Advertise on podcast: CitiesSpeak With Clarence Anthony

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of CitiesSpeak, Clarence E. Anthony sits down with Irma Esparza Diggs, NLC’s Director and Senior Executive for Federal Advocacy, to unpack the latest election results and what it means for cities, towns, and villages. The conversation explores voter sentiment, potential shifts in Congress, key federal priorities affecting local governments, and how local leaders can prepare for the next congressional session. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail U.S. Rep. Mike Flood has served Nebraska’s 1st District in Congress since 2022 and prior to that, he served in the Nebraska Legislature, including six years as Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature. As Chair of the Housing & Insurance Subcommittee, he played a key role in passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act into law. Today, he joins CitiesSpeak to share how he helped move the housing act over the finish line. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Doug Linkhart is an expert in civic engagement and works to connect residents, government, nonprofits and business. As the National Civic League President, he draws on his lifelong values of inclusiveness and equity to guide his leadership. He shares his 40 years of experience in the public policy arena and best practices to engage residents and drive positive civic engagement. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Mayor Freddie O’Connell is the tenth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. He served on the Metro Council from 2015 to 2023, and he is welcoming the National League of Cities to town for City Summit, November 19 – 21. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Newly proposed census rules will not only change who is counted in the upcoming 2030 census, but also where and how they are counted. This change is expected to lead to an undercount of residents, which will decrease a city's political representation and power, as well as its state and federal funding allocations. NLC’s Second Vice President, Doreen Garlid, Councilmember, Tempe, Arizona, joins CitiesSpeak to discuss how this can lead to an undercount and how that would negatively impact local governments. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail NLC leadership applications are open until September 28. That means anyone interested in serving on NLC’s Board of Directors or applying for a leadership role with our constituency groups, member councils, or federal advocacy committees should act now. NLC President Kevin Kramer hosts conversations with Councilmember Bradley Carter, Mayor Jodi Miller, and NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony about leadership and the value of seizing opportunities beyond our local communities. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Data centers have quickly become one of the most consequential local issues in the country. More than 3,000 currently operate in the United States, and over half of the world’s hyperscale, or AI data centers, are located here. A recent Gallup Poll shows that 70% of Americans oppose data centers in their community, and communities are responding differently. NLC research has found that at least 120 communities have adopted moratoria on data centers, and 60 have passed new zoning regulations this year. Kate Stoll, Tucson Councilmember Nikki Lee and Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell join CitiesSpeak to discuss policy and the paths different communities are taking. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Brad Gaolach is Director of the National Urban Research and Extension Center, or NUREC. He also leads the Building Integrated Agriculture (BIA) Academy, a NUREC initiative in partnership with the National League of Cities University, which supports local leaders in exploring BIA as a strategy for community and environmental resilience, sustainability, food access, and economic opportunity. The first academy cohort kicks off this November at City Summit in Nashville. More details about building-integrated agriculture can be found on the NUREC BIA project page where you can find white papers on Defining BIA and BIA and Urban Systems: Opportunities for Climate Resilience, Food Systems, and Community Wellbeing. NUREC's BIA Academy web page provides more specifics on the Academy including module topics and learning objectives. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail For the past five years, Rick Reinhard has been a consultant and thought leader on the issue of the reuse and redevelopment of empty faith properties. He’s leading a new course with NLC University called “Spiritual Brownfields:  How Can Cities Strategically Reuse and Redevelop Their Emptying Faith Properties?” which explores ways cities can redevelop their unused houses of worship. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail The Supreme Court wrapped up a memorable term in July, and their decisions will have big impacts for America’s cities, towns and villages. We saw rulings on local government tax foreclosure and the amount of equity that is due back to a homeowner after a tax sale; election law and redistricting issues; law enforcement issues, including qualified immunity and geofence warrants; birthright citizenship; and the Second Amendment. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail NLC Legislative Director, Brittney Kohler, discusses what the Congressional August recess means and how local leaders can make the most of it with NLC's Director of Federal Advocacy, Irma Esparza Diggs. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Mayor Pro Tem Alejandra Chávez from the City of El Paso, TX, discusses the consequences of a Census undercount and how cities can prepare ahead of 2030. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Explaining the New Housing Act with Mike Wallace and Jason Jordan In this episode, Lauren Lowery, Director, Housing and Community Development, National League of Cities, is in conversation with Mike Wallace, Legislative Director, Housing, Community and Economic Development, National League of Cities, and Jason Jordan, Public Affairs Director, American Planning Association, on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The first comprehensive housing package to pass Congress in decades passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act aims to boost housing supply by improving existing programs, unlocking private capital, and reducing federal regulatory barriers. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed substantial changes to the Uniform Guidance, which governs federal grants and other forms of federal financial assistance. Toby Barker, Mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and NLC Board of Directors member, discusses the proposed changes and how they might impact local governments, both small and large, if implemented, and gives an update on the current status of the proposed rule. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.

Send us Fan Mail Amanda Lovelee is an artist who works in civic systems as a translator between government and community with the goal of building places where everyone belongs. She creates bright, joyful, engaging and complex large-scale public art projects, partnering with arborists, planners, biologists, water resource managers, and scientists. Amanda is a US Cultural Policy Fellow at Stanford University and is part of CAIR Lab – the Cross-sector Artists-in-Residence Lab, a team that specializes in building partnerships between artists and government for creative solutions. She has served as an artist-in-residence in government at the local, regional, and state levels. For more information, visit us at nlc.org.