In This Newsletter
Best-Performing Cities
What We’re Listening To
What We’re Reading
Exploring Sports and Education with the Jordan Scholars
Best-Performing Cities
The Milken Institute’s annual Best-Performing Cities report, whose 2023 edition was published in May, is a data-based ranking of large and small American metropolis areas and observes changes and trends across 12 key measures to conclude which cities are ascendant (as well as those whose performance is waning). It’s a hotly anticipated analysis, with government officials and civic boosters keen to champion their metro area’s successes and opportunities for improvement, and an informative read for anyone considering relocation or curious about civic trends.
What We’re Listening To
In the leadup to the 2023 Global Conference, Milken Institute’s speakers shared the songs that inspire, excite, or motivate them—and the team pulled together a 12+ hour playlist from their submissions. Match the song to the speaker, and tune in via Spotify. It’s an eclectic global mix that celebrates the many facets of the American Dream.
What We’re Reading
The New York Times asked 17 columnists to single out the cultural works that best define America. The entire list, vividly animated and presented on a long scroll, is well worth a read, but special standouts include Ezra Klein on the hope and loneliness of the film Her, Lydia Polgreen on the reality-show machinations of Survivor, and Pamela Paul on the expansive literary canvas of A Hazard of New Fortunes.
With New York City rents at an all-time high, recent graduates are turning to side gigs and getting creative with living arrangements to chase their own versions of the American Dream, as outlined in this Bloomberg feature.
Sushi came to Los Angeles (and, after that, the rest of America) largely because of a cross-cultural friendship and an entrepreneurial mindset. This Los Angeles Times feature, about Noritoshi Kanai and Harry Wolff Jr., is a fascinating examination of how business collaboration and curiosity drove a delicious transformation in the way we eat.
Exploring Sports and Education with the Jordan Scholars
High school athletes are 30 percent more likely to graduate than non-athletes. Enrolling in sports creates dedication, commitment, and community that can lead to long-term success. In collaboration with the Jordan Family Foundation (JFF), MCAAD invited community advocates and philanthropists last month to explore the power of young people’s commitment to sports and the educational opportunities it can unlock. The discussion featured JFF’s Jordan Scholars Program, a scholarship program for high school students from underserved communities to excel as student-athletes in college and beyond. Speakers included founder Jay Jordan, Foundation President J.W. Jordan and Jordan Scholar alumnus Chris Parker, as well as educators and public-school officials from Washington, DC, moderated by MCAAD’s executive director, Rachel Goslins.