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Metro Plus Health is a not-for-profit insurance plan based in NYC, serving over 700,000 New Yorkers at over 34,000 sites across the five boroughs. Roger Milliner, Chief Growth Officer at MetroPlus Health, talks about their role in the health insurance landscape, options during the Medicare open enrollment period and explains upcoming Medicare health care changes.

Just days away from election day on November 4, we're joined by Tim Hunter, representing the NYC Campaign Finance Board, and the landmark NYC campaign finance program that provides public funds to candidates for city office.

The fastest-growing brain disease in the world is almost entirely preventable. So why are cases of Parkinson's Disease skyrocketing?  In THE PARKINSON'S PLAN, leading neurologists Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Michael Okun explore how chemicals — including those banned in dozens of countries but still used widely the in U.S. — are fueling a hidden Parkinson's epidemic.  Dr. Ray Dorsey is Director of The Center for the Brain and Environment at Atria Health and Research Institute in NYC, and Dr. Michael Okun is Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at The University of Florida Health.

One of the most iconic neighborhoods in New York is geting a glow up:  The Village Alliance Business Improvement District (BID) has announced the launch of Project Green, a five-year, $2 million fundraising campaign to dramatically increase greenery across one of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods, Greenwich Village. Our guest is Scott Hobbs, Executive Director of the Village Alliance, leading the organization's first comprehensive streetscape initiative in over 20 years.

Uptown Voices: An Uptown Story is a multi-media exhibition in development designed to document Harlem's history through intimate large-format portraits and oral histories of residents who have lived in the community for 30 years or more. The brother and sister team behind the project, photographer Wil Pierce and curator Joyous Pierce, have launched an open call for nominations—inviting New Yorkers to put forward family, friends, or neighbors whose Harlem stories should be preserved.

While gig work is wide ranging and offers plenty of freedoms, being an independent worker often means no access to traditional employment protections or benefits, such as healthcare, retirement or paid leave. Rafael Espinal, Executive Director of Freelancers Union, visits to talk about the growing independent workforce and portable benefits. Freelancers Union is the largest organization representing independent workers in the U.S., with over 500,000 members nationwide. Membership is free and open to all U.S.-based freelancers.

POISONING THE WELL: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America takes a look at the toxic chemicals PFAS, and how they've become permanently embedded in our soil, our water, and our bodies. Authors Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin discuss the controversy and consequences. Sharon Udasin is a staff reporter for The Hill, covering Western climate and policy. She was the recipient of a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award, and spent nearly a decade in Israel, reporting on environment, energy, and agriculture for The Jerusalem Post. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill. Her work has also appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and elsewhere.

The Limón Dance Company launches their celebration of the company's first 80 years with a program at The Joyce Theater honoring eight decades of revolutionary modern dance, from October 14-19, 2025. Our guest is Artistic Director Dante Puleio.

The Find Your Light Foundation is dedicated to ensuring every student has the chance to experience a quality arts education. To date, the organization founded Tony®, EMMY®, and five-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actor, and philanthropist Josh Groban has funded nearly 200 programs, in 33 states. With support for the arts needed more than ever, Josh Groban hosts the 2nd Annual Find Your Light Benefit Concert for Arts Education, October 8th at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Ronald E. Richter brings an unparalleled perspective to child welfare. With a career that spans over 35 years as a legal aid attorney, family court judge, former commissioner of New York City's Administration for Children's Services (ACS), and as CEO of JCCA, a 200-year-old nonprofit that supports more than 17,000 children and families across New York each year, Ron has seen the system from every angle. After serving the last ten years as CEO, Ron Richter will step down from his role at JCCA in October. We'll discuss what's working in child welfare, where we're still falling short, and stories that have stayed with him.

Most Americans would agree that our transportation infrastructure—from highways, to roads and bus and train lines—needs an upgrade. As governments plan for rebuilding and repairing, our guest takes a historic look at how much of our existing infrastructure was built to reinforce economic and racial divisions. Deborah Archer is an eminent legal scholar, the president of the ACLU, and author of DIVIDING LINES: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality.

Approaching it's first anniversary, The Bronx Music Hall is the first independent music performance venue in the borough in more than 50 years, and the new home of WHEDco's Bronx Music Heritage Center. Co-Artistic Directors Elena Martínez and multi-Grammy nominated percussionist Bobby Sanabria talk about their mission to celebrate Bronx artists past and present. 

New York State has one of the largest populations of adults over 60, and the older adult population is growing faster than any other group. For the first time, New York State has proposed a Master Plan for Aging, as a roadmap to address a range of issues and challenges for older New Yorkers. For details, our guest is Jeremy Kaplan, the Executive Director of Encore Community Services, a 2024 Nonprofit Trailblazer, and a vocal advocate for older adults and the care workforce that supports them.

For most people, it's hard to imagine life without access to a computer or broadband. And yet, according new a study by The Center For An Urban Future, tens of thousands of Bronx residents remain cut off from these basic tools for work, school, and everyday connectivity. Jonathan Bowles from the Center for an Urban Future talks about tackling the digital divide in the Bronx. 

While never ending policy debates about the mental health and homelessness crisis in the Subway persist, our guest is on the front lines every day with solutions that work. Melissa O'Brien is Medical Director of Psychiatric Services at Project Renewal, one of New York City's largest providers of comprehensive health services to homeless individuals. We'll talk about what she sees on the ground and what gets in the way of getting people the help they need.

The New York City based Indo-American Arts Council is a not-for-profit organization passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing and building an awareness of arts and artists of Asian Indian heritage. From September 18-21 in Manhattan, IAAC presents the Erasing Borders Dance Festival, featuring classical dance from India. Our guest is Deepsikha Chatterjee, Festival Director. 

Every year around the country, many thousands join the fight to end breast cancer, fund research, and support survivors through the Susan G. Komen Walks & Races. Sunday, September 7, Susan G. Komen celebrates the 35th year of Race for the Cure in New York City! For more on the event and the advancements made possible through decades of work and support, our guest is Stacie Spitzkoff, Executive Director of Susan G. Komen.

As the National Endowment for the Arts and public arts funding is threatened, our guests are Emmy nominated actor Tim Daly, President of The Creative Coalition, and author and producer Robin Bronk, the organization's CEO, on the urgent fight to protect the NEA and how arts funding benefits communities across the across the country. Founded in 1989 by entertainment professionals committed to meaningful civic engagement, The Creative Coalition champions federal arts funding, free speech, and education. 

After much debate and delay, NY City Public Schools begin a ban on personal internet enabled devices as of the 2025-26 school year. With the bell-to-bell ban, students will not have access to cell phones, personal tablets or smart watches during the school day. What should parents, teachers, and most importantly, students expect? Our guest is Dr. Curtis Palmore, CEO of United Charter High Schools, who has implemented bell-to-bell cell phone bans at every school he's led over the past decade, including the seven high schools in his network, as of 2024.

Alison Manning, Co-Executive Director of Harkness Dance Center and Director of Harkness School of Dance, returns for a preview of Harkness Mainstage Series at 92NY, “Women's Move The World”, featuring ten different offerings from women choreographers from September 13 through May 2026.

NOT MY TYPE: One Woman Vs. A President, by celebrated writer E. Jean Carroll—who successfully stood up to Donald Trump in court twice and won twice— is a candid and uniquely personal account of the defamation and sexual assault trials that captured the nation.

New York State has officially renewed two programs that offer businesses funding to relocate to The Bronx. Rob Walsh, President, Bronx Economic Development Corporation, talks about the potentially game changing policies of The Relocation and Commercial Expansion Program (RACE) and The Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP).

In times of rising chronic diseases, and challenges, costs and threats to health care, Plant Powered Metro NY, a leading nutrition and health-focused nonprofit in New York, offers a powerful solution to treating and preventing chronic diseases. Our guest is Lianna Levine Reisner, President and Network Director, to talk about plant-powered diets as an evidence-based approach to well-being, and their Jumpstart Program, based on a whole food, plant based diet.

The US Open kicks off next Monday with Fan Week! From Monday, August 18 through Saturday, August 23, the grounds of The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens are entirely free and open to the public with activities for everyone. Our guest is Nicole Kankam, Managing Director, with details on this year's events and tips for the best experience.

When we talk about taking care of our mental health, we don't often talk about the people who take care of us. What are the unique mental health challenges for first responders and how might their treatment and approach be different? Our guest is Dr. Brendan Guarino, clinical psychologist at Baker Street Behavioral Health, specializing in treatment for athletes and first responders.

The Battery Dance Festival is New York City's longest-running free public dance festival. Now in it's 44th year, the Festival draws a combined audience of over 12,000 in-person and over 35,000 virtual viewers. For a backstage preview of this year's festival, August 9-16 in Battery Park City, our guest is Battery Dance founder and artistic director Jonathan Hollander.

Affordable housing is hard to find. We talk about it at every level of income. But what is the affordable housing crisis like for working people at the low income end of the spectrum, for whom even an average monthly rent is out of reach? Our guest is Brian Goldstone, author of THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US: Working and Homeless in America. Brian Goldstone is a journalist whose long form reporting and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Harper's Magazine, The New Republic, The California Sunday Magazine, and others. He has a doctorate in anthropology from Duke University and was a Mellon Research Fellow at Columbia University. In 2021, he was a National Fellow at New America. He lives in Atlanta with his family.  

Kofago Dance Ensemble, a premier African Diasporic dance ensemble based in New York, is training dancers this summer to perform across the state, as a means to build the next generation of dancers and cultural ambassadors. The company founded by our guest, Kevin McEwen, is also hosting the The Culture Rising Dance Conference, August 22-23rd at Lehman College, free to Bronx residents.

According to studies, people tend to be happier, healthier, and more successful when they have a balance of the “Big Five” personality traits:  Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. But can we change our personalities to suit? Olga Khazan is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic covering science, health, and psychology. In her book ME, BUT BETTER: The Science and Promise of Personality Change, she reveals the science behind lasting personality change, and how anyone, at any age, can seize the reigns of their destiny.

This year's National Assessment of Educational Progress shows only 31% of New York's fourth graders are reading at grade level.  It's a dismal number mirrored in many states—and one that drops significantly for students from economically disadvantaged communities. In response, New York City's Public Schools and other districts have increasingly embraced "The science of reading” instruction model—in part, a throwback to earlier decades of teaching. Our guest is Dr. Katie Pace Miles co-founder of CUNY Reading Corps and The NYC nonprofit The Reading Institute providing teacher training and resources.

Founded by Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, The Flag Award For Teaching Excellence recognizes and celebrates extraordinary New York City public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion, and commitment. Our guests are 2025 Flag Award Winners Alhassan Susso, a Social Studies teacher from International Community High School in The Bronx, and Emily Chandler a special education teacher at District 75 school, PS 371K Lillian Rashkis in Brooklyn. For more on this year's winners and applications for 2026, visit flagaward.org

June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Guns are the leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 1 through 17. Dr. Katherine Hoops talks more about the dangers and what you can do to promote gun safety, even if you don't own a firearm. For more, visit The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

For Pride Month, we feature A PLACE FOR US, by medical doctor and author Patricia Grayhall. Her book is LGBTQ+ romance set against the backdrop of the 1980s and early 2000s, which draws on her own quest to find a country where she could legally reside with her British partner – long before the U.S. extended immigration rights to gay couples. For more, visit patriciagrayhall.com.

Is your smart phone a useful tool, or a colossal waste of time? What does long term freedom from your phone really look like—and is it sustainable for people with… you know… jobs? Based on his experience of a year's sabbatical from his smart phone, Richard Simon is author of UNPLUG: How to Break Up with Your Phone and Reclaim Your Life. Richard Simon directs the website strategy at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C., and is a former reporter and webmaster at Baltimore's The Daily Record.

As Lincoln Center's Summer In the City Series continues through August 7, we preview free public events and performances with David Dorfman Dance, from June 25-27, including the ever-popular Silent Disco. For more, visit DavidDorfmanDance.org and lincolncenter.org.

One in four adults has some form of arthritis, and osteoporosis-related fractures affect one in two women over fifty. Yet very few resources bring together the full picture of how to prevent and treat these conditions through everyday choices. Our guest is Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, specializing in sports medicine and co-author of THE COMPLETE BONE AND JOINT HEALTH PLAN: Help Prevent and Treat Osteoporosis and Arthritis.

We're in an election season, where the word debate most likely will make you think about a politician taking cheap shots. But in the classic sense, speech and debate are about articulating ideas and analyzing complex issues with clarity, confidence and purpose. In an educational setting, it's meeting students where they are, and guiding them on how speak up on issues that matter to them. Our guest is KM DiColandrea, a.k.a. DiCo, Co-Founder/Executive Director of Brooklyn Debate League, which provides affordable access to coaching and competitions for students speech and debate students. For more, visit brooklyndebateleague.org.

The New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud exists to educate everyone about different types of insurance fraud—from medical fraud to workers comp fraud—and it's enormous cost to every New Yorker.  This year, our conversation with Frank Stzuk centers on rear-end accident scams. For more, visit FRAUDNY.com.

City Year New York is a trailblazing, youth-powered organization, now expanding their partnership with SUNY—State University of New York—to prepare more young people to enter an increasingly competitive job market for bachelor's degree holders. Our guest is Executive Director Annie Kessler for details on the expanded partnership, and how they are pivoting following federal budget cuts as an Americorps program. For more, visit www.cityyear.org/new-york/.

2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of the National Dance Institute. Founded in NYC by the late, renowned dancer and teacher Jacques d'Amboise on the belief that every child should have access to learning in and through the arts, NDI impacts the lives of thousands of children in New York City and worldwide. Our guests are Executive Director Jermaine Jones and Artistic Director Kay Gayner. For more, including details on their Father's Day weekend performances open to all, visit nationaldance.org.

It's a staggering statistic: One in three adults and nearly half of families with children experienced food insecurity in 2023. While food pantries are one of the main resources for those in need, those food pantries are serviced by food banks. Our guest is Greg Silverman, CEO of the non-profit West Side Campaign Against Hunger, on how food banks are combining resources to respond to challenges such as increased demand and inflation.  For more, visit WSCAH.org.

Whether you believe the U.S. is on it's way to becoming great again, or things are going terribly wrong, most of us would agree, we're having trouble talking to the other side. Yet, our guest has strategies to do just that:  Gabriella Timmis is Director of Communications at Braver Angels, a non-partisan organization with a mission of bringing Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. For more, visit braverangels.org.

A Fair Shake for Youth is the city's longest-running therapy dog program in public schools in Brooklyn, The Bronx and Manhattan.  For their 15th anniversary, founder Audrey Hendler talks about how the idea took root with a prison rehabilitation program, and how NYC dog owners can volunteer for kids alongside their own pets. For more, visit afairshakeforyouth.org.

If you're watching the news, you know thousands of workers in the federal government are being laid off.  But some are leaving their jobs voluntarily—stepping down from responsibilities, often in protest of specific policies and new rules. Whatever your job or role, what is the ethical red line that might cause you to leave? What is the balance between financial needs and moral considerations? Our guest Dr. Anne Klaysen is Leader Emerita at The New York Society for Ethical Culture. For more, visit ethical.nyc.

What do NYC's best after school programs offer and how can they help tap into a child's potential?  Our guest is Sheila Duke, Chief Executive Officer of Roads to Success, a nonprofit that empowers future leaders by helping young people discover their potential and pursue their dreams.  Founded in 2001, Roads to Success serves over 7,000 youth and young adults annually. For more, visit roadstosuccess.org.

Our guest is Sarah March, Program Director of Samaritan Daytop Village's Young Mother's Program, where women who are in recovery have the opportunity to keep their children with them—a program model proven to improve recovery outcomes. For over 60 years, Samaritan Daytop Village has been improving the quality of life for New Yorkers, serving over 33,000 people annually at more than 60 facilities. For more, visit samaritanvillage.org.

Ballet Hispanico, the nation's largest Latine/x/Hispanic dance organization and recognized by the Ford Foundation as one of America's Cultural Treasures, presents Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's masterwork CARMEN.maquia at New York City Center from May 29-June 1, 2025. Our guest is Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro.  For tickets and more, visit ballethispanico.org and nycitycenter.org.

May 4-10, 2025 is Survive Stroke Week: An annual event to educate Americans about the symptoms of stroke and the lifesaving treatment options available. Stroke is the fifth most common cause of death in America and the leading cause of adult disability. In 2025, The focus is on the Hispanic Community in the U.S., where stroke ranks as the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic men and the third for Hispanic women. Our guest is Dr. Adrienne Moraff, a board-certified neurosurgeon in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and is Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Dartmouth. For more, visit getaheadofstroke.org, founded the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS). 

Now in it's 10th Year, The Changing Minds Young Filmmaker Festival hosted by the New York City mental health and advocacy non-profit Community Access, features short films that explore timely mental health themes, including anxiety, bipolar disorder and more. Our guests are Jordyn Rosenthal, the Director of Advocacy at Community Access, and Simone Thomas-Rowe, whose film “Before My Eyes” is one of ten being screened at the event on May 17 at Village East Cinema.  For more, visit mentalhealthfilmfest.nyc and communityaccess.org.

Every year The Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk, benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, by raising awareness of suicide and depression, raising money for research and education, and providing assistance and a safe outlet for survivors of suicide. Our guest is Mike Lamma, EVP and COO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, for details on the New York City Walk on June 21. For more, visit afsp.org.

North Shore Animal League America, the world's largest and longest-running no-kill rescue and adoption organization, kicks off their Global Pet Adoptathon on May 1. More than 2000 shelter partners and rescue groups participate in the annual event, which helped adopt over 40,000 pets last year. Our guest is Mike Spiotta, Associate Director of Operations for NSALA. For more, including details on financial incentives for adopting in May, visit animalleague.org.