The Common

The Dorchester Reporter, founded in 1983 by husband and wife Ed and Mary Forry, celebrated 40 years of circulation this month. Bill Forry, current publisher of The Reporter (and Ed and Mary's son) was 10-years-old when his parents started the paper.

Today, Bill Forry joins The Common with his wife and co-publisher Linda Dorcena Forry to reflect on four decades of The Dorchester Reporter and how it helped shaped the Boston we know today.

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

Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, wants to expand one of its pipelines in the Northeast in order to increase the supply of natural gas to states like Massachusetts. This comes as Massachusetts and surrounding states are actively trying to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in order to combat the impacts of climate change. However, pipeline expansion projects like this one fall under the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), rather than individual state governments.

Miriam Wasser is a senior climate and environment reporter at WBUR. She joins The Common to explain what the pipeline expansion project entails and why there's debate over whether the extra gas is needed. She also breaks down the role state officials and climate advocates will play as the project advances

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

The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (M.I.C.E) is a festival focusing on independent, small press and self-published comics and cartoons. This year's event is hosted by Boston University's School of Visual Arts, and takes place September 30-October 1st at BU's Fuller Building (808 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Mass.) And best of all, it's free to attend.

Dan Mazur is a professional cartoonist, comics historian and the co-director of M.I.C.E. He joins The Common to talk about what attendees can expect at this year's expo, as well what makes Boston such a great city for independent comics.

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

After months of refusing to provide records on a police officer who was accused of sexual assault, the town of Natick has paid WBUR more than $22,000 in a lawsuit settlement. It's the latest example of a Massachusetts city paying out big, after being sued for ignoring or rejecting a request for public records.

Ally Jarmanning is a senior reporter for WBUR. She joins The Common to talk about why municipalities continue to withhold public records despite knowing they may have to pay, and how this practice can make it difficult for private citizens to obtain important information about their public institutions.

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

Massachusetts is in the midst of a housing crisis. Just last month, Governor Maura Healey declared an emergency in the state's family shelter system, through which a record number of people are desperately trying to obtain housing.

Producer's note: After this interview was recorded, state housing officials announced that they are launching a 90-day effort to reduce the number of vacancies in state public housing by the end of 2023 as a response to the impactful reporting described in this episode. 

And yet, a new investigation from WBUR and ProPublica found that there are nearly 2300 units of state public housing sitting empty across the Commonwealth –– sometimes for years at a time.

Todd Wallack is an investigative correspondent with WBUR. He joins The Common to discuss why valuable public housing units are allowed to remain unoccupied, and the challenges housing officials have filling them.

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

The end of summer means a whole slue of fun things to do in Greater Boston.

Like cinema? How about dance? There are more than half-a-dozen film festivals happening in the region this autumn, and over a dozen dance events.

How about new music for a new season?

Look no further than WBUR's Fall Arts Guides, featuring new albums from local artists, theatre events, art exhibitions, classical music performances and more.

WBUR Arts Editor Lauren Williams joins The Common to discuss some of highlights from this fall's arts guides.

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

The top regulator of the state's $5-billion legal weed industry has been suspended, even as the Control Commission is poised to make new rules governing cannabis production and commerce in Massachusetts.

State lawmakers also sent a letter Monday to the Legislature’s committee on cannabis policy, asking for a hearing and an independent state auditing unit to review the board's actions.

Today, Boston Globe staff reporter Matt Stout joins The Common to discuss State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg's decision to suspend Shannon O’Brien, who she appointed as the state's top regulator just one year ago -- and what it might mean for the state's burgeoning cannabis economy.

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

Green crabs are an incredibly successful — and harmful — invasive species. They thrive in ocean waters the world over, including in New England.

Although traditionally only used as fish bait, some chefs are now serving green crab at Boston restaurants.

Today, Radio Boston Producer & Director Amanda Beland joins The Common to explain how green crabs are harming our local environment, and what some people are doing to fight back.

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

With traditional flu season bearing down fast, and Covid-19 on the rise, the upcoming fall and winter might be better characterized as a triple-viral threat: Covid, flu and RSV.

This is also the first year we've ever had vaccines available for all three respiratory viruses.

Public health experts say the threat to the public at large -- and the hospital system -- must be taken seriously, but with more anti-viral-tools in our toolbox than ever before, there may also be also be some room for cautious optimism.

Today, WBUR Senior Health Reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey joins The Common to talk about what's ahead for public health in Massachusetts.

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

Starting this year, Salem High School is instructing students to put their phones into lockable pouches during the school day, outside of lunch, to reduce in-class distractions and encourage in-person interactions. 

Today, WBUR Senior Education Reporter Carrie Jung joins The Common to talk about this new policy, how students are responding, and what's next for cell phone restriction policies in high schools across the region. 

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