The Common

The end of summer is always bittersweet but it also ushers in one of our favorite times of year: Theater season. Assistant Director of CitySpace Candice Springer is back on The Common with three theatrical performances to enjoy during the month of September.

Candice recommends:

POTUS - Sept. 15 - Oct. 15: SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Calderwood Pavilion

https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/shows-and-events/potus/

Assassins - Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston Theater

https://www.lyricstage.com/show-item/Assassins

Fat Ham - Sept. 22 - Oct. 22 at The Huntington at the Calderwood Pavilion

https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/whats-on/fat-ham/

Learn about more CitySpace events happening this month:

https://www.wbur.org/events

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Boston's preliminary municipal elections are September 12. Among the seats up for grabs are District Five and District Six, which are currently held by Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Lara, respectively. Both candidates have had their share of high profile drama this past year, and are heading into the election with multiple competitors.

Boston Globe Politics Reporter Emma Platoff joins The Common to discuss the outlook for Lara and Arroyo's campaigns, as well as what this coming election season could mean for progressive politics in Boston.

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

Today on, The Common, 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 livestreams, 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.

In today's episode, Elizabeth 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.

Last week, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, or POST, finally released its new database of complaints against police officers in Massachusetts – a year after its deadline.

The release of the data is being called ​​“a major milestone” in the effort to increase transparency and accountability in our state’s law enforcement system. But, as WBUR Senior Reporter Ally Jarmanning explains on today's episode, there is still a lot of information missing from the record.

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

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for us to bring you a story from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom.

When you think about pollution, you probably think of contamination in the air or water. But light pollution can impact the health of people and wildlife, too.

Today's story comes to us from WBUR Environmental Reporter, Paula Moura. She talked to one resident on Nantucket who made it her full time job to protect the island’s night skies. Her efforts led to the town passing a light pollution bylaw earlier this year, and it could be a model for other legislation in the state. 

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

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.

Today, 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.

Gabrielle's story:

Take Gabrielle's poison ivy quiz: https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/22/massachusetts-new-england-poison-ivy-quiz

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

The new $56 billion state budget earmarks $5 million to design and launch a reduced fare program for low income MBTA riders. The program could benefit an estimated 60,000 riders, but it's yet to be seen exactly what the plan will look like and, perhaps most importantly, when it will be available to qualifying riders. 

WBUR Transportation Reporter Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez joins The Common to walk us through this highly anticipated program, and what she's watching for going forward.

Read Andrea's story: https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/18/reduced-fares-mbta

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

In May, 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. 

Today, 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. 

More info on the Friendship Project: https://advocates.org/friendship-project-advocates-volunteer-program

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

MBTA ridership still lags about 40% behind pre-pandemic levels, while car traffic has bounced back in-full. This is bad news for the climate, as experts say reducing driving is by far one of the fastest ways to reduce transportation emissions, which make up more than 30% of the state's total greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, Boston Globe Transportation Reporter Taylor Dolven joins The Common to discuss the MBTA service concerns holding some commuters back from taking the T when driving is an option.

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

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for us to bring you a story from one of our friends in the WBUR newsroom.

Today’s story comes from WBUR education reporter, Max Larkin. 

Each summer, rising high school seniors known as THRIVE Scholars head to Amherst College for a six week program. They come from all over the country, and they’re all talented students from low income backgrounds who hope to attend a selective college or university. 

Max headed out to Amherst to check out this year’s summer academy, where the scholars make their final preparations for the application process. 

Max's story: https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/17/boston-nonprofit-students-of-color-elite-colleges

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