The Codcast

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.

CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by former Gov. Jane Swift to discuss political changes since her time in office, her current policy work, and the process of public grieving.

This week, Paul Hattis and John McDonough of Health or Consequences are joined by Barbara Fain, executive director of the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety. They discuss the state of knowledge around medical care errors, as well as ongoing efforts to respond to and reduce it.

Ranked-choice voting and rent control will not be on the 2024 ballot in Massachusetts, but supporters are still pushing the policies in the legislature and locally. This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Paul Craney and Jennifer Braceras of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance to discuss their opposition to both issues.

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Chrissy Lynch, the new president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, to discuss the current pivotal moment for organized labor, the changes she's seen in the movement over the years, and her policy priorities.

Are we a beacon? This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Michael Jonas is joined by Steve Koczela of the MassINC Polling Group and Erin O'Brien of UMass Boston to discuss new polling data on how Massachusetts residents see the Commonwealth relative to other states, and relative to 20 years ago.

In this live episode of The Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Danielle Allen of Harvard University and Partners in Democracy to discuss how Massachusetts's democracy is doing.

CommonWealth's Jennifer Smith is joined by the head of the Boston Housing Authority, Kenzie Bok, to discuss housing justice, the role of public housing in the city and commonwealth, and what's on the horizon in the world of public housing.

Co-hosts John McDonough and Paul Hattis are joined by Robbie Goldstein, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, to discuss what he learned working at the CDC, his thoughts on public health issues facing the Commonwealth, and more.

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth's Jennifer Smith is joined by Jack Schneider, coauthor of Off the Mark: How Grades, Ratings, and Rankings Undermine Learning (but Don’t Have To). They discuss the book's argument in the context of current debates over Massachusetts's testing requirements and proposals to rethink them.

CommonWealth's Jennifer Smith is joined by State Auditor Diana DiZoglio to discuss her attempt to audit the Massachusetts legislature, as well as other audits her office is conducting.

Hosts Paul Hattis and John McDonough are joined by Sree Chaguturu, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health, to discuss the role played by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in drug pricing in light of proposed state and federal regulation.

The Worcester Chamber of Commerce recently announced its support for the launch of the Worcester Guardian, a nonprofit digital news organization. Tim Murray, the Chamber's president, joins CommonWealth's Michael Jonas to discuss the Guardian, local nonprofit journalism, and questions of funding and independence.

The Dorchester Food Co-op is a new community & worker-owned grocery store that aims to make healthy food accessible and advance economic opportunity and neighborhood engagement. General manager John Santos joins CommonWealth's Jennifer Smith to discuss the co-op's origins and business model.

Ed Augustus is the first Secretary of the newly-formed Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. He joins CommonWealth's Jennifer Smith for a wide-ranging discussion of the challenges facing housing in Massachusetts, including shelter capacity, low vacancy rates, and changing patterns of work.