Best Commonwealth Beacon Podcasts (2025)

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What health care workers are feeling on the ground 27:39

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2d ago27:39

27:39

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith continues health care month coverage in a conversation with 1199SEIU executive vice president Cari Medina and Anestine Bentick, lead medical assistant at South Boston Community Health. They discuss existing pressures on stretched workforces, the impacts of recent closures, and ho…

1
Bracing for impact with Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah 31:58

9d ago31:58

31:58

This week 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 spoke with Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, Massachusetts secretary of Health and Human Services, about looming Medicaid cuts, the primary care crisis, and how to make sure the vulnerable can…

1
Blocking and tackling with Massport CEO Rich Davey 34:05

16d ago34:05

34:05

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Rich Davey, who just finished his first year as CEO of Massport. They talk about his long history of ground transportation work, plans to improve air travel, and whether Boston actually could have handled the 2024 Olympics.…

1
Elyse Cherry talks BlueHub predatory lending lawsuit 39:20

23d ago39:20

39:20

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith sits down with Elyse Cherry, CEO of BlueHub Capital, to discuss the recent court decision that BlueHub violated consumer protection statutes around lending. Where does the case go next, and why did lawmakers push for new rules tailored to BlueHub’s controversial lending practices…

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Restoring blighted properties is easier said than done in Western Mass. 32:23

30d ago32:23

32:23

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon editor Laura Colarusso sits down with Gateway Cities reporter Hallie Claflin to talk about her recent reporting in Holyoke – where city leaders and housing developers have struggled to restore vacant mills and blighted industrial buildings. They discuss the costly environmental hazards associated with t…

1
Can Mass. turn the health care crisis around? (with Eric Dickson) 33:44

1M ago33:44

33:44

The Bay State is already struggling with a primary care provider crisis, and the head of the largest not-for-profit health care system in Central Massachusetts sees an increasingly grim road ahead if current trends persist. This week on the monthly Health or Consequences episode of The Codcast, John McDonough of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public…

1
Trump tax bill: the good, the mixed, and the still uncertain 26:10

2M ago26:10

26:10

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas talks with reporter Jennifer Smith about a series of stories, parsing the sprawling Trump tax and spending bill. They discuss why it’s so hard to know if Opportunity Zones have been effective, and why affordable housing advocates are mixed on the administration’s approach …

1
Navigating the new broker’s fee law in Mass. (with Todd Kaplan) 27:49

2M ago27:49

27:49

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith and Todd Kaplan, senior attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, set the stage for a new law changing the way broker’s fees in Massachusetts have been handled for the past decade. Starting August 1, the balance is meant to shift away from the renters and towards landlords when …

1
Massachusetts leans into artificial intelligence (with AI Hub director Sabrina Mansur) 28:37

2M ago28:37

28:37

This week on The Codcast, it’s the state angle on artificial intelligence. CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Sabrina Mansur, director of the Massachusetts Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub. Mansur explains how she uses AI in her daily life and why keeping Massachusetts competitive means a $100 million taxpayer-funded effort to g…

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Reconsidering school receivership 28:00

2M ago28:00

28:00

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas joins reporter Jennifer Smith to trace the last decade in state takeovers of local school districts. The results, as Jonas has reported, are a far cry from a silver bullet to fix struggling schools.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Keeping time with MBTA's Phil Eng 25:03

3M ago25:03

25:03

More than 800,000 people ride the T everyday. This week on the Codcast, reporter Gin Dumcias is joined by Phil Eng, General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or "the T" to talk about the state of the system and what lies down the track.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Michelle Wu | The introvert’s guide to being mayor 33:47

3M ago33:47

33:47

CommonWealth Beacon reporter Gintautas Dumcius interviews Boston Mayor Michelle Wu about her start in politics and being both an introvert and a politician, why she’s a Democrat, the super PACs crowding into this year’s election, and her media diet.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Why a quasi-independent state agency needed a quick $240 million 28:58

3M ago28:58

28:58

John McDonough of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute talk to Matt Veno, executive director of the Group Insurance Commission, which handles health insurance for 460,000 public employees. They talk about the quasi-independent public entity, which recently received a last-minute $240 million infusion fro…

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Decoding the state budget with Doug Howgate 26:59

3M ago26:59

26:59

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jenn Smith talks to Doug Howgate president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation (MTF) about the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget. They break down differences between the House and Senate plans, discuss why some parts of the process always happen behind closed doors, and consider the future of…

1
Chief Justice Kimberly Budd makes the case for the state courts 32:02

4M ago32:02

32:02

This week on the Codcast, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd sits down for a wide-ranging interview with CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith. They discuss trust in the judiciary, the role of the trial courts and the SJC, and if independence feels more achievable for state courts than the federal bench.…

1
‘Forewarned is forearmed’ on housing voucher cuts 19:56

4M ago19:56

19:56

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Kenzie Bok, head of the Boston Housing Authority, to discuss the threat of President Trump’s budget on rental assistance spending.By CommonWealth Beacon

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How does public media survive threats from inside and out? 23:24

4M ago23:24

23:24

CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Margaret Low, CEO of WBUR, to discuss the role of NPR in the news ecosystem, defending journalistic institutions and values while upholding rigorous standards, and the upcoming WBUR Festival.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Mike Kennealy on why he's running for governor 29:14

4M ago29:14

29:14

This week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy joins Gin Dumcius of CommonWealth Beacon to discuss why he's running for governor of Massachusetts, his time as secretary of housing and economic development under Charlie Baker, his thoughts on housing and immigration policy, and more.By CommonWealth Beacon

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How race and immigration status limit health care access 35:07

5M ago35:07

35:07

John McDonough of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute are joined by Tiffany Joseph, assistant professor of sociology and international affairs at Northeastern University, to discuss her new book, 'Not All In: Race, Immigration, and Healthcare Exclusion in the Age of Obamacare.'…

1
No man is an island: The collective climate challenge of coastal Massachusetts 59:50

5M ago59:50

59:50

This episode of the Codcast is a recording of a live event that took place April 30 in Provincetown, Mass., co-moderated by CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith and Eve Zuckoff of CAI (the Cape and Islands NPR station). Together with a panel of conservation, planning, and community development experts, they discussed what it means to live an…

1
UMass Pres. Meehan on higher ed crisis response 33:50

5M ago33:50

33:50

CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Marty Meehan, president of the University of Massachusetts system, to discuss UMass's work in climate technology and its response to the federal government's attacks on higher education.By CommonWealth Beacon

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The stakes of Western Mass. transit gaps 32:47

5M ago32:47

32:47

CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa of the First Hampshire district and Laura Sylvester, public policy manager at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, to discuss transportation challenges in Western Massachusetts and how they connect with other policy areas.…

1
Managed retreat: not if, but when? 31:03

5M ago31:03

31:03

CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Kristin Uiterwyk, director of the Urban Harbors Institute at UMass Boston, and Chris Krahforst, Director of Climate Adaptation and Conservation for the town of Hull, to discuss managed retreat in Massachusetts coastal communities threatened by rising waters and shrinking sands.…

1
Sec. Santiago on improving veterans services 28:15

6M ago28:15

28:15

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.…

1
Primary care physicians organizing union at Mass General Brigham 27:25

6M ago27:25

27:25

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 Brig…

1
Sec. Augustus on housing policy base hits 31:25

6M ago31:25

31:25

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.…

1
The data purge domino effect 27:32

6M ago27:32

27:32

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.…

1
The front lines of immigration policy fights 27:54

7M ago27:54

27:54

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.…

1
Sen. Ed Markey and the chainsaw to democracy 29:03

7M ago29:03

29:03

CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith interviews US Senator Ed Markey on the fight against Trump's actions, his stance on running again, and the future of the Democratic party.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Tackling the primary care crisis in Massachusetts 33:55

7M ago33:55

33:55

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 aime…

1
The case for banning smart phones in schools 27:16

7M ago27:16

27:16

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.By CommonWealth Beacon

1
Josh Kraft enters Boston mayoral race 20:24

8M ago20:24

20:24

CommonWealth Beacon editor Laura Colarusso is joined by fellow reporter Gin Dumcius to discuss Josh Kraft's candidacy, Mayor Wu's response, and top issues in this race.By CommonWealth Beacon

1
Legislating care and cost: the health insurers' perspective 26:40

8M ago26:40

26:40

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 …

1
Safeguarding diversity, access, and quality in Massachusetts' higher education 31:35

8M ago31:35

31:35

CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith sits down with Noe Ortega, Commissioner for Higher Education, to discuss how Massachusetts public colleges and universities are tackling challenges to diversity, affordability, and access amid shifting national policies.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Reckoning with Trump's inauguration on MLK day 28:07

8M ago28:07

28:07

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.…

1
SJC lays down the law on MBTA Communities 30:20

8M ago30:20

30:20

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…

1
Massachusetts roundtable: a look at 2025 legislative priorities 27:15

9M ago27:15

27:15

Commonwealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith sits down with Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, Brad Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, and Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western MA to discuss key statehouse priorities. They reflect on past achievements and look ahead to future efforts in education, cl…

1
Massachusetts health care concerns under Trump 2.0 29:06

9M ago29:06

29:06

John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute sit down with Amy Rosenthal, executive director of Health Care for All, to discuss the potential impacts of a second Trump term on Medicaid and Medicare in Massachusetts.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Outgoing Rep. Bill Straus considers the fate of Mass. transportation 31:55

9M ago31:55

31:55

CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith interviews Rep. Bill Straus of the 10th Bristol district on past, present, and future transportation issues in Massachusetts.By CommonWealth Beacon

1
Parking minimums are out in Somerville 27:39

9M ago27:39

27:39

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith chats with Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen on Somerville’s zoning amendment to eliminate parking minimums for new development.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Does AI interfere in our democracy? 31:49

10M ago31:49

31:49

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Bruce Schneier, fellow and lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Nathan Sanders, fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. They discuss how AI has the power to strengthen civic engagement in elections and policymaking, the importance …

1
How accountable care organizations serve MassHealth patients 27:40

10M ago27:40

27:40

This week on The Codcast, John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute chat with Christina Severin, president of Community Care Cooperative (C3). They discuss the role of accountable care organizations in coordinating high quality care for MassHealth patients, the transformation of Neighborhood Healt…

1
The next battle over abortion rights 23:35

10M ago23:35

23:35

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith sits down with Rebecca Hart Holder, president of Reproductive Equity Now, to discuss how abortion advocates are gearing up for a second Trump term. They dig into Project 2025 plans to dismantle reproductive rights, the need for state action, and strategic messaging for the next four yea…

1
Introducing CommonWealth Beacon editor Laura Colarusso 28:18

10M ago28:18

28:18

This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith introduces CWB's new editor, Laura Colarusso. They discuss her background in journalism, motivation for public service, and the challenges and opportunities in the ever-changing field.By CommonWealth Beacon

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AG Campbell readies for Trump return 18:58

11M ago18:58

18:58

This week on the Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith sits down with attorney general of Massachusetts Andrea Campbell to discuss the hurdles and opportunities that lay ahead under a second Trump term.By CommonWealth Beacon

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Latino voters lead rightward shift in Mass. 30:56

11M ago30:56

30:56

This week on the Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Mayor of Holyoke Joshua Garcia to reflect on the rightward trend of Latino voters in the 2024 presidential election. They discuss potential mechanisms behind the shift, and lessons learned for both political parties.By CommonWealth Beacon

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The workforce ripple effects of Mass. ballot questions 37:50

11M ago37:50

37:50

This week on the Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith and Gintautas Dumcius sit down with CWB editor Bruce Mohl, executive editor Michael Jonas, and reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria, to discuss how the five questions on the Massachusetts ballot may impact the workforce. They also summarize arguments for and against the questions and reveal ke…

1
Balancing profit and care in Massachusetts health reform 25:32

11M ago25:32

25:32

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, pha…

1
Striving for fairness in spending the fair share funds 25:02

11M ago25:02

25:02

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 di…

1
Milton's dilemma in the face of housing reform 30:11

12M ago30:11

30:11

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 mu…