The Codcast

Oct 27 2024 440 ep. 28 mins 66

The Codcast Podcast artwork

Tune into spirited debate, local stories, and insightful analyses with The Codcast. Hosted each week by a CommonWealth Beacon reporter, the half-hour policy podcast delves into the heart of Massachusetts’s most pressing and intriguing topics. Hear newsmakers, historians, and policy experts tackle statewide housing struggles, immigration policies, little-known histories, surprising political fights, and even take to the sea to visit rising offshore wind turbines.

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Balancing profit and care in Massachusetts health reform

Oct 27 2024 25 mins

This week on The Codcast, John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute sit down with Sen. Cindy Friedman of Middlesex to discuss how the state Legislature is tackling health care reform. They unpack the fragility of Massachusetts' health care following Steward hospital closures, holding insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and private

Striving for fairness in spending the fair share funds

Oct 20 2024 25 mins

This week on the Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon's editor Bruce Mohl sits down with Phineas Baxandall, Policy Director for the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, and Pete Wilson, Senior Policy Director for Transportation for Massachusetts. They discuss the recent controversy between the Healey-Driscoll administration and state Legislature over distributing surplus revenue collect

Milton's dilemma in the face of housing reform

Oct 13 2024 30 mins

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by state Sen. Brendan Crighton of Lynn, along with zoning expert and consultant Amy Dain. They discuss the MBTA Communities Act in light of recent arguments before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Milton's failure to comply. This episode examines the necessity of multi-family zoning to tackle the

Rising waters: navigating flooding in Mass.

Oct 06 2024 29 mins

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith sits down with Katherine Antos, Undersecretary of Decarbonization and Resilience, to share how the state plans to tackle sea level rise, coastal storms, and flooding exacerbated by climate change. They discuss long vs. short-term mitigation, financing climate resiliency, and the ResilientMass Plan.

A new leader is changing Merrimack Valley health care

Sep 29 2024 33 mins

This week on The Codcast, John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute are joined by Dr. Abha Agrawal, CEO of Lawrence General Hospital. They discuss her vision for a community-based health system, barriers to advancing equity in Merrimack Valley health care, and the hospital 'safety net' amidst a transition to 3 hospitals.

Ballot questions and battles royale

Sep 22 2024 24 mins

In a special live edition of the Codcast, Gintautas Dumcius chats about the Massachusetts ballot question wars with political consultants Lynda Tocci of Dewey Square Group and Conor Yunits of Issues Management Group. They discuss what makes a successful ballot campaign, the past and present challenges of galvanizing votes, and compare pre- and post-pandemic ballot campaigns.

Warren's challenger on what it means to be a Republican in Massachusetts

Sep 15 2024 26 mins

This week on the Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon's Gintautas Dumcius interviews John Deaton, the GOP nominee running against US Senator Elizabeth Warren. They discuss his campaign, crypto currency, who he plans to caucus with if he makes it down to Washington, and who may get his vote for president in November.

Chugging towards West-East Rail

Sep 08 2024 24 mins

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith speaks with Andy Koziol, Director of West-East Rail, and Meredith Slesinger, MassDOT's Rail and Transit Division Administrator. They delve into the challenges and opportunities of expanding intercity passenger rail between Boston, New York, and western Massachusetts.

Engagements: the business of the state?

Sep 01 2024 28 mins

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Meredith Goldstein, love advice columnist for the Boston Globe. They discuss the meaning of relationships, gender roles, and marriage in the context of upcoming arguments before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on what happens to engagement rings after a broken engagement.

Teachers unions and the Democratic Party

Aug 25 2024 30 mins

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith catches up with Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts and recently a DNC delegate, after her return from the convention. They discuss the place of education unions in national and state politics, the MCAS ballot measure here in Massachusetts, and what's ahead for education and heal