Feb. 15, 2024 - Assemblymember Tony Simone, a Manhattan Democrat, makes the case for requiring clinics that treat opioid addiction with controlled substances to seek the input of the local community before getting licensed to operate by the state.

Feb. 14, 2024 - New York Immigration Coalition Executive Director Murad Awawdeh makes the case for expanding the languages that government forms and services are available in.

Feb. 14, 2024 - Legislation kicking around the Capitol would create a new pathway for licensing midwives in New York, following in the footsteps of about three dozen states. Hilary Schlinger, a legislative advisor to the New York Certified Professional Midwives, explains how a new license for midwives would benefit maternal health outcomes.

Feb. 14, 2024 - After nearly two decades in the state Assembly, Rockland County Democrat Ken Zebrowski is not running for re-election this fall. He swung by the studio to talk about his decision to leave the chamber and reflected on his career at the Capitol.

Listen Saturday, February 17th at 7pm.

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue turns 100. WQXR marks the occasion with a look at how this iconic piece of classical music came to be, and how it continues to inspire musicians a century after its first performance. Join us for Strike Up the Band! A Century of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Host Jeff Spurgeon takes listeners through a celebration of 100 years of Rhapsody in Blue. During this special, guests like Michael Feinstein, Lara Downes, Marcus Roberts, Vince Giordano, Maurice Peress, and Ryan Bañagale will tell us the stories behind the composition and premiere of this iconic work and they’ll explore how artists have performed and reimagined Gershwin’s masterpiece over the course of the century.

Feb. 13, 2024 - Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, a Buffalo Democrat, talks about the recreational marijuana landscape in New York, which was the subject of recent harsh criticism from the governor.

Feb. 13, 2024 - State Sen. Sean Ryan, a Buffalo-area Democrat, highlights a package of bills designed to increase affordable housing in his community and addresses the governor's effort to promote "pro-housing" municipalities.

Feb. 13, 2024 - Finger Lakes Land Trust Executive Director Andy Zepp talks about regional preservation efforts and how the state can better support the work of land trusts as policymakers look to conserve 30 percent of state land by 2030.

Feb. 12, 2024 - Human Services Council Executive Director Michelle Jackson discusses the proposed 1.5% cost of living adjustment the governor has proposed for human services workers at non-profit organizations that contract with the state.

Feb. 12, 2024 - We dive into the problem of human trafficking in New York, including the forms it takes, how state policymakers respond to the issue and the status of an interagency task force. We're joined in the studio by Julina Guo, director of human trafficking prevention at the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, and Estelle Davis, assistant director and coordinator of the response to human trafficking program at the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.