Massachusetts voters will decide in November whether to make big changes to the state's primary elections. But it's not a first-in-the-nation experiment: several other states, including California, already have similar systems in which all candidates appear on the same primary ballot and the top two advance to the general election, even if they're from the same party. This week on The Codcast, Chris Lisinski interviews Andrew Sinclair, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California about how the Golden State's primary framework came to be, what the effects have been, and what lessons Massachusetts might take.

Guest:

Andrew Sinclair, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/LPblRDOF9rY

Support this work: 

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/support/

For the towns around the Quabbin Reservoir, managing worsening drought seasons comes with a bitter irony: they surround the essential clean water source for distant Greater Boston, and that means harsher water restrictions than the populous downstream cities. This week on The Codcast, Jennifer Smith talks with fellow CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jordan Wolman about his coverage of Quabbin watershed communities and their push for more state support.

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/towns-surrounding-the-quabbin-reservoir-protect-the-water-for-2-7-million-people-in-eastern-mass-theyre-getting-financially-starved-in-the-process/

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/government/state-government/healey-in-new-letter-urges-mwra-to-meet-the-pressing-needs-of-quabbin-reservoir-communities/

Youtube:

[email protected]

CommonWealthBeacon.org

When it comes to rebuking federal immigration actions, states’ options are limited. This week on The Codcast, Jennifer Smith and Iván Espinoza-Madrigal of Lawyers for Civil Rights discussed the PROTECT Act's new limits on ICE enforcement, the fallout from the Temporary Protected Status termination for Haiti, and the federal lawsuit challenging the state's in-state tuition law for immigrant students — and what, if anything, Massachusetts can actually do about any of it.

Guest:

Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights

Host:

Jennifer Smith, senior reporter for CommonWealth Beacon

Related Articles

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/the-codcast/health-care-workers-struggle-to-navigate-closures-and-immigration-fears/

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/education/trump-doj-sues-mass-over-immigrant-tuition-law/

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/immigration/supreme-court-paves-way-for-rollback-of-tps-protections-for-haitians-syrians/

Watch on YouTube

https://youtu.be/0TaiK2dSJpY

Wolman's article on Quabbin Reservoir:

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/environment/its-like-the-hunger-games-quabbin-reservoir-towns-take-funding-fight-to-beacon-hill-amid-extended-drought/

Credits:

• Footage "Governor Healey signs the PROTECT Act" -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtOc8AGGLn0
• Production, original music - Charlie Koczela
• Editing - Camila Ulian
• Cover photo Norfolk County Courthouse, Dedham, Massachusetts - Kenneth C. Zirkel

The traditional even-year July 31 deadline that marks an end to formal legislative business looks a little different this time around, but lawmakers still used the date to finish off a flurry of significant action. In a special bonus episode of The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon senior reporters Jennifer Smith and Chris Lisinski catch you up on why the significance of the deadline has changed, what topics are primed for legislative action in the remainder of the term, and what can still happen in the next five months before the term officially ends.

Rising power demand, ambitious clean energy targets, the rise of artificial intelligence, and skyrocketing electricity prices are colliding to create a profound moment of disruption in New England's ability to plan for the needs of the future while keeping the lights on today. Dr. Vamsi Chadalavada, president and CEO of ISO New England, the operator of the region's energy system, joins CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jordan Wolman to discuss how he's balancing it all.

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/wGWbTDdgBWc

Credits:

• Cover photo ISO control rooms - courtesy of ISO New England

• Video Production by Camila Ulian
• Music & Audio by Charlie Koczela

CommonWealthBeacon.org

[email protected]

America's health system is uniquely expensive and uniquely underperforming. On this month's edition of Health or Consequences, John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discusses his upcoming book, America's Wrong Turn: U.S. Health Care in the Neoliberal Era, and traces the political and economic forces that reshaped American medicine. From the Chicago School and Milton Friedman's free-market philosophy to Ronald Reagan's antitrust policies, McDonough argues that decades of neoliberal policymaking laid the groundwork for today's soaring health care costs, industry consolidation, and the growing influence of private equity.

Pre-Order America's Wrong Turn: US Health Care in the Neoliberal Era

30% OFF Code: HTWN

Publishes August 11th, 2026

https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53872/americas-wrong-turn?srsltid=AfmBOopF7X-M0BXT1fSZffPmeezISVx0CNkt5oJ14yAOfxO722xcR2nM

Host:

Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute

Guest:

John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/john-e-mcdonough/

Have a question or comment for Health or Consequences? Reach out to [email protected]

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/codcast/

Across Massachusetts and the country, the number of journalists is declining rapidly. Unsurprisingly, so is the number of local news publications. This trend is leaving many residents of the Bay State without a reliable source of information about the communities in which they live. To help unpack this trend and explore what can be done about it, CommonWealth Beacon's editor, Laura Colarusso, sat down with Javier Marin, executive chairman of El Planeta; Sophie Culpepper, staff writer for Nieman Lab; and Dan Kennedy, professor of journalism at Northeastern University.

Host:

• Laura Colarusso, editor of CommonWealth Beacon

Guests:

• Sophie Culpepper, staff writer for Neiman Lab
• Javier Marin, executive chairman of El Planeta
• Dan Kennedy, professor of journalism at Northeastern University

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/BmHYDkC0H_w

https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2025/news-deserts-hit-new-high-and-50-million-have-limited-access-to-local-news-study-finds.html

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporters Hallie Claflin and Jordan Wolman discuss Wolman’s latest piece on how utilities are spending millions on natural gas infrastructure in 10 communities that have gone “fossil fuel free.” They zero in on the state’s Gas System Enhancement Plan, which is now under heavy scrutiny for ballooning spending that has delivered few additional benefits at a time when Massachusetts residents are confronting soaring gas and electric bills. 

Host:

Hallie Claflin, reporter for CommonWealth Beacon

Guest:

Jordan Wolman, reporter for CommonWealth Beacon

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/energy/ten-communities-in-massachusetts-went-fossil-fuel-free-then-utilities-spent-100m-on-natural-gas-infrastructure-there/

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/CH0RLbSfE6Y

Cover Art:

By Fletcher - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69888616. Frame and logo overlay added by CWB.

New Mexico is making waves, and generating questions from curious onlookers, by offering universal child care to all families. How is it funded? Is it truly universal? Are there enough caretakers to keep up with demand? And with our astronomically high child care costs, could Massachusetts achieve something similar? Jacob Vigil, the chief legislative officer of New Mexico Voices for Children, joins CommonWealth Beacon's Chris Lisinski to dive into the policy, the grassroots campaign behind the changes, and how money from the booming New Mexican oil and gas industry played a key role.

Guest:

Jacob Vigil, CLO of New Mexico Voices for Children

Host:

Chris Lisinski, senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/EczRJC3Juek

https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/new-mexico-universal-free-child-care-after-6-months-home-based-programs-see-barriers-removed/

Patrick Gilligan has a lifetime of experience in health care. One year ago, he accepted the role of CEO of Point32Health, a regional nonprofit health insurance provider. On this month's edition of Health or Consequences, hosts John McDonough and Paul Hattis ask Gilligan to take a deep dive into the current state of health insurance. Are patients getting what they're paying for? How are health insurers cutting costs while remaining competitive? How is market consolidation contributing to rising healthcare costs? And what policies might help stem the tide?

Guest:

Patrick Gilligan, CEO of Point32Health

Hosts:

John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Paul Hattis of the Lowne Institute

Have a question or comment for Health or Consequences? Reach out to [email protected]