The Common

It may be gray outside, but never fear -- WBUR Assistant Director of CitySpace Candice Springer is back on The Common with a list of fun-filled happenings to get you out of your house and on the town this April. Candice recommends... Mystery PicnicsThe Massachusetts Craft Brewers FestivalF1 Arcade BostonSlow AF Run Club: Martinus Evans on empowering anyone who wants to runEarth Week: Reptile and amphibians night with Zoo New England Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

April is Earth Month, so all month long we are featuring weekly conversations with people in Greater Boston working to build our region’s resilience in the face of a changing climate. Kannan Thiruvengadam is the Executive Director of Eastie Farm — a community-based non-profit in East Boston, which focuses on food insecurity and climate justice through urban agriculture and education. Today, Kannan joins The Common to discuss how urban agriculture can be used as a tool for climate resiliency and community building, and what keeps him motivated and inspired to do this work, even in the most challenging times. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Have you ever answered a knock on your door to find someone asking to see your electric bill? Perhaps with the promise of getting you a better deal? If so, you might've come face-to-face with a representative from a competitive electric supplier -- an industry that has been tied to high rates, and at times, illegal activity, targeting some of the states' most vulnerable residents. While some savvy individuals are able to use these suppliers to get a better, or greener deal, State data show that this often isn't the case. In fact, the State Attorney General's office reports that between 2015 and 2021, ratepayers in Massachusetts who used a competitive electric supplier collectively paid $525 million more than if they had kept their utility as their supplier. Boston Globe Climate Reporter Sabrina Shankman has been looking into this industry in collaboration with WBUR's Miriam Wasser. Today, she joins The Common with more on how competitive suppliers are impacting residents, and what's being done at the state-level to curtail or reform the industry. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Last week, the MBTA board of directors voted in favor of offering a reduced-fare program for low-income adults across the transit system, including for The Ride -- the MBTA's paratransit service. It's a huge victory for advocates who have been pushing for such a program for more than a decade. Today, Boston Globe Transportation Reporter Taylor Dolven joins The Common for a transit news round-up. First, a look at what it will take to make a low-income fare program a reality. Then, Taylor tells us about the MBTA's decision to pay an additional $148 million to a company notably behind on their contracted promise to make new Red and Orange Line train cars for the system. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Chewed automobile wires? Gnawed car cables? That's what a Boston rat calls lunch! Drawn in by the promise of a warm and cozy place to hang, rats are hoping out of dumpsters and taking up residence under the hoods of cars, bringing their trash and snacks with them, and causing damage to vehicles while they're at it. Today, WBUR Investigative Reporter Willoughby Mariano joins The Common for a look at why Boston's rat problem is so significant, and what this could mean for the wellbeing of your ride. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

This semester, both Berklee College of Music and Harvard University are offering classes themed around one of pop music's biggest names: Taylor Swift. The class at Berklee uses Swift's music to instruct students on songwriting, while the Swift-themed class at Harvard sits in the university's English department and looks at her music through a literary lens. Today on The Common, WBUR Senior Arts and Culture Reporter Amelia Mason takes us into the classroom for a lesson on what students (and the rest of us) can take away from some of Taylor Swift's biggest hits. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

The Boston Water and Sewer Commission launched a free program to replace lead pipes on privately owned property early last year, but few property owners have taken advantage of it. A recent Boston Globe investigation found that a water line that services one Boston College dormitory is among thousands of lead pipes that deliver water to city residents. Lead can contaminate drinking water and ingesting lead poses some serious health risks. Today, Boston Globe contributing reporter and Boston University professor David Abel and Boston University journalism student Taylor Brokesh join The Common to discuss why this free program has gone so underutilized. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

On Monday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a 30-day limit on the length of time families can stay in certain overflow shelters while waiting to enter the state's emergency shelter system. Families must re-apply every 30 days proving they meet certain requirements to remain in overflow shelters and on the waitlist. Meanwhile, state legislators have also been working on plans to limit the amount of time families can stay in the state's emergency shelter system, but have yet to agree on a final proposal. Reporter for The Boston Globe Matt Stout joins The Common to outline the details of the different sets of restrictions, and what they say about this moment for the Mass. emergency shelter system. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

The Boston Public Library's chef-in-residence program is a three year project aimed at helping community members get the most out of their food. The program provides instruction on basic cooking techniques and nutritious, and helps members of the community prepare culturally appropriate meals with everyday ingredients. Glorya Fernandez is the library's inaugural chef-in-residence. Over the period of one year she will work with the community to create a culinary curriculum that can be used throughout the BPL system. The Common took a trip to the BPL Roxbury Branch's Nutrition Lab to meet Glorya, as well as Stephanie Chace, BPL Nutrition Literacy Coordinator, and learn more about what they hope to accomplish during the first year of the chef-in-residence program. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Muslim students at MIT are holding nightly Iftar dinners on campus in observance of the holy month of Ramadan, which is celebrated by Muslim communities across the globe. The holiday is typically marked with fasting, prayer and community. It’s the first Ramadan since the war in Gaza broke out in October, so this month holds particular weight for those observing. WBUR Morning Edition Field Producer Laney Ruckstuhl attended one of the MIT Iftar dinners. She joins The Common to tell us about how the students she spoke to are thinking about Ramadan this year, in the midst of on-campus tensions and grief over the lives lost in Gaza. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Music residencies - regularly scheduled performances from the same band or artist at a set venue - are a key part of a thriving local music scene. Today on The Common, WBUR Arts Contributor Noah Schaffer has recommendations for five can't-miss residencies you can check out in Boston, Somerville and Cambridge all year long. Noah recommends... The Fringe"I Loved You Yesterday"The Conscious Band"Oh What a Saturday Night"The Natural Wonderslive recording, Bars Over Barslive recording,Yoko Miwa Trio"Keep Talkin'" Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

If you're having trouble getting in to see your doctor, you're not alone. Access to primary care providers in Massachusetts has been declining for three straight years, according to a recent survey from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners. This comes as factors including industry staffing challenges, salary discrepancies, and burnout, contribute to a shortage of PCPs nationwide. Today, WBUR Senior Health Reporter Priyanka Dayal McClusky joins The Common with more on what's behind this concerning trend, locally and across the country. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

A recent survey commissioned by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce finds that, while almost 90% of surveyed residents between the ages of 20 and 30 in Greater Boston say they're satisfied with their daily lives, one in four plan to leave the region in the next five years. Those surveyed cited the high cost of housing, concerns with public transportation and the availability of quality jobs among the reasons contributing to their possible exodus. In today's episode, CEO and President of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Jim Rooney joins The Common to discuss these survey findings and what they can tell us about our region. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

More than half of the over 8,000 childcare providers in the state will see significant cuts to monthly grant payments they receive from the state for the months of May and June. These funds are part of the Commonwealth Cares for Children grant program, which is experience a budget shortfall as the 2024 fiscal year comes to a close. Today WBUR Senior Education Reporter Carrie Jung joins The Common with more on how these cuts to the C3 grant program will impact childcare providers, many of whom already function on razor thin margins. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Today, we're taking you to Quincy, Massachusetts. In the last several decades, the number of people in Quincy who identify as Asian has grown considerably. The latest census shows nearly 30% of the city's residents identify as Asian. Part of this growth can be attributed to the city remaining an affordable, but accessible, alternative to Boston. Meanwhile, Boston's Chinatown has seen a decrease in its Asian population, as housing prices have increased significantly in the neighborhood. To illustrate this change, The Common producer Frannie Monahan spoke with Joyce Chan, a former high school teacher and musician, about her personal experience starting a Chinese bakery in Quincy after her band lost its practice space in Chinatown. This episode is part of WBUR's Field Guide to Boston, a station-wide effort to help you connect with the city's communities. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

This week Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey made headlines when she announced that she would be pardoning all minor cannabis possession offenses in Massachusetts. The pardons apply to all convictions before March 13, 2024, and are thought to apply to hundreds of thousands of people. It’s a precedent-setting move as no other Governor has issued such a sweeping pardon on this issue to date. WBUR State House Reporter Walter Wuthmann was on the story this week. He joins The Common to walk us through what these pardons mean for the folks affected, and for Governor Healey. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

The city has long been working towards a revamp of Blue Hill Avenue, a major corridor in Dorchester and Mattapan. But due to a history of underinvestment and concerns about gentrification, many residents there are skeptical about the city's plan. Despite this, the city has decided to move ahead on certain parts of the plan anyway, including a center lane bus that will operate between Grove Hall and Mattapan Square. Dorchester Reporter News Editor Seth Daniel has been following the story. He joins The Common to explain the history behind the community's skepticism and how the city hopes to build trust in the neighborhood. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Spring is upon us, and with it comes a whole new slate of recommendations from WBUR's Arts and Culture team as a part of their seasonal arts guides. From new albums, to visual arts, to movies, there's something for everyone in Boston's art scene this spring. WBUR Senior Arts and Culture Editor Dianna Bell joins The Common with some of her favorite recommendations from this season's guides. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Last fall WBUR Investigations Correspondent Todd Wallack joined The Common after he published an investigation into Massachusetts’ public housing waitlist system. In the investigation, he found that despite the state being in a record housing shortage, almost 2,300 state-funded units were sitting vacant across the Commonwealth, sometimes for years. In the aftermath of the investigation, the state announced it would make a 90-day push to significantly reduce the number of empty units. Six months later, only 72 more units have been filled and more than 180,000 people remain on the waitlist. Today on The Common Todd joins us again to provide a look into Massachusetts' public housing waitlist system, and how it is and isn't working for housing authorities and potential tenants alike. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Almost a year after affirmative action was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, Massachusetts lawmakers are working to institute a ban on legacy preferences at colleges in the state. Legacy preference, or legacy admissions, is the practice of favoring college applicants who have familial connections to the school, and it often disproportionately benefits white and wealthier students. Today on The Common WBUR Education Reporter Max Larkin discusses the bill's background and how it's being received in Mass. education communities. Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.