The Common

Latest Episodes:

Fire up your SAD lamps, winter is coming Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

There are few things the Northeast does as well as autumn. But the season can be tough for certain people, as shorter days and colder temperatures may bring on feelings of depression and isolation, and exasperate existing mental health concerns for some.

Dr. Michelle DiBlasi is Chief of Inpatient Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center. She joins The Common to share some tips on how to shore up your mental health as we head into the colder months.

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

Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter on growing up Springfield Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Ruth E. Carter is a two-time Oscar-winning costume designer who has dressed characters in hit movies and TV series for more than three decades. Her designs can be seen in works such as Do The Right Thing, The Five Heartbeats, both Marvel Black Panther movies, Yellowstone and Seinfeld. She's also a native of Springfield, Mass. And on Sunday, October 15, she is being honored with the Coolidge Award at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, an honor that celebrates one outstanding film artist whose body of work is recognized as consistently original and challenging.

On today's episode, Ruth E. Carter joins The Common to talk about how her upbringing in Springfield continues to inspire her work today.

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

In El Salvador, a family waits for answers Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

Reina Carolina Morales Rojas, a recent immigrant from El Salvador, was living in East Boston when she went missing on November 26, 2022. It took Boston Police over 6 weeks to announce her disappearance on January 12, 2023 –– a huge delay for a missing persons case. Almost a year later, she has yet to be found.

Marcela Garcia is a columnist at The Boston Globe and one of few members of the media following her story closely. While the search for answers drags on, Marcela visited Reina Carolina’s hometown in El Salvador to learn more about her and what her life was like before she made the move to Boston. Marcela joins The Common to share what she found.

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

Making head(winds) or tails of the Mass. offshore wind industry Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

Depending on what you read, it can be hard to get a sense of where the offshore wind energy industry is at in Massachusetts.

On the one hand, the long awaited Vineyard Wind project is anticipated to start generating electricity for the grid by the end of the year. But on the other, the futures of other potential offshore wind projects are currently up in the air due to economic challenges, such as inflation and supply chain issues.

Miriam Wasser is a senior environment and climate reporter at WBUR. She joins The Common to help us make head(winds) or tails of the Massachusetts offshore wind industry.

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

From the newsroom: At MASS MoCA, artist Joseph Grigely shares his experience of being deaf Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

Team Common is observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day (check out our recent episode on the movement to make it an official holiday statewide). So today, we’re bringing you a story from our friends in the WBUR Newsroom.

Joseph Grigely: In What Way Wham? is a new exhibition at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art that centers on the deaf experience. WBUR Arts Fellow Solon Kelleher recently took a trip to MASS MoCA to see how the exhibit helps expand accessibility at the museum by using visual descriptions as well as tours in American Sign Language.

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

What to do this month: Let it go, shake it off and catch a show Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

The weather is getting chillier and the days are getting shorter, which makes it a great time to catch a show. WBUR CitySpace Assistant Director Candice Springer joins The Common with three great live and film productions you can take in this month, all of which celebrate great movies, and the music that goes with them.

Candice recommends...

- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert - Oct. 7, Emerson Colonial Theatre

- Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour (movie) - Oct. 13 - Oct. 22, Coolidge Corner Theater and other cinemas across the region

- Disney's Frozen (Broadway in Boston) - Oct. 25 - Nov. 12, Citizen Bank Opera House

- The Crossword Show with Zach Sherwin - Oct. 20, WBUR CitySpace

Field Trip: Speed Friending - Oct. 23, WBUR CitySpace

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

The fight for Indigenous Peoples' Day in Massachusetts Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

On Monday, October 9th, the City of Boston will recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. But at the Massachusetts Statehouse, the second Monday in October continues to be recognized as Columbus Day. On Tuesday, a joint committee on Beacon Hill heard testimony on legislation that aims to change that.

Jean-Luc Pierite, President of the Board of Directors of the North American Indian Center of Boston was there, sharing his perspective on why he stands for the effort to change the holiday. He joins The Common with more on this movement, and how he and other advocates plan to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day this weekend.

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

You can out-walk parts of the Green Line Extension Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

On portions of tracks adding up to more than a mile, Green Line Extension trains are moving at only three miles-per-hour. The MBTA says these slow zones are a response to recent tests showing that portions of the tracks are narrowing. A concept that many transit experts say is unheard of.

Boston Globe Transportation Reporter Taylor Dolven broke this story last week. She joins' The Common with more on what we know, and don't know, about the condition of the GLX, and how it's impacting the communities that rely on it.

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

New tax breaks for caregivers and renters are just a signature away Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Last week, state lawmakers voted in favor of a $1 billion tax relief package that officials say could save taxpayers in Massachusetts a collective $561 million this fiscal year. The legislation now awaits Gov. Maura Healey's signature.

Today, Boston Globe Politics Reporter Samantha J. Gross joins The Common to discuss what this wide-ranging package could mean for parents, caretakers, renters and low-income taxpayers in the state.

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

In Reading, a nature-based approach to flooding Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Flash flooding events are expected to increase in Massachusetts under the impacts of climate change. Reading, a town about 20 minutes north of Boston, is trying to mitigate flood impacts with a nature-based approach that involves digging seven ponds in a conservation area near the river. The goal is for the ponds to collect water that might otherwise cause flooding, while offering additional benefits such as an environment rich in native plants for birds and other animals, and a welcoming green space for the community.

WBUR Climate and Environment Reporter, Paula Moura, joins The Common with more details on this project, and how it could set an example for other communities in the region.

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected