The Common

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. Today, we bring you the second part in a series from reporter and producer Lisa Mullins and Lynn Jolicouer. They look at efforts around the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard area of Boston, also known as Mass and Cass, to...

Team Common is taking some time off to rest and recover for the holidays. In the meantime, we're sharing some of our favorite stories from WBUR's newsroom from over the year. We're kicking the week off with the first of a two-part series from WBUR's Lisa Mullins and Lynn Jolicouer. It’s the story of one man who finds housing, after years of living in the area around Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea...

Over the summer, 50 Venezuelan migrants were dropped off on Martha's Vineyard in a political stunt made by Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis. The new arrivals were met with national media attention, and an outpouring of aid. However, as WBUR's Cristela Guerra reports, migrants from Venezuela have been finding their way to Massachusetts for years, finding the help they need among the Venezuelan commun...

Some of you are preparing for your holiday get togethers, and you may want to impress your company with a homemade cocktail. If that’s the case, we got you.  Claudiane Philippe is the creator of Nail the Cocktail. She joins The Common's Darryl C. Murphy to teach us an original cocktail recipe to try out over the holidays.  Find the recipe for Claudiane's Passionate Brew on WBUR.org. You can find m...

The Boston City Council has unanimously approved a task force to study the issue of reparations for Black Bostonians, in light of the city's historic role in slavery and present-day inequality. The Common's Darryl C. Murphy spoke with Masslive reporting fellow Alvin Buyinza, who covered the historic vote. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Khari Thompson, host of the Audacy podcast, 1st and Foxborough, joins the show for a pre-playoffs Patriots check-in.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Cognoscenti is WBUR’s ideas and opinion blog where local experts, writers and thinkers of all kinds share their perspectives on a range of topics. This year gave us plenty of things to ponder and reflect on. So, as the year winds down, we reached out to Cognoscenti senior editor Cloe Axelson to talk to us about three essays from the year that resonated within our community.  Greater Boston’s weekl...

The holidays can be a time of immense joy and excitement, but it's also common to experience feelings of loneliness, stress or anxiety. And those short, chilly days? They're probably not helping. But, help is available. On today's episode, Michelle Ward-Gilles of NAMI Massachusetts join the show to discuss how we can take care of our mental health during the holiday season, and through winter more...

Reggie Wong Memorial Park is currently Boston Chinatown's only open community space. For years, community members have been trying to obtain a lease for the park from MassDOT in order to make some much-needed updates to the land. However, they've been met with roadblock after roadblock since 2016. WBUR News Fellow Aimee Moon breaks it down for us.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and cu...

Happy Green Line Extension Week, one and all. On today's episode, Darryl and our producer Katelyn Harrop take us on an opening day ride from the brand-new Medford/Tufts station, all the way to the end of the extension... collecting stories and perspectives from riders along the way.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The city of Chelsea tested a nine-month guaranteed income program in 2020 as a part of its pandemic relief effort. The outcomes of that program were tracked by researchers at Harvard and those findings are now out. WBUR business reported Yasmin Amer joins to discuss the results of the study. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Large investors have been buying up mobile home communities at a rapid pace over the past few years, including here in Massachusetts. WBUR reporter Simon Rios dives into his reporting on two local mobile home communities that were faced with corporate buyouts, and the two very different outcomes they saw.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Winter is here and it can be hard to find the motivation to leave the comfort of our homes. However, the occasional adventure is good for the soul, especially during the cold and dreary days of December. Thankfully, WBUR CitySpace assistant director Candice Springer is back with a smorgasbord of things to do and eat this month.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The Boston Music Awards are set for December 14, at Big Night Live. The awards celebrate Boston's local music scene, and shine a light on some of the biggest and newest acts in the area. WBUR's senior arts and culture reporter and critic Amelia Mason joins the show, to give us a taste of a few of the artists she's most excited about ahead of the awards next week. Songs from the episode: Milonga Ac...

The school year got off to a rough start for some districts in the region. There have been issues with school buses, teacher strikes, and in Boston a near takeover of the district. WBUR's education editor Suevon Lee joins the show for a look back at the first half of the 2022-2023 K-12 school year, and a look towards what may be in store for the winter and spring.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast...

Black Market Nubian has provided a marketplace for local Black-owned businesses and makers for five years, including a beloved holiday market. But this market season, which runs Saturdays through December, will be its last. We sat down with Black Market Nubian cofounder Kai Grant for a look at the legacy of the market, what you can expect this month, and what's next for the organization.  Greater...

There is a severe labor shortage among care workers who serve people with disabilities. As a result, families are left trying finding ways to bridge the gap in essential care that their loved ones need. WBUR business reporter Yasmin Amer has been following the story. She joins us to discuss why this is happening.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

It’s that time of year. The cold, dreary days of winter are approaching and we know many of you are preparing to hunker down. But, there are huge benefits to getting outside, even when it's chilly, and we're here to help with the details. Today on the show, we have outdoor adventure writer Miles Howard with some of the top destinations for winter hiking, just an MBTA ride from (or in!) Boston. Gre...

Families seeking emergency housing in Massachusetts are finding themselves locked out of the state's family shelter system. The reason? The main hotline that is supposed to help match people with housing isn't working properly, leaving people stuck on hold for hours – even days – on end.  WBUR senior health and science reporter Gabrielle Emanuel joins the show to explain why this vital service is...

The Boston Common Christmas tree will have its official lighting on Thursday, December 1st. But this isn't just any holiday ceremony, it's the continuation of a tradition started between Boston and our neighbors in Nova Scotia during World War I, and the story behind it is pretty fascinating. We get into it with WBUR's Dan Guzman. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

A virus known as RSV is surging among young children and infants in Massachusetts, putting more stress on the region's already strained hospitals. WBUR senior health reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey has been following how doctors are handling the RSV surge. She joins the show to discuss the situation in hospitals across the state, as well as how to help keep your community healthy this winter.  G...

Boston has a bad reputation when it comes to racism that is hard to shake. But that outside image ignores the rich history and experiences of the people of color who have shaped the city for centuries. Boston-based journalist, historian and researcher Dart Adams joins the show to give his perspective on why Boston has a hard time moving beyond its racist reputation. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast...

Team Common is in holiday recovery mode today. So instead of our regular show, we’re bringing you this great story from the WBUR newsroom. At the start of Native American Heritage Month this November, Indigenous people of various nations gathered on the banks of the Mystic River in Charlestown. The Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag, in collaboration with the Nipmuc and others came to build community...

Happy Thanksgiving! The Common team is off for the rest of the week, so we thought we’d bring you some great stories from the WBUR newsroom to hold you over.  Music from an unsung era in Boston’s history is being celebrated with a new compilation. WBUR’s Andrea Shea spoke to the record store owner who produced a trove of soul and rhythm and blues from local artists. Check out more on this story at...

Maybe you have your Thanksgiving plans finalized, or maybe you're still looking for that final dish to finish off your spread. If you're in the latter group, this episode is for you. Haley House program director Jay Vilar joins us to share a recipe for cauliflower stuffing that ought to be a healthy yet tasty addition to your Thanksgiving table. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and cultu...