The Common

It's Earth Week on The Common. And in honor of our home planet, we're bringing you a special series. Every day this week, we're exploring what climate change looks and feels like in Boston, and how it's impacting our communities, right now.

Today's destination: Chinatown.

In Boston's Chinatown, you don’t have to look far to see how climate change is already affecting the lives of residents. The neighborhood is one of the city’s worst heat islands, and it has the highest levels of air pollution in the state thanks to nearby Interstates 90 and 93. With Boston Harbor nearby, there’s also the risk of future flooding.

But the Chinatown Community Land Trust and Chinese Progressive Association are working on a solution that they hope will put power back in the hands of Chinatown residents when it comes to climate resilience – literally.

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

Medical professionals volunteering at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013 found themselves tending not only to tired runners, but also to victims of the two bombs that exploded that day.

For the first time since that tragic event, those first responders are talking openly about their experiences, the strong bonds that were forged there a decade ago, and the healing that's happened since.

As we remember the Boston Marathon bombings, WBUR reporter Martha Bebinger joins The Common to share stories from inside the medical tent and beyond.

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

Nearly a decade has passed since the Boston Marathon bombings. This year, many will pause to reflect on the three lives lost that day and the dozens of others who were physically injured.

But the trauma didn't not stop there. As runners prepare to hit the road on Monday, The Common speaks with WBUR senior correspondent Deborah Becker about the psychological damage left in the wake of the attacks, and experts' recommendations for self-care.

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

Massachusetts is taking steps to ensure continued access to mifepristone, a common abortion medication following a ruling from a federal judge in Texas, which aims to block access to the drug. The Justice Department has appealed this order.

Earlier this week, Gov. Maura Healey announced that the University of Massachusetts Amherst has secured roughly 15,000 doses of the drug, at the request of the governor, to create stockpiles of the drug in state. The governor also issued an executive order confirming that providers are protected under state law to stock and use the drug.

WBUR reporter Martha Bebinger joins The Common for more on how Massachusetts is working to guarantee access to mifepristone in future.

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

Nearly 9 out of 10 teachers in Massachusetts public schools are white, despite students of color making up roughly 44% of the student population. In Lowell, the state's sixth largest school district, the disparity is even more stark.

A new program aims to change this, by encouraging students of color to pursue careers in teaching through a partnership between Lowell Public Schools and the University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

WBUR education reporter Samuele Petruccelli speaks with The Common about the push to increase diversity among teachers in Lowell and statewide.

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

In March, Boston's City Council voted 11-2 in support of a rent control plan proposed by Mayor Michelle Wu. The plan would cap rent increases at 10% for apartments in Boston, with some exceptions. 

Now that the proposal has been approved by the city, it faces an uphill climb in the Massachusetts legislature as it seeks to become law. WBUR Senior Statehouse Reporter Steve Brown joins The Common to discuss the path forward for Boston's rent control proposal on Beacon Hill.

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

Spring is officially here, which means it's time to ditch the cabin fever, get out and revel in all the live events going on this month in Boston. WBUR CitySpace Assistant Director Candice Springer joins The Common to share her top local events to enjoy in April.

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

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, which is out today.

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.

Crime and justice. Punishment and redemption. When it comes to even the most extreme crimes, how much prison time is enough?

Marshall Project reporter Beth Schwartzapfel speaks with The Common about Violation, a new podcast from WBUR and The Marshall Project, which explores the nation's parole system, and the stories of the people entangled in it.

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

Last Tuesday, the city lost a giant. Activist, former politician and proud son of the South End, Mel King, died at the age of 94. King fought for working class people in the streets and on Beacon Hill, and he was the first Black candidate to make it to the general election in a race to be Boston’s mayor. 

Local writer and historian Dart Adams joins The Common to remember Mel King, and for a look at his ongoing legacy.

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