WBUR

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Channel • 9 Shows

News

News

Updated 6 days ago
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Series
Stories for Kids

Stories for Kids

Weekly series

Stories for Kids

Stories for Kids

Weekly series
Relationships

Relationships

Monthly
Technology

Technology

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Series
News

News

Updated 6 days ago
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Series
True Crime

True Crime

Weekly series

14 MAR

The Stream is Up

Every day, seven days a week, for eight hours or more, Hasan Piker is live on the video game streaming platform Twitch. This is where he shares his political commentary with a dedicated community of viewers — many of whom fall into a particularly sought-after electoral demographic: young men. One of the dominant theories about the re-election of President Donald Trump in November 2024 was that it was aided by commentators like Piker: brash and bro-y. But Piker is a Socialist, considerably to the left of the mainstream Democratic Party. He gets into streamer beefs, but he also talks a lot about empathy and bringing a spirit of charitability to political discourse. What kind of affect does he have on his community and their political activism? Who's tuning in 50 hours a week to get their news from one guy (spoiler: it's not just twentysomething men), and really — who's that guy? Endless Thread talks to Hasan Piker and his fans. Credits: This episode was written by Ben Brock Johnson and co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson. It was reported and produced by Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus.

14 Mar

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36 min
20/02/2016

My Best Friend's Wedding

We revisit an episode about friendship with one of our most beloved Sugar guests — the writer Ann Patchett. In this episode, the Sugars take a question from a young woman whose best friend since childhood is about to get married to a man she's known for only six months. The two friends are very different, and the letter writer worries that her impulsive, drama-prone friend is rushing into another bad situation.

20/02/2016

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36 min
02/04/2024

Another step toward reduced-fare for low-income T riders

Last week, the MBTA board of directors voted in favor of offering a reduced-fare program for low-income adults across the transit system, including for The Ride -- the MBTA's paratransit service. It's a huge victory for advocates who have been pushing for such a program for more than a decade. Today, Boston Globe Transportation Reporter Taylor Dolven joins The Common for a transit news round-up. First, a look at what it will take to make a low-income fare program a reality. Then, Taylor tells us about the MBTA's decision to pay an additional $148 million to a company notably behind on their contracted promise to make new Red and Orange Line train cars for the system. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

02/04/2024

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14 min
21/02/2023

Rethinking home ownership in Chinatown

Housing prices in Boston's Chinatown have been surging for decades, resulting in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the city. That's why housing advocates with the Chinatown Community Land Trust have turned to an alternative model for home ownership that helps working-class and immigrant residents stay in the neighborhood. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

21/02/2023

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13 min
16/05/2023

Cannabis in Mass: A market on the brink

Since its state legalization in 2016, cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar industry that helps fuel the Massachusetts economy and tax revenue, while also providing opportunities to address racial equity. Still, despite its popularity, cannabis is heavily regulated and the negative stigma around the drug lingers. Today on The Common, it's the first of a three-part discussion about the state of cannabis in Massachusetts. We speak with Freelance Cannabis and Drug Policy Reporter Dan Adams about the slow rate of cannabis policy reform in the state and the what's going on with the cannabis market. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

16/05/2023

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14 min
12/04/2024

EPA sets new nationwide restrictions on PFAS levels in drinking water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced a new drinking water standard to reduce exposure to PFAS, chemicals linked to health risks like cancer. Massachusetts is one of 11 states with existing PFAS limits, which are different from the new federal guideline. As a result, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection estimated that 95 water systems across the state will need to upgrade their water system to address PFAS for the first time under the new federal rules. Climate and Environment Correspondent Barbara Moran joins The Common with more on the new federal rule and its impact on the local water systems. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

12/04/2024

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12 min
20/09/2019

Speak Memory

Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri know a lot about us – maybe TOO much about us. But when we’re gone, they also leave our loved ones with something to hold on to. In this episode, we explore how technology is helping preserve memories and changing our relationship to the past.

20/09/2019

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26 min
18/02/2020

Encore: 'The Lute Player'

This Russian and European folktale stars real-life husband and wife Paul Sparks (House of Cards, Sweetbitter) and Annie Parisse (Friends From College) as a king who's taken prisoner, and a queen whose musical prowess sets him free.

18/02/2020

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21 min
26/03/2021

Redux: Is Porn Wrong?

Pornography is more abundant and accessible than ever before. So it probably isn't surprising that it appears to be having a greater impact on romantic relationships. Part one of a two-part series focuses on some basic questions about porn -- is it wrong to use it? Why do people turn to porn? Is there such a thing as "healthy" porn use in a relationship? This episode was originally published on December 1st, 2016.

26/03/2021

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36 min
14/02/2015

Making Love

The Sugars celebrate Valentine's Day by fielding questions from a married woman whose long-dormant passions have been reignited by an old high-school boyfriend, and from a young woman struggling with whether to leave behind her cheating, closeted girlfriend.

14/02/2015

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43 min

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