The Common

When a 2022 Supreme Court ruling ended nationwide protection for abortion access, Massachusetts abortion rights advocates predicted an influx of people from out of state seeking abortions.

Now, WBUR's Martha Bebinger found the number of people who obtained abortion care from Massachusetts providers was up at least 37% in 2023. The increase was mostly driven by patients from outside the state.

Today on The Common, Martha and Dr. Angel Foster, co-founder of Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants, discuss the future of abortion access in Massachusetts.

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

It's been a little over a week since President-elect Donald Trump won a second term in office over Vice President Kamala Harris. Regardless of how you feel about it, another Trump presidency is almost certain to leave a lasting impression on our political reality, including here in deep-blue Massachusetts.

Today on The Common, WBUR Senior Politics Reporter, Anthony Brooks, and WBUR State House Reporter, Walter Wuthmann, join us to discuss reactions since the election, and look ahead to what the results could mean for our state.

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

In August, Mayor Michelle Wu introduced Boston's first Office of Climate Resilience. She appointed Chris Osgood, previously Chief of Staff and Chief of Streets, as the office's director.

Osgood joined us in September to discuss what Bostonians can expect from the Office of Climate Resilience in the coming years.

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

Happy Halloween! We wish you safe and spooky celebrations this week. That said, Tuesday, November 5th is the 2024 general election. And there is nothing scarier than getting to the polls unprepared.

Five statewide ballot questions are before voters this November, and frighteningly, there are quite a few misconceptions about them.

Evan Horowitz, director of The Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University, joins us in breaking down each question and outlines what is being asked of voters on Election Day.

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

Offshore wind projects like Vineyard Wind are set to be a huge part of our state’s energy future.

But for such a huge infrastructure project, it’s not that easy to get out and see for yourself. For one thing, you need to charter a boat to take you out to look at the Vineyard Wind turbines located miles offshore. 

This is exactly what a group of New England reporters did in September – including WBUR’s own senior climate reporter, Miriam Wasser. She joins The Common to tell us about the experience. 

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

Boston's theater-goers are overwhelmingly white: 89%, according to a report by the nonprofit ArtsBoston. At the same time, more than half of the city's residents are people of color.

Some theater companies are fostering inclusion with Black Out nights. Performances are taken off sale to the general public and made accessible with a code distributed to Black organizations and social media groups.

Maurice Emmanuel Parent is an actor, educator and co-founder and co-producing artistic director of Front Porch Arts Collective, a Black theatre company promoting racial equity in Boston. He speaks with us about the history and intention of Black Out experiences.

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

Each year, WBUR highlights a group of artists of color in Greater Boston. These "Makers" are spreading joy and building community while practicing their craft. We meet three of the artists from this year's cohort.

Dancer Beth Mochizuki is helping dancers bring more of themselves to the stage with her company, the Asian American Ballet Project. Saxophonist Jonathan Suazo is combining his Puerto Rican identity with his Dominican heritage through jazz. Musician Pranav Swaroop is fusing classical Indian traditions with rock and electronics as part of the band, Project MishraM.

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

Experts say climate change is increasing the risk of a “double disaster” — a large-scale chemical spill caused by extreme weather. Massachusetts is especially vulnerable, as a coastal state with industrial ports.

WBUR's senior investigative reporter Patrick Madden took a closer look at this risk in New Bedford, a city with a high concentration of warehouses that use chemicals for cold storage in the fishing industry.

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

On this episode of  The Common, Boston Globe Reporter Diti Kohli breaks down the evolution of Stop and Shop, and where the grocery store is headed. Then, listen to an excerpt from host Darryl C. Murphy's WBUR CitySpace interview with Chef and TikTok influencer Jon Kung.

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Stop and Shop opened a swanky upgraded location in Allston Yards this summer. A couple of weeks later, the company announced that it would be closing more than 30 of its stores in New England, including 15 in Massachusetts. Both moves are part of a strategy that Stop and Shop hopes will keep it in the game. The Boston Globe's business reporter Diti Kohli recently did a deep dive into Stop and Shop's legacy, and what it shows about the current grocery industry in the state.

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

Last spring, the City of Boston welcomed its inaugural Director of Nightlife Economy, Corean Reynolds. You might have heard some people refer to her as the “night czar,” though that’s not her official title. Now that she’s been in her position for a year, we wanted to catch up with her about some of the initiatives her office is working on, as well as challenges to improving nightlife in the city.

You'll also hear producer Frannie Monahan hit the streets to ask Bostonians about their thoughts on the city's nightlife scene, and their suggestions for improving it for everyone.

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