The Codcast

This week on the Codcast, Congressman Seth Moulton talks to CommonWealth Beacon's Bruce Mohl about his support for the proposed Rail Link that would allow trains to run between Boston's North and South Stations, and why he believes it would revolutionize travel across all of Massachusetts.

This week on The Codcast, John McDonough of the TH Chan School and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute are joined by Lauren Peters, executive director of the MA Center for Health Information and Analysis. They discuss the center's role in informing public policy discussions, its involvement in the Steward saga, and a variety of significant trends in MA health care, including overall spending and the shortage of primary care physicians.

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Jen Healy, Rural Transit Program Manager for the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation, to talk about the place of microtransit in Massachusetts's transportation systems. They discuss different models of microtransit service, how it's funded, how it connects with other transit modes, and what impact West-East Rail service will have.

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Moddie Turay, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, to discuss the Equitable Developers Fund, and how to build enough housing to supply the current shortage while addressing community needs.

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Bruce Mohl is joined by Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, to discuss the challenges of moving to a decarbonized grid while maintaining an adequate and affordable electricity supply.

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 currently in the legislature.

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 like, and how to balance free speech and safety concerns.

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 leadership that he pioneered.

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.