The Big Dig Season 4: Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story
- Episódios
- 61
- Formato
- Série – ouça desde o começo
- Último episódio
- 11 nov 2026
Sobre o podcast
“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” The town is Boston.
Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern America.
Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, to be featured in an upcoming episode.
Season 1: "The Big Dig"
The highway project known as “The Big Dig” is infamous – a shorthand for government failure – but it all started as one engineer’s dream to correct the wrongs of the past, and its legacy is far from simple.
Season 2: "Scratch & Win"
America’s most successful state lottery – and its greatest innovation, the scratch ticket – all starts with mafia bookmakers and state bureaucrats going toe to toe in a battle to own the future of gambling.
Season 3: "Catching The Codfather"
A fishing tycoon is arrested in an elaborate sting operation, but claims he’s the real hero fighting back against the state.
Season 4: "Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story"
Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy began their political journeys on opposite sides of the healthcare issue, and they ended once again on opposite sides, but for a brief period in the middle they worked together to pass a groundbreaking law – one that promised to finally transform the politics of American healthcare – the law known as Romneycare. So what brought this odd couple together, and what ultimately pulled Mitt and Ted apart?
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CREDITS:
Host & Creator: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producer: Isabel Hibbard
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Contact us as [email protected]
Episódios 61
Mitt & Ted | 8. The People's Seat
Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat becomes the final battle ground for healthcare reform – and the focus of Americans’ outrage on the issue. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney must reckon with his own record as he begins his run …
Notas do episódio
Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat becomes the final battle ground for healthcare reform – and the focus of Americans’ outrage on the issue. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney must reckon with his own record as he begins his run for President.
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 7. Death Panels
In 2009, the moment for national healthcare reform has arrived, and there is hope that just like in Massachusetts, the effort can be bipartisan. But as negotiations begin in Washington, the politics outside the …
Notas do episódio
In 2009, the moment for national healthcare reform has arrived, and there is hope that just like in Massachusetts, the effort can be bipartisan. But as negotiations begin in Washington, the politics outside the capital are shifting fast.
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 6. The Massachusetts Plan
Immediately ‘Romneycare’ becomes the template for national healthcare reform. And while Democrats are focused on replicating the successes of the plan, there are already cracks showing in the coalition that …
Notas do episódio
Immediately ‘Romneycare’ becomes the template for national healthcare reform. And while Democrats are focused on replicating the successes of the plan, there are already cracks showing in the coalition that came together to pass it.
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 5. A Thousand Fathers
Time is running out for Massachusetts to pass healthcare reform. The bill’s fate now rests with the two old friends who run the state legislature and control everything that happens there. Unfortunately, these …
Notas do episódio
Time is running out for Massachusetts to pass healthcare reform. The bill’s fate now rests with the two old friends who run the state legislature and control everything that happens there. Unfortunately, these old friends have stopped talking.
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 4. Three-Legged Stool
The controversial centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act – the requirement for all Americans to purchase health insurance – began its strange political journey at the conservative Heritage Foundation. In deep …
Notas do episódio
The controversial centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act – the requirement for all Americans to purchase health insurance – began its strange political journey at the conservative Heritage Foundation. In deep blue Massachusetts the mandate was considered a fringe idea, until it lands on Governor Romney’s desk.
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Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 3. Save The Money
After their bruising senate campaign, Kennedy and Romney reunite for a mission to lobby the Bush administration. At stake: more than a billion dollars of federal money that is propping up the state’s entire …
Notas do episódio
After their bruising senate campaign, Kennedy and Romney reunite for a mission to lobby the Bush administration. At stake: more than a billion dollars of federal money that is propping up the state’s entire healthcare system.
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 1. My Greatest Regret
In the midst of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon reaches out to his rival Ted Kennedy and offers him a deal – a one time chance to reshape American healthcare, which might also save Nixon’s doomed …
Notas do episódio
In the midst of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon reaches out to his rival Ted Kennedy and offers him a deal – a one time chance to reshape American healthcare, which might also save Nixon’s doomed presidency. Will the young senator take the deal?
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Mitt & Ted | 2. There's Got To Be A Better Way
Mitt Romney’s first political campaign was not for president or governor; it was for the U.S. Senate, and it was against Ted Kennedy. Early on the challenger looks unstoppable – handsome, eloquent, moderate …
Notas do episódio
Mitt Romney’s first political campaign was not for president or governor; it was for the U.S. Senate, and it was against Ted Kennedy. Early on the challenger looks unstoppable – handsome, eloquent, moderate – then the Kennedy camp starts digging into Romney’s past.
Special thanks to FRONTLINE for archival sound from The Long March of Newt Gingrich & The Health Care Gamble.
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Have a question for the Big Dig team? Submit it here by December 31, 2026, and it might get featured in an upcoming episode.
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Introducing Season Four: Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story
Healthcare is the problem American politics cannot solve. It’s the subject of screaming matches at town halls, the cause of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the justification for political …
Notas do episódio
Healthcare is the problem American politics cannot solve. It’s the subject of screaming matches at town halls, the cause of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the justification for political assassination in cold blood. But how did our most basic need become such a divisive issue?
In Season Four of The Big Dig podcast, "Mitt & Ted", we tell the origin story of national healthcare reform. Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy began their political journeys on opposite sides of the issue, and they ended once again on opposite sides, but for a brief period in the middle they worked together to pass a groundbreaking law – one that promised to finally transform the politics of American healthcare – the law known as Romneycare. So, what brought this odd couple together and what ultimately pulled them apart?
For early access to episodes, join The Big Dig membership program. Learn more at wgbh.org/hovlane.
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Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Azita Ghahramani
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Two Planes Are Off The Radar
September 11th changed the world forever; but in particular, it changed airports. In this special episode of The Big Dig, we go inside the world of Logan Airport – the place where the 9/11 attacks began – to …
Notas do episódio
September 11th changed the world forever; but in particular, it changed airports. In this special episode of The Big Dig, we go inside the world of Logan Airport – the place where the 9/11 attacks began – to tell the story of how that day unfolded, and how it transformed everything from security screening and terminal design, to restaurants, lounges, and luxury boutiques.
The Staten Island Problem
How do these things all connect: Wu-Tang Clan, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, and the largest garbage dump in the world? That story is the subject of a new series from the podcast Revisionist History called “The …
Notas do episódio
How do these things all connect: Wu-Tang Clan, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, and the largest garbage dump in the world? That story is the subject of a new series from the podcast Revisionist History called “The Staten Island Problem.” The series reconstructs the largest secession movement in the U.S. since the Civil War – how it nearly tore New York City apart, and how it foreshadows the politics of today. We bring you the first episode of the series: “The Mayor vs. the Borough President.” Find more episodes of Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem wherever you get podcasts.
Link: lnk.to/SIPDig
Your Ultimate Big Dig Roadtrip Playlist
Our show now has three seasons in the feed, and it just dawned on Ian that every topic we’ve covered also happens to be a rich topic in American song: highways, gambling, and fishing. So today we share a …
Notas do episódio
Our show now has three seasons in the feed, and it just dawned on Ian that every topic we’ve covered also happens to be a rich topic in American song: highways, gambling, and fishing. So today we share a special playlist curated by singer, songwriter and record collector Eli "Paperboy" Reed.
Hear the full playlist here.
Pre order 'Getting There' by Eli "Paperboy" Reed here.
Highway Teardown Tour | 10. Providence, RI
The Big Dig in Boston was a fluke, a unicorn, something we may never see again. But there are simpler and cheaper ways to rethink our urban highways – Providence, RI tried one. Guests: Edward Fitzpatrick, Zack …
Notas do episódio
The Big Dig in Boston was a fluke, a unicorn, something we may never see again. But there are simpler and cheaper ways to rethink our urban highways – Providence, RI tried one.
Guests: Edward Fitzpatrick, Zack Cunha, Mike Lewis
Recorded live with Globe Rhode Island at CIC Providence
Hear the full Washington Bridge Blues playlist here
Highway Teardown Tour | 11. Boston, MA
The final chapter of the Big Dig story is what happened to the land after the highway was gone. Like the rest of the project, it was messy, and other cities would be wise to learn from it. Guests: Stephanie …
Notas do episódio
The final chapter of the Big Dig story is what happened to the land after the highway was gone. Like the rest of the project, it was messy, and other cities would be wise to learn from it.
Guests: Stephanie Pollack, Chris Cook
Recorded live at the MIT Museum
Highway Teardown Tour | 9. Philadelphia, PA
Even as cities try to heal the damage of the interstate era, we are also continuing to expand our urban highways, continuing to turn parks and neighborhoods into new lanes and new off-ramps. So why is it so …
Notas do episódio
Even as cities try to heal the damage of the interstate era, we are also continuing to expand our urban highways, continuing to turn parks and neighborhoods into new lanes and new off-ramps. So why is it so hard to stop?
Guests: Inga Saffron, Daniel Pearson, Leslie Richards
Recorded at The Pen & Pencil Club with support from Miles Bryan and Tom Grahsler
Highway Teardown Tour | 8. Baltimore, MD
This episode is about a very different kind of teardown – one that came suddenly, tragically, and without warning. But within this utterly unique story there are some universal questions about how we build for …
Notas do episódio
This episode is about a very different kind of teardown – one that came suddenly, tragically, and without warning. But within this utterly unique story there are some universal questions about how we build for the present and the future.
Guests: Johnny Olszewski, Samantha Biddle, Wambui Kamau, Arkia Wade, Klaus Philipsen
Recorded live with WYPR at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.
Highway Teardown Tour | 7. Louisville, KY
In the stories we tell about public works, there is a constant bias towards the projects that actually happened, but it’s the apparently ‘failed’ projects that can often teach us the most. Guests: Marcus Green …
Notas do episódio
In the stories we tell about public works, there is a constant bias towards the projects that actually happened, but it’s the apparently ‘failed’ projects that can often teach us the most.
Guests: Marcus Green, Tyler Allen, Ken Herndon
Recorded live with LPM at the LPM Performance Studio.
Highway Teardown Tour | 6. Portland, OR
The anti-highway movement, like any movement, has always been a coalition. Different people with different backgrounds and different interests finding a common cause. But sometimes the coalition cracks. Guests …
Notas do episódio
The anti-highway movement, like any movement, has always been a coalition. Different people with different backgrounds and different interests finding a common cause. But sometimes the coalition cracks.
Guests: Lillian Karabaic, Shawn Granton, Sharon Gary-Smith, Chris Smith
Recorded live with Oregon Public Broadcasting at Literary Arts in East Portland.
Highway Teardown Tour | 5. Seattle, WA
There is exactly one other American city crazy enough to attempt anything like what Boston did with The Big Dig. That city is Seattle, and they are not done tearing down highways. Guests: Joshua McNichols, Greg …
Notas do episódio
There is exactly one other American city crazy enough to attempt anything like what Boston did with The Big Dig. That city is Seattle, and they are not done tearing down highways.
Guests: Joshua McNichols, Greg Nickels, Cayce James, José Manuel Vasquez
Recorded live with KUOW at the Seattle Public Library.
Archival audio courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives
Highway Teardown Tour | 4. Austin, TX
How did the Austin City Council find themselves locked in a ‘death match’ over what to do about Interstate 35? Two councilors and two journalists talk through the fraught politics of so-called highway caps …
Notas do episódio
How did the Austin City Council find themselves locked in a ‘death match’ over what to do about Interstate 35? Two councilors and two journalists talk through the fraught politics of so-called highway caps.
Guests: Megan Kimble, Nathan Bernier, José “Chito” Vela, Mike Siegel
Recorded live at the KUT Festival in Austin, TX.
Highway Teardown Tour | 3. Rochester, NY
Once the highway is gone, can the divisions these structures created actually be healed? Can the people on either side become neighbors again? Rochester, NY is trying to answer that question.Guests: Erik …
Notas do episódio
Once the highway is gone, can the divisions these structures created actually be healed? Can the people on either side become neighbors again? Rochester, NY is trying to answer that question.
Guests: Erik Frisch, Brian Sharp, Shawn Dunwoody, Suzanne Mayer
Recorded live at the WXXI studios in Rochester, NY.
Highway Teardown Tour | 2. Syracuse, NY
Is it possible to re-write the Interstate map and send highways around cities instead of through them? Syracuse, NY is doing just that. Guests: Marie Therese Dominguez, Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, Joe …
Notas do episódio
Is it possible to re-write the Interstate map and send highways around cities instead of through them? Syracuse, NY is doing just that.
Guests: Marie Therese Dominguez, Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, Joe Driscoll
Recorded live in partnership with WRVO and the Syracuse Museum of Science and Technology.
Highway Teardown Tour | 1. New York, NY
What to do with the BQE? It’s a one of a kind highway in desperate need of repair, but no one can agree how to fix it. Guests: Polly Trottenberg, Lara Birnback, Stephen NessenRecorded live at WNYC’s …
Notas do episódio
What to do with the BQE? It’s a one of a kind highway in desperate need of repair, but no one can agree how to fix it.
Guests: Polly Trottenberg, Lara Birnback, Stephen Nessen
Recorded live at WNYC’s Greenspace.
Archival audio courtesy of Municipal Archives, City of New York.
Highway Teardown Tour | Enter Here
Every American city is divided by crumbling old highways. Every city is trying to figure out what to do with them. But even if the problems with these structures are obvious, the solutions are not – often they …
Notas do episódio
Every American city is divided by crumbling old highways. Every city is trying to figure out what to do with them. But even if the problems with these structures are obvious, the solutions are not – often they are contentious. Welcome to The Big Dig Highway Teardown Tour.
In search of the perfect lobster roll
In the 1980s, six women on an island off the coast of Massachusetts began selling lobster rolls as a church fundraiser. Today, people travel by car, boat, and plane just to taste these hallowed summer treats …
Notas do episódio
In the 1980s, six women on an island off the coast of Massachusetts began selling lobster rolls as a church fundraiser. Today, people travel by car, boat, and plane just to taste these hallowed summer treats.
Today we bring you an episode from one of our favorite food podcasts, “The Sporkful”, in which host Dan Pashman travels to Martha’s Vineyard to uncover Grace Church’s secret recipe. Plus, Daniel Gritzer from Serious Eats breaks down the science of why frozen lobster might be better than fresh.
https://www.sporkful.com/the-secret-to-grace-churchs-lobster-rolls/
Find more from The Sporkful, wherever you listen to podcasts or at www.sporkful.com
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We talked a lot this season about fish: the cod, the haddock, the flounder. We heard about monk fish and grey sole, hake and halibut. But if you’ve ever spent a summer in New England, you know that if there is one food we take more seriously than our fish, it’s our shellfish.
So today I’m excited to bring you an episode from one of my favorite podcasts – The Sporkful – in which host Dan Pashman travels to Martha’s Vineyard to uncover the secret recipe of his favorite lobster roll. Plus, Daniel Gritzer from Serious Eats breaks down the science of why frozen lobster might be better than fresh.As always, Dan and the team have a special knack for telling stories about food that also help you understand the world. You can find all their work wherever you are listening right now, just search for “The Sporkful.” And please enjoy: The Secret To Grace Church’s Lobster Rolls…
What you need to know when buying fish, with Roger Berkowitz
Buying fish can be a puzzling process. It comes frozen and fresh, wild and farmed, from many different countries, and with all kinds of ratings and labels. So what does it all mean?For this bonus episode to …
Notas do episódio
Buying fish can be a puzzling process. It comes frozen and fresh, wild and farmed, from many different countries, and with all kinds of ratings and labels. So what does it all mean?
For this bonus episode to “Catching The Codfather,” Ian sits down with a legend of New England seafood, Roger Berkowitz, to talk about his life in fish buying and what he’s learned along the way.
Major sponsorship for “Catching The Codfather” is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.
Have we entered a new era for government regulation?
John Vecchione represented a group of fishermen who challenged government regulations all the way to the Supreme Court. Together, they helped overturn the decades-old “Chevron Doctrine,” which has been cited …
Notas do episódio
John Vecchione represented a group of fishermen who challenged government regulations all the way to the Supreme Court. Together, they helped overturn the decades-old “Chevron Doctrine,” which has been cited thousands of times in federal court rulings. But Vecchione is not done, and you might be surprised to learn what regulations he is challenging next.
For a very different take on the future of regulation after the fall of the Chevron Doctrine, check out this article from climate reporter Molly Taft: The Koch Brothers Are Getting What They Wanted: The Supreme Court Is Gutting Environmental Protections
Catching The Codfather | 6. It’s Your Job to Catch Me
A new revelation forces federal investigators to close down the case, fast. But what will taking down The Codfather mean for the port of New Bedford?Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by …
Notas do episódio
A new revelation forces federal investigators to close down the case, fast. But what will taking down The Codfather mean for the port of New Bedford?
Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.
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Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Intern: Fiona Boyd
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Catching The Codfather | 5. Painting Fish
When federal agents first meet with Carlos Rafael, the fishing mogul offers up a tantalizing clue: a special system for ‘painting fish.’ It’s the key to understanding the entire fraud, and why Carlos is the …
Notas do episódio
When federal agents first meet with Carlos Rafael, the fishing mogul offers up a tantalizing clue: a special system for ‘painting fish.’ It’s the key to understanding the entire fraud, and why Carlos is the only one who could pull it off.
Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.
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Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Intern: Fiona Boyd
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
Catching The Codfather | 4. Mosquitos on the Balls of an Elephant
A new regulatory system is meant to end overfishing, but Carlos Rafael exploits it to accumulate even more boats and power – drawing resentment from other fishermen, and attention from the feds. Major …
Notas do episódio
A new regulatory system is meant to end overfishing, but Carlos Rafael exploits it to accumulate even more boats and power – drawing resentment from other fishermen, and attention from the feds.
Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.
---------------------------
Credits:
Host and Scriptwriter: Ian Coss
Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins
Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss
Story Editor: Lacy Roberts
Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim
Fact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard
Intern: Fiona Boyd
Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss
Graphic Design: Bill Miller
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