The Codcast

CommonWealth Beacon
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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.

  1. Déjà vu and the MBTA fiscal cliff

    6 HR AGO

    Déjà vu and the MBTA fiscal cliff

    This week on The Codcast, we dive into what can feel like a perennial story: the MBTA hurtling toward another financial shortfall that Beacon Hill needs to address. But at this point, is the significant growth in state funding for the T an acknowledgment that good public transit requires big public investment, or is it a reflection of out-of-control spending? Our guests, former Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi and Pioneer Institute senior fellow Charlie Chieppo, debate that central question and more. Host: Chris Lisinski, senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon Guests: Jim Aloisi, former transportation secretary Charlie Chieppo, senior fellow at the Pioneer Institute

    41 min
  2. Big tech is watching (with Kade Crockford)

    16 FEB

    Big tech is watching (with Kade Crockford)

    This week on the Codcast – what does online surveillance look like in 2026? CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Kade Crockford, director of technology and justice programs at the ACLU of Massachusetts. They discuss the biggest misconceptions about data privacy online, why your information is valuable and vulnerable, and legislation proposed at the state level to limit who can see and sell user data.

    31 min
  3. Regulating insurance amid surging health care costs (with Michael Caljouw)

    9 FEB

    Regulating insurance amid surging health care costs (with Michael Caljouw)

    On the monthly Health or Consequences episode of The Codcast, John McDonough of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute talk with Michael Caljouw, the state commissioner of insurance. They discuss new regulations for insurers, concerns about the stability and solvency of the Massachusetts health insurance system, and insurer consolidation. Hosts: John McDonough of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute Guest: Michael Caljouw, Commissioner of Insurance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

    34 min
  4. Unpacking the governor’s state budget proposal (with Viviana Abreu-Hernández and Jim Stergios)

    2 FEB

    Unpacking the governor’s state budget proposal (with Viviana Abreu-Hernández and Jim Stergios)

    Description: This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon senior reporter Chris Lisinski hosts a roundtable discussion to dive into the details of Gov. Maura Healey’s new $63.4 billion state budget proposal with Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, president of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, and Jim Stergios, executive director of the Pioneer Institute. Guests weigh in on the sustainability of proposed spending increases, if revenue from the so-called millionaires tax is being used as voters intended, and how changes in Washington, DC affect budgeting in Massachusetts. Host: Chris Lisinski, senior reporter for CommonWealth Beacon Guests: Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, president of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Jim Stergios, executive director of the Pioneer Institute

    38 min
  5. 'It may get worse before it gets better' - Breaking down the 2026 State of the Commonwealth

    26 JAN

    'It may get worse before it gets better' - Breaking down the 2026 State of the Commonwealth

    This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporters Jennifer Smith and Chris Lisinski talk about Gov. Maura Healey's 2026 State of the Commonwealth speech. They compare her tone and policy position to earlier years, review reactions to the speech, and look ahead at what this says about Healey's run for reelection.

    28 min
  6. Filling the health care funding gaps (with Audrey Morse Gasteier and Alex Sheff)

    19 JAN

    Filling the health care funding gaps (with Audrey Morse Gasteier and Alex Sheff)

    This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon senior reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Audrey Morse Gasteier, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector, and Alex Sheff, senior director of policy and government affairs at Health Care For All. Gov. Maura Healey announced last week that the state would use $250 million from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to assist some Massachusetts residents who have lost enhanced premium tax credits from the federal government. So how sustainable is that plan, and who gets left out?

    35 min
  7. What do cities and advocates want from the Legislature in 2026?

    12 JAN

    What do cities and advocates want from the Legislature in 2026?

    This week on the Codcast – our second annual start-of-the year roundtable! CommonWealth Beacon senior reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson; Jennie Williamson, the state director for research and advocacy organization The Education Trust in Massachusetts; and Clark Ziegler, the outgoing executive director of the quasi-public Massachusetts Housing Partnership, who is retiring after four decades at the helm. They discuss their legislative wish list for the second half of the two-year cycle, break down what has and hasn’t been a lawmaking priority, and dive into the current relationships between cities, the state, and the federal government.

    32 min
  8. The 2025 CommonWealth Beacon reporter roundtable

    5 JAN

    The 2025 CommonWealth Beacon reporter roundtable

    On this end-of-year episode of The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon editor Laura Colarusso sits down with reporters Jennifer Smith, Chris Lisinski, Jordan Wolman, and Hallie Claflin to discuss their 2025 storylines and what they each plan to cover in the new year.

    35 min
See All (500)

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    CommonWealth Beacon
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    500
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Codcast

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