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This year’s New York City budget was marked by a lack of funding and cuts across the board. At the same time, New York State is losing out on an estimated $4.4 billion in economic stimulus because residents aren’t enrolled in benefits they qualify for. Our guest is Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York, with a plan to make it easier to search for those over 50 to find and apply for public benefits. For more, local.aarp.org/new-york-ny/

Current events find us talking more and more about the experiences of women and young girls, but what about the experiences of our sons and young men? How can we ensure that our sons are well-prepared and well-launched to manhood? How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Raise Good Men, by Dr. Michael Reichert, focuses on this question as a foundation to what we are missing when it comes to raising our sons.

Every year, The US Open is an epic sports event in sports, tennis and Queens. Kicking off the tournament, this Tuesday, August 22 to Sunday, August 27 is US Open Fan Week! The USTA’s Nicole Kankam, Managing Director, Pro Tennis Marketing and Entertainment, has details on the free events for all The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. For more, visit USopen.org.

Our guest is Madeleine Kleven of FOOD ANIMAL CONCERNS TRUST (FACT), for a conversation about the use and consequences of antibiotics in the food we eat, protecting ourselves, and supporting humane farming. Before joining FACT, Madeleine worked in a laboratory setting, researching infectious organisms and their impacts on public health. She completed her graduate degree in public health at UC Berkeley with an emphasis in infectious diseases and vaccinology.For more, visit foodanimalconcernstrust.org.

Merle Saferstein has worked closely with hundreds of Holocaust survivors, helping them to write and pass along their personal thoughts and histories. Now she’s helping others share their lifetime stories with legacy journaling, through her book LIVING AND LEAVING MY LEGACY, VOL II.

As one of America’s leading cultural ambassadors, NYC based Battery Dance connects the world through dance by building bridges through international cultural exchange programs--to date, in over 70 countries. In summer, Battery Dance plays host to dancers and companies throughout the world, via the Battery Dance Festival. Our guest is founder and Artistic Director of Battery Dance, Jonathan Hollander. For more, visit Batterydance.org.

Given the number of boarded up retail spaces across New York City, it may not be a surprise that retail jobs are down—there are fewer of most the accessible jobs. What does that mean for the City? Are those jobs coming back, and what needs to happen to insure that New Yorkers are prepared for the jobs the economy is creating? Our guest is Jonathan Bowles is the Executive Director of The Center for an Urban Future, a think tank that serves as a catalyst for smart and sustainable policies to reduce inequality, increase economic mobility, and grow the economy in New York City. For more, visit nycfuture.org.

In THE CONFIDENCE MAP: Charting a Path from Chaos to Clarity, behavioral economics pioneer Peter Atwater explores the hidden role of confidence in the choices we make and why events described as being unprecedented are often entirely predictable if we know what to look for. Peter Atwater is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at William and Mary, and President of Financial Insyghts, a consulting firm that advises on how social mood affects decision making, the economy, and the markets.

The FLAG Award For Teaching Excellence, founded by Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, recognizes and celebrates extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion, and commitment. 2023 Grand Prize Winners Zachary Rosch from Tottenville High School in Staten Island, and Sarah Slack from I.S. 223 in Brooklyn, talk about their unique STEM programs and bringing real world experiences to students. For more details, including information about 2024 entries, visit flagaward.org.

Christian Madsbjerg new book is LOOK: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, an exploration of how we pay attention, why it matters, and how we get it back. Christian Madsbjerg is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences.

One of the great NYC fundraisers returns on September 10th: Wine on Wheels at City Winery. It’s an event founded by NYC based restauranteur and sommelier Yannick Benjamin, bringing together people to drink wine, socialize and raise funds to empower people with disabilities. For tickets and more, visit wineonwheels.org

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ackerman’s new book is WHAT AN OWL KNOWS: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds, a scientific investigation into owls and why they exert such a hold on human imagination. Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for more than three decades. Her previous books include, The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think and The Genius of Birds.

Vanessa Bracetty-Ormsby is Founder & Executive Director of Expecting Relief: A Brooklyn based organization built to create community based solutions address to poverty, hunger and miseducation via food, diaper, literacy relief and more. For more, visit expectingrelief.org.

Dr. Catherine Pearlman's book is IGNORE IT!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction. Dr. Pearlman's private practice helps families resolve everyday problems related to discipline, sleep, and sibling rivalry, among other issues. More at thefamilycoach.com.

Former NYC Schools Chancellor Dr. Meisha Porter is now the Inaugural President and CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation, an organization which supports and invests in community non-profits to eradicate inequity and build sustainable futures for all Bronxites. Dr. Porter talks about their approach, and recent grants and partnerships supporting migrants, cannabis education and the borough’s first legal dispensary. For more, visit thebronx.org

As Americans, we are defined by our jobs. But what if our jobs were just part of our lives, and our identities came from something far more personal? Simone Stolzoff’s new book is THE GOOD ENOUGH JOB: Reclaiming Life from Work. It's a look at why work has become central to our identities, and how to separate our self-worth from our output. Simone Stolzoff is an independent journalist and consultant. He works with leaders—from the Surgeon General of the United States to the Chief Talent Officer at Google—on how to make the workplace more human-centered.

According to the New York Economic Development Corporation, while Manhattan has lost about 2,300 small businesses in the last decade, the other four boroughs have been gaining. To drill down on business in the Bronx, and resources for small business owners, our guest is Rob Walsh, President of Bronx Economic Development Corporation. For more, visit BxEDC.org.

If you are one of those people who thinks you might have a book in you…or maybe have even written one…well, what happens next? How do you get it published? Rea Frey is a multi-published, award-winning bestselling author, and founder of Writeway, a process and podcast to help other writers get published, at writewayco.com.

The New York City Primary election is Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Like most off-cycle election years, voter turnout will likely be low. What is on the ballot this year, and what needs to be done to increase voter turnout? Our guests are Betsy Gothbaum, Executive Director of the non-profit good government group Citizens Union and former NYC Public Advocate, and and Ben Weinberg, Citizens Union Director of Public Policy. For more, visit citizensunion.org.

For Pride Month, we’re joined by Jason Marx, a partner in the Trusts and Estate practice at Mandelbaum Barrett in Roseland, NJ, for a conversation about the unique challenges of estate planning for same sex couples. For more, mblawfirm.com.