Charitable giving and philanthropy is as important today as ever. In the midst of an ongoing pandemic and in a moment of national reckoning with racial injustice, Americans from all backgrounds are giving in important and different ways. Host Justin Milner speaks with Urban Institute researcher Benjamin Soskis, Emily Boardman Ndulue, researcher and community manager with the Media Cloud Project at Harvard University, and Erica Rosenthal, director of research at The Norman Lear Center at USC abou...
Sep 14, 2020•25 min
Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, but technological innovations don’t always benefit everyone equally. And COVID-19 has revealed that this digital divide is even greater than we thought. Host Justin Milner speaks with Urban Institute researcher Alena Stern, chief information officer of Atlanta Gary Brantely, and Miguel Gamiño Jr., executive vice president for Global Cities at Mastercard, about why cities should care about tech equity and how they can achieve it. Relate...
Jul 09, 2020•23 min
This week’s New York Times list of best-selling books shows a country reading all about race and racism. On this episode, Urban offers its own reading (and watching) list. You'll hear from Urban staff about the books, movies and documentaries they are reflecting on to contextualize anti-racism, structural racism, police brutality and privilege in this moment. Links to all the recommendations can be found at: https://www.urban.org/criticalvalue
Jun 25, 2020•24 min
The pictures speak to the growing challenge of food insecurity in America: miles-long lines of people in cars waiting to receive emergency rations of food supplies. In the latest in a series of episodes on the pandemic, host Justin Milner speaks with Urban senior fellow Elaine Waxman and Jodi Tyson of Three Square Food Bank in Nevada about the rapidly increasing food insecurity levels for millions of Americans, lessons policymakers can learn from the Great Recession, and the ways food banks are ...
May 22, 2020•22 min
Since March 21, more than 30 million people have sought unemployment benefits—nearly one of every five workers. And the April jobs report coming out tomorrow will likely tell an even more distressing story of how the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting unemployment rates, job losses, and earnings. So what should we do? Host Justin Milner asks researchers Greg Acs, Jesse Jannetta, Heather Hahn, and Shena Ashley for their best ideas on to get Americans into jobs. Related Links: How Gove...
May 07, 2020•25 min
In the latest episode of Critical Value, Host Justin Milner speaks with former Urban Institute Board Member Freeman Hrabowski about how to make education more accessible, affordable, and effective for students of all backgrounds. Recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2012, Hrabowski has served as the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, for 27 years. He has led UMBC to new heights as a national leader in STEM education and in graduating st...
Apr 22, 2020•23 min
Jails and prisons are ripe for rapid transmission of the coronavirus, putting residents, corrections staff, and the broader community at risk. In the latest in a series of podcast episodes on the pandemic, host Justin Milner talks to Brie Williams, physician and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Johnny Perez, director of the US Prisons Program for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and Urban Institute policy associate Bethany Young. Related Links...
Apr 14, 2020•22 min
The $2 trillion economic relief package passed last week is larger than any other plan of its kind in modern history. Who does it help and how? In the latest in a series of podcasts on the pandemic, host Justin Milner talks to the Tax Policy Center’s Mark Mazur, and Urban’s Jack Smalligan and Wayne Vroman about what’s in the law and how it provides support payments to Americans and expands unemployment insurance. Related Links: The COVID-19 Relief Bill Improves Access to Unemployment Insurance, ...
Mar 31, 2020•19 min
The coronavirus is already having widespread, dramatic effects on our economy – particularly those who are the most financially vulnerable. In the second in a series of podcasts on the pandemic, host Justin Milner speaks with Urban’s Donald Marron and the Tax Policy Howard Gleckman about the economic impact of the pandemic and the most powerful economic solutions we can use to respond. Related Links: Macroeconomic Policy In The Time of COVID-19 If We Give Everybody Cash to Boost The Coronavirus ...
Mar 20, 2020•19 min
The coronavirus poses a particular threat to people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. In the first of a series of podcasts on how the pandemic will affect vulnerable populations, host Justin Milner speaks with Mary Cunningham, vice president of the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center and researcher Samantha Batko about how the pandemic impacts those experiencing homelessness, those on the edge of becoming homeless and what policymakers can do to help. Related Links...
Mar 19, 2020•20 min
Research can take months—even years—to complete before publishing a final product. Is it possible to accelerate the research process? Recently, Urban researchers looked to hack the process by completing a research project in just one day. Host Justin Milner speaks with Christina Stacy and Brett Theodos to discuss their findings and the advantages and disadvantages that come with speeding up the research process.
Mar 05, 2020•18 min
Alcohol, gambling, cigarettes, and much more—states are implementing “sin taxes” on a range of activities and behaviors these days. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center researchers Richard Auxier and Lucy Dadayan about how states are experimenting with sin taxes and key things policymakers should keep in mind when implementing them. Related links: State and Local Finance Initiative Data Subscriptions Are States Betting on Sin? The Murky Future of State Taxation States ...
Feb 12, 2020•18 min
At $1.4 trillion per year, tax expenditures are an enormously important way our government spends money. But these provisions in the tax code, like the home mortgage interest deduction and the earned income tax credit, often receive less scrutiny than direct spending for programs like Medicare or Social Security. Speaking to host Justin Milner, Institute fellow Frank Sammartino and codirector of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center Eric Toder explain how tax expenditures work, who they benefit,...
Jan 29, 2020•17 min
We're starting off the year with a new segment called "Top of Mind" exploring compelling research topics that will be a big deal in 2020. Host Justin Milner speaks with Urban's Vice president, Marge Turner, researchers Carlos Martín and Solomon Greene, and chief data scientist Graham MacDonald to get a sense of what top of mind for their work in the coming year.
Jan 16, 2020•19 min
Year-end giving is a big deal to nonprofits around the country—but the landscape of charitable giving is changing, as technology and social media in particular are making giving easier than ever. In a rerun of a 2018 episode, host Justin Milner sits down with Shena Ashley and Brice McKeever of Urban's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy to talk about creating a culture of giving that educates and engages everyone around the issues they're most passionate about.
Dec 19, 2019•20 min
In a crowded and chaotic media environment, it can be hard for facts and data to break through and inform the important policy conversations that affect people’s everyday lives. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban’s chief communications officer Bridget Lowell, senior researcher and dataviz expert Jon Schwabish, and strategic communications director Kate Villarreal about how researchers and nonprofit leaders can become expert communicators and shapers of today’s policy debates. Related Links: Ele...
Dec 06, 2019•20 min
Youth apprenticeships can expand career options, strengthen the nation’s workforce and promote economic mobility. Host Justin Milner discusses youth apprenticeship programs with Urban researchers Robert Lerman and Diana Elliott; Darla Burton, Wisconsin’s State Youth Apprenticeship Program Coordinator; and Kevin Yonker, winner of West Central Georgia’s Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Nov 14, 2019•21 min
Institutional philanthropy is in a remarkable era of expansion and experimentation. Foundations are looking to increase their impact in innovative ways and also contending with the implications of their increasing influence. Host Justin Milner speaks with Arnold Ventures President Kelli Rhee, Hudson Webber Foundation President Melanca Clark, Center for Effective Philanthropy President Phil Buchanon and Urban researcher Ben Soskis to survey the emerging landscape.
Nov 04, 2019•23 min
Even in a strong economy, not everyone has access to jobs that pay well. And sometimes there are disconnects between the skills employers need and the training people receive. One way cities are tackling this challenge is through their local workforce system: a network of services, organizations, and programs that work to support job seekers, current workers, and employers. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban researcher Amanda Briggs, Atlanta CareerRise founder Cinda Herndon-King, and JPMorgan C...
Oct 18, 2019•25 min
The United States is home to over 50 million of Hispanic/Latinx origin. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban’s Chief Methodologist Rob Santos and Matt Barreto, a political scientist from UCLA and co-founder of the polling and research firm Latino Decisions, about Latinx identity and how to accurately collect data to reflect their presence, particularly in the 2020 Census.
Oct 03, 2019•24 min
A new policy could have huge effects on who gets the chance to walk down the path to US citizenship – and who doesn’t. Host Justin Milner discusses how just the possibility of the ‘public charge rule’ is changing the daily lives of immigrant communities with Mary’s Center President and CEO Maria Gomez and Urban researchers Hamutal Bernstein and Dulce Gonzalez. Related links: Mary’s Center One in Seven Adults in Immigrant Families Reported Avoiding Public Benefit Programs in 2018 Adults in Immigr...
Sep 18, 2019•23 min
Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives – from facial recognition and public security to resume reviews and hiring. To kick off Season 2 of Critical Value, host Justin Milner has a live conversation Dr. Vivienne Ming, a neuroscientist and co-founder of Socos Labs, about the opportunities and challenges that AI may present in the coming years.
Sep 04, 2019•19 min
Hey y’all, as the Fresh Prince once said, it is now: summer, summer, summertime! And what better way to take advantage than a dive into our summer reading list made just for you? On this episode, you’ll hear from various Urban staff about the books that can keep you company during these sunny summer days. Take a peek at the list below to see what nonfiction and fiction novels are the most compelling reads of the season (according to us). Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much The Color of...
Aug 05, 2019•18 min
Despite a growing economy, financial instability and economic anxiety have many Americans in a financial rut. Host Justin Milner talks with Chris Hughes of the Economic Security Project and researchers Elaine Maag and Len Burman from the Tax Policy Center about expanding and redesigning the Earned Income Tax Credit to provide a basic level of economic security for all working individuals. Related resources: Economic Security Project Tax Policy Center Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit: The E...
Jul 22, 2019•21 min
It’s no secret that our nation’s total student loan debt has grown exponentially in recent years. Why is overall debt increasing? When is taking on student loan debt a good idea? And what are some emerging proposals to fix our growing debt balance? Host Justin Milner talks with Urban Institute researcher Matt Chingos about the balance of access to higher education and risk that comes with student loan borrowing.
Jun 26, 2019•19 min
The Urban Institute recently marked its 50th birthday. To celebrate, we hosted an event thinking about the role of research to support changemakers for the next five decades. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban Institute president Sarah Rosen Wartell and preeminent leaders from different sectors about key challenges facing our society and the way forward. Related links: Next50 Changemaker Forum
Jun 11, 2019•22 min
What policies could better lead to financial security for all Americans? Host Justin Milner discusses airhorn-worthy solutions like universal basic income, guaranteed jobs, and revamping social insurance with researchers Caroline Ratcliffe and Caleb Quakenbush. Related links: Next50 Catalyst Brief: Financial Well-Being
May 20, 2019•22 min
The class of 2019 is facing an ever-changing job market. How can we best prepare people with the skills they’ll need to join the workforce of tomorrow? And how do we figure out which skills employers actually want? Urban Institute researcher Shayne Spaulding and host Justin Milner discuss a reimagined postsecondary education and training system that would provide people with what they need throughout their entire working lives. Related links: Next50 Catalyst Brief: Lifelong Learning
May 06, 2019•18 min
What role can philanthropy play in making cities more equitable, so that people have a real say in how dollars flow into their communities? Host Justin Milner discusses philanthropy’s increasingly central role with Rip Rapson, president of the Kresge Foundation. Related links: The Shared Prosperity Partnership
Apr 22, 2019•20 min
Denver, Colorado adopted an uncommon approach, called pay for success, to address chronic homelessness. In the second of two episodes, host Justin Milner discusses how this collaborative project is playing out on the ground – and explores the evidence to see if it’s working. Related links: Starting with Stability: How Denver Is Breaking the Homelessness-Jail Cycle
Apr 03, 2019•19 min