforts to make transportation safer, more efficient and less car-dependent across Boston. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where n...

Stop sleeping on Boston's food scene!  Editor of Eater Boston, Erika Adams, joins "The Common" to discuss the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2023, and why you should get excited to eat out in the city.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Since its unveiling on January 13th, The Embrace monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott, has received a wide range of reactions both good and bad. WBUR Arts Reporter Arielle Gray joins The Common to discuss why some in the community are disappointed with the memorial.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Arif Sayed Faisal earlier this month in Cambridge has the community demanding answers and calls into question how law enforcement engages with people in mental distress. WBUR Senior Correspondent Deborah Becker has been following the incident, she joins The Common to tell us what she's learned.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

From Chilean cinema to children's book adaptations to 24-hour sci-fi marathons – Greater Boston's film festival scene truly has something for everyone. Today on The Common, WBUR film writer Erin Trahan gives us the rundown on where to catch the best festival flicks over the next couple months.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Last Friday, a new permanent monument was unveiled on Boston Common. It’s called The Embrace, and it honors the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr and his wife, Coretta Scott King, who met right here in Boston as college students in the 1950s. WBUR Morning Edition Host Rupa Shenoy had the chance to see the Embrace before its unveiling. She joins The Common to describe the experience.  Greater Boston’s...

Libraries have a long history of filling in gaps in social services, and the Boston Public Library is no different. Director of library services for Boston Public Libraries, Michael Colford joins The Common to discuss how the library can help you out, beyond the obvious.  Check out the "services" tab on the Boston Public Library website for more info on available programming.  Greater Boston’s wee...

You might be familiar with the Department of Public Utilities as the state office that regulates electricity and gas services. However, they're also responsible for overseeing safety on the MBTA. A new investigative report from WBUR shows that the DPU has routinely allowed the T to file safety investigations late, delaying the review process. Senior Investigative Reporter Beth Healy joins "The Com...

The Sound Museum has been a fixture of the Allston-Brighton music scene for three decades, serving as a practice space for Boston musicians. At the end of January, these artists will be forced to find a new place to meet.  WBUR Arts Reporter and Critic, Amelia Mason joins The Common with the latest on the Sound Museum's fight to survive. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

A number of new state laws are coming into effect in 2023, from an updated minimum wage to legal drivers licenses for undocumented people. WBUR Senior Statehouse Reporter Steve Brown joins host Darryl C. Murphy on The Common to talk us through these laws and how they will impact life in the Commonwealth. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

WBUR senior health reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey stops by The Common to give us a post-holiday COVID update and to help us understand where things are with the pandemic overall. Then, we've got Chris Bentley, host of Here & Now Anytime. It's another great news podcast from WBUR and NPR, available for you to add to the rotation now. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Look, we know January can be a drag. Which is all the more reason why you need a good excuse to get out there and have some fun. Today on The Common, WBUR CitySpace Assistant Director Candice Springer tells us about three local game-themed bars that offer an all-around good time for the whole family.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Starting in November, Massachusetts instated some changes to its waste disposal rules. The changes included bans that further limit how much food can be wasted by commercial kitchens and also prohibits mattresses and textiles from going in the trash. WBUR climate and environment correspondent Barbara Moran joins The Common to tell us about how these new rules will impact our daily lives. Greater B...

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey will be sworn in as governor on Thursday. Alongside her will be Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who is taking on the role of lieutenant governor. New leadership means new priorities for the state, so we got Boston Globe politics reporter, Samantha J. Gross to come through for a look at what we can expect for the future.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where n...

Massachusetts residents will be able to begin participating in sports betting very soon, with in-person betting starting as early as the Super Bowl. The Common's Darryl C. Murphy sits down with WBUR Morning Edition associate producer Samantha Coetzee to look back at what the road for legalized sports betting has been like so far, and what consumers can expect from the Massachusetts sports betting...

Team Common is taking some time off to rest and recover over the holidays. In the meantime, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories from WBUR’s newsroom in 2022. Lots of people took up skateboarding during the pandemic, including many women and girls, and a new local skating club called Lonely Bones is catering to that clientele. They create an environment that is comfortable for people conside...

When the album “Songs of the Humpback Whale” first hit record stores five decades ago, it energized the Save the Whales movement and helped push Congress to pass the Marine Mammal Protection Act. To mark the 50th anniversary of that landmark act, WBUR’s Barbara Moran spoke with the album's creator about its influence on the environmental movement. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and cul...

Team Common is taking some time off to rest and recover over the holidays. In the meantime, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories from WBUR’s newsroom in 2022. Every year, one lucky independent musician is launched into the national spotlight as the winner of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. In Massachusetts, nearly 150 local artists entered songs into this year's competition. Arts reporter Amelia Ma...

Team Common is taking some time off to rest and recover over the holidays. In the meantime, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories from WBUR’s newsroom in 2022. About 5.5 million people use wheelchairs in the United States. But those wheelchairs aren’t always reliable. They often break down and the average repair takes up to a month. That’s a serious problem for people who use them, and it’s b...