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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Follow the weekly podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, or anywhere else you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.
Latest Episode
Sec. Santiago on improving veterans services
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Jon Santiago, Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services, to discuss how the now two-year-old office is progressing, advances at the Commonwealth’s Veterans Homes, how it is responding to threats from Washington, and what work he’s excited about for the future.
Listen now.
Primary care physicians organizing union at Mass General Brigham
This week on The Codcast, John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute talk to Michael Barnett, who is both a primary care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor of health policy at the T.H. Chan School, about the ongoing effort to unionize PCPs across the Mass General Brigham system.
Listen now.Sec. Augustus on housing policy base hits
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith sits down with Ed Augustus, Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, to discuss how federal policy changes threaten state housing goals, the Commonwealth’s response, the tools it is using to meet those goals, and much more.
Listen now.The data purge domino effect
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Ariel Beccia, an instructor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to discuss the Trump administration’s purges of health-related government data, how these and other data purges ripple through society, and researchers’ efforts to respond.
Listen now.Temporary Protected Status marks the latest immigration standoff between Trump and Massachusetts
CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Sarang Sekhavat, Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), to discuss threats to immigration policies such as Temporary Protected Status and sanctuary cities, and how officials in Massachusetts and nationally are responding.
Listen now.Sen. Ed Markey and the chainsaw to democracy
CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith interviews US Sen. Ed Markey on the fight against Trump’s actions, his stance on running again, and the future of the Democratic party.
Listen now.Tackling the primary care crisis in Massachusetts
John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute sit down with Dr. Wayne Altman, Professor and Chair of Family Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine, to discuss the growing primary care crisis in Massachusetts.
They explore the causes behind the physician shortage, and the ‘Primary Care for You’ bill aimed at reforming payment models and improving access to care.
Listen now.The case for banning smart phones in schools
CommonWealth Beacon editor Laura Colarusso sits down with state Senator John Velis to discuss the growing issue of smart phone addiction among youth, its impact on mental health, and a new bill aimed at addressing these concerns.
Listen now.Josh Kraft enters Boston mayoral race
CommonWealth Beacon editor Laura Colarusso is joined by fellow reporter Gintautas Dumcius to discuss Josh Kraft’s candidacy, Mayor Wu’s response, and top issues in this race.
Listen now.Legislating care and cost: the health insurers’ perspective
John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute interview Lora Pellegrini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, to discuss healthcare affordability, regulation, and legislative efforts in Massachusetts. They cover prescription drug pricing, hospital accountability, and the future of the Affordable Care Act, highlighting Massachusetts as a leader in healthcare reform.
Listen now.Reckoning with Trump’s inauguration on MLK day
CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Nicole Obi, president and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, and Imari K. Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace Boston. They discuss how organizations dedicated to racial justice and equity are responding to the challenges of this political era.
Listen now.SJC lays down the law on MBTA Communities
Commonwealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith chats with Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Regional Chamber, and Luc Schuster, executive director of Boston Indicators at the Boston Foundation. They discuss how the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling on the MBTA Communities Act impacts the state’s power to mandate zoning reform in cities and towns.
Listen to past Codcasts on this topic: ‘Milton’s dilemma in the face of housing reform’ (10/13/24) , ‘AG Andrea Campbell talks local power and gambling boom’ (4/14/24) , ‘MBTA Communities panel splits over state vs. local control’ (4/7/24)
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