The Common

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. We're big fans of trains here at The Common. And so is (formerly) Boston-based TikTok creator @jeddeo1, known for his deadpanned MBTA review series Adventures with Jed. In this episode, the team takes a trip down the Green Line E branch for their very own adventure with Jed. Watch the Jed's adventure to Heath street here. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. 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 joins The Common to share the story of Ken Feldstein, an addiction councilor who said he "landed on love" in supporting his own son, Brendan, through his addiction recovery. Also, a look at training programs run through Boston Medical Center, which teach clinicians and families how to support people struggling with addiction. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. New Englanders are known for having a buttoned up rule or two, including around alcohol (we're looking at you, happy hour ban). 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 Boston series. He joins The Common with more on Massachusetts liquor laws, and how the traditions of the Puritans may or may not inform how they exist today. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Boston's moving season on the horizon, and settling into a new space isn't always a walk in the park. But one great way to make any house (or apartment, or studio... we know how it is) feel like home, is to add plants. Today on The Common, we visit Emerald City Plant Shop, New England's first Black-owned specialty plant store, to learn how best to care for green life indoors, and to learn more about owner Quontay Turner's journey opening this Norwood-based business. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. 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. In 2023, she was 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.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Beech trees are native to the Northeast and make up about 10% of forests in Massachusetts. The tree, which is identifiable by its smooth trunk and wide canopy, is a crucial habitat and food source for many animal species in the region. But in recent years, a microscopic worm-caused disease has been targeting beech leaves, causing many trees to starve to death over time. The disease is spreading, and fast. WBUR climate and environment reporter Paula Moura joins The Common to tell us more about this disease, how to identify it and the race to find a cure to save Massachusetts' beech trees. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Today, we're heading to Mattapan, looking for food. This culinary quest is part of WBUR's Field Guide to Boston — a station-wide effort to help you connect with the city's communities. WBUR arts reporter and Mattapan native Arielle Gray joins us as a local guide on this episode of The Common, and takes us to three of her can't-miss spots for top-tier food in the neighborhood. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. People in their twenties make up one-fifth of Boston's population, but some of these young people are struggling to make it in the city as the cost of living soars. Boston Globe Reporter Diti Kohli talked to more than two dozen Gen Z residents living in Boston to learn what financial concerns are making them question their future in the city. Today, she joins The Common to walk through the impact of debt, economic uncertainty and other money woes that are top of mind for Boston's under-25 crowd. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Black Men Run Boston is the local chapter of the national Black Men Run organization, which aims to create a safe and health-centered space for Black men to run and walk in community. Today, founder Jeff Davis shares his experience running while Black in Boston, and discusses what he believes can be done to make running more inclusive in the city. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. August 11, 2023 marked 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. In this episode, 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.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Housing prices in Boston's Chinatown have been surging for decades, resulting in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the city. That's why housing advocates with the Chinatown Community Land Trust have turned to an alternative model for home ownership that helps working-class and immigrant residents stay in the neighborhood. WBUR reporter Simon Rios joins The Common to break it down. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Poison ivy seems to be booming, and researchers think climate change could be to blame. As carbon dioxide levels increase and temperatures warm, this toxic vine is not only getting bigger and growing faster, but the plant's oil, which causes allergic reactions in about 80% of the population, is becoming more plentiful and increasingly potent. In this episode, WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emanuel joins The Common to discuss the troubling tie between human-caused climate change and the rise of poison ivy. Think you know poison ivy? Test your knowledge with Gabrielle's poison ivy quiz! Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. This is a story about how social media can be used for good. Elizabeth Amador is an activist and community leader who uses Instagram to help Spanish-speaking residents navigate local government bureaucracy to get the help they need. In her posts and live streams, she answers questions about everything from obtaining rental and food assistance to getting a driver’s license for her audience of nearly 17,000 followers. And she does it all in her free time. Amador sits down with host Darryl C. Murphy to talk about her experience running her Instagram account, and the persistent information gap that necessitates its existence. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory sounding the alarm on what he calls the “devastating impact of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States.” A growing body of research ties loneliness to an increased risk of health conditions including heart disease, stroke, dementia and even premature death, making it, by many measures, a public health concern. In this episode, WBUR Senior Health Reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey joins The Common to talk about two Boston-area-based programs that aim to combat loneliness through fostering friendships and human connection. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Boston-based content creator Keonte Henson, also known as @atstayathomedad, has built a following on TikTok and Instagram with his humorous, real-talk approach to local restaurant reviews. Often recording from the driver's seat of his parked car, Henson reviews Greater Boston food options with a focus on casual eateries, take-away spots and budget-friendly options. Keonte Henson joins The Common to talk about how creating food-related content has helped him connect with Boston since his 2022 move to the area. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Earlier this month Governor Maura Healey appointed four new members to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board of directors. One appointee is researcher, writer and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School Dr. Lisa Iezzoni, who will represent the "consumer voice" for MassDOT. Dr. Iezzoni is the first member of the disability community to serve on the department's board, despite the fact that that about one in four of American adults have some kind of disability. Dr. Iezzoni joins The Common to discuss accessibility across the state's transit systems, a well as her goals for this new position. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Over the summer, 50 Venezuelan migrants were dropped off on Martha's Vineyard in a political stunt made by Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis. The new arrivals were met with national media attention, and an outpouring of aid. However, as WBUR's Cristela Guerra reports, migrants from Venezuela have been finding their way to Massachusetts for years, finding the help they need among the Venezuelan community that is already here. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. No, the government is not coming for your gas stove. At least not this second. But your stove could have implications for the health of your household (gas stoves are the top trigger for pediatric asthma in the state, for example), as well as our environment. WBUR Climate and Environment Correspondent Barbara Moran joins The Common to discuss alternatives, as well as safety tips, for cooking with gas. Subscribe to the Cooked newsletter. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. A study from Common Good Labs, a data science firm based out of Pittsburg, and the Brookings Institution has identified nearly 200 neighborhoods across the country that have done the seemingly impossible: Increase neighborhood wealth, without pushing out the original residents. One of those neighborhoods is Boston's very own Upham's Corner in Dorchester. Common Good Labs partner Rohit Acharya joins The Common to break down how Upham's Corner did it, and how the neighborhood can be used as a model for other communities. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Tucked underneath the bustling Cambridge Common restaurant near Porter Square is the Lizard Lounge, a longtime gathering place for Greater Boston's poetry scene. Since 1998, the venue has hosted a weekly event that combines curated poetry performance with live, improvisational jazz. The venue celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and the retirement of Jeff Robinson, the leader behind the musical stylings that accompany this iconic poetry night. WBUR's Cristela Guerra joins The Common for more on Robinson's legacy, and what's next for the Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Insects are disappearing at a concerning rate — from 1% to 2% in many places, and up to 10% in others. Some of those insects are pollinators, which are key players in supporting 35% of our food supply. Today, those pollinators, like bees and butterflies, need our help. WBUR Senior Climate and Environment Correspondent Barbara Moran joins The Common with more on the importance of pollinators, and a guide to what you can do to support pollinators in your own yard, garden or even from your apartment fire escape. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. Public libraries have evolved over the decades to connect people with far more than books on shelves. Many libraries, including those within the Boston Public Library system, often fill gaps in social services. Boston Public Libraries' Michael Colford, director of library services, joined The Common to discuss how the robust resources of the city's libraries can help you out in unexpected ways. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. The Black population in Greater Boston continues to grow, especially in communities outside of the city, and it's becoming one of the most diverse Black populations of any metro area in the nation. This is according to a new report from Boston Indicators and Embrace Boston titled, Great Migration to Global Immigration: A Profile of Black Boston. Report co-author James Jennings joins The Common for a deeper look at how the region's Black population continues to grow and change. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Today’s episode is another from the vault. It’s our conversation with WBUR’s José Massó, host of ¡Con Salsa!, which has been on the air for nearly 50 years. Jose stopped by the studio last year after he made Amplify Latinx’s inaugural ALX100 list, which recognizes leaders from the Massachusetts Latinx community. We discussed the ALX100 honor and ¡Con Salsa's! impact on Greater Boston over the decades. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is hard at work preparing for our new weekly schedule starting soon. But in the meantime, we’re bringing you some episodes from our archives to help you get your local news fix. In this episode, first published about a year ago, we talk to HEESU, the singer-songwriter behind our theme song, ME. HEESU, who originally hails from Seoul, was WBUR’s 2021 Tiny Desk Contest favorite and is a Berklee College of Music alum. HEESU joined us to talk about her music, her influences and her experiences studying music in Boston. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

It's another show from our archives, today with WBUR reporter Martha Bebinger. You know that broken thing you have sitting in your closet that you just don't have the heart to throw away? It could be a broken lamp, a dead watch or a pair of scissors that's a little dull. Well, chances are there's a helpful neighbor nearby who would love to fix it up for you at one of the region's Repair Cafes. Martha joins The Common with more on the Repair Cafe movement and the folks behind it. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Today’s episode is another from our archives. Last year, we took a trip to Mei Mei Dumpling Factory and Cafe following the grand re-opening of its first brick-and-mortar location since the pandemic. We met up with Mei Mei co-founder and James Beard Leadership Award-winning chef Irene Li for a tour of the facility, a discussion on the changing restaurant landscape of Boston and of course, some delicious dumplings. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The Common team is taking a beat to rest and recharge this Memorial Day weekend. But to keep your podcast feeds fresh, we’re getting a little help from our friends in the WBUR newsroom with a feature. It’s by WBUR Arts and Culture correspondent Andrea Shea. Andrea recently visited the Huntington Theatre for a sneak peek at its newest production ‘Toni Stone,’ which tells the true story of the first female baseball player to ever join a professional men’s baseball team in the 1950s. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common announced a few weeks back that the show will transition to a once-a-week podcast this summer as part of some larger changes happening at WBUR. We are hard at work on this transition now. So, for the next few weeks we will be featuring some episodes from The Common's archive, while we focus on bringing the newest iteration of the show into the world and your podcast feeds very soon. With allergy season's vengful return, we take a look back at our discussion with Dr. Gaurab Basu, a primary care physician and director of education and policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment. We talked with Dr. Basu about the connection between climate change and allergies, and what you can do to mitigate your symptoms as the season continues. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The Instagram account Boston Urban Archive offers a look at the history of the city's communities of color. Ebony Gill created the page in December of 2023, while she was a student at University of Massachusetts Boston. Since then, the account has garnered more than 30,000 followers with images that take viewers down Boston's memory lane. WBUR Reporter Arielle Gray visited UMass Boston's Healey Library to document Ebony at work for our Field Guide to Boston. She joins The Common to talk to us about the experience, and what is gained when we shine a light on these parts of the city's history. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu traveled to Rome last week to present their plans for de-carbonization and climate resiliency at a multi-day summit hosted by the Vatican and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The Wu administration aims to reduce the city’s carbon footprint via a suite of initiatives, including new rules on Boston buildings, which are responsible for over 70% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Wu's goal is for city buildings, old and new, to be carbon-neutral by 2050. Meanwhile, Gov. Healey is pushing her own climate reforms in the state legislature. For more on their trip to Italy, Darryl C. Murphy speaks with Boston Globe politics reporter Samantha J. Gross, who traveled with Wu and Healey last week. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

As school years wind down at colleges and universities around the state, the last student encampments protesting the war in Gaza have been dismantled. At some schools, student protestors packed up the tents of their own free will. At others -- including Emerson, Northeastern and MIT -- they were forcibly disbanded by police. With summer fast approaching, questions remain about the tactics employed by universities to disperse student protesters. The Common's Darryl C. Murphy speaks with WBUR senior political reporter Anthony Brooks about what happened and what comes next. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The state is hoping a new pilot program providing ESL classes to newly arrived immigrants staying in Massachusetts emergency shelters will help them achieve self sufficiency faster. The pilot is lead by the nonprofit English for New Bostonians, which has been teaching occupationally-focused language classes with the goal of providing students the skills and confidence to find employment, and continue improving their English in other settings. Claudia Green, English for New Bostonians executive director, and Thaís Lobo, who heads the English Works Program for English for New Bostonians, join The Common to discuss the importance of language instruction for newly arrived immigrants and the future of the pilot program. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Today is the 20th anniversary of gay marriage becoming legal in Massachusetts. The right for same sex couples to marry was brought about by the Goodridge Decision, which made Massachusetts the first state in the country to secure marriage equality. Back in 2004, Arline Isaacson, Co-Chair of the Massachusetts GLBTQ Political Caucus (formerly known as the Mass Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus), was one of the advocates who worked to secure marriage equality in the Commonwealth. Arline joins The Common to reflect on this anniversary, and discuss the ongoing efforts to improve the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Mass. today. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

When the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission launched its Social Equity Program, it promised a pathway for groups disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs into the newly legalized cannabis market. But today, social equity operators are finding that getting into the cannabis business is a far cry from the lucrative opportunity it once was, sometimes leaving them worse off than when they started the process. "CommonWealth Beacon" reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria spoke with cannabis operators in the region who graduated from the state’s Social Equity Program, she joins The Common to discuss their experiences, and the barriers they continue to face getting established in the cannabis industry. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Colleges and universities across the country are gearing up for graduation, including here in Boston. Commencement comes at a very tense time on many campuses though, as student protest encampments in support of Palestinian people and school divestment from Israel have been dismantled by police at numerous schools, notably MIT and Emerson College. Tufts and Harvard Universities also had encampments that were recently disbanded by student protestors themselves. WBUR Senior Education Reporter Carrie Jung joins The Common to discuss the mood among students as this tumultuous year comes to a close, and whether disruptions can be expected at graduation ceremonies over the next weeks. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Death of a loved one can bring with it a deep sense of loss. We miss that person's personality, their energy, and we honor that with our grief. But how do we as a society, respect their remains, the bodies they leave behind? That question is at the center of the latest season of WBUR’s podcast Last Seen - which came out this month: “Postmortem: The Stolen Bodies of Harvard.” The podcast follows a scandal at Harvard Medical School that made headlines last year, when a manager at the medical school morgue was accused of selling body parts donated to the school for scientific study. Today on The Common, Darryl C. Murphy speaks with host and reporter Ally Jarmanning about her experience diving into the apparently flourishing underground market for human remains and her quest to answer the question: How should we treat the dead? Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Several weeks ago, WBUR published an investigation examining how police in Massachusetts handle reports of sexual assault and rape. The piece, which focused on alleged serial rapist Alvin Campbell (brother of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell), has garnered the attention of state lawmakers who wish to make changes to the Commonwealth's systems and protocols around such cases. WBUR Statehouse Reporter Walter Wuthmann joins The Common once more to discuss reactions to the piece, and several potential solutions to this pressing issue that lawmakers are considering. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, which could become the first psychedelic-assisted therapy as early as August. Today, The Common presents the final episode of our three-part series looking at the past, present and future of psychedelics in Massachusetts as a potential ballot question that could lead to the decriminalization of natural psychedelic substances in Massachusetts. Rick Doblin, founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), is featured in today's conversation. He has led efforts to bring psychedelics back into mainstream medicine, in part by organizing clinical drug trials to get MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD approved by the FDA. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

A proposed ballot measure to decriminalize certain plant-based psychedelics in Massachusetts is now in progress, with activists gathering another 12,429 signatures by July 3 to secure ballot placement in the November election. Today, The Common is continuing our three-part series looking at the past, present and future of psychedelics in Massachusetts and what decriminalization could mean for the state. In this episode, we’ll examine the current status with Sam Drysdale, a Statehouse News Service reporter closely following the ballot measure. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Advocates behind a proposed ballot question that could potentially decriminalize certain plant-based hallucinogens, a.k.a. psychedelics, are gathering signatures to put the question in front of voters on election day in November. If successful, people over 21 can use a limited amount of substances like magic mushrooms without worry of criminal penalties from the state. This week, The Common will present a three-part series that explores the past, present and future of psychedelics and what their decriminalization could mean for Massachusetts. Today, we’ll delve into the past with Andrew Green Hannon, an adjunct lecturer at Emerson College who holds a Ph.d from Yale University’s American Studies Program. His research focuses on the American counterculture and the New Left, and he is a local expert on psychedelics. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Black women and girls make up a disproportionate number of the nation’s missing people, almost one in five. Here in Massachusetts, there are few protocols on tracking these cases, and that number is harder to determine. Now, a new bill on Beacon Hill seeks to shine a light on how missing persons cases involving Black women and girls are handled, including instituting an "Ebony Alert" system, which would provide public alerts when Black women or girls are reported missing under suspicious circumstances. Tiana Woodard of The Boston Globe joins The Common to discuss. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Early last year, the Biden administration issued a policy to allow temporary entry for up to 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — countries facing extreme unrest and violence. People in the program, called humanitarian parole, are allowed to live and work in the United States for two years. The Common speaks with WBUR reporter Simón Rios about what humanitarian parole has meant for Boston's Haitian community. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

It's a great time to hit the theater. Today on The Common, Assistant Director of WBUR CitySpace Candice Springer is back with some top musical happenings to get you out and about this month. Candice recommends... The Drowsy Chaperone: Now - May 12, Lyric Stage Company, Boston A Strange Loop: Now - May 25, Speakeasy Stage at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion, Boston “Song Exploder” Live featuring Fenne Lily: May 20, WBUR CitySpace Field Trip: Plant Night with Emerald City Plant Shop: May 22, WBUR CitySpace Gatsby: An American Myth: May 23 - August 3, American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

When the city removed a tent encampment in the area known as Mass. and Cass back in November, officials offered to help people find housing as part of a plan to help keep them off the streets. Now, two state run housing programs that were part of the effort are slated to close. WBUR reporter Deborah Becker joins The Common to talk about why these programs are closing, and how the closures will affect the people they serve. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Boston is a cultural hub for Caribbean communities, with people originally from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad, and other Caribbean countries, comprising nearly 9% of the city's population. The new Boston Caribbean American Association in Dorchester aims to unite these communities and promote year-round political and civic engagement. Kwame Elias of the Boston Caribbean American Association joins The Common to discuss the coalition's goals and mission, and their strategies for engaging with local Caribbean communities. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Last Thursday, the Massachusetts House and Senate voted to pass a supplementary budget that will provide an additional $251 million to the family shelter system. It also imposed a maximum of nine months stay limit for current families living in the state's emergency shelters, with certain people eligible for an extension waiver. Now, the bill awaits Governor Maura Healey’s signature. Today, The Boston Globe's political reporter Samantha J. Gross joins The Common to discuss the reasons behind the nine-month stay limit and how the state plans to spend the additional money on the family shelter system. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

We're going to be upfront with you. Last week was a hard one at WBUR. On Wednesday it was announced that the station would be cutting up to 14% of its staff through buyouts and layoffs in an attempt to reduce the station’s expenses by $4 million. This comes after a significant drop in underwriting revenue in recent years, adding to the trend of personnel cuts at public radio stations across the country in recent months. WBUR Investigative Correspondent Todd Wallack has been covering WBUR's financial struggles. He joins The Common to discuss what is behind the cuts, and what lies ahead for the station. Also, host Darryl C. Murphy makes an announcement about upcoming changes to the show. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Late Wednesday night, a protest encampment created by students at Emerson College was forcibly removed by police. Over 100 protesters were arrested in the clearing, and multiple injuries have been reported. Meanwhile, other encampments have been erected on campuses across the city as students call for, among other things, a ceasefire in Gaza, that schools cut ties with Israeli funding and support of pro-Palestinian student groups that have been suspended from campuses like Harvard. WBUR Senior Education Reporter Carrie Jung joins The Common to discuss the students' demands and how the city and campus communities are responding to this latest phase of protest. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

April is Earth Month, which is a time to reflect on the one planet we have and for a lot of us that’s an opportunity to discuss climate change, and how it’s affecting our communities. Throughout the month we featured weekly conversations with some of the people in Greater Boston working to build our region’s resilience in the face of a changing climate. Our final guest for these Earth Month discussions is Leslie Jonas, an Indigenous land and water conservationist and an elder eel clan member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.