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Making taxes great again

Original Reporting | By Benjamin Schneider
Democrats are caught in a race to the bottom with the GOP on taxes. Making the feedback loop between taxes and government services more visible; providing assurances that government can deliver on its promises; and instilling trust that the tax system is fair are all going to be necessary to convince Americans to tax themselves.

Our upgraded unemployment tools

Data Visualizations | By Craig Gurian
These tools provide ways to look far more deeply into unemployment data -- current data and data over time. You have the ability to compare and contrast up to four demographic composites, each with a race/ethnicity, gender, age, and educational attainment element. Updated with latest (May) data on June 15th.
“What on earth is going on when asking someone to pick up after her dog triggers a much younger woman to physically attack a 75-year-old?”

A regular assault

Commentary | By Craig Gurian
This is not a story of a “horrific murder.” It is not even the story of an “especially vicious” assault. It didn’t happen in the subway; there was no “gunplay” involved.

It’s just what I guess you would call a regular assault on a 75-year-old woman, apparently for having told two people to clean up after their (unleashed) dogs.

The budget fight that is not being had

Commentary | By Craig Gurian
Neither side of City Hall appears willing to engage in serious exploration of triage despite a federal administration unrelentingly hostile to cities (especially blue ones), let alone willing to take the politically difficult steps necessary to achieve excellence in delivery of city services.

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From earlier this year

From the archives

Market-rate condos as an affordable housing tool?

Original Reporting | By Craig Gurian
Legislation recently enacted by New York State as part of its budget process directly offers the prospect of preserving several thousand affordable housing units at risk for losing their tenant protections, and indirectly raises the question of why an obvious set of tools aren’t being used to change the day-to-day reality of luxury condominium buildings being developed with zero percent affordable units included.
Affordable housing

Hochul's "Pro-Housing Community" program so far falling flat

Original Reporting | By Craig Gurian
A large percentage of municipalities in Westchester and Nassau Counties — two of the beating hearts of exclusionary zoning in the New York City metropolitan area — are saying in effect, “No, thank you, we like our exclusion just the way we have it.” The lack of progress is especially apparent in municipalities with the lowest percentages of non-Hispanic Black residents.
Affordable housing Regional policy NYC Segregation

How white is Medicaid in Trump country?

Data Visualizations | By Mike Alberti
Medicaid cuts, which could result in millions of Americans across the country losing health coverage, may appear politically palatable to those who subscribe to deeply-held stereotypes about Medicaid recipients (and all recipients of state-administered “welfare” programs): they are mostly Black and generally live largely in urban centers. But look at what the data say.
Health care Government services Race Politics

Lyric of the week

Jul 19, 2026

You were born in California 
I was born in F.L.A 
I went out there with a rock n’ roll band, yeah 
Looking for somewhere else to play 

You were an angel, an independent girl 
You were not afraid of the big wicked world 
You took me in and gave me hope 
When I was at the end of my rope 

And I will always be grateful 
For finding you when I did 
I will always treasure you 
As my dearest and deepest friend

I’ve heard there’s a light at the end of the tunnel 
I’ve heard there’s a wisdom and uncertainty 
I’ve heard every cloud has a silver lining 
Well, I hope that’s true for you and me

"It is written,"
Mike Campbell (Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs)
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