Conversation with Brookings' Darrell M. West -- "A very tough year" ahead

Imagine turning the federal government workforce of some four million employees into a highly efficient and productive organization, motivated around each employee’s individual strengths. That’s the mission that former Rhode Island Leadership Rhode Island Executive Director Mike Ritz, now Gallup’s Executive Director/Federal Government has undertaken. He’s still at the beginning of this 10-year project, a year and a half in. Mike shares with us early assessments of the federal workforce, the importance of the CliftonStrengths assessment not only helping each federal employee understand and utilize their greatest strengths, but also how the process can benefit governments, schools, non-profits, and even small businesses.

A conversation with Brookings' Darrell West, and a forecast for 2024 -- “A very tough year in the history of this country.” We touch on a divided nation, Congressional inaction, the Biden "impeachment," and much more.

 Darrell M. West is a senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation and Douglas Dillon Chair in Government Studies at the Brooking Institution. He is the author of numerous books, including Power and Politics: Trump and the Assault on American Democracy (Brookings Press, 2022). His books have won numerous awards and in 2014 he was honored by the Public Administration Review for having written one of the seventy-five most influential articles since 1940, “E-Government and the Transformation of Service Delivery and Citizen Attitudes.”

Since it was founded in 1971 in London, Foghat, a classic rock band, has achieved eight gold albums, one platinum and one double platinum album, and continues to perform today, with its latest album, Sonic Mojo, named among the top 20 albums of 2023. Through more than half century, the band has gone through various configurations, with only drummer Roger Earl remaining from the original group. Still, the Foghat remains true to its original roots, a classic rock band with considerable blues and country influence. I recently spoke with lead singer Scott Holt, who joined the group two years ago after about 15 years on his own and a decade with blues legend Buddy Guy.

Antisemitism is on the rise at levels not seen in decades. On college campuses  Jewish students are feeling unsafe, many in the Jewish community are on edge -- real or perceived. And it doesn't matter whether you are a religious or secular Jew, whether you see your Judaism as spiritual, cultural, or social, or only relate because you were born that way. Adam Greenman, president and executive director  of the Jewish Alliance in Rhode Island, reflects on the rise in antisemitism, the Israeli/Hamas war, and still provides a message of hope.

From the glitter of the Vegas strip, to small comedy clubs, and expansive auditoriums on cruise ships, Dave Goodman has spent a  career making people laugh. 

In this conversation he talks about how he abandoned his pursuit of a law career to become a successful standup comic, a regular in Las Vegas, where he logged more than 3,000 performances ... and then on cruise ships for years, traveling around the world. In 2015, he wrote the book -- "Confessions of a Cruise Ship Comedian."

From Robin Williams to Don Rickles and Bill Cosby, he talks of those with whom he performed, befriended, or simply came to know. 

And he talks of his own comedic style, and how laughter often serves to heal even the most difficult of situations.

Nellie Gorbea spent eight years as Rhode Island’s Secretary of State, earning a stellar reputation for her work in cybersecurity, staunch advocacy for voting rights, dedication to improving civics education, and working with businesses throughout the state. She joins me as we discuss a variety of issues, from her time as Secretary of State, her new role at the Pell Center at Salve Regina University, attacks on voting rights, and how her native Puerto Rico is recovering from a series of devastating hurricanes.

Archie Calise has been in the car business for years  -- in finance, sales, and management. He's also an antique car collector. We touch on all aspects of the industrry. How it's changing, the future of electric cars, buying styles, whether to lease or buy, and more. 

Robert L. Carothers came to the University of Rhode Island, in the worst of times, and when he left 18 years later, URI and the state of Rhode Island were much better for his having been there. We catch up with Bob Carothers, as he now contemplates a second retirement, this one from College Unbound, which has and is transforming the lives of individuals, many of whom would otherwise likely face a lifetime of despair. Bob Carothers – educator, university president, poet, and lawyer.

University of Rhode Island Economist Len Lardaro, author of a montly Rhode Island economic index, believes there is a 60 percent chance of what he calls a "vanilla" recession in 2023 asnd 70 percent in 2024. In this interview he touches on immigration and its impact on employment, the economic importance of affordable housing, and lack of in-house due diligence in state government.

Terry Schwadron has been watching the evolution of journalism since he was first hired as a reporter at the Providence Journal in 1971. He's lived the changes as a senior editor and eventually deputy managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, and then as a senior editor for some 17 years at the New York Times., where he directed News Technology for 1,200 reporters, editors, photographers, and web producers.. "Retired," he writes frequently  for various publications about current events.