JSGC Podcast JSGC

In this episode, the JSGC podcast team interviews policy analyst Bryan DeWalt on the subject of nuclear technology in Pennsylvania. Among the topics discussed include an overview of how nuclear fission works, why nuclear power plants are difficult to build, and emerging alternatives to make nuclear power safer and more affordable. The content of this episode is based on the report "Benefits of Nuclear Energy and Development of Small Modular Reactors," released in February of 2024. This ...

Today the JSGC podcast team interviews Glenn Pasewicz, Susan Elder, and Allison Kobzowicz to discuss truancy in Pennsylvania schools. Among the topics discussed include important definitions, the penalties truant students face, and the changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Recommendations for reducing truancy in schools are also discussed. The content of this episode is based on the report "The Truancy Process: The Challenge of Improving Attendance in Pennsylvania Schools," re...

In this episode, the JSGC podcast team interviews Bryan DeWalt and Allison Kobzowicz about two of our reports relating to higher education transparency. These report are the "Instructional Output and Faculty Salary Costs of the State-related Universities" and "Information Disclosure of the State-related Universities" also known as the Snyder and Stairs reports. The Snyder report focuses on the cost to provide education and University performance metrics while the Stairs report centers a...

In todays episode, the JSGC policy podcast team interviews Yvonne Hursh on the subject of Fatherhood. The contents of this episode are based on the report “Greater Father Involvement: Fostering Engagement of Fathers in Improving the Well-being of their Children"” released in January of 2024. The episode discusses the creation of a Fatherhood Involvement Institute, a permanent government body that would promote fatherhood and coordinate state approaches. The episode also covers potential...

In this episode, we return to our biannual topic of diabetes by interviewing Helen Khanzhina about advances in treatment and advocacy of the disease since 2021. The JSGC Policy Podcast previously covered diabetes in our 11th episode. In this episode, our conversation covers updated statistics, how state departments and advocacy groups work toward prevention and awareness of the disease, and recommendations on how Pennsylvania could improve Diabetes care. For more information see the full repo...

In this episode, the JSGC Podcast team convenes to discuss election reform, one of the Commission’s ongoing projects. Guest Yvonne Hursh returns to update listeners on new developments for the Election Law Advisory Board (ELAB) over the last year and proposals for training election directors within Pennsylvania. The content of this episode is based on “Election Law in Pennsylvania: Third Annual Report of the Election Law Advisory Board” published in August of 2023. Both the full report and a ...