The Common

A civil rights organization claims they're being barred from monitoring how Boston Public Schools spends certain funds to support students who are English language learners, despite a decades-old federal court order that gives them permission to do so. BPS maintains that they're in compliance.

Mandy McLaren, a reporter for the Boston Globe's Great Divide team, which looks into educational inequality in Boston and beyond, joins The Common to walk us through what's known about this conflict, and BPS' broader track record regarding support for students who are English language learners.

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

In the past several years there has been a push among food service workers locally and nationally to unionize their workplaces. Recent local examples include three associated cafes in Somerville (Diesel Café, Bloc Café and Forge Baking Company), which reached a contract with their employer in February, as well as the Harvard Square location of Milk Bar, which closed shortly after workers there voted to unionize. Boston Globe Business Reporter Diti Kohli joins The Common to discuss the surge in union efforts among Boston-area cafe workers.

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

You know that broken thing you have sitting in your closet that you just don't have the heart to throw away? It could be a broken lamp, a dead watch or a pair of scissors that's a little dull. Well, chances are there's a helpful neighbor nearby who would love to fix it up for you at one of the region's Repair Cafes. WBUR's Martha Bebinger joins The Common with more on the Repair Cafe movement and the folks behind it.

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

Which neighborhood should you visit, if you're looking to buy a relatively affordable home in Boston? Unless you're ready to drop a big chunk of change... none of them. It's an extremely challenging time to enter the housing market in Greater Boston, and there are a lot of reasons why.

Business correspondent for the Boston Globe, Andrew Brinker joins The Common for a look at the factors contributing to Boston's challenging housing market, which disproportionately impacts Black and Latino residents.

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

Rumney Marsh is a protected wetland in Saugus. It's also home to a landfill that's close to reaching its 50-foot height capacity. While activists say it's about time to lock down the landfill, the operator of the facility, WIN Waste, wants to expand landfill capacity, regardless of state regulations.

WBUR's Paula Moura joins The Common with more.

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

Tucked underneath the bustling Cambridge Common restaurant near Porter Square is the Lizard Lounge, a longtime gathering place for Greater Boston's poetry scene. Since 1998, the venue has hosted a weekly event that combines curated poetry performance with live, improvisational jazz. The venue just celebrated its 25th anniversary, and the retirement of Jeff Robinson, the leader behind the musical stylings that accompany this iconic poetry night.

WBUR's Cristela Guerra joins The Common for more on Robinson's legacy, and what's next for the Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam.

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

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is announcing her first budget recommendations this week. WBUR's Senior State House Reporter Steve Brown joins The Common to break down some of Governor Healey's biggest budget priorities this year.

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

The League of Women for Community Service is Boston's oldest Black women-led organization. Founded in 1920, the League provided a safe space and numerous services to Boston's Black community throughout the 20th century. WBUR Reporter Arielle Gray joins The Common to tell us more about this piece of Boston's Black history and the effort to restore its original building. 

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

Haitian migrants landing in Massachusetts are waiting months to years for documentation that will allow them to legally work in the U.S. Meanwhile, worker shortages continue to plague industries from construction to school transportation. Seth Daniel, news editor for the Dorchester Reporter, joins The Common to discuss how this backlog is impacting Haitian immigrants locally and the Boston community at large. 

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

Reina Morales Rojas, a recent immigrant and resident of East Boston, has been missing for three months. It took Boston police more than six weeks to announce her case and it has received little public attention since. Boston Globe Associate Editor and Columnist Marcela Garcia has been following the story, she joined us to tell us more about Reina and how her case was overlooked for so long. 

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