Podcasts about empire center

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for July 23, 2026. We open with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Tallarico's reparations proposal — made at a July 20 campaign event in DeSoto — calling for tuition relief, homeownership grants, and government-funded baby bonds for Black Texans, all in the name of repairing past harms. We walk through everything he left undefined: who qualifies, what the eligibility standard is, where the funding comes from, and what the total cost would be. We also walk through the genealogical reality of a multiracial nation — including the head of the NAACP who discovered she had an ancestor on the Mayflower, and the uncomfortable question of what happens when the same family tree contains both slaveholders and slaves. We make the theological point that a grievance machine with no limiting principle is not a policy. It is a dependency engine. The debt of slavery was paid — Lincoln said so, and the Civil War proved it at a cost of more American lives than any conflict before or since. The answer is not racial accounting. It is equal citizenship, strong families, honest education, safe communities, and a culture that celebrates achievement instead of grievance. In our Top 3, first-time unemployment claims dropped to 187,000 — the lowest level since 1969 under Richard Nixon, coming in 22,000 below the prior week and well under what economists had projected. Fewer layoffs means steadier families. Then a member of Vice President J.D. Vance's Secret Service protective detail was suspended and placed under criminal investigation for allegedly leaking operational security information to the media — specifically complaining about unpredictable travel schedules. A Secret Service agent who can't keep a secret should not be in the Secret Service. And New York City landlords filed a lawsuit against the Mamdani administration's rent freeze — arguing that the Rent Guidelines Board was packed with political allies who then manipulated their own data to justify a two-year freeze on rents for more than a million tenants. We explain what rent freezes actually produce: slumlords, abandoned buildings, and a housing stock that deteriorates because owners cannot raise revenue to maintain it. We also cover two men stabbed in an unprovoked attack on New York City's Upper West Side — the attacker reportedly shouting Allahu Akbar — one victim Asian, one wearing a yarmulke. We note that Mamdani's response to antisemitic violence in his city is to promise to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. We connect the violence to a broader point: when leadership sets a tone of weakness, confusion, and ideological hate, this is the inevitable result. Our American Mamas Terry Netterville and Kimberly Burleson tackle the question of whether wives say things to their husbands that would devastate them if said in return — and the answer is an unambiguous yes. Terry admits she tells Kevin his hair is dirty, that he can't wear that outfit, and that mowing the lawn is his job — while acknowledging that if Kevin said any of those things to her it would ruin her day. The conversation becomes a warm, funny, and surprisingly insightful look at how different couples absorb criticism differently, why the way you're raised shapes what you can and cannot say to your spouse, and what happens when a wife goes on strike to make everyone appreciate what she does. We discuss Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever — who has gone public in defense of women's sports, saying truth matters, biological sex has consequences in competition, and that protecting the integrity of women's athletics is not hatred of anyone. We make the point she is actually making: you can treat transgender people with dignity and still say that female sports should be reserved for biological women. Those two things are not in conflict. They are the only coherent position. In our Digging Deep segment, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave what may be the clearest explanation of the Trump Doctrine we have ever heard — summarizing it in one line: Iran says eye for an eye. Trump says a head for an eye. We unpack the game theory behind it — tit for tat with disproportionate response. If you are nice to Trump, he is nice back in equal measure. If you are mean to Trump, he will be worse to you than you could ever possibly imagine. Iran fires on one tanker, the U.S. takes out a port, a tower, and every radar site in reach. Iran fires on two tankers, the U.S. goes on a 12-day bombing campaign eliminating bridges in and out of the country. The mullahs keep acting confused. The reason is they have never seen anything like this from an American president. Rubio also shared that Iran is sending messages through third countries every day begging to make a deal — but every deal they make, they either break or try to renegotiate. They are not ready yet. They will be. We also cover Ted Cruz's prediction that Zoran Mamdani will become the next U.S. senator from New York — replacing Chuck Schumer, who Cruz believes can no longer win a Democratic primary in the state — and that Mamdani is the single most powerful Democrat in America right now. We connect it to AOC leading New Hampshire polling for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and to DSA-backed candidates winning primaries across the country. For our Bright Spot, a new Empire Center for Public Policy survey — conducted in New York, one of the most left-leaning states in the country — found that only 24% of respondents prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions over lower energy prices, 63% oppose mandatory home heating electrification, and 60% oppose letting individuals sue oil companies for climate change. The noisy minority demanding zero fossil fuels, electric heat mandates, and climate lawsuits does not represent most Americans — even in New York. That is common sense, and common sense is always a bright spot. We also cover the Houthis attacking two Saudi oil tankers — Iran's last meaningful proxy after Hamas was decimated by Israel and Hezbollah was severely weakened — and make the strategic case that doing the hard thing now makes tomorrow easier. Letting Iran build nuclear weapons capable of reaching Europe would have made tomorrow catastrophically harder. And we close with two-year-old Lucy Moline, who heard that her five-year-old sister Emma needed a bone marrow transplant after a rare disease stopped her bone marrow from producing red blood cells — and volunteered to be the donor because she wanted to be brave and help her sister. The transplant worked. Emma is cured. Is there anything better than sisters? May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are a senior fellow and faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College. She is the President of Beyond Plastics and former EPA Regional Administrator. Judith is co-author of the book 'The Problem with Plastic ' Judith Enck, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Arthur Zankel Chair in Management for Liberal Arts at Skidmore College where she teaches International Affairs and Business Management Pushi Prasad.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College. He is a specialist on the history of US foreign policy Robert Brigham, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, the founder and director of the Volunteer Literacy Project. She is also a columnist for The Free Press and a Greene County resident Larissa Phillips, and an Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College. Her research is on health, wellness, and medical knowledge Catherine Tan.

Households in New York are paying the 4th highest electricity prices in the country, according to the Empire Center. Zilvinas Silenas breaks down why prices are so high.

July 6, 2026- The Trump administration is suing the state for alleged Medicaid fraud in the operation of a multi-billion dollar home care program serving seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities. We discuss the latest chapter in the transition of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program with Bill Hammond, senior fellow for Health Policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert - Theresa Bourgeois, Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government atSkidmore College Beau Breslin, and Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond.

Bob talks about the tier 6 pension deal and talks to Bill Hammond of the Empire Center about the deal, Bob also talks about Micron.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond and Former Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are a former NY elementary teacher and now 2nd year PhD student at RPI Sophia Acquisto, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Diplomat in Residence at Bard College. She retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2025 after over 30 years in public service. Her last post was ambassador to the SE Asian country, Timor-Leste Donna Welton.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Former EPA Regional Administrator, President of Beyond Plastics, professor at Bennington College and author of the new book "The Problem with Plastic" Judith Enck, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Former Mayor of the City of Albany, Kathy Sheehan, and Siena University Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti.

April 21, 2026- The process to resolve disputes over out-of-network medical billing has become a very lucrative dynamic for healthcare providers, but Gov. Kathy Hochul and health insurers want to reform the dynamic. Our guest is Bill Hammond, senior fellow for Health Policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Recent former Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.

The Tim Conway Jr. Show Hour 1 (4.2) NASA’s Artemis II mission is getting closer to launch, and the next steps to send Orion toward the Moon are seriously incredible. We break down how the main engine will ignite to push the capsule out of Earth’s orbit and why this historic mission wouldn’t even be possible without key Southern California companies. Then, chaos in Burbank as a woman allegedly sets a fire in the pillow section at the Target in the Empire Center, forcing the store to shut down. Christina Gonzalez from Fox 11 joins with the latest on the strange and alarming incident. Plus, major construction at Hollywood Burbank Airport is expected to snarl traffic and frustrate travelers, and we look at the rise of food delivery robots and how they’re rapidly changing the way your meals get to your door. #ArtemisII #NASA #MoonMission #Orion #SpaceRace #SoCal #Burbank #TargetFire #BreakingNews #BurbankAirport #TrafficAlert #FoodRobots #TechNews #DeliveryRobots #Podcast #TimConwayJr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrickand Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Professor in the History Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) Allison Kavey.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College Malia DuMont, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Associate Professor of Music at Vassar College Justin Patch.

Jan. 22, 2026 - The Capitol Pressroom brand is expanding to television, with host David Lombardo leading a monthly look at New York's state government that will air on PBS stations around the Empire State. In light of this news, we're going to cross the streams today and share an excerpt of our upcoming televised panel discussion. David led a conversation about Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget and the upcoming legislative session with Rebecca Garrard, co-executive director of Citizen Action of New York, Cam Macdonald, General Counsel at the Empire Center for Public Policy, and Jack O'Donnell, managing partner of O'Donnell & Associates.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Stuart Rice Honorary Chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University Fran Berman, The Ulster County Comptroller and the former president and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley March Gallagher, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Siena College Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Senior fellow and faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College, President of Beyond Plastics, former EPA Regional Administrator, and co-author of the book "The Problem with Plastic" Judith Enck, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Ulster County Comptroller and former President and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley March Gallagher, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of Political Studies, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College Jonathan Becker, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Grants analyst based in Albany Emily Honen.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Communications expert and Founder/President of Stanhope Partners Bob Bellafiore, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government atSkidmore College Beau Breslin, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College Malia Du Mont.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Stuart Rice Honorary Chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University Fran Berman, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Bob Griffin, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Albany Law School Professor Sarah Rogerson.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert - Theresa Bourgeois, Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, and Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond.

It must be easy to be a conservative in Texas or Florida, right? Joking aside, what does it take to get up every day in an area that most people think is a lost cause to progressivism? At the annual State Policy Network Annual Meeting we caught up with the leaders of the Cascade Policy Institute from Oregon, John Charles, and the Empire Center in New York Zilvinas Silenas on doing just that. Keep Up With The Daily Signal   Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     Subscribe to our other shows:    The Tony Kinnett Cast: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2284199939⁠ The Signal Sitdown: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376⁠   Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741⁠   Victor Davis Hanson: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9809784327⁠     Follow The Daily Signal:    X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠    Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug. 19, 2025- The latest federal review of hospital metrics from around the country found that New York continues to trail almost every other state. We discuss the findings and how they should be used with Bill Hammond, a senior fellow at The Empire Center for Public Policy.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are EPA Regional Administrator, Professor at Bennington College, and President of Beyond Plastics Judith Enck, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Albany Law School Professor and Director of the Justice Center Sarah Rogerson, and Former Times-Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College in Oneonta, who studies gender in politics, women political candidates, women voters and women in elected office Laurel Elder, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences at RPI Jim Hendler, and Former Associate Editor for the Times-Union Mike Spain.

5 Freeway between Alameda and Olive, southbound side all jammed up. Police have shut down both sides of the freeway. Police are turning commuters around on the southbound. Talking to Brent, a commuter eyewitness, who said Verdugo Overpass has a jumper presently sitting on the bridge threatening to jump. Another caller, Martin, said he was on the 5 but was eventually able to get off the freeway. // #DirectBuyers.com. Traffic on the 5 around Burbank still bad, freeway shut down due to the man threatening to jump. Teen bikers assaulting people in LA. LA cracking down on “video-game-style driving,” more police presence. Traffic report. // Big problems in Burbank! Thanks to a guy hanging out on overpass hanging out, it's all jammed up. CHP rolling out new style of vehicle to blend into traffic to combat “video-game-style driving.” // Look Ahead. The 5 is still closed, due to a guy standing on Olive Overpass at Burbank. Empire Center is a good place to go if you're stuck in the area due to the freeway being closed. 134 to 210 is pretty clear. Southbound on the 5 is good, too.  

Longtime journalists Bill Hammond and Nick Reisman joined the show to discuss Andrew Cuomo's record as Governor of New York, with a focus on Cuomo's leadership style. Cuomo, leading the polls in the 2025 Democratic primary for Mayor of New York City, was Governor from January 2011 to August 2021. Hammond - formerly of the New York Daily News and now at the Empire Center - and Reisman, formerly of Capitol Tonight/State of Politics and now at Politico New York - have both covered Cuomo for many years and, in this discussion, help host Ben Max recap Cuomo's decade in power. This is the first in a series of Max Politics episodes that will examine Cuomo's record as Governor and bid to become Mayor. Cuomo has been invited to appear on the show himself but has yet to accept the invitation. Stay tuned for other episodes in this series. (Ep 498)

EP190: Orange Monday, Flu Vaccine Study, Hochul vs Feds Over Medicaid, Masters WeekSPORTSMasters Week https://golf.com/lifestyle/2025-masters-picks-win-staff-betting-augusta/CLICKSBitcoin/GameStop - https://decrypt.co/312732/gamestop-1-5-billion-offering-bitcoin-reserveFlu Vaccine https://www.trialsitenews.com/a/landmark-cleveland-clinic-study-finds-flu-vaccine-ineffectiveand-possibly-harmfulfor-working-adults-in-2024-2025-season-84b3b608POLITICSNew York State https://nypost.com/2025/04/06/opinion/new-york-is-plotting-another-tax-hike-to-keep-feeding-health-care-special-interests/Bill Hammond https://nypost.com/2025/03/07/opinion/kathy-hochul-cries-wolf-over-medicaid-cuts-to-hide-her-political-abuse-of-its-funds/Empire Center https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/health-workforce-jumps-by-another-10-percent/Orange Monday https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/trump-tariffs-live-updates-trump-digs-in-says-markets-may-have-to-take-medicine-as-stocks-plunge-191201144.htmlLiberation Day!Trump announces reciprocal tariffsSummary of the top three points of the announcement:Baseline 10% tariffs on all imported goods to the United States.Reciprocal tariffs targeting approximately 60 countries deemed “worst offenders,” with rates ranging from 20% to 50%. Notable examples include 34% on Chinese goods and 20% on EU imports.A 25% tariff on foreign-made vehicles and the closure of duty-free loopholes for Chinese goods under $800.##  About the Sports, Clicks & Politics PodcastSCAPP is a weekly podcast with a Livestream every Monday at 12pm on eastern.  Join hosts Shawn Hannon and Ben Hussong as they separate the latest news from the noise impacting New York State. The podcast has frequent guest interviews for additional perspectives in the worlds or sports, politics and beyond!Follow the show on social mediaWebsite: scappodcast.comFacebook: facebook.com/scappodcastTwitter: @SCAPPodcastFollow Shawn & Ben on social mediaFacebook: facebook.com/hannon44 Twitter: @hannon44Facebook: facebook.com/ben.hussong.3Twitter: @benhussong 

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Theatre Artist, Arts Advocate, Activist and Executive Director for "Project Sage" in Lakeville, CT Kristen van Ginhoven, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Publisher Emeritus of The Daily Freeman Ira Fusfeld, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan, and Professor of Economics at Siena College Aaron Pacitti.

March 7, 2025 - What would Micron get? That's the question that Ken Girardin, research director at the Empire Center for Public Policy, thinks smalls businesses should ask when they're looking for incentives to grow, in light of the local and state sweeteners deployed to attract the high-tech manufacturing company to central New York.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are communications expert and Founder/President of Stanhope Partners Bob Bellafiore, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, a grants analyst based in Albany Emily Honen, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Partner with the Albany law firm of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Cianna Freeman-Tolbert, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences at RPI Jim Hendler, and Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Howard Husock of the American Enterprise Institute and E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy to discuss the impact of the 2017 federal tax reforms on charitable giving. They explore how the doubling of the standard deduction reduced the number of taxpayers who itemize, significantly diminishing the tax incentives for charitable contributions. While overall charitable giving has increased in nominal terms since 2017, the share of adjusted gross income dedicated to philanthropy, particularly by middle- and upper-middle-income households, has notably declined. Howard and E.J. detail how the reforms affected donor behavior, especially among households earning $100,000 to $200,000—a critical demographic for many nonprofits. With fewer taxpayers itemizing deductions, the traditional end-of-year giving surge, driven by tax considerations, has weakened. Meanwhile, wealthier individuals earning $1 million or more have increased their giving, leveraging tax incentives tied to capital gains and higher incomes. This shift highlights a growing disparity in how different income groups approach charitable contributions under the current tax structure. The conversation also looks ahead to 2025, when the 2017 tax policy is set to expire, potentially reopening the door to significant reforms. Howard and E.J. advocate for a universal charitable tax deduction, which briefly existed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They argue this policy could democratize tax benefits for giving, making it more inclusive and accessible across income levels, while protecting charitable incentives from being perceived as a "loophole for the rich." They also emphasize the potential of donor-advised funds (DAFs) to help donors bundle contributions for greater tax efficiency while maintaining consistent philanthropic support. For fundraisers, the episode underscores the importance of understanding the evolving tax landscape and its influence on donor motivations. Howard and E.J. suggest strategies like promoting DAFs and discussing "bundling" techniques with donors to maximize their giving impact. By staying informed and adapting to these changes, fundraisers can better engage donors and sustain giving in an increasingly complex tax environment.

Oct. 9, 2024 - We get an update on changes to the administration of a popular state home care program, including the potential unionization of the workforce, from Bill Hammond, senior fellow for health policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy.

April 3, 2023 - After more than four decades of imposing 9 percent interest on money judgements, Empire Center for Public Policy adjunct fellow Cam Macdonald says its time to make the rates more flexible.

Ken Girardin is an engineer who has been researching and writing about energy policy issues in New York for over a decade. In this episode, Ken talks about his new report for the Empire Center, Green Guardrails, which found that the state's Climate Act could cost taxpayers $4.9 trillion by 2050, the soaring cost of the offshore wind projects, land-use conflicts, and the “absolutism” that is driving much of the state's climate policy. (Recorded March 5, 2024.)

March 19, 2024 - New York is embarking on an expensive green transition without a comprehensive accounting of how much it's going to cost, according to Ken Girardin, research director at the Empire Center for Public Policy.

March 7, 2024 - A report by the Empire Center for Public Policy raises questions about Medicaid dollars that benefited 1199 SEIU, so we talked with the union's interim political director, Helen Schaub, about the money designed for training nursing home staff. We also explore 1199's push for more hospital funding in the budget.

New York State's Medicaid budget is one of the biggest in the country. Bill Hammond, senior fellow for health policy at the Empire Center, and Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society and co-founder of the Health Care for All New York Campaign, explain why Medicaid spending is over budget and what all that spending provides for New Yorkers.