Policy Outsider

TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant youth. This episode of Policy Outsider features an interview with TheDream.US co-founder Don Graham, president and CEO Gaby Pacheco, and Chief Operating Officer Hyein Lee. In the recorded conversation, the TheDream.US team is interviewed by the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy's Executive Director Dina Refki and Immigrant Integration Fellow Adriana Mintarsih.

Guests

• Don Graham, Co-Founder, TheDream.US
• Gaby Pacheco, President and CEO, TheDream.US
• Hyein Lee, Chief Operating Officer, TheDream.US
• Dina Refki, Executive Director, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy
• Adriana Mintarsih, Immigrant Integration Fellow, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy

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Refugee resettlement organizations play a critical role in immigrant integration, providing job training programs, interpretation and translation services, and other educational programming for individuals and businesses. The indefinite pause of the refugee resettlement program by the Trump administration froze funding for many of these organizations, including those with long-established relationships with local communities, employers, and other community-based organizations. This integration infrastructure takes years to build and is often the catalyst that helps foreign-born people move from surviving to thriving.

On this episode of Policy Outsider, we dive into the services provided by one of these organizations, the benefits these services have in the community, and how the organization is navigating a challenging new funding and cultural landscape. Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, the executive director of the International Institute of Buffalo, an organization whose mission is to "make Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees," speaks with the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy's executive director, Dina Refki, and Ken Irish-Bramble, a fellow with the Institute on Immigrant Integration.

Guests

• Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, Executive Director, International Institute of Buffalo
• Dina Refki, Executive Director, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy
• Ken Irish-Bramble, Immigrant Integration Fellow, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy

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You've probably heard the headline: guns and cars are the leading causes of death among children. But to understand what policymakers can actually do to bring down rates of firearm and motor vehicle fatalities, researchers are going deeper into the intersection of age, sex, race, and ethnicity in mortality rates. On this episode ofPolicy Outsider, hear from two co-authors of a recently published article on firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths in the journal JAMA Pediatrics how prevention efforts need to be targeted across different high-risk subgroups to be most effective in bringing down the number of children killed by cars and guns.

Guests

• Jaclyn Schildkraut,Executive Director, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium
• Eric Fleegler,Pediatric Emergency Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School
• Lois K. Lee,Senior Associate in Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School

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Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or "red flag" laws, are a state policy tool designed to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who are behaving in a manner dangerous to themselves or to others. As state laws, they vary in their design and implementation, including who is able to petition to have firearms removed. In some states with red flag laws, physicians, pediatricians, and other clinicians are enabled by law to fill this role. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we explore why clinicians are well-suited to be ERPO petitioners and their challenges and concerns with the laws as currently constructed.

Guests

• Nina Agrawal, Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow, Rockefeller Institute
• Shannon Frattaroli, Professor, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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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

Immigrant children face unique challenges in the classroom. Many are processing recent upheaval, working through academic material while learning a new language, or adjusting to new cultural norms. This episode of Policy Outsider, coordinated by the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy, explores how emotionally responsive practice can be used in the classroom to support children navigating adversity.

Guests

• Margaret Blachly, Co-Director, Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, Bank Street College of Education
• Romelle Moore, Mental Health Specialist, Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, Bank Street College of Education

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September marks National Suicide Prevention Month and on this episode of Policy Outsider, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium Executive Director Jaclyn Schildkraut speaks with Hannah Klein, an affiliate scholar with the Consortium and an assistant professor at Lewis University, about the role of safe firearm storage in suicide prevention. The conversation covers what safe storage really means, what we know about where people receive and want to receive safe storage education, and why safe storage is so important in reducing firearm suicides.

Guests:

Diya Abdo is a second-generation Palestinian refugee born and raised in Jordan and the author of the book, American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience. The book shares the stories of seven refugees from around the world who begin their American journeys in North Carolina, where Abdo is a Lincoln Financial Professor of English in the Department of English and Creative Writing at Guilford College. On this episode of Policy Outsider, the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy invited Dr. Abdo to talk about the book, myths about refugees and the refugee experience, and the intertwined cultural and policy changes that can support a more integrated immigrant experience.

Guests

• Diya Abdo, Lincoln Financial Professor of English, Department of English and Creative Writing, Guilford College

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Rates of both gun violence and firearm suicide have been increasing year over year, but not all Americans have been impacted equally. Black individuals in the US are nearly 14 times more likely to die from a firearm homicide than their white counterparts, and their inpatient hospitalizations due to firearm injuries are nine times higher. And in 2022, preliminary data indicate that, for the first time in history, firearm suicide rates among Black individuals exceeded those of white individuals. A new study out in JAMA Network Open explores the relationship between gun violence exposure and suicide among Black adults. In this episode, lead author Daniel Semenza of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and member of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium joins Policy Outsider to discuss the study’s findings.

Guest

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

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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

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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

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2024 blog

Top Health Trends for State Health Policymakers to Watch in 2023

The latest episode breaks down New York's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). Passed in 2021, the MRTA experienced an uneven rollout due to legal challenges and the rise of illicit markets. Yet, state officials are looking at new ways to support the marijuana industry, empower entrepreneurs, and protect consumers. New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney, chair of the state Subcommittee on Cannabis and co-chair of the Marijuana Task Force,  joins the podcast to shine a light on the work being done at the state level and emphasizes the intricate balance between market regulation, taxation, and rectifying the harms of the failed war on drugs.

Guest:

Honorable Jeremy Cooney, New York State Senator

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This episode focuses on immigrant entrepreneurs, their impact on the New York economy, and their ability to access banking systems, loans, capital, and other resources to start and maintain their business. Ahyoung Kim, director of economic empowerment for the Asian American Federation, and Kristine Rudgers, small business advisor for America's Small Business Development Centers out of SUNY Brockport, recently participated in the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy webinar on the Future of Immigrant Entrepreneurship and join the podcast to expand on their discussion to touch on the opportunities and obstacles facing immigrant entrepreneurs and share their insights into how to strengthen immigrant business opportunities through policies and programs targeted at immigrant entrepreneurs.

Guests:

Ahyoung Kim, director of economic empowerment, Asian American Federation

Kristine Rudgers, small business advisor, Small Business Development Center, SUNY Brockport

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Prior to the late 19th century, trash in many American cities accumulated in streets, in backyards, in privies, in empty lots, and in crawlspaces underneath homes. There were no organized municipal efforts to remove the trash and, as they grew in size and density, cities became smelly, foul, and unhealthy places to live. In their book, The Politics of Trash: How Governments Used Corruption to Clean Cities, 1890–1929, authors Patricia Strach, professor of political science and public administration & policy at the University at Albany and a fellow at the Rockefeller Institute, and Kathleen Sullivan, associate professor of political science at Ohio University, describe how this began to change. On this episode, Patricia and Kathleen discuss their book, the lessons we can learn about how cities develop new services, and how those lessons apply to some of the problems governments are facing today.

Guests:

Patricia Strach, professor of political science and public administration & policy, University at Albany, & fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Kathleen Sullivan, associate professor of political science, Ohio University

Joel Tirado, director of communications, Rockefeller Institute of Government 

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A recent report from the Congressional Research Service suggests that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is likely to approve a US Department of Health and Human Services recommendation to reschedule marijuana, which is currently a Schedule I drug. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Director of Operations and Fellow Heather Trela explains what such a change would mean for the marijuana industry and federal enforcement of the drug. The episode provides an overview of the drug scheduling system and its history, the challenges and limitations of rescheduling, and what comes next in the ever-changing marijuana policy landscape.

Guest:

Heather Trela, director of operations & fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

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The 252 school-based health centers (SBHCs) operating in New York State serve more than 250,000 students. These health centers provide a range of services on school premises, from primary to behavioral health care—and, in some cases, dental and vision care—and augment the health services children receive from traditional healthcare providers. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Senior Fellow for Health Policy Courtney Burke interviews Dr. Viju Jacob, a pediatric specialist in the Bronx who works for Urban Health Plan, which operates several SBHCs, and Ronda Kotelchuk, founder of the Primary Care Development Corporation and current chair of New York State Foundation for School-Based Health Centers, to learn more about SBHCs, the positive health and academic outcomes they support, and what is needed to maintain and expand the important services they offer to students.

Guests:

Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Dr. Viju Jacob, pediatric specialist, Urban Health Plan

Ronda Kotelchuk, founder, Primary Care Development Corporation & Chair, New York School-Based Health Foundation

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In August 2022, the Biden administration announced a plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for eligible borrowers. The plan, legally challenged almost immediately, was struck down in early July by the Supreme Court, ruling the Executive had overreached its authority. Then, on July 14, the Biden administration announced its latest move: using the negotiated rulemaking process under the Higher Education Act to forgive student loans, revising income-driven repayment plans, and providing more than 800,000 qualifying borrowers with nearly $40 billion in loan forgiveness. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Director of Education Policy Studies Brian Backstrom and Fellow Rebecca Natow discuss the Supreme Court's ruling, the Biden administration's latest plan, and what comes next in the lengthy saga of addressing the nation's student loan debt crisis. Guests: Brian Backstrom, director of education policy studies, Rockefeller Institute

Rebecca Natow, fellow, Rockefeller Institute & associate professor of educational leadership and policy, Hofstra University

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Across the US, the pandemic hit community colleges hard. Enrollment is down and institutions have reduced staff and payroll. And while community colleges are heavily integrated into their local and regional education and workforce development fabric, federal policy is critical to sustaining and advancing these institutions. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Fellow Rebecca Natow explains how federal support promotes equity, accessibility, and opportunity in community colleges and how that support is evolving under the Biden administration.

Guest:

Rebecca Natow, fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government & assistant professor of educational leadership and policy, Hofstra University

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The New York Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act (the Empowerment Act) made it easier for New York State residents to initiate the dissolution or consolidation of village governments. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Fellow and Daemen University Professor Lisa Parshall discusses her new book, In Local Hands, which examines the social, political, and narrative context surrounding municipal reorganization in the state, especially since the Empowerment Act went into effect in 2010. The conversation touches on questions explored in the book: why do village residents support or oppose dissolutions? How do residents initiate reorganizations? And how do dissolutions affect taxes and government services?

Guest:

Lisa Parshall, fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government & professor, Daemen University

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The 2024 election cycle will be the first election where candidates running for statewide office in New York can opt into the state's new small donor public financing program. Laura Ladd Bierman and Erica Smitka of the League of Women Voters of New York join Policy Outsider host Alex Morse to discuss the details of the new program and the history of campaign finance reform in the state. The conversation examines how public financing intends to level the electoral playing field of state elections, increase representation, and reduce the influence of big money in politics. The episode also covers what other reforms can help strengthen elections and make campaign finance more equitable throughout the state.

Guests:

Laura Ladd Bierman, executive director, League of Women Voters of New York

Erica Smitka, deputy director, League of Women Voters of New York

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As part of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) enacted by Congress, Medicaid programs were required to keep individuals continuously enrolled in the program to receive enhanced federal funding (typically, Medicaid requires an annual eligibility renewal). The continuous enrollment requirement was decoupled from the PHE through the Consolidated Appropriations Act (passed in late 2022) and is set to expire on April 1. States have some flexibility in how they "unwind" the automatic, continuous health coverage provisions that have been in place. To help make sense of how New York is approaching the unwind, Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow for Health Policy Courtney Burke is joined by Amir Bassiri, deputy commissioner and Medicaid director at the New York State Department of Health, Danielle Holahan, executive director of New York State of Health, and Lisa Sbrana, director of the Division of Eligibility and Marketplace Integration at the New York State Department of Health.

Guests:

Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Amir Bassiri, deputy commissioner and Medicaid Director, New York State Department of Health

Danielle Holahan, executive director, New York State of Health

Lisa Sbrana, director, Division of Eligibility and Marketplace Integration, New York State Department of Health

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In July, a bill designed to protect same-sex marriages passed the US House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Forty-seven Republicans joined House Democrats in passing the Respect for Marriage Act. Shortly thereafter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that he was working to drum up sufficient Republican support in the Senate to pass the bill.

Following weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Schumer announced in mid-September that the vote would be delayed until after the midterm elections.

To make sense of what is happening with marriage equality, we put together a two-part podcast series, featuring conversations with policymakers, experts, and advocates.

In part one of this series, Rockefeller Institute Fellow Heather Trela, Senior Policy Analyst Leigh Wedenoja, and Pride Center of the Capital Region Executive Director Nate Gray answer questions like: If the US Supreme Court ruled in 2015 to legalize marriage equality nationwide, why is there now a renewed push for legislating this issue? What is the legislative and judicial history of marriage equality and how does that inform the provisions in the Respect for Marriage Act? And how is the recent uncertainty surrounding marriage equality affecting members of the LGBTQ+ community?