The Common

Procrastinators, beware! The holidays are around the corner but luckily, Boston has a wide selection of holiday markets to find unique and local-made gifts for everyone on your list.  WBUR Associate Producer for Newsletters Hanna Ali joins The Common to recommend four Boston-area holiday markets to visit this season.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

It's the first night of Hanukkah. It is also the two month anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the beginning of Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza.  Ahead of the holiday, WBUR's Simon Rios took the time to check in with local Rabbis about how they are navigating this time with their congregations. He joins The Common to share what they told him.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast...

Israel's military action in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas has led to demonstrations across the country and the world, in support of a ceasefire and Palestinian liberation. That includes here in Boston, where protesters have demonstrated at the Boston Common Christmas tree lighting, the chambers of Boston City Council and outside of a fundraiser for President Joe Biden in Boston o...

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has signed a long-awaited supplemental budget bill containing $250 million in funding for the state's overburdened family shelter system. The bill had been stalled in the state's House and Senate over disagreements on allocating those funds, past the conclusion of the official legislative session, which ended on Nov. 15. WBUR State House Reporter Walter Wuthmann...

Last week, city councilors and officials from Mayor Michelle Wu's administration held a public hearing to discuss the possibility of piloting a guaranteed basic income program for low-income Bostonians.  The proposal is still in the early most stages of consideration, but based on results of similar programs in neighboring communities, it could be a game changer for the nearly one in five Boston r...

The holiday season is upon us, and whether you're looking to catch a pop diva or a risqué take on a classic seasonal favorite, assistant director for WBUR CitySpace Candice Springer has you covered with a slate of activities to get you out and about this December. Candice recommends...  Mariah Carey in concert: The "Merry Christmas One and All" tour - Dec. 11, TD Garden A Christmas Carol: A benefi...

 Almost one-third of adults in the U.S. say they, or someone in their family, have been addicted to opioids. Often, families have been encouraged to use a "tough love" approach with their loved ones, but a growing number of health care professionals are starting to rethink this. Instead, they want to more intentionally include families and friends in the recovery process. WBUR's Deborah Becker joi...

Massachusetts is one of only two states where it's illegal for landlords to charge an application fee to perspective renters. Even so, advocates say that these fees are on the rise as rental options in the region remain tight. WBUR Senior Reporter Simón Rios joins The Common to explain how landlord application fees differ from other legal fees you may face as a renter, and what these fees can tell...

What does the criminal justice system do to love? This question is at the core of "We Found Love," is a new miniseries from the Boston Globe's Love Letters Podcast. It follows three couples, each at a different stage in their relationship, but all of whom met while one member was incarcerated in Massachusetts with a life sentence. Today, Boston Globe Criminal Justice Reporter Ivy Scott joins The C...

De'Shawn Washington, a fourth-grade teacher at Maria Hastings Elementary School in Lexington, has been named the 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. De’Shawn’s dedication to teaching leadership and conflict resolution skills to his students helped set him apart from his peers, earning him the state's top award for educators. Today on The Common, we take you to Lexington to learn more about wha...

Team Common is taking the day to relax and recharge. So we’re bringing you a feature from our friends in the WBUR newsroom. Today’s story comes from climate and environment reporter, Paula Moura. According to state data, most people who have taken advantage of the electric vehicle rebates in Massachusetts live in wealthier communities. But the state is working on ways to make EV access more equita...

Darryl C. Murphy here, Team Common is off today, but we just wanted to pop in your feed real quick to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. We really hope you're eating good out there. We are so thankful for all of you who choose to spend your time with us.  We love making this show for you. Thanks as always for listening to The Common. We’ll talk to you soon. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where n...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Which means this Wednesday is a Friday, and it's the second day of our two-part Thanksgiving cooking series with Dorchester’s Comfort Kitchen. Today’s recipe comes from Comfort Kitchen's principal bartender and bar manager, Danameche Teron, who came by the studio to share "Dream Street", one of their signature drinks. It should be a great fit alongside your Thanksgiving m...

Comfort Kitchen in Dorchester was one of Boston’s hottest restaurants to open this year. The New York Times even included it on their list of 50 best new restaurants across the country. As a special holiday treat, today and tomorrow we’re featuring two recipes, one side dish and one cocktail, from Comfort Kitchen's menu that you can make at home to help impress your Thanksgiving guests. For today'...

Winter is coming, and with it, higher heating bills. Thankfully there is a range of options available to Massachusetts residents in need of heating assistance. WBUR Climate and Environment Reporter Miriam Wasser joins The Common, to give a rundown of all the ways you can save on heat this year.  Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

America was, and continues to be, forged by the gun industry. The Gun Machine, a new podcast from WBUR and The Trace looks at this intertwined history -- from the founding of the nation, to the gun industry's roots here in Massachusetts, to the country's very present gun violence crisis in an eight-part series. Producer for The Gun Machine Grace Tatter joins The Common with a preview of this new p...

The fifth National Climate Assessment was released this week. The report spans the nation, but the section focused on the Northeast paints a picture of a region hit hard by the effects of climate change, including extreme heat, heavy rains, flooding and the inequality concerns that come along with a changing climate. But there's good news, too. The report tips its hat to climate-specific policy ef...

Last month, Governor Maura Healey announced that the state would cap the number of families guaranteed shelter in the state-run shelter system at 7,500 families. Last week, that cap was reached, which means qualifying families must now sit on a waitlist, prioritized based on safety and health concerns, until a slot opens up within the system. WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emanu...

Head Start centers offer early education and care to children under five from low-income families. But recent shortages in staffing have lead some Massachusetts centers, including here in Boston, to cut down on the number of children they're able to serve. Reducing the number of available slots means more families are finding themselves on wait lists, which are often already lengthy. WBUR Educatio...

New Englanders are known for having a buttoned up rule or two, including around alcohol (we're look at you, no happy hour). And it's not uncommon to hear some of our region’s founding colonizers, the Puritans,  getting blame for that. But how involved were the Puritans in shaping our current rules around liquor, really? WBUR reporter Simón Rios looked into this as part of WBUR's Field Guide to Bos...

This week marked one whole year of The Common. It has been an absolute blast bringing you the best of Boston news and culture over the past year. So to celebrate our birthday, Team Common producers Katelyn Harrop and Frannie Monahan join Darry C. Murphy to reflect on some of their favorite episodes from the last year. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

This week's municipal elections brought home big wins for progressives on Boston City Council, and Mayor Wu, who saw all of her endorsements sail to victory. WBUR reporter Walter Wuthmann was at the polls on Tuesday. He joins The Common to review the night's results and discuss what lies ahead for City Council's returning — and brand-new — members. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and cu...

For the past month, Harvard University has been in the international media spotlight as the campus community contends with the Israel-Hamas conflict and concerns about antisemitism and anti-Palestinian sentiments at home. In recent weeks, some donors have signed an open letter to Harvard's administration, putting pressure on the university to ramp up its response to antisemitism on campus. WBUR Ed...

Today is municipal election day in Boston, and voters have a number of decisions to make about who will represent them on City Council for the next two years. As we wait for votes to be counted, one thing is for certain: Councilor Frank Baker will not be returning to City Hall in January. Baker, who announced he would not be seeking reelection earlier this year, has held the District 3 seat for 12...

Nine out of 13 members of Boston Public Schools’ English Learners task force have resigned over the district’s proposed plan to overhaul its treatment of students who are still learning English — a subset of learners equalling nearly a third of all students in the district. Deanna Pan is a reporter with The Boston Globe's Great Divide team, which reports on inequality in Boston area schools. She j...