The Common

Grace by Nia, which opened late last month, is a new restaurant and music club in Boston's predominantly white Seaport neighborhood. But unlike many of its neighbors, Grace by Nia, owned by Nia Grace of Darryl's Corner Bar and Kitchen, aims to cater specifically to the experiences of guests of color.

Today on The Common, we take you to Grace by Nia and talk with owner Nia Grace about her vision for the businesses and the new energy it brings to the neighborhood.

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

It's a hot dog summer, y'all. More than 20 businesses (and counting) are taking advantage of a new city initiative that allows qualifying restaurants, bars and beer gardens to welcome dogs to their outdoor dining and drinking spaces.

Emily Schario, head of content for The B-Side joins The Common to walk us through the dos and don'ts of pup patio etiquette, and for the lowdown on some of the participating establishments.

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

We’ve been making The Common every day since November, and it’s been a privilege to bring you stories from Greater Boston five days a week. Now, we want your story. Knowing our audience helps us serve our audience. And, it helps us get support for the show. So, it would mean the world to us if you would take a moment to fill out this quick survey: wbur.org/survey

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

Massachusetts lawmakers and Governor Maura Healey have only passed 12 new laws in the past five months – the fewest by this point in the legislative session in decades. By comparison, Charlie Baker signed nearly 30 bills by June during his first year and Deval Patrick signed 44 bills into law in the same time period. Boston Globe Politics Reporter Matt Stout joins The Common to discuss what is behind the slow progress, as well as what it means for Maura Healey's goals as governor. 

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

As the housing crisis continues in Massachusetts, developers in states like Pennsylvania, California and neighboring New Hampshire are leaning on factory-made construction to make new housing, and make it fast. With this method, entire portions of buildings are made in a factory, off-site and shipped to the construction site to be pieced together into one cohesive building, like a giant game of Legos.

The efficiency of factory-made construction means a building project can be completed in about half the time of a traditional project, saving developers money, and getting them onto the next project faster.

So why hasn't Massachusetts embraced this approach?

WBUR reporter Yasmin Amer joins The Common to tell us more about off-site, modular construction and how it could potentially be used as a tool to combat the state's housing shortage.

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

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, also known as MCAS, has been the standard for state testing in MA for 25 years. Yet, some advocates and educators worry that this testing system is leaving some students behind, especially as the number of English language learners continues to grow in public schools.

WBUR Education Reporter Max Larkin joins The Common to talk about a group of school districts that are trying out a more immersive, collaborative method for evaluation, and broader efforts to rethink standardized testing in the state.

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

We finally made it to June and it is time to get outside and par-tay. WBUR Assistant Director of City Space Candice Springer joins The Common with a list of ways to have fun in the sun this month. 

Candice recommends...

Boston Pride For The People, June 10 

Donna Summer Disco Party, June 16

Boston Art and Soul Music Festival (BAMS Fest), June 23-24

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

Drug regulators are currently considering whether to make birth control pills available over the counter in the U.S.. If approved, this increase in accessibility would be a significant new chapter in the medication’s history, which can be traced back to Massachusetts, where it was first developed.

WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter Gabrielle Emmanuel joins The Common to discuss the origins of oral birth control in Massachusetts and how that history informs the current movement to expand birth control access.

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

A new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows an increase in acts of hate including antisemitism and an increase in the distribution of white supremacist propaganda in Massachusetts. The data covers 2021 and 2022.

Interim Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League of New England, Peggy Shukur, joins The Common to discuss the report's findings, and what they can tell us about political and social sentiments in the state and beyond.

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

The company in charge of decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth has proposed treating and diluting more than one million gallons of radiation-contaminated wastewater, and releasing it into Cape Cod Bay. But recently released state data detailing the high levels of radiation in the untreated wastewater has some worried that the wastewater, even once treated, may still pose threats.

WBUR Climate and Environment Correspondent Barbara Moran joins The Common to walk us through the new findings, which have locals, politicians and members of the fishing industry concerned.

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