The Common

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So you're moving to Boston... Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

September 1 is just two weeks away, and so is the giant game of musical chairs that unfolds in the streets of Boston every year. Seven in 10 leases turn over on that day to make way for the tens of thousands of students who return to the city at the end of the summer. Between the traffic, trucking your worldly possessions across town and acclimating to a new neighborhood, move-in day can be an overwhelming time for anyone, particularly the un-initiated Bostonian.

So, today on The Common, WBUR Reporter Simon Rios gives newcomers the inside scoop on how to navigate the chaos and start off your Boston chapter on the right foot.

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

The emergency inside the Mass. family shelter system Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Last week Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in the Massachusetts family shelter system, which has reached its capacity. The shortage of shelter and temporary housing available means that many unhoused families are being left without adequate support and resources.

WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emanuel joins The Common to explain Gov. Healey's declaration, which is calling on everyone from the federal government, to private citizens, to help families in need.

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

Gov. Healey's first budget invests in early education Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

Last week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a $56 billion state budget for the fiscal year of 2024. Included in that budget are several considerable investments in education in the state, from free lunches for K-12 students to free community college tuition for nursing students.

It also set aside a sum of about $1.5 billion to help stabilize Massachusetts' early education and childcare industry, which has been a huge financial stressor on parents and providers alike.

WBUR Education Reporter Carrie Jung joins The Common to provide a deep dive into the state's early childhood care investments, as well as an overview of other education ticket items in this year's budget.

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

Why you can't go to the pool in Dorchester or Mattapan this summer Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Earlier this month, a report from the Dorchester Reporter found that all six public pools in Dorchester and Mattapan are closed for maintenance this summer. The work ranges from long-anticipated projects, to unplanned repairs, that together make for a perfect storm that has residents wondering: "How was this allowed to happen?" Especially in two of the hottest, most underserved neighborhoods in the city.

WBUR General Assignment Reporter Walter Wuthmann joins The Common to talk about how city officials and community members are reacting to the story.

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

From the newsroom: Ex-curator sues Worcester Art Museum leaders, alleging discrimination and 'offensive behavior' Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

It’s Monday, which means we’re back with another story from our friends in the WBUR Newsroom while The Common works on some future projects.

Today's story is a quick but important one, and comes to us from WBUR Arts Reporter Cristela Guerra.

It’s about a former curator at the Worcester Art Museum, who is suing senior leadership at the museum, accusing them of discrimination.

WBUR Arts Reporter Cristela Guerra reports that according to the lawsuit, former curator Rachel Parikh was “mocked and ridiculed because she is a brown-skinned South Asian” Indian woman and was “subjected to a hostile and offensive work environment."

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

Boston emcee Edo.G on 50 years of hip-hop Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

August 11 marks 50 years of hip-hop, one of the most impactful cultural contributions of the last century. And while hip-hop was born in New York City, Boston's scene has been around since the early days, and continues strong today.

Edo.G has been part of the Boston hip-hop scene since the '80s, when he came on first as a dancer, and then as an emcee. He popped in the early '90s with an album he did with Da Bulldogs called “Life of a Kid in the Ghetto," and has released more than a dozen albums and collaborations in the years since.

Today on The Common, Boston hip-hop legend Edo.G joins the show for a look back at 50 years of Boston hip-hop, and a look ahead to what's next for the scene.

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

What to do this month: Music, eats and bad art Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Assistant Director of WBUR CitySpace, Candice Springer is back on The Common with three free things to get you out of the house, and through these final weeks of August.

Candice recommends...

- GLD FSTVL - 8/12, 12:00 pm - 10: pm at City Hall Plaza

- Saint Anthony's Feast - 8/24-8/27 in Boston's North End

- The Museum of Bad Art - Open seven days a week at Dorchester Brewing Company

- Check out WBUR CitySpace's fall lineup of events, out now!

GLD FSTVL: https://www.boston.gov/calendar/gld-fstvl

Saint Anthony's Feast: https://www.stanthonysfeast.com/schedule.html

The Museum of Bad Art: https://museumofbadart.org/

CitySpace's fall lineup: https://www.wbur.org/inside/2023/08/07/wbur-cityspace-unveils-new-fall-lineup

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

Massachusetts farmers grapple with a changing climate Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Last month's flooding in Western Massachusetts hit many farmers hard, but it wasn't the first unpredictable weather event of the year.

Today, WBUR Senior Climate and Environment Reporter Barbara Moran joins The Common to discuss how changes in weather patterns are impacting farmers, and what you can do to support local producers as they navigate a changing climate.

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

How one farm is doing after July floods in Western Mass. Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

It’s been almost a month since parts of Western Massachusetts were hit hard by extreme weather and flooding. The state’s Department of Agricultural Resources estimates that 110 farms were affected by the severe weather, and that related losses total $15 million.

Stone Soup Farm in Hadley, MA is among them.

About 80% of the 10-acre farm was flooded during the rains. Today, Dave DiLorenzo, owner of Stone Soup Farm, joins The Common to look back at the day his crops flooded, and to look ahead to what's next for the farm.

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

From the newsroom: Extremist watchdog explains New England white supremacists galvanized by Trump Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

We're back with another feature from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom as Team Common works on some longer term projects.

Today's story comes from WBUR Morning Edition's Rupa Shenoy and Laney Ruckstuhl.

Last week, Former President Donald Trump was indicted on four felony counts, all related to attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors say that Trump incited the January sixth violence at the capitol, which was lead by his supporters, including members of right-wing groups.

Kristofer Goldsmith is the founder of Task Force Butler, a nonprofit group of veterans who've been tracking extremists in New England.

He joins Rupa to talk about his work, and the state of right-wing extremism in the region.

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

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