Media Coverage – Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

Could A Surfside Building Disaster Happen On The NY Or NJ Coast?

Last week, search crews reached the bottom of the rubble at the Champlain Towers condo building site in Surfside, Florida, where at least 98 people perished due to a deadly collapse in June. The exact cause is still unclear, but lack of maintenance, structural damage from exposure to salty sea air and storms, and subsidence (sinking) in combination with […]

More states are ending jobless benefit, but will workers return?

“When there’s a quick ramping up of the (economy), there’s a quick demand for workers and that means the people who pay more are going to get those workers … just as when there’s a labor surplus they’re able to pay less and still get a competent workforce,’’ says Carl Van Horn, founding director of […]

Why the Olympics ban on Black hair swim caps is disturbing | Opinion

Diversity in swimming has always been an issue. In the United States, the overwhelming majority of swimmers are white. According to a 2019 Swimming Membership Demographics report, only 0.8% of their 327,337 swimmers were Black men, and 0.6% Black women. Although swimming is a physical activity that many Black women and girls enjoy, a common reason […]

Many factors may have been at play – Experts differ on possible causes for the collapse

For four decades, the Champlain Tower South condominium sat about 100 yards from the sea, much of that distance covered by sand. During that time, the tide ebbed and flowed toward the building nearly 60,000 times. A full moon rose in the sky 500 times. The condo witnessed it all. Then, on Thursday, it was […]

‘It’s evil’ Ransomware attack on hospital system in Savannah is part of a growing trend

The ransomware attack on St. Joseph’s/Candler that was first detected on June 17 is part of a growing trend of such attacks across industries and government, but especially on healthcare providers. “The truth is that there are a lot of advancements happening in the hacker side of it, how they can get access to those systems,” said Soumitra Bhuyan, assistant professor at […]

Victims of traffic fatalities are disproportionately Black and Native

Charles T. Brown, Senior Researcher and Adjunct Professor with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) and President and CEO of Equitable Cities, assesses the rise in traffic fatalities in an MSNBC interview. A 2021 report from Smart Growth America showed Black pedestrians were 82 percent more likely to get hit by drivers. MSNBC.com, June 27, […]

New Jersey’s primary election ballots are rigged | Opinion

Former Rutgers Law School Dean and Public Advocate Ron Chen and former NJ Attorney General and current Director of Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics John Farmer cite Bloustein School professor Julia Rubin’s research on the county line in an editorial about New Jersey’s lack of democratic elections “As Rutgers Professor Julia Sass Rubin explained in […]

Traffic deaths increased during the pandemic. The toll fell more heavily on Black residents, report shows

A new study released Tuesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) highlights the disparities. It analyzed data from 2015 to 2019 and found that in different types of traffic crashes, Black people were killed at higher rates than White people. Black pedestrians were killed at a rate twice as high. Charles Brown, a professor […]

Rates of anxiety and depression skyrocket during COVID-19

Bill Rodgers, Labor Economist and Rutgers University Professor, joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the impact of COIVD-19 on workers’ mental health. Yahoo Finance, May 20, 2021

New Jersey’s Budget Surplus

This time last year, New Jersey’s fiscal reality was grim. This year, the state has an $11 BILLION surplus. NJ Spotlight News’ Joanna Gagis talks with Bloustein School senior policy fellow/executive in residence and former New Jersey Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Rich Keevey about how that money should be allocated by the […]