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On Monday, November 2nd at 5 p.m., the State of New York will implement a new unemployment insurance processing platform that will bring the unemployment process for individuals and businesses out of the '70s and into the modern age. To better understand what's at stake, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna interviews New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon on this episode of Policy Outsider. Guests Roberta Reardon, Commissioner, New York State Department of LaborRobert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn More Unemployment Services Upgrade | Department of Labor

On this episode of Policy Outsider, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy Executive Director Dina Refki interviews two attendees of the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review, a meeting supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The conversation explores the ideas exchanged at the conference and progress in global efforts to meet the needs of refugees. Guests Diya Abdo, Lincoln Financial Professor of English, Guilford CollegeLourena Gboeah, Program Director, Upwardly Global New YorkDina Refki, Executive Director, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy

Education is a critical component of preventing firearm injuries and deaths. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we explore a program in Washington State that delivers to high school students an evidence-informed education on how to reduce firearm injury. The discussion explores what the curriculum covers, its reception in schools, and why it's so important to get this information to students. That conversation is up next. Guests Gregory Engel, Vice President for Education, Ceasefire NorthwestGreg Schwab, Assistant Superintendent, Edmonds School DistrictJaclyn Schildkraut, Executive Director, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, 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. Guests Michael 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 More Bridging 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. Guests Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn More Guns, 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

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. Guests Honorable Gabriella A. Romero, New York State Assemblymember, Assembly District 109Robert Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute of Government

On this episode of Policy Outsider, guests Mila Gascó-Hernandez and Kevin De Liban explore the existing and future roles of AI in government systems and the risks and opportunities associated with increased integration of these new tools. Guests Mila Gascó-Hernandez, Research Director, Center for Technology in Government and Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at AlbanyKevin De Liban, Founder, Techtonic Justice

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. Guests Roberta Reardon, Commissioner, New York State Department of LaborMaria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn More Office of Just Energy Transition (OJET)NYS Department of Labor Home Page

On January 3, 2026, US military forces removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power and charged him with drug trafficking crimes. The event brought renewed attention to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and the plight of displaced Venezuelans in the US and across the globe. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez interviews two Venezuelan not-for-profit leaders about the crisis in Venezuela, how they support Venezuelans from their positions in the US and the UK, and their hopes for the country and its people. Guests Jesús Aguais, Founder, Aid for AIDSAlejandro Arenas Pinto, Trustee, Healing VenezuelaGuillermo Martinez, Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy

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. Guests Courtney Burke, Senior Fellow for Health Policy, Rockefeller Institute of GovernmentLearn More Six Trends in Healthcare to Watch in 2026 (blog)How Federal Health Policy Changes Will Impact New York (series)

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. Guests Harry 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. Guests Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

On this episode of Policy Outsider, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez leads a conversation with leaders in the Providence Farm Collective, a non-profit organization in Western New York with a mission of cultivating farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems to actualize the rights of under-resourced peoples. Guests Kristin Heltman-Weiss, Executive Director, Providence Farm CollectiveHamadi Ali, Deputy Director, Providence Farm CollectiveGuillermo Martinez, Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and PolicyLearn More What is Providence Farm Collective (PFC)?

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. Guests Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

The Elder Economic Security Index is a tool that quantifies how much income older Americans need to meet their basic needs and age in place with dignity. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we unpack how the index works, what the latest findings tell us about economic security in later life, and how policymakers, advocates, and communities can use the index to shape better policy and programs. Guests Maria Alvarez, Executive Director, NY Statewide Senior Action CouncilNidya Velasco Roldán, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Gerontology Institute, UMass BostonDina Refki, Executive Director, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and PolicyLearn More Late-life Financial Security in New York: Evidence from the 2024 Elder Index (PDF)