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This year’s New York City budget was marked by a lack of funding and cuts across the board. At the same time, New York State is losing out on an estimated $4.4 billion in economic stimulus because residents aren’t enrolled in benefits they qualify for. Our guest is Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York, with a plan to make it easier to search for those over 50 to find and apply for public benefits. For more, local.aarp.org/new-york-ny/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Current events find us talking more and more about the experiences of women and young girls, but what about the experiences of our sons and young men? How can we ensure that our sons are well-prepared and well-launched to manhood? How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Raise Good Men, by Dr. Michael Reichert, focuses on this question as a foundation to what we are missing when it comes to raising our sons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, The US Open is an epic sports event in sports, tennis and Queens. Kicking off the tournament, this Tuesday, August 22 to Sunday, August 27 is US Open Fan Week! The USTA’s Nicole Kankam, Managing Director, Pro Tennis Marketing and Entertainment, has details on the free events for all The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. For more, visit USopen.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest is Madeleine Kleven of FOOD ANIMAL CONCERNS TRUST (FACT), for a conversation about the use and consequences of antibiotics in the food we eat, protecting ourselves, and supporting humane farming. Before joining FACT, Madeleine worked in a laboratory setting, researching infectious organisms and their impacts on public health. She completed her graduate degree in public health at UC Berkeley with an emphasis in infectious diseases and vaccinology.For more, visit foodanimalconcernstrust.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merle Saferstein has worked closely with hundreds of Holocaust survivors, helping them to write and pass along their personal thoughts and histories. Now she’s helping others share their lifetime stories with legacy journaling, through her book LIVING AND LEAVING MY LEGACY, VOL II.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As one of America’s leading cultural ambassadors, NYC based Battery Dance connects the world through dance by building bridges through international cultural exchange programs--to date, in over 70 countries. In summer, Battery Dance plays host to dancers and companies throughout the world, via the Battery Dance Festival. Our guest is founder and Artistic Director of Battery Dance, Jonathan Hollander. For more, visit Batterydance.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Given the number of boarded up retail spaces across New York City, it may not be a surprise that retail jobs are down—there are fewer of most the accessible jobs. What does that mean for the City? Are those jobs coming back, and what needs to happen to insure that New Yorkers are prepared for the jobs the economy is creating? Our guest is Jonathan Bowles is the Executive Director of The Center for an Urban Future, a think tank that serves as a catalyst for smart and sustainable policies to reduce inequality, increase economic mobility, and grow the economy in New York City. For more, visit nycfuture.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In THE CONFIDENCE MAP: Charting a Path from Chaos to Clarity, behavioral economics pioneer Peter Atwater explores the hidden role of confidence in the choices we make and why events described as being unprecedented are often entirely predictable if we know what to look for. Peter Atwater is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at William and Mary, and President of Financial Insyghts, a consulting firm that advises on how social mood affects decision making, the economy, and the markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FLAG Award For Teaching Excellence, founded by Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, recognizes and celebrates extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion, and commitment. 2023 Grand Prize Winners Zachary Rosch from Tottenville High School in Staten Island, and Sarah Slack from I.S. 223 in Brooklyn, talk about their unique STEM programs and bringing real world experiences to students. For more details, including information about 2024 entries, visit flagaward.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian Madsbjerg new book is LOOK: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, an exploration of how we pay attention, why it matters, and how we get it back. Christian Madsbjerg is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the great NYC fundraisers returns on September 10th: Wine on Wheels at City Winery. It’s an event founded by NYC based restauranteur and sommelier Yannick Benjamin, bringing together people to drink wine, socialize and raise funds to empower people with disabilities. For tickets and more, visit wineonwheels.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ackerman’s new book is WHAT AN OWL KNOWS: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds, a scientific investigation into owls and why they exert such a hold on human imagination. Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for more than three decades. Her previous books include, The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think and The Genius of Birds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vanessa Bracetty-Ormsby is Founder & Executive Director of Expecting Relief: A Brooklyn based organization built to create community based solutions address to poverty, hunger and miseducation via food, diaper, literacy relief and more. For more, visit expectingrelief.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Catherine Pearlman's book is IGNORE IT!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction. Dr. Pearlman's private practice helps families resolve everyday problems related to discipline, sleep, and sibling rivalry, among other issues. More at thefamilycoach.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former NYC Schools Chancellor Dr. Meisha Porter is now the Inaugural President and CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation, an organization which supports and invests in community non-profits to eradicate inequity and build sustainable futures for all Bronxites. Dr. Porter talks about their approach, and recent grants and partnerships supporting migrants, cannabis education and the borough’s first legal dispensary. For more, visit thebronx.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Americans, we are defined by our jobs. But what if our jobs were just part of our lives, and our identities came from something far more personal? Simone Stolzoff’s new book is THE GOOD ENOUGH JOB: Reclaiming Life from Work. It's a look at why work has become central to our identities, and how to separate our self-worth from our output. Simone Stolzoff is an independent journalist and consultant. He works with leaders—from the Surgeon General of the United States to the Chief Talent Officer at Google—on how to make the workplace more human-centered.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the New York Economic Development Corporation, while Manhattan has lost about 2,300 small businesses in the last decade, the other four boroughs have been gaining. To drill down on business in the Bronx, and resources for small business owners, our guest is Rob Walsh, President of Bronx Economic Development Corporation. For more, visit BxEDC.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you are one of those people who thinks you might have a book in you…or maybe have even written one…well, what happens next? How do you get it published? Rea Frey is a multi-published, award-winning bestselling author, and founder of Writeway, a process and podcast to help other writers get published, at writewayco.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New York City Primary election is Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Like most off-cycle election years, voter turnout will likely be low. What is on the ballot this year, and what needs to be done to increase voter turnout? Our guests are Betsy Gothbaum, Executive Director of the non-profit good government group Citizens Union and former NYC Public Advocate, and and Ben Weinberg, Citizens Union Director of Public Policy. For more, visit citizensunion.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Pride Month, we’re joined by Jason Marx, a partner in the Trusts and Estate practice at Mandelbaum Barrett in Roseland, NJ, for a conversation about the unique challenges of estate planning for same sex couples. For more, mblawfirm.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over 50 years, the legendary NYC Pride March has been a symbol of the LGBTQ+ presence in our community. Our guest is Dan Dimant of Heritage of Pride, the non profit organization that plans and produces New York City's official Pride events each year--including this year’s Pride March on June 25th. For more, visit NYCPride.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right now 70% of Americans say they are unhappy with what they do for a living. Feel familiar? At the present moment, a million Americans a week quit their job—that’s a third of the workforce. Another third questions how, where and when they work. Our guest is Bruce Feiler, author of THE SEARCH: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World. Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life is in the Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, and The Council of Dads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the 100th Anniversary of Star Lake Camp, the Salvation Army’s summer camp in Bloomingdale, NJ, they’re launching a program for children of the incarcerated. Our guest is Major Antonio Rosamilia, a former camper and now Co-Camp Director! For more information on Star Lake Camp and applications for campers and staff, visit starlake.camp.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For some people, there is no planning when it comes to having a family. However, Tasha Van Howe’s was very different. Her memoir is MISS ME, ALWAYS, a story she shares for anyone who’s ever experienced the loss of a child, struggled with infertility or adoption challenges—she’s faced them all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A charter school focused on the future is coming soon to Brooklyn’s historic Floyd Bennett Field: Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School will explore green jobs, solutions to climate change, food injustice, and systemic racism. Executive Director Geoffrey Roehm is our guest. For more, visit launchschool.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christine Yu is an award-winning journalist focused on the intersection of sports science and women athletes. In her reporting for Outside, The Washington Post, Runner’s World and others, she realized that even as women excel in sports, we know little about female physiology and sports performance. Her new book is UP TO SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s largest Latinx cultural organization and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, returns to New York City Center, June 1-3. Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro visits for for a preview of their performances, including two world premieres. For more, visit BalletHispanico.org, and for tickets visit nycitycenter.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud estimates that business fraud costs every state resident approximately $900 per year. The NYAAIF’s Frank Sztuk discusses at the impact of insurance fraud, and red flags for both employers and employees. For more, visit fraudny.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fresh Air Fund is a New York City institution, providing summer adventures for urban kids through a number of programs, including free sleepaway camps and their signature Volunteer Host Family Program. CEO Lisa Gitelson visits as 2023 recruiting for participants, host families, and paid summer camp staff begins! For more, visit freshair.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MOTT STREET: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, is a sweeping narrative history of the Chinese Exclusion Act, told through an intimate portrayal of one family’s epic journey to lay down roots in America, researched and written by Ava Chin, Professor at City University of New York.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manhattan based non-profit Hot Bread Kitchen creates opportunity for immigrant women and women of color through food entrepreneurship. I spoke with CEO Leslie Abbey about how they leverage the NYC food industry to help women improve their economic trajectory. They also have an amazing marketplace! Visit hotbreadkitchen.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharon Palmer is a vegan nutritionist whose writing has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Oprah Magazine, Prevention, the Los Angeles Times, and many others. Her new book is The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes, which includes 100 easy vegan recipes that are both inventive and delicious.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Lasallian Catholic, co-educational institution of higher learning. In 2023, Manhattan College markes several milestones: 100 years in the Bronx, 170 years since the college’s founding, and it’s 50th anniversary of admitting female students. The President of Manhattan College, Brother Daniel Gardner, talks about the school's rich history in New York, being one of the first schools to prioritize first-generation college students, and it’s evolution into one of the region’s top schools. For more, visit manhattan.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Written by author and anthropologist Dr. Rooane Van Voorst, ONCE UPON A TIME WE ATE ANIMALS imagines of a future where animal consumption is a thing of the past. Dr. ROANNE VAN VOORST, is a researcher, writer, speaker, and moderator. As an anthropologist of the future, her core research focuses on what she calls ‘sustainable humanity’. For more, visit www.roannevanvoorst.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With legalization of marijuana, easier access and more open usage among adults, the cannabis landscape has also shifted dramatically for children and teens. Davon Russell, President of the Bronx-based Community Development Organization WHEDco, talks marijuana perception and access for young people, and the need for education for all New Yorkers. For more, visit whedco.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist Brianna Holt has spent years covering identity, race and culture. She now invities readers to unlearn their biases and expand their worldviews in her debut book IN OUR SHOES: On Being a Young Black Woman in Not-So "Post-Racial" America. Brianna Holt is an author, writer, and reporter living in New York City, who’s has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, GQ, The Cut, The Atlantic, Complex, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than half of the U.S. workforce are now millienals--and millenials say they prefer to work for businesses that embrace diversity. For Autism Acceptance Month, we spoke with Michele Ford, President & CEO of Inroads to Opportunities, a NJ based group that provides job training and placement to people with a variety of disabilities. For more, visit inroadsto.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her new book REAL SELF-CARE: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included), Dr. Pooja Lakshmin explains why our understanding of self-care is incomplete at best and manipulative at worst—and instead, she offers a complete road map to treat ourselves with compassion, while asserting our power. Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is a board-certified psychiatrist, New York Times contributor, and the founder of Gemma, a physician led women’s mental health education platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Immigrant Heritage week, our guest is Mino Lora, founder of the People’s Theatre Project, a theater rooted in Washington Heights and Inwood, presenting the world premiere original play THE DIAMOND, onstage now thorough April 23. For more, including show tickets, visit peopletheatreproject.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Through a blend of compelling exercises, illustrations, and stories, Annie Duke, the bestselling author of Thinking in Bets and a former professional poker player, will train you to combat your own biases, address your weaknesses, and help you become a better and more confident decision-maker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UN has declared 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, as thousands of them are facing extinction. Our guests are Wil Meya of The Language Conservancy and Alex Fire Thunder of the Lakota Language Consortium, to talk about their efforts with the Lakota Language, and the New Lakota Dictionary and app now available at the New York Public Library. For more, visit languageconservancy.org and lakhota.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meg Zucker is a lawyer, a mother and founder of Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It, a nonprofit with the mission of advancing understanding and mutual respect for people’s differences. Her book is BORN EXTRAORDINARY: Empowering Children with Differences and Disabilities, which shows parents how to empower their children to confront others’ assumptions, grow in confidence, and encourage dialogue—rather than silence, fear, and shame—around difference. For more, visit donthideitflauntit.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During The Public Health Emergency (PHE) caused by the recent Pandemic, many of the requirements keeping current Medicaid recipients protected by their coverage were set aside, including routine checks whether recipients were still eligible. But now with the end of the PHE in April, many Medicaid beneficiaries are wondering how they will be impacted. Our guest is Donny Dennison, an attorney in the Elder Law practice at Mandelbaum Barrett PC in Roseland, NJ for a conversation about what Medicaid recipients should know.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE TEACHERS: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession is the result of investigative reporter Alexandra Robbins intensive shadowing of three individual teachers over the course of a year, and interviews with hundreds of teachers nationwide. Alexandra Robbins is the author of five New York Times bestselling books, a Goodreads Best Nonfiction Book of the Year, and an award-winning investigative reporter who also has been honored for “Distinguished Service to Public Education.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social workers are real life superheroes who can help people navigate mental health challenges and trauma. Our guest is Katie Rodriguez, Social Work Therapist with JCCA, one of New York’s oldest child and family services organizations, to talk the growing need for youth mental health support – especially for teen girls. For more, visit jccany.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life changes, job changes, changes in our health…they’re always happening. And even when they are supposedly changes for the good, they can turn our lives upside down. Clinical psychologist Dr. Carrie Ditzel joins us for a conversation about why change is so challenging, what keeps people from progress, and ways to become more resilient. Dr. Carrie Ditzel is a practicing psychologist and clinical manager at Baker Street Behavioral Health, based in New Jersey, and recently appeared in the Real Simple magazine article, How to Cope With a Fear of Change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the beginning of Ramadan, the most important month in the Islamic Calendar, a look at a New York based organisation with Middle Eastern roots: The Syrian Music Preservation Initiative promotes and celebrate the diverse ethnic and regional musical traditions of Syria through innovation, research, and education. Our guest is President of the Board, Marissa Arciola. For more, visit syrianmusic.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In DRAMA FREE: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships, licensed therapist and NY Times bestselling relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab offers clear advice for identifying dysfunctional family patterns and choosing the best path to break the cycle and move forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's astounding to think that within the child welfare system, black youth make up nearly 57% of the foster care population in New York State, compared to 15% percent of children overall. Kerlyne Colin of The Children’s Village, a charitable organization that specializes in working with the most vulnerable children and families in the New York metropolitan area, talks about how the child welfare system has disproportionately affected Black and Brown families, and how the organization is responding to racial inequity within the system. For more, visit childrensvillage.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In THE COURAGE TO RISE, Liz Arch shows how trauma changes your brain and inhabits your body, creating a vicious cycle of physical and psychological distress. As an an internationally acclaimed yoga teacher, Liz offers a prescriptive and transformative plan to use yoga to heal pain, anxiety, depression, and other manifestations of unresolved trauma.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.