Vaccinations, ending persistent poverty, and the Cross Bronx Expressway: these are some things on the mind of new Congressman Ritchie Torres. He joined Congress in an unusual year, in the midst of Covid-19, and following the January 6th attacks on Washington. He’s advocating for his constituents in the Bronx on everything from housing to pollution to […]
There’s a new “vice” in town. New York State has now legalized marijuana, and it will mean not just booming business but also tax revenue. Catharine Dockery, founding partner of Vice Ventures, has been investing in this space – as well as others categorized as vice – for years and believes they could be a […]
Sometimes change comes from organizations, businesses, or the government. But sometimes, change can begin with a single individual. Corinne Low, assistant professor at Wharton, is one such individual. She spoke out and stepped up to fight stigma surrounding homelessness on the Upper West Side when her neighbors and even friends were not only on the […]
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted socio-economic, racial and health disparities in New York. Guest Eddie Bautista, Executive Director of the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance explains how climate change and environmental conditions in lower income neighborhoods have an adverse impact for those same populations and what can be done to bring justice to those communities in New […]
Jonathan Rosen and Risa Heller great New Yorkers. Two of the best in the the public relations world, they are co-founders of the NYForever campaign. The campaign involves a pledge to commit to New York’s recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic, and has gotten support from corporations, celebrities, and every New Yorkers. We speak to them […]
Laura Schultz, executive director of research at the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government, looks closely at how New York state dollars funnel towards the federal government, and how those funds come back to the state and city. For a long time, New York’s balance of payments have tilted toward a gap, meaning the state sends […]
Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, says that the bars and restaurants that make our city what it is are heading into another dark few months because of Covid. He explains the ways we can all support local restaurants throughout the remaining months of the pandemic, and help them — […]
Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, has been following the city and state budgets for some time, and he knows that the COVID-19 pandemic has put them both in a precarious state. Rein argues that there are lessons we can learn from previous fiscal crises, and that there are creative measures we can […]
Jarret Berg, cofounder of VoteEarlyNY, says there’s a lot that’s about to change about voting in New York, and a public education campaign is needed. Following up on our previous conversation about ranked-choice voting, we talk about other ways in which the vote can be suppressed in New York City, and the reforms to combat […]
Susan Lerner is one of the city’s leading experts on ranked-choice voting. As Executive Director of the nonprofit Common Cause, she was instrumental in the campaign, during the New York City ballot initiative, to bring ranked-choice voting to New York City primaries and special elections. That measure, as part of a slate of Charter Commission […]