Policy Outsider

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 preventi...

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 Op...

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...

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, Ro...

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 indus...

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 &amp...

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 factor...

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 b...

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...

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-re...

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...

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. Gu...

The Supreme Court's interpretation of the Second Amendment has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Rulings in cases like  DC v. Heller  in 2008 and  New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen  in 2022 recast the "right to bear arms" in a new legal framework that makes it more challenging to create effective firearm regulations. On this episode of&nbs...

In the third part in our series, "A Look at Labor," Vilda Vera Mayuga, commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), is interviewed by Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa. Their discussion covers the goals of DCWP and how they approach their work, implementing and enforcing protections for workers in the digital economy, securing r...

In the second episode in our series, "A Look at Labor," Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa interviews New York State Senator Jessica Ramos. Their discussion covers the priorities of Senator Ramos as chair of the Labor Committee in the senate, the impacts of federal immigration actions, funding cuts, and other federal policy changes on workers, and the labor issues at pla...

Sharing a language does not always mean sharing meaning. That became clear to researcher William Wical when he and community organizer Tyrique Glasgow were reviewing interviews Wical had done of Black men who'd been involved in a hospital-based violence intervention program. On this episode of Policy Outsider , we learn about how a confusion of meaning resulted in a new endeavor: the Glossary Proj...

On this episode of  Policy Outsider , the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy is joined by John Ravitz, executive vice president and COO of the Business Council of Westchester and a former New York State legislator, to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing both local and national economies: the workforce crisis. From labor shortages in healthcare and education to the vi...

New York’s Medicaid program provides health insurance to nearly seven million New Yorkers, and it is a critically important way for people to get healthcare. On this episode of Policy Outsider , we discuss why the administration of the Medicaid program—that is, how it is staffed, how it procures services, how it captures, analyzes, and acts on its data—is so important to delivering effective outco...

The delivery industry boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In New York City, the engine of this expansion was app-based delivery workers, many of whom are immigrants. On this episode of Policy Outsider , Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez interviews Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa a...

Federal health policy is undergoing its most significant changes since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law more than 15 years ago. The health policy team at the Rockefeller Institute is tracking these changes closely and has written extensively on how provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and related rule-based changes may impact New York State. On this episode of Policy Outsider ,...

This episode of Policy Outsider features a conversation between Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa and Brendan Griffith, president of the New York City Central Labor Council. The discussion explores the work of the Central Labor Council, the pressing issues facing the labor movement today, and the priorities of labor under the next mayoral administration. Guests Maria Fi...

As summer winds down, the perennial question of how to create a safe and equitable environment for students is on the minds of many school leaders, administrators, and teachers. On this episode of Policy Outsider , we explore the practice of using multi-disciplinary threat assessment teams to evaluate students who are at risk and recommend holistic and programmatic pathways to make sure their need...

New York City's major property tax law was enacted decades ago. On this episode of Policy Outsider , we take a deep dive into the law's limitations and challenges to reforming it. Our guests are Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna, Carol O’Cleireacain, a Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow at the Institute, and Preston Niblack, commissioner of the New York City Department of Finance. Gues...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates responses to large disasters that exceed state and local capacity. In recent months, the Trump administration has floated the idea of abolishing the agency. On this episode of Policy Outsider , Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna is joined by Jackie Bray, commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency...

Dr. Heide Castañeda is a professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida and the author of the 2023 book,  Migration and Health: Critical Perspectives , which examines how we think about migration, mobility, and borders, and how these phenomena produce health inequalities. On this episode of  Policy Outsider , Dr. Castañeda is interviewed by Institute on Immigrant Integration Research...