Podcasts about Rockefeller Institute

We dive into a bill that would establish a ban on surveillance pricing in the state. If passed, New York would be the third state in the country to implement this policy. Laura Rabinow, director of research for the Rockefeller Institute of Government, unpacks the role of dams in New York and why several have been deemed hazardous.   EXPLORE MORE: nynow.org

July 10, 2026- Democrats in Albany want the Hochul administration to study the viability of smart guns that would only fire in the hands of an authorized user. We discuss the potential of this technology with Kerri Raissian, executive director of Yale School of Public Health's Firearm Injury Prevention Team and a member of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Bridging the Divide on Firearm Policy is a coalition of stakeholders who represent many perspectives on firearms in America—gun owners, gun rights and Second Amendment activists, advocates for gun regulations, firearm dealers, firearm instructors, legislators; the list goes on. The goal of this coalition? To create a sustainable, broadly supported policy roadmap that improves gun violence prevention while protecting constitutional rights. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we explore the work of the group with Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium scholars Michael Siegel, the group's facilitator, and David Yamane, a member of the coalition.GuestsMichael Siegel, Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of MedicineDavid Yamane, Professor of Sociology, Wake Forest UniversityJaclyn Schildkraut, Executive Director, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn MoreBridging the Divide on Firearm PolicyBridging the Divide on Firearm Policy — February 2026 Policy Proposals

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in US v. Hemani, a case with implications for the Second Amendment rights of cannabis users. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute resident cannabis policy expert Heather Trela explains how the justices ruled and what questions remain unanswered for drug-using firearm owners.GuestsHeather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn MoreGuns, Ganja, and Gavels—Five Things to Watch for in the Supreme Court's US v Hemani Oral ArgumentsCircuit Breaker—Judicial Disconnect on Disarming Cannabis Users

May 27, 2026- We explore the state of dams in New York and how best to oversee their maintenance or removal. Our guests are Laura Rabinow, director of research for the Rockefeller Institute of Government, and Mathilda Scott, a policy analyst with the organization.

May 13, 2026 - Could direct contracting for health care services be a cheaper alternative to employer-sponsored health insurance coverage? We explore how this type of self-insurance is utilized in New York with Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Freshman lawmaker Gabriella Romero is an assemblymember for New York State's 109th Assembly District, which covers the city of Albany, New Scotland, and parts of Guilderland. In a new installment of our "Freshmen Perspectives" series, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna interviews the assemblymember about her first-term accomplishments, what she hopes to get done in subsequent terms, and how her time as a public defender and a Common Councilmember for the city of Albany shapes how she approaches being a state lawmaker.GuestsHonorable Gabriella A. Romero, New York State Assemblymember, Assembly District 109Robert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute of Government

In this installment of our series, "A Look at Labor," Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa interviews Roberta Reardon, commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor, about the work of the department to empower and protect New York's workers. The discussion spans a broad swath of timely and perennial labor issues, including expanding capacity in the childcare industry, promoting green jobs, improving apprenticeship programs, advancing workplace safety protections, and more.GuestsRoberta Reardon, Commissioner, New York State Department of LaborMaria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn MoreOffice of Just Energy Transition (OJET)NYS Department of Labor Home Page

Shifting demographics, sweeping changes to federal health policy, and technology and market forces are reshaping the healthcare industry. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we speak with Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow for Health Policy Courtney Burke about the healthcare trends for policymakers to watch in 2026. The discussion covers Courtney's most recent trends blog and details the factors pushing issues like consolidation, affordability, the use of artificial intelligence tools, and pharmaceutical costs into the spotlight.GuestsCourtney Burke, Senior Fellow for Health Policy, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn MoreSix Trends in Healthcare to Watch in 2026 (blog)How Federal Health Policy Changes Will Impact New York (series)

Jan. 19, 2026 - In an excerpt of Monday's Dispatches from Planet Albany podcast, Rockefeller Institute of Government President Bob Megna discusses the significance of the latest cash report from the state comptroller's office.

New York State Assemblymember Harry Bronson is chair of the Assembly Labor Committee. On this episode of our Policy Outsider series, “A Look at Labor,” Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa interviews the assemblymember about his legislative efforts in 2025 and what his focus will be in 2026. The conversation touches on the assemblymember's work to protect workers and businesses, an increase in unemployment benefits, developments in green jobs and the green economy, and the latest on regulations for gig work.GuestsHarry Bronson, New York State Assemblymember, Assembly District 138Maria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

On Thursday, December 18th, President Trump signed an executive order seeking to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we do a lightning round with Heather Trela, Rockefeller Institute's resident cannabis policy expert, on what the executive order does and does not do, what rescheduling means for the marijuana industry, and what we can expect in the months to come.GuestsHeather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Included in one of the bills to fund the federal government and end the government shutdown was a provision closing what is known as the "hemp loophole." This gray area, created by a 2018 law, allowed an industry of hemp-derived intoxicants that were federally legal to be sold throughout the US in places where states hadn't stepped in to regulate these products. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Heather Trela, the director of operations and a fellow at the Rockefeller Institute, spells out the distinction between hemp and marijuana, details how the "hemp loophole" came to be, and explains what closing the loophole means for this industry.GuestsHeather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

November 5, 2025-A gun control case before the US Supreme Court could have implications for New York's law restricting firearms on private property. We discuss the underlying law and what's at stake with Robert Spitzer, a member of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

In the third part in our series, "A Look at Labor," Vilda Vera Mayuga, commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), is interviewed by Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa. Their discussion covers the goals of DCWP and how they approach their work, implementing and enforcing protections for workers in the digital economy, securing restitution for retail and other workers, and the labor priorities that the next mayor will have to address.GuestsVilda Vera Mayuga, Commissioner, New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)Maria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

In the second episode in our series, "A Look at Labor," Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa interviews New York State Senator Jessica Ramos. Their discussion covers the priorities of Senator Ramos as chair of the Labor Committee in the senate, the impacts of federal immigration actions, funding cuts, and other federal policy changes on workers, and the labor issues at play in a transition to a decarbonized energy infrastructure.GuestsHonorable Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator, Senate District 13Maria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

October 20, 2025- Rockefeller Institute of Government Senior Fellow for Health Policy Courtney Burke discusses the administration of New York's Medicaid program and how it could be improved.

The delivery industry boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In New York City, the engine of this expansion was app-based delivery workers, many of whom are immigrants. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez interviews Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa about her research into the efforts of these workers to secure improved working conditions and compensation.GuestsGuillermo Martinez, Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and PolicyMaria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn MoreView Maria's presentation at the Institute on Immigrant Integration's 2025 annual conference, "Engineering Cohesive Communities: Social Integration of Foreign-Born Americans."

Federal health policy is undergoing its most significant changes since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law more than 15 years ago. The health policy team at the Rockefeller Institute is tracking these changes closely and has written extensively on how provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and related rule-based changes may impact New York State. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we invite the authors of these recent analyses to discuss the shifting health policy landscape and share what they are keeping an eye on as the impact of these changes comes into focus.GuestsCourtney Burke, Senior Fellow for Health Policy, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentJillian Kirby Bronner, Special Advisor to the Budget Director, New York State Division of the BudgetTroy Oechsner, Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn MoreRead our series on how federal health policy changes are impacting New York State.

The Friday Five for August 29, 2025: Ritter Summits Takeaways & Shoutouts What I'm Watching Right Now Apple “Awe Dropping” Event Announced Spotify Slips Into the DMs Judge Grants Stay on Many 2025 ACA Final Rule Provisions   Get Connected:

Aug. 21, 2025- New York City mayors have had control over the school districts in the five boroughs for more than two decades, but could a system work in other communities? We try to answer that question with Maxwell Herrera, a policy analyst for the Rockefeller Institute of Government, and Brian Backstrom, director of education policy studies for the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

As summer winds down, the perennial question of how to create a safe and equitable environment for students is on the minds of many school leaders, administrators, and teachers. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we explore the practice of using multi-disciplinary threat assessment teams to evaluate students who are at risk and recommend holistic and programmatic pathways to make sure their needs are being met.Guests Eric Madfis, Professor, Criminal Justice and Director, Violence Prevention and Transformation Research Collaborative, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice, University of Washington-Tacoma Jaclyn Schildkraut, Executive Director, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, Rockefeller Institute of Government

August 5, 2025- School districts have been encouraged by the state to find regional partnerships that might save money and improve operations. We consider what regionalization has looked like in the past and how it could happen in the future with Anita Murphy, a retired superintendent from the Capital Region BOCES, and Brian Backstrom, director of Education Policy Studies at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

New York City's major property tax law was enacted decades ago. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we take a deep dive into the law's limitations and challenges to reforming it. Our guests are Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna, Carol O'Cleireacain, a Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow at the Institute, and Preston Niblack, commissioner of the New York City Department of Finance.Guests Robert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute of Government Carol O'Cleireacain, Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government Preston Niblack, Commissioner, New York City Department of Finance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates responses to large disasters that exceed state and local capacity. In recent months, the Trump administration has floated the idea of abolishing the agency. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna is joined by Jackie Bray, commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, to discuss what it might mean to eliminate or drastically reduce the scope of FEMA.Guests Robert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute of Government Jackie Bray, Commissioner, New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

May 9, 2025 - Rockefeller Institute of Government President Bob Megna, a former state budget director, talks about the power governors have to unilaterally control spending and addresses Gov. Kathy Hochul's expanded authority over budget cuts.

With a new presidential administration come new (and dimmer) prospects for the rescheduling of cannabis. The rescheduling process, which began under President Biden, has met with legal hurdles and will now be overseen by a group of Trump appointees that view the drug less favorably. On a new episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute director of operations, fellow, and resident cannabis policy expert, Heather Trela, provides an update on where we are in the process, the new players, and what to expect in the coming months.

Dec. 13, 2024 - Brian Fessler, of the New York State School Boards Association, and Bob Lowry, of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, think the Rockefeller Institute made some good first steps with their review of education funding distribution in New York and are waiting to see how policymakers use their state-commissioned report.

This spring, state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul - after a contentious battle over education funding in the state budget - directed the Rockefeller Institute of Government to examine how the state doles out the bulk of school funding and consider how to improve this process. We discuss the think tank's report with their president, Bob Megna, who explains the approach they took to this project and outlines some of the key recommendations.

At all levels of American government, voters were asked to weigh in on cannabis policy in last week's election. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute of Government Director of Operations and Fellow Heather Trela breaks down the results of state ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis, local government efforts to decriminalize possession, and what a Trump presidency might mean for federal cannabis policy. Guests Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government Learn More Buds on the Ballot—Marijuana and the 2024 Election (blog) In the Weeds

fWotD Episode 2732: Hadji Ali Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 27 October 2024 is Hadji Ali.Hadji Ali (Arabic: حاج علي; c. 1888–1892 – November 5, 1937) was a vaudeville performance artist, thought to be of Egyptian descent, who was famous for acts of controlled regurgitation. His best-known feats included water spouting, smoke swallowing, and swallowing nuts and handkerchiefs before disgorging them in an order chosen by the audience. Ali's most famous stunt, and the highlight of his act, was drinking copious amounts of water followed by kerosene, and then acting by turns as a human flamethrower and fire extinguisher as he expelled the two liquids onto a theatrical prop. While these stunts were performed, a panel of audience members was invited to watch the show up close to verify that no trickery was employed.Although he never gained wide fame, Ali had a dedicated following on the vaudeville circuit in the United States. He performed for heads of state including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Judy Garland named him her favorite vaudevillian and David Blaine identified Ali as his favorite magician. Portions of his act were captured in the short film Strange as It Seems (1930) and in Politiquerias (1931), the Spanish-language version of Laurel and Hardy's Chickens Come Home. Two documentaries contain footage of Ali taken from Politiquerias: 1977's Gizmo!, and 1999's Vaudeville. Ali's unusual gastric abilities led to rumors that the Rockefeller Institute had offered a large sum of money to obtain his stomach post-mortem. After he died in England, his body was offered to Johns Hopkins University for study, though the offer was declined.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 06:48 UTC on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Hadji Ali on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Amy.

Steering committee members discuss need for hospital bond issue faced by local voters; road to be built to port site as progress continues on economic development project; Rockefeller Institute to host marketing summit; 2000 spirit athletes to be in Morrilton Saturday for competition at Devil Dog Arena; Morrilton football takes 7-1 record to Vilonia tonight; Perryville hopes to secure 2nd place in conference, while Bigelow tries to keep perfect conference record intact; we talk with Shannon Autrey of the Conway County Extension Service.

Sept. 6, 2024 - It's been five years since New York's Red Flag law took effect, so we look back on the implementation of this gun safety measure, examine how it has evolved, and consider what it should look like in the future. Our guests are Lisa Geller and Spencer Cantrell, scholars with the regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, who work for the John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Sept. 4, 2024 - Former state Budget Director Bob Megna is back in the center of Planet Albany, as he is leading the Rockefeller Institute of Government's examination of how New York doles out the bulk of its education aid and tasked with recommending a new distribution model. We talk about the process and what the future could look like.

Assemblymember Brian Cunningham joins Policy Outsider for the latest in the "Freshmen Perspectives" series, which invites freshmen legislators in the New York State Senate and Assembly to share what they're working on, what they've learned, and what they're excited about tackling next. Cunningham (who stretches our definition of freshman as a winner of a special election before winning his first full term in 2022), shares insights into how he approaches legislating, the unique perspective one gets working in the State Legislature, and the important work still to be done in housing, the green energy economy, and AI. Guests Honorable Brian Cunningham, New York State Assemblymember, Assembly District 43 Bob Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute

In the early 1980s, the New York State Division of the Budget released a retrospective on the executive budget process. The book, The Executive Budget in New York State: A Half-Century Perspective, describes how the executive budget process came to be, how it evolved over 50 years, and how it helped the state function through the Great Depression, World War II, the postwar period, and the 60s and 70s. Now, as we sit in view of 100 years of executive budgets in New York, the Division, in collaboration with the Rockefeller Institute, is beginning the process of telling the story of the next half-century. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Dominic Colafati, DOB's unit head for the Expenditure/Debt unit, joins Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna to talk about the project: what they hope to emulate, what they might do differently, and what comes next for the executive budget process. Guests Dominic Colafati, Unit Head, Expenditure/Debt Unit, New York State Division of the Budget Bob Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Television and Radio broadcast live from the Milken Institute Global Conference featuring Kipp DeVeer, CEO at Ares Capital, TCW CEO Katie Koch, Steve Klinsky, CEO at New Mountain Capital, Andy Sieg, Citigroup Head of Wealth Management, Raymond McGuire, President at Lazard, Victor Khosla, Founder and CIO at SVP Global, Mike Gitlin, CEO at Capital Group and Dr. Ali Rezai, Neurosurgeon and Neuroscientist at West Virginia University's Rockefeller Institute.Hosts: Carol Massar and Romaine Bostick. Producer: Paul Brennan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report we released in February 2024 found that foster youth at SUNY who received funding from the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) tended to reenroll after their first year of college at higher rates than their peers; they also tended to post higher graduation rates for associate degrees and, after six years, bachelor's degrees. This episode of Policy Outsider goes beyond the numbers to hear from an FYCSI award recipient and an FYCSI advocate how this funding can change the trajectory of students' lives. Guests Tanajah Malachi, Licensed Master Social Worker, FYCSI Award Recipient Deidra Nesbeth, Director, Fostering Youth Success Alliance Brian Backstrom, Director of Education Policy Studies, Rockefeller Institute of Government Learn More Fostering Success at SUNY: Financial Support through the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (report) New York State Education Department – Foster Youth College Success Initiative

Assemblymember Dana Levenberg represents the 95th district in the New York State Assembly. Her road to statewide elected office included a stint as chief of staff for former New York State Assemblymember Sandy Galef, time on the Ossining School Board, and four elected terms as Ossining Town Supervisor. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Assemblymember Levenberg speaks with Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna about her path to the Assembly and the common thread that weaves together her work across different issues and different levels of government. Guests: Honorable Dana Levenberg, New York State Assemblymember, Assembly District 95 Robert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute

Jessica Scarcella-Spanton was 21 when she first served as executive director of the Democratic Party on Staten Island. Now, she's serving as a freshman senator in the New York State Legislature, representing New York's 23rd District, which covers the North and East Shores of Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn. As a mother of two and wife to a disabled combat veteran, she brings a unique and fresh perspective to the State Senate. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna speaks with Senator Scarcella-Spanton about her road to the senate, how she approaches being a public servant and legislator, and what she's proud of in her first year as an elected official. Guests: Honorable Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, New York State Senator, Senate District 23 Robert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute

Budget season is underway in New York and New Jersey. On this episode of Policy Outsider, guest Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, a former New Jersey State treasurer, joins Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna to discuss spending plans in the Garden and Empire State. The conversation covers what is included and excluded from reported budget numbers and how differences in budget formulation make it difficult to do apples-to-apples comparisons between states. Guests: Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, former New Jersey State treasurer Bob Megna, president, Rockefeller Institute of Government Learn More: Op-Ed: How big is New Jersey's budget?

On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna and Kevin Younis, executive deputy commissioner and chief operating officer at Empire State Development, return to the podcast to discuss the latest $10 billion investment in Albany's NanoTech Complex for a new High Numerical Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet (NA EUV) Lithography Center. The conversation covers who the stakeholders are in this $10 billion deal, how partnerships between private industry and government came together and landed on upstate New York as the future of the semiconductor industry, and what that means for the New York economy. Guests: Bob Megna, president, Rockefeller Institute of Government Kevin Younis, chief operating officer and executive deputy commissioner, Empire State Development Learn More: Ep. 62. New York's $100 Billion Micron Deal. How Did It Happen? Ep. 63. New York's Investment in Innovation Infrastructure

The latest episode of Policy Outsider dives deep into the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare. Rockefeller Institute's Senior Fellow for Health Policy, Courtney Burke, follows up on her latest blog, "The Healthcare Industry Mega Trend to Watch in 2024: “Today” and “Tomorrow” Players and the Emergence of the “Striving Survivors”" that expands on her earlier work that identified 10 key trends in 2023 that are shaping the health care industry and discusses what we can expect in the coming year. The episode unravels the interaction between these trends and examines the existing challenges of today's health care marketplace, including labor shortages, price inflation, and declining margins; how tomorrow's healthcare entities are dynamically changing the playing field through private equity, consolidation, and technology; and the striving survivors–the existing health care businesses that are trying to navigate the evolution of healthcare in real time. Guest: Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government Learn More: 2024 blog Top Health Trends for State Health Policymakers to Watch in 2023 Part One: Broad Workforce, Economic, and Health Policy Shifts Part Two: Internal Industry Economic Trends Part Three: Service Delivery, Quality, and Equity Trends A Mid-Year Update on 2023 Healthcare Trends

In this episode, Truth in Accounting discusses the federal bailout for cities with Liz Farmer, a fiscal policy expert and journalist. Moderated by Sheila Weinberg, CEO and Founder of TIA. _______________________________ Subscribe to Truth in Accounting here: https://bit.ly/2uygGER The official Truth in Accounting YouTube channel is your primary destination for informative and entertaining videos on government finances. For more about Truth in Accounting's work, visit: https://www.truthinaccounting.org Follow Truth in Accounting here: Facebook: https://facebook.com/truthinaccounting Twitter: https://twitter.com/truthinacct Instagram: https://instagram.com/truthinacct LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truth-in-accounting ------------ Liz Farmer is a fiscal policy expert and journalist, writing for a national audience about the many ways state and local governments spend our taxpayer money. Her areas of expertise include budgets, fiscal distress, tax policy and pensions. She is a regular contributor to Forbes and Route Fifty, and has also been published in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, and other top publications. She is also deeply interested in remote work and is a research fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government's Future of Work Research Center. In addition to writing, Liz's insight and expertise is a valuable asset in her consulting work with Former GOVERNING publisher and Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser at his firm Funkhouser & Associates. Sheila Weinberg is the founder and CEO of Truth in Accounting. Since 2002 Ms. Weinberg has led Truth in Accounting's research initiatives. Because of her expertise in governmental budgeting and accounting, Ms. Weinberg has testified before the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB), the Government Accounting Standards Board, and numerous state legislative hearings on matters of proper government accounting. Her commentary on the federal budget, Social Security, Medicare and other national issues has appeared repeatedly in numerous publications, including USA Today, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. She has been a guest on local and national television and radio shows, and is often engaged to speak on federal and state budget and accounting issues.

Recently, in coordination with New York Congressman Paul Tonko, the Rockefeller Institute hosted the Locally Sourced Capital Region Climate Policy conference, which examined ways local governments and organizations within New York's capital region are addressing climate change through policy and practice. As part of the Rockefeller Institute's ongoing look at municipal solutions to improving our climate and environmental sustainability, Carm Basile, CEO of the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) and a panelist during the Locally Sourced conference, joins the podcast to detail what programs and initiatives CDTA is embarking on that help reduce the regional carbon footprint by increasing access to and use of public transportation, as well as reduce its own carbon footprint by increasing green transit infrastructure. Guest: Carm Basile, CEO, Capital District Transit Authority Learn More: Locally Sourced Capital Region Climate Policy | An Integrated Approach to Zero Emissions, Carm Basile, CEO, Capital District Transit Authority Locally Sourced Capital Region Climate Policy | Entire Conference

In 2021, overdose death rates in Sullivan County were 108% higher than the New York State average. How did we get here? Are our efforts to fight this epidemic keeping things from getting even worse, or are we missing the mark? What policies actually make a difference? Dr. Patricia Strach from the Rockefeller Institute of Government at SUNY Albany and Dr. Katherine Zuber from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice have been working to answer these big questions since 2017 when their team launched the "Stories from Sullivan" project, which seeks to develop a better understanding of how our communities respond to the opioid crisis through a mix of quantitative data analysis and 200+ on-the-ground interviews with local stakeholders.

After years of disappointing results in her quest to treat heroin addiction, Marie Nyswander was more than ready to try something new. When she met a prominent doctor from the prestigious Rockefeller Institute, they embarked on an experiment that would define both of their careers and revolutionize the treatment of addiction for decades to come. But not everyone was happy about it.

New year, Gilded Age drama! Today we might think of municipal trash collection as a mundane activity. But in the late 1800s, trash collection in the United States was the site of dirty politics, public health debates, and a whole lot of mess. Professors Patricia Strach and Kathleen S. Sullivan join Jonathan to discuss how we went from 16-foot-tall trash piles in the streets to our modern system of trash pick-ups. And we're getting into all the unsavory details... Want to (dumpster) dive deeper into the politics of trash? Check out their new book The Politics of Trash: How Governments Used Corruption to Clean Cities, 1890-1929, published by Cornell University Press. You can visit the book's website for more information! Patricia Strach is professor in the Departments of Political Science and Public Administration & Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York and a fellow with the Rockefeller Institute of Government. With Kathleen S. Sullivan, she is the author of The Politics of Trash: How Governments Used Corruption to Clean Cities, 1890-1929 (Cornell University Press 2023). Her previous books include Hiding Politics in Plain Sight: Cause Marketing, Corporate influence, and Breast Cancer Policymaking (Oxford University Press 2016) and All in the Family: The Private Roots of American Public Policy (Stanford University Press 2007).  Kathleen S. Sullivan is Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio University. With Patricia Strach, she is the author of The Politics of Trash: How Governments Used Corruption to Clean Cities, 1890-1929 (Cornell University Press 2023). She is also the author of Constitutional Context: Women and Rights Discourse in Nineteenth-Century America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007). She is currently researching sailors' boardinghouses. You can follow Professor Strach on Twitter @PatriciaStrach and Professor Sullivan on Twitter @kathlsullivan.  Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Our executive producer is Erica Getto. Our associate producer is Zahra Crim. Our editor is Andrew Carson. Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

If we had the opportunity to speak to our younger self, what would we say? What wisdom could we give to that younger self about the meaning and purpose of life? What does our experience tell us about why we are here and who we are? This conversation explores these questions and why they may be important to our lives. Jacob Needleman, Ph.D. is a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University and former director of the Center of the Study of New Religions at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has also served as a research associate at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. His books include Why Can't We Be Good? (Tarcher 2003), The Heart of Philosophy (Tarcher 2003), Time and the Soul: Where Has All the Meaningful Time Gone -- and Can We Get It Back? (Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2003), Lost Christianity (Tarcher 2003), Money and the Meaning of Life (Doubleday 1994), The Wisdom of Love: Toward a Shared Inner Life (Morning Light Press 2005), What Is God? (Tarcher 2010), Necessary Wisdom (Fearless Books 2013) and An Unknown World: Notes on the Meaning of the Earth (Tarcher 2012)Interview Date: 6/2/2016 Tags: Jacob Needleman, freedom, ethics, listening, truth, Gurdjieff, essential questions, polarized times, ancient mystical wisdom traditions, Christianity, attention, Denise Levertov poem A Gift, Philosophy, Personal Transformation, Spirituality, Science

In the first 6 months of 2022 alone, there have been over 250 mass shootings in America—in schools, at grocery stores, in churches, and as people were going about their everyday lives. No matter how sad and scary they are to talk about, these mass shootings are Worth Noting.Sources consulted:About mass violence. NMVVRC. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.nmvvrc.org/learn/about-mass-violence/James Densley Professor of Criminal Justice, & Jillian Peterson Professor of Criminal Justice. (2022, June 10). What we know about mass school shootings in the US – and the gunmen who carry them out. The Conversation. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/what-we-know-about-mass-school-shootings-in-the-us-and-the-gunmen-who-carry-them-out-183812Magazine, S. (2021, March 12). How the 1996 Dunblane Massacre pushed the U.K. to enact stricter gun laws. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-1996-dunblane-massacre-pushed-uk-enact-stricter-gun-laws-180977221/Martin, M., & Bowman, E. (2021, March 27). Why nearly all mass shooters are men. NPR. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2021/03/27/981803154/why-nearly-all-mass-shooters-are-menMass shooting factsheet. Rockefeller Institute of Government. (2022, June 8). Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://rockinst.org/gun-violence/mass-shooting-factsheetA Kids Book About School Shootings -  https://akidsco.com/products/a-kids-book-about-school-shootings