The Common

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Gov. Healey announces 30-day limit for families in overflow shelters Mar 27, 2024

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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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Meet the Boston Public Library's first chef-in-residence Mar 26, 2024

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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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

A place for grief and community for students observing Ramadan Mar 25, 2024

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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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Five music residencies to check out in Greater Boston Mar 22, 2024

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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 - Mondays at The Lilly Pad in Cambridge (featured song: "I Loved You Yesterday")
The Conscious Band - Sundays at West End Johnnies in Boston (featured song: "Oh What a Saturday Night" by lead singer, Errol Strength)
The Natural Wonders - Sundays at Sally O'Briens in Somerville (featured live recording, September 2021)
Bars Over Bars - First Sundays at The Junge in Somerville (featured live recording, March 2024)
Yoko Miwa Trio - Fridays at The Mad Monkfish in Cambridge (featured song: "Keep Talkin'")

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Massachusetts patients are struggling to access primary care Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Mass. exodus: Why so many young people say they plan to leave Greater Boston Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

For many childcare providers, less state funding this spring Mar 19, 2024

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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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Field Guide: A band, a bakery and creating community in Quincy, Mass. Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Gov. Maura Healey pardons all simple cannabis possession convictions Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The Blue Hill Avenue blues Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

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 weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

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