The Codcast

This week on The Codcast, Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute and John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health are joined by Eric Gold, partner at Manatt Health and former Chief of the Health Care Division at the MA Attorney General's Office. They discuss the implications of the Steward Health Care bankruptcy for regulatory oversight, as well as the healthcare reform bill currentl...

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka and Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues to discuss the Senate's budget proposal. They get into differences between the Senate and House proposals, potential revenue measures, transit and shelter funding, programs supporting families and youth, and more.

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Juliette Kayyem, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and former Assistant Secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, to discuss the ongoing student protests around Israel and Gaza. They touch on the character of the protests, different university responses, what an effective response to protest looks li...

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Paul S. Grogan, former president of The Boston Foundation, to discuss his new memoir, "Prepared to be Lucky: Reflections on Fifty Years of Public and Community Service." Together with coauthor Kathryn E. Merchant, they discuss Paul's long career in Boston politics and philanthropy, and the model of nonprofit civic leadersh...

This week on The Codcast, Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute and John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health are joined by Charlie Donahue, executive director of the Health Planning Council of Greater Boston from 1981-88. They discuss the successes and failures of that organization, and whether a similar model could work today.

This week on The Codcast, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell joins CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss several office priorities, from enforcing the MBTA Communities Act, to gun control, to regulating the state's gambling systems.

This week on the Codcast, we're bringing you a recording of a recent discussion on the MBTA Communities Act, moderated by CommonWealth Beacon's Gin Dumcius. The panelists are Andrea Harris-Long of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, State Rep. Russell Holmes, and Quincy City Council President Ian Cain. [Note: the recording has been condensed for clarity]

This week on The Codcast, Jonathan Wynn of UMass Amherst and Dan Skinner of Ohio University join CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss their book, The City and the Hospital, about the mixed effects nonprofit hospitals have on the neighborhoods they operate in, and how they do and don't fulfill their community obligations.

This week on The Codcast, Jennifer Smith of CommonWealth Beacon talks to Enid Eckstein of the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition about their effort to increase the Massachusetts minimum wage to $20 an hour and index it to inflation. Along the way, they discuss the cost of living, inequality, business competitiveness, and political strategy.

This week on The Codcast, longtime Massachusetts Nurses Association executive director Julie Pinkham talks to John McDonough and Paul Hattis about the MNA's relationship to Steward Health Care over the years, the consequences of healthcare deregulation, and how the state can facilitate a positive outcome in the present situation.

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith sits down with Billie J. Farrell, the first woman commander of the historic USS Constitution. They discuss her path to the post, the ship's role in naval history, and how she keeps that history alive for the public.

This week on The Codcast, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng talks to CommonWealth Beacon's Bruce Mohl about his first year running the T, why he's optimistic about bringing riders back, and where things stand with train car manufacturer CRRC.

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 CommonWealth Beacon's Bruce Mohl about what went wrong with Steward Health Care, and the different paths out of the current situation.

This week on the Codcast, Embrace Boston president Imari Jeffries talks to CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith about the story of the Embrace statue, the organization's upcoming projects, and its approach to memorializing Boston history while embodying values of diversity and equity.

This Valentine's week, on a special joint recording of The Horse Race and The Codcast, co-hosts Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith ask the burning question: is #mapoli breaking up? They're joined by a crew of #mapoli veterans to discuss how social media has impacted political communications over the past decade and a half, and what the declining political twittersphere means for the future.

In the past few years, Boston has been reshaping the institutions it uses to guide the city's growth. This week on the Codcast, Arthur Jemison, Boston's Chief of Planning and Director of the Boston Planning and Development Agency, talks to CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith about these changes, how they fit into a broader vision for Boston's development, and how they incorporate community involv...

This week on The Codcast, National Grid experts Owen Brady-Traczyk and Bill Foley join CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss two pilot programs bringing networked geothermal heating and cooling systems to Massachusetts.

This week on Health or Consequences, John McDonough and Paul Hattis are joined by Michael Levine, Assistant Secretary for MassHealth. They discuss the importance of MassHealth in the MA healthcare landscape, the agency's holistic approach to coverage and service provision, its response to the pandemic, and its relationship to the federal government.

Gov. Maura Healey's State of the Commonwealth address included ambitious language about supporting transportation, but the details remain to be seen. This week on The Codcast, former Sec. of Transportation Jim Aloisi and Executive Director of the MBTA Advisory Board Brian Kane join CommonWealth Beacon's Bruce Mohl to discuss what kind of support Massachusetts's transportation system needs and is l...

Last year, the Dirty Deeds Project brought to light hundreds of racially restrictive covenants in home deeds on the North Shore. North Shore NAACP branch president Kenann McKenzie-DeFranza and Harborlight Homes Advocacy and Education Manager Jean Michael Fana join CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss the project, and how telling this ugly history can empower Massachusetts communities to...

Few industries have faced more challenges in the past few years than restaurants. Devra First, the Boston Globe's restaurant critic and food writer, joins CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss how restaurants are adapting to those challenges, her approach to criticism, and what makes a great restaurant in 2024.

After many years in which it was effectively illegal to build new triple-deckers in Somerville, any homeowner can now add a third unit to their property. Somerville city councilor Matt McLaughlin, and Jesse Kanson-Benanav of Abundant Housing, join CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss the past, present, and future of the triple-decker and its contribution to affordable housing in Massach...

Mayor Michelle Wu has had to negotiate a tremendous number of labor contracts, including most recently with the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. Lou Mandarini, Wu's senior advisor for labor, joins CommonWealth's Jennifer Smith and Gin Dumcius to discuss the BPPA contract and the city's approach to collective bargaining.

Journalists, like everyone else, are wrestling with the impact of AI on their work. Sarah Scire, deputy editor of Nieman Labs, joins CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith to discuss predictions about AI tools in journalism, their use and misuse, and how readers feel about the technology.

This week on Health or Consequences, hosts Paul Hattis and John McDonough are joined by David Seltz, founding executive director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. They discuss what the HPC has learned about health care costs over the last decade, where Massachusetts stands relative to other states, and the HPC's current policy priorities.