On this episode of In Common: A new report from the office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell revealed that nearly 1,000 kids were sexually abused by more than 270 priests from three Massachusetts Catholic archdioceses-- Springfield, Worcester and Fall River. Reporter Nancy Eve Cohen broke the story of allegations three years ago. Now, she has spoken to abuse survivors and explains what happens next. In Common is your guide to the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. This week, we're talking about voter registration. Getting people to register is easy. Getting people to actually go out and vote is the hard part, says Shanique Rodriguez, executive director of Massachusetts Voter Table. The Alzheimer's Family Support Center on Cape Cod offers community and educational programs for families dealing with dementia, all from a storefront inside the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis. CAI's Mindy Todd takes us on a tour. Meanwhile, outside of our beloved Commonwealth.... several high peaks around New England already reporting the first snowfall of the season. Cranberry bogs can be useful even after they stop growing fruit. Environmental organizations are repurposing retired cranberry bogs to create more wetland habitats. CAI's Amy Kolb Noyes reports on projects that are underway on the Cape. The Blanding's Turtle, recognizable by its yellow neck, is one of the most endangered species in the northeast. Conservationists enlisted the help of school kids to protect this species. GBH's Craig LeMoult reports on the results.
On this Big E special episode of In Common, NEPM's Elizabeth Roman has been to the event for as long as she can remember and is our tour guide of the fairgrounds. The Eastern State Exposition in Springfield (aka The Big E) is the fourth largest fair in the country. For 17 days, it's where agriculture experts, food lovers, musical talents and so much more congregate, drawing in more than a million visitors each year. The Big E, at its core, is all about showcasing agriculture and inspiring new generations of farmers. In Common's Patti Daniels meets with some of those young farmers raising big animals and a taste test of the 4-H Milkshakes. Gene Cassidy is the current CEO of The Big E and says "agriculture is our culture." He tells us more about how the expo first started, what has changed since and what the future holds for the exposition. Food is a big part of any fair, and there are many iconic eats at The Big E. In Common's Andrea Asuaje and Stina Chang take a bite of the famous Big E cream puffs (a recipe stolen from Wisconsin). Meanwhile, Patti and Liz engage in a "battle of the baked potatoes." The Avenue of the States is a grand row of six colonial buildings, each replica of a New England state house. Ashley Randall, the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, has more on the history and importance of the Massachusetts house. Inside the state houses, there are small business owners local to their state selling food, art and crafts. In Common's Patti Daniels talks with a candlemaker from Provincetown. Outside the state house, there are plenty more booths selling everything from clothes to jewelry and even ... hot tubs? In Common's Andrea Asuaje profiles the vendors selling mini pools at The Big E. While there is a plethora of amazing food options at the Big E, there are also some crazy ones. The In Common team tries some more iconic Big E eats, including the CrazE burger, Dr. Pickle and fried deviled eggs. The Big E is BIG in many ways. In another area of the fair, there's a whole building dedicated to exhibiting artistic creations. A Blue Ribbon textile artist tells us more about cross-stitching. Rides and games are synonymous with fairs. At The Big E, the Giant Slide is one of the most popular attractions. In Common's Stina Chang reports on how the slide does not disappoint.
On this episode of In Common: A growing number of former Community of Jesus residents on Cape Cod are speaking out about the abuse they endured while living there. CAI's Gilda Geist investigated these claims and joins In Common to talk more about how she put her story together. A resident at a Malden apartment building became skeptical when the management took away their recycling bin, saying the waste facility will sort the recyclable. She was right to question them. In fact, no companies in the state separate recyclables from garbage. GBH's Craig LeMoult's has the story on why most apartment buildings in Boston don't offer recycling to their tenants. In several communities in Mass., cow plop events draw hundreds of people to bet on where a cow will poop. In Common's Stina Chang has more from Southampton on this unique event. A new series from NEPM takes a look at Massachusetts' rich brewing history. Reporter Karen Brown takes us to a museum exhibit in historic Deerfield that covers centuries of brewing history in the state and how it has contributed to the Commonwealth's economy. Later, she visits White Lion brewery in Springfield to see what creative ways they are implementing to keep customers coming in. Then, In Common's Jeremy Siegel has more with Notch Brewing's Chris Lohring and Bill Shufelt, founder of Athletic Brewing, about how the industry is changing with the times, particularly in regards to low- or no-alcohol brews.
On this episode of In Common Just a few days after the first day of school, Springfield Public Schools canceled classes due to a data breach. Classes resumed on Monday, but the incident remains under investigation. NEPM's Jill Kaufman joins In Common to give us the latest on the cyberattack investigation and how school districts can be better prepared. Humans put many demands on the ocean — for fishing, shipping, raw materials, and more. Those demands can threaten marine life and the communities that depend on local fisheries. The Shared Seas Lab at UMass Dartmouth aims to help us share the ocean. CAI's Jennette Barnes has more with Professor Melissa Cronin. In the late 1700s, the newly drafted U.S. Constitution was celebrated as an innovative, bold experiment. Yet it didn't answer a couple of fundamental questions: who is a citizen? And how do you become one? As part of our ongoing series 'From Colony to Commonwealth,' GBH immigration reporter Sarah Betancourt tells us how citizenship was granted during the early days of America. After last year's dry-spell, weather experts are forecasting earlier and fuller fall foliage this season. Carol Connare, the editor-in-chief of The Old Farmer's Almanac, has more on when peak color will begin in Massachusetts and where to get the best views. The MBTA has taken on major strides to repair and maintain the T. But there's still a long way to go when it comes to building a world-class transit system here. In Common's Jeremy Siegel discussed this topic with Stephanie Pollack, the former secretary of transportation for Massachusetts and federal highway deputy administrator, Yonah Freemark of the non-profit think tank The Urban Institute and Corrigan Salerno, the transportation policy manager for the Metropolitan Abundance Project. Public libraries in some communities across the state are reaching residents by bringing books to them directly in a truck. These mobile libraries — known as bookmobiles—are attempting to bridge accessibility needs for library patrons who can’t easily go to a branch. GBH’s Trajan Warren and NEPM’s Nirvani Williams have more about these libraries on wheels.
On this episode of In Common: How Flock Surveillance quietly built one of the largest private surveillance networks in American history. But privacy advocates -- including the ACLU of Massachusetts -- have raised alarms that these cameras allow warrantless tracking, share sensitive data with out-of-state agencies, and can be abused. CAI's Sam Houghton reports on the debate from Cape Cod. The state is putting muscle behind the housing idea of Accessory Dwelling Units, better known as "granny flats" -- a smaller additional home built onto an existing house site. Jeremy talks with Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matais and GBH reporter Liz Neisloss about how ADUs can help ease the housing crunch, and support multi-generational households. Massachusetts has nearly 100 hundred colleges and universities, but many of them are struggling to stay open. Several small schools across the Commonwealth have recently closed or announced plans to shutter. GBH's Kirk Carapezza and NEPM's Jill Kaufman join host Jeremy Siegel to discuss why so many colleges are struggling -- and what happens when students, professors and college towns when they lose their school. The latest installment of our semi-regular segment, Meanwhile In, where we look at the weird, funny and sometimes amazing New England stories happening outside of our beloved commonwealth. This week: A New Hampshire parking lot mistaken for a UFO. A new bilingual series called "Latinos de Aqui" puts a spotlight on the lives of Latinos in western Mass, with short, documentary portraits. NEPM's executive editor Elizabeth Roman and digital producer Luis Salazar join In Common to preview the project.